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Boris Johnson has revealed he will not return to politics any time soon – for one very bizarre reason.The former prime minister was grilled on a potential return to frontline politics during his appearance at the World Governments Summit in Dubai on Wednesday (12 February).When pressed on his future by CNN anchor Richard Quest, the former Tory leader said he would only do something if “I generally thought I could be useful”.He then added: “I am blissfully engaged trying to build my wife a kitchen. It’s very time consuming.” More

Nigel Farage’s former advisor has condemned Labour’s immigration raid videos, describing them as “unpleasant and nasty.”Gawain Towler, the UK Independence Party’s (UKIP) former director of communications, compared the footage to former Conservative prime minister Theresa May’s “Go home or face arrest” Home Office vans.Ms May has since said the vans were “wrong.”“There’s something mean and unpleasant and nasty about the way it’s been done,” Mr Towler said of the government’s strategy in a Times Radio interview.“We want illegal migrants to leave… particularly those who’ve committed crimes… But the tone aspect, I think they’re trying to appeal to an electorate they think we are rather than understanding who we are.” More

Frustrated farmers have urged the government to “listen and end death taxes” as a large scale protest descended in London on Monday (10 February).Farmers gathered in Westminster for the third time in four months, protesting the government’s inheritance tax plan.Under the plan, farms would face an effective tax rate of 20 per cent on assets above the threshold, rather than the normal 40 per cent rate for inheritance tax.Farmer Oli Fletcher said: “The government needs to help the workers in the countryside, just as we need to help the workers in the cities who already have trouble affording food and who already have poor standards of nutrition.” More

Sir Keir Starmer has become the first western prime minister to take a public HIV  test in an effort to destigmatise testing for the virus.The prime minister took an at-home test at 10 Downing Street alongside soul singer Beverley Knight, to mark HIV Testing Week which starts today (10 February)Sir Keir said: “It’s really important to do it and I’m really pleased to be able to do it. It’s very easy, very quick.”During HIV Testing Week, which runs from February 10 to 17, members of the public can order one of 20,000 free, confidential, at-home tests which Sir Keir and singer Beverley Knight demonstrated in Downing Street. The test provides a result in 15 minutes. More

The UK government would oppose any effort to move Palestinians in Gaza to neighbouring Arab states against their will, a Foreign Office minister has said after Donald Trump claimed the US would take over the territory.Responding to an urgent question, Anneliese Dodds told the House of Commons: “Palestinians must determine the future of Gaza with support from regional states and the wider international community.“There must be no forced displacement of Palestinians nor any reduction in the territory of the Gaza Strip.”It comes after the US president said his nation would have “a long-term ownership position” and turn what he called a “hell hole” into “the Riviera of the Middle East”.Labour responds to Trump plan to displace Palestinians and turn Gaza into ‘Riviera of the Middle East’ More