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      How Starmer’s impromptu glass of wine with four pals reveals the G7 has become the G6 plus 1

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      Summits are usually very formal, almost scripted events where leaders of the world’s biggest democracies meet to discuss all the issues their officials have already negotiated before. But on the odd occasion humanity breaks out from the robotic formal proceedings.Such a moment came as Keir Starmer – a man normally famed for his aversion to the spontaneous – came out of an apparently agreeable bilateral meeting with the Italian PM Giorgia Meloni.Across the hotel lobby he spotted German chancellor Friedrich Merz and the two immediately were drawn to one another and sat down to have a chinwag off the books. Soon Ms Meloni had joined them followed by the host Canadian PM Mark Carney and French President Emmanuel Macron.After the initial water, glasses of wine arrived.World leaders having a glass at the G7 More

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      Starmer insists he will not ‘massage the figures’ as he vows to shut all migrant hotels properly

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      Keir Starmer has insisted that the Home Office will not be buying up hotels and changing their use to “accommodation centres” in a bid to ensure he keeps his pledge to end the use of asylum hotels by 2029.Speaking to journalists accompanying him to the G7 in Canada, Sir Keir insisted that there would be no attempt to “massage the figures” on the pledge to stop using taxpayer-funded hotels to house asylum seekers.The issue was raised after the promise to stop paying for hotels was made in the spending review by chancellor Rachel Reeves.Starmer was hoping to hold discussions with Macron and Merz at the G7 on migration More

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      Business secretary warned he faces prosecution if he repeats false CV claims

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      Jonathan Reynolds has been warned he faces prosecution if he repeats previous false claims that he worked as a solicitor. The business secretary has been told by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) that he could be prosecuted if he claims again to have been a solicitor, despite never qualifying. It came after the watchdog closed an investigation into the false claims made by Mr Reynolds, deciding it “did not consider it proportionate or in the public interest to bring criminal proceedings”. Jonathan Reynolds has been warned he could be prosecuted if he claims to be a solicitor in future More

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      What makes the new female head of MI6’s in-tray so dangerous

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      The first woman appointed to the role of “C” as head of the Secret Intelligence Service will be taking over when two of Britain’s most important relationships in espionage are strained to breaking point. And she’ll be leading a technological race the UK cannot afford to lose.Blaise Metreweli, 47, a Cambridge University graduate of social anthropology, has been running department Q in MI6. Her appointment to the top job where, she will be expected to write only in the traditional green ink of the chief, will involve steering its use of radical new technology.As Q, the title adopted by MI6 in homage to the fictional Q in James Bond movies, she presided over the development of gadgets, secret communications, bugs, weapons and disguises. But also Artificial Intelligence and the wider digital race for dominance.Blaise Metreweli, 47, a Cambridge University graduate of social anthropology, has been running department Q in MI6 More

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      Mapped: The worst-hit areas for PIP cuts as more than 1.3m could lose support under Labour’s plans

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      Around 1.3 million people are at risk of losing key financial support after Labour’s welfare cuts, new analysis has found, as the worst hit areas in the UK are revealed.The changes will focus chiefly on disability benefits, with the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) most affected. This weekly-paid benefit is designed to help with the associated costs of having a disability, and is claimed by 3.7 million people.From November 2026, it will effectively become harder to claim as the eligibility criteria for it is tightened. Here’s what that could mean for your area:The government data, analysed by the Liberal Democrats, shows that around 1.1 million PIP claimants and 200,000 enhanced-rate claimants would lose some of their payment if their assessment were conducted after the changes.The statistics also break down the impact by constituency, revealing that more deprived areas are likely to be hardest hit.Liverpool Walton was shown to be the constituency with the most people who could lose support, followed by Blackpool South and Liverpool Riverside. Around 5,000 people in every constituency face losing some PIP payments.Under the new criteria, around 87 per cent of those claiming the lower level would miss out based on their last point score, the analysis found. A further 13 per cent on the enhanced rate – worth £110.40 a week – would also lose this entitlement.The government has faced strong criticism over the changes from charities, campaign groups and MPs since they were announced in March.Research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that the plans threaten to plunge 400,000 people into poverty – higher than the OBR’s forecast of 250,000. Meanwhile, a report from a group of cross-party MPs on Monday found that disabled people could lose more than £10,000 a year as a result of the cuts.Prime minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday that he would not change course despite threats of a backbench revolt, telling reporters: “We have got to get the reforms through and I have been clear about that from start to finish.”Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said “ More

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      Councils and institutions who failed young girls ‘will not be able to hide’ from new grooming gangs inquiry

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      Downing Street has warned that institutions and councils which failed girls in the grooming gangs scandal will “not be able to hide” from a new inquiry, ordered after a U-turn by Keir Starmer. No 10 said the probe would look at how young girls “were failed so badly” by different agencies. The prime minister’s official spokesperson added that local authorities and institutions who fail to act to protect young people will “not be able to hide and will finally be held to account for their actions”. Earlier the former chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission said Labour ministers “owe an apology” to everyone they dismissed over grooming gangs. Keir Starmer announced the inquiry on his way to the G7 in Canada More

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      Tory MP pleads not guilty to sexual assault at London’s Groucho Club

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      A Tory MP has pleaded not guilty to two counts of sexual assault at London’s Groucho Club.Patrick Spencer, the MP for Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, allegedly cupped the breasts of two women over their clothes at the famous private members’ club on an evening in August 2023. He has been suspended from the Conservative Party and had the whip withdrawn over the charges. When the charges were made public last month, Mr Spencer “categorically denied” the allegations against him and vowed to defend them “robustly” in court. Mr Spencer is the son of Michael Spencer, a billionaire Conservative peer and founder of finance firm NEX Group.Patrick Spencer is the son of a billionaire Conservative peer Michael Spencer More

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      MI6 gadget master becomes first female chief

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      Sir Keir Starmer has appointed the first ever female head of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, MI6.Blaise Metreweli, the current head of technology and innovation at MI6, is being promoted to its 18th chief and the first woman to hold the role as the UK faces growing threats from foreign adversaries. The head of MI6 is commonly referred to as C and is the only publicly named member of the organisation. Ms Metreweli, a veteran of the organisation and its domestic counterpart MI5, was awarded a CMG for services to British Foreign Policy last year. ( More