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Labour’s new prisons minister said “a lot of prisoners should not be in there” in a resurfaced interview.James Timpson said the UK is “addicted to sentencing and punishment” in an interview earlier this year with Channel 4.In the clip, Mr Timpson said: “A lot of people in prison in my view shouldn’t be there, and they are there for far too long. It’s getting worse.“I meet people in prison regulary, who are serving sentences longer than they’ve ever been alive for already, and I just think this is common sense being ignored and evidence being ignored, because there is this sentiment around punish and punish.” More

Nigel Farage and Lee Anderson shared a hug as they reflected on Reform UK’s election result, in a new video posted to social media.“I’ve got no drinking partners left!”, Anderson, who won a seat for the party in Ashfield, joked.Farage, who also won a seat in Clacton, responded: “Well done mate.”Reform UK have secured four seats in the General Election, including Great Yarmouth and Boston and Skegness, both taken from the Tories.Their policies include stopping all unnecessary migration, and banning transgender ideology. More

Sir Keir Starmer got straight to work assembling his Cabinet Office after promising to rebuild trust in politics and restore hope to the nation after a landslide Labour victory in the general election.Rachel Reeves has been confirmed as Britain’s first woman chancellor of the Exchequer, Angela Rayner is Sir Keir’sdeputy prime minister and retained the levelling up, housing and communities brief, and Yvette Cooper is home secretary.David Lammy takes the roll of foreign secretary.The Independent takes a closer look at the team at the top More

Britain’s first female chancellor of the Exchequer described the appointment as “the honour of my life” and a sign for all women and girls that there should be “no limit to your ambitions.”In a post on X, and in a speech followering her Cabinet appointment on Friday (5 July), Rachel Reeves said: “It is the honour of my life to have been appointed chancellor of the Exchequer.“Economic growth was the Labour Party’s mission. It is now a national mission.“Let’s get to work.”She added: “To every young girl and woman reading this, let today show that there should be no limit to your ambitions.” More

Andy Burnham appeared to enjoy the moment Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg lost his seat in the general election, suggesting the former Tory cabinet minister had been “battered”.The 55-year-old Arch-Brexiteer was defeated by Labour’s Dan Norris in the new North East Somerset and Hanham constituency.Mr Norris won 20,739 votes compared to 15,420 for Sir Jacob.As the result was broadcast on Sky News on Friday morning (5 July), Mr Burnham celebrated.“That’s ‘Mogg-xit’ – he’s gone,” the Mayor of Greater Manchester said.“He’s been battered and he deserves to be. He has no clue what he has inflicted on people.” More

The first senior Tory to lose a seat in the general election launched a brutal attack on his party during during a live BBC interview.Sir Robert Buckland slammed Conservative colleagues for saying “stupid” and “inflammatory” things during an interview on Thursday night (4 July).The former Justice Secretary lost to Labour’s Heidi Alexander, who won a majority of 9,606 and wiped out Sir Robert’s majority of more than 6,000 in Swindon South.Speaking to the BBC after his loss, Sir Robert said: “I’m fed up of personal agendas, and jockeying for position. The truth is now with the Conservatives facing this electoral Armageddon, it will be like a group of bald men arguing over a comb.” More

BBC presenter Clive Myrie thanked Tory MP Steve Baker for a “depressing” end to his live general election interview.The former MP, who lost his Wycombe seat after 14 years in power to Labour candidate Emma Reynolds, said he “would not be coming back” as he listed the struggles facing MPs across the country.Mr Baker said: “I’m sad for our country because Labour are going to be a disaster.”He added: “I wanted to win this, but for me personally, thank God I’m free. It’s over, and I’m glad.”Mr Myrie replied: “Well that is a depressing way to end an interview Steve, thank you for that.” More

At least seven hecklers interrupted Nigel Farage’s speech at a Reform UK press conference on Friday 5 July.The party’s leader was due to address to supporters and the media at around 2:30pm, but the event began with a person in the audience interrupting him and calls from others for the heckler to be removed.After the first man was removed, a number of other hecklers were escorted out of the Westminster venue.Mr Farage accused the first man who interrupted his speech of being “steaming” and shouted “boring” nine times as a second heckler started speaking.He was holding the press conference after Reform won four seats at the general election. More