UK

More than 650 organisations including Ben and Jerry’s, Lush and hundreds of small cafes and pubs have written to the government to warn that the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s draft guidance on single sex spaces is “unworkable” and would “cause significant economic harm”, The Independent understands. The guidance has been drafted after the Supreme Court ruled trans women are not legally women under the Equality Act (2010) earlier this year, a judgment that was hailed as a victory for biological women by gender critical campaigners. But there are concerns that the ruling, and the EHRC’s draft guidance, could leave transgender people excluded from public life. The draft guidance that was submitted for consultation over the summer warns that if a service is provided “only to women and trans women or only to men and trans men, it is not a separate-sex or single-sex service under the Equality Act 2010”. The letter – sent to minister for women and equalities Bridget Phillipson and business secretary Peter Kyle – warns that if the final guidance is “similar to this draft”, it would tell organisations that they “must adopt practices that are incompatible with modern business values”. It calls on Ms Phillipson to “take immediate action to prevent these proposals from moving forward”. The EHRC has shared its updated code of practice for services, public functions and associations with the equalities minister for approval after a consultation that took place over the summer. But in theory, Ms Phillipson could reject the draft and ask the EHRC to redraft it. It comes after sources told The Times that the final guidance will tell schools, hospitals, leisure centres and cinemas to ban trans women from using single-sex spaces such as lavatories and changing rooms. The letter says: “We, the undersigned businesses and organisations, are writing to express our deep concern at proposals seeking to enforce blanket, mandatory exclusion of trans people from gendered spaces and services.“The proposals made in the EHRC’s draft Code of Practice under the Equality Act would have serious and far-reaching consequences for UK businesses, our employees, and our customers. The EHRC’s draft code of practice has been submitted to Bridget Phillipson More

Former health minister Maria Caulfield has become the latest Conservative politician to defect to Reform in another blow for Kemi Badenoch.Ms Caulfield, who was a Conservative MP for nearly a decade, said “the future is Reform” as she announced her decision to switch to Nigel Farage’s party.It comes less than a day after the shock defection of sitting Conservative MP and shadow minister Danny Kruger to Nigel Farage’s party.She becomes the thirteenth former Tory MP to join Reform and her defection comes just 24 hours after sitting Conservative MP and shadow minister revealed he had switched allegiance. Ms Caulfield told GB News: “If you are Conservative right-minded, then the future is Reform. The country is going to change a lot.Maria Caulfield was a health minister in the previous Conservative government (Lucy North/PA) More

Peter Mandelson has learned that favours for, and loyalty to, a sex offender can end a sticky career. Keir Starmer, this week, is bringing the King himself into a bid to charm another American who’s been found liable for sexual assault, convicted of felonies, and is a serial bankrupt.Mandelson oiled up to Jeffrey Epstein because Britain’s former ambassador to Washington has always seemingly been mesmerised by power and money.Starmer has organised Donald Trump’s state visit, pomp, parades and banquets as a strategic necessity – to wean the US president off the Russian teat. To protect Britain’s economy from the US president. And to protect the UK and Europe from a surge in Trumpian ideologues at home.Trump, for now, has slapped the UK with 10 per cent tariffs on top of existing import duties. The EU, a bigger US market, has been hit with tariffs of 20 to 50 per cent. So keeping the US president sweet is financially wise.On Tuesday, Trump will be afforded the singular honour of a second state visit to the United Kingdom. The invitation from the King was hand-delivered to the Oval Office by the British prime minister.Keir Starmer hands Donald Trump a letter from King Charles III during a meeting in the Oval Office in February More

The UK will deploy RAF jets to Poland. The move comes in response to Russian drones violating the country’s airspace.Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain would provide “further air defence over Poland” following last week’s incident in which multiple Russian drones were shot down by Nato forces.Speaking to Channel 4 news, he said: “That is the right thing to do. The wrong thing to do would be to ignore this increased aggression from (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, from Russia.”Because this wasn’t a one-off. You saw only a few weeks ago the bombing of the British Council in Kyiv, the attacking of the EU embassy, and the direct hits on the Council of Ministers in Kyiv itself.”He added: “It’s absolutely clear that the Russians are ramping up the aggression. It’s very important that, with our Nato allies, we respond appropriately to that and that’s what we’re doing today.”Multiple Russian drones were shot down by Nato forces last week More

Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he never would have appointed Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US if he had known the full extent of his ties to Jeffrey Epstein in his first public comments since the Labour peer’s sacking on Friday.As he sought to get back on the front foot after his ‘phase two’ plan for government seemed to fall apart before it began with two weeks of chaos, the prime minister gave an interview to broadcasters in an attempt to move on from the crisis.But even as he tried to bolster his own weakened position, Sir Keir was rocked by yet another resignation of a key aide with Paul Ovenden quitting as head of strategy in a fresh scandal.Sir Keir was already facing an angry parliamentary Labour Party after two MPs openly suggested that he could be ousted while a senior minister told The Independent that he is “screwed”.It came as two of the UK’s leading pollsters warned that Labour is facing even worse problems in public opinion with one suggesting the party “is yet to hit rock bottom”.Starmer is fighting for his political life as PM More

Nigel Farage has been accused of “vile homophobia” for claiming straight couples are more stable than gay relationships during a press conference welcoming former Conservative MP Danny Kruger to Reform UK. The Reform leader said “the most stable relationships tend to be between men and women” after he was asked about past comments made by the right-winger, who became the first sitting Tory MP to join Mr Farage’s party. Mr Kruger, who was shadow work and pensions minister for Kemi Badenoch’s party, previously told a National Conservatism conference that marriage between men and women was “the only basis for a safe and successful society”.Nigel Farage claimed straight couples are more stable than gay relationships More

One of Sir Keir Starmer’s top aides has quit after it emerged he had exchanged sexually explicit messages about the veteran left-wing MP Diane Abbott. In a fresh blow to the beleaguered prime minister, Paul Ovenden announced he was leaving his role as Downing Street’s director of strategy to avoid becoming a “distraction” after the 2017 messages were uncovered. The former journalist, who has worked for Labour for more than a decade, had reportedly exchanged emails with a colleague at the time that included sexually explicit remarks about Ms Abbott.Paul Ovenden’s departure is a fresh blow to the prime minister More

Keir Starmer’s “phase two” government reset would not have started this badly in his worst nightmares. Losing his deputy prime minister, his US ambassador and seeing more than 100,000 right-wing protesters take to the streets of London has prompted serious questions over his future, and whether or not he is the right person to lead Labour into the next election.Speculation about a future successor is rife, and the name on many lips is one that will be welcome news to many – but perhaps none more so than Nigel Farage, whose week has already got off to an excellent start as he welcomes his first Tory MP defector.Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is a former cabinet minister, articulate and charismatic – and would certainly represent a fresh start for this Labour government.Unfortunately, though, his route back to parliament to enable him to be prime minister represents a massive opportunity for Reform.Andy Burnham is a popular alternative to Starmer More