News

Sky News presenter Sir Trevor Phillips labelled the Labour government a pretty miserable bunch” during an interview with the Foreign Secretary.The broadcaster challenged David Lammy over current pledges the new government has made since coming to power in July.Speaking on his Sunday breakfast show today (15 September), Sir Trevor said: “You’re proposing a ban on advertising fast food, you’re banning smartphones for kids, you are promising 10 years of slog to repair the NHS.“You personally are a cheerful chap but as a government, you are a pretty miserable bunch aren’t you?”Mr Lammy smiled and replied: “You do this to get to the sunny uplands.” More

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey arrived at his party’s autumn conference on a jet-ski.Sir Ed said people are “absolutely ecstatic” as the party’s autumn conference began in Brighton on Saturday (14 September).At its first conference since the party won 72 MPs in July’s general election, Sir Ed described the mood as “very excited”.He said: “People are absolutely ecstatic about the historic result the Liberal Democrats won.“72 MPs makes us the biggest Liberal or Liberal Democrat parliamentary party for over 100 years.“The third party again, and the strongest third party for over 100 years. So we want our voice to get heard.” More

Nigel Farage faced shouts from MPs in the House of Commons after he accused Sir Keir Starmer of presiding over a “two-tier policing and a two-tier justice system” in the UK following the release of hundreds of inmates from prisons to ease overcrowding.The Reform UK MP said serious career criminals were released to make way for rioters and “those who’ve said unpleasant things on Facebook and elsewhere in social media.”The prime minister replied that he was angry “to be put in a position to release people who should be in prison because the last government broke the prison system.” More

Sir Keir Starmer has said he is worried about the rise of the far-right, warning that it offers “the snake oil of the easy answer.”The prime minister told Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday, 8 September: “We can see what is happening in Germany with the recent election, see what is happening in France and other countries.”I am convinced that the answer to it is delivery in government.”Sir Keir’s comments came after the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) won the most votes in Germany’s regional elections in Thuringia. More

Wes Streeting apologised to his constituents for “going into work to vote for something that will take money away from you” but defended Labour’s plan to limit the winter fuel allowance.”It’s also important to say to people why, when you’re taking something away, why that choice is necessary,” the health secretary told Sir Trevor Phillips on Sunday, 8 September.It comes as Sir Keir Starmer continues his defence of the cut and faces a rebellion from backbenchers this week in a vote on his decision to withdraw the payment from millions of pensioners. More

Sir Keir Starmer said Laura Kuenssberg was “wrong” to suggest that the UK is unpopular with the US over its decision to suspend some arms exports to Israel.Around 30 out of a total of approximately 350 licences have been suspended because of concerns they could be used in violations of international humanitarian law in the Israel-Hamas conflict.The prime minister has claimed Britain’s allies “understand” its move, arguing that it was a “legal not a policy decision.”Speaking to the BBC presenter on Sunday, 8 September, Sir Keir said the US is “very clear” it has a different legal system and it “understands the decision that we’ve taken”. More

Former prime minister Tony Blair discusses his new book On Leadership: Lessons for the 21st Century in a wide-ranging interview with The Independent’s editor-in-chief, Geordie Greig.Touching upon his experience of power and leadership, Blair spoke of meeting and trying to work with the likes of Vladimir Putin on the world stage, what Brexit, the past 14 years under the Conservatives showcases about political decision-making and how Silvio Berlusconi helped deliver the London 2012 Olympic Games. Blair also discusses his marriage to Cherie Blair and the advice he has given to his children. More