UK

Tulip Siddiq has denied wrongdoing following reports Bangladeshi authorities have issued a warrant for her arrest in connection with corruption allegations.According to media reports, Bangladeshi’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had sought an arrest warrant on Sunday over allegations the Labour MP illegally received a 7,200 square feet plot of land in the country’s capital, Dhaka.The allegation is said to be separate from an investigation into Ms Siddiq’s aunt, the former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, regarding a nuclear power plant deal in which the former City minister has also been named.Ms Siddiq resigned from her post in the Treasury earlier this year following an investigation by the prime minister’s ethics adviser into her links to her aunt’s regime, which was overthrown last year.In a statement, Ms Siddiq’s lawyers said the Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate had no knowledge of any warrant being issued, and described the claims against her as “politically motivated”.In a statement, Ms Siddiq’s lawyers said the Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate had no knowledge of any warrant being issued , and described the claims against her as “politically motivated”. More

The Conservatives have called on the government to “get a grip” after the terrorist brother of the Manchester Arena bomber attacked three prison officers. Minister have ordered a review of the incident, which took place at a high-security prison, as they pledged to “do whatever it takes” to keep staff safe. Hashem Abedi, who is serving at least 55 years for helping his brother carry out the atrocity at an Ariana Grande concert in 2017, threw hot cooking oil over three prison guards at HMP Frankland on Saturday, according to the Prison Officers’ Association (POA).He then produced home made weapons and stabbed the officers, who suffered injuries including burns, scalds and stab wounds, the union said.Hashem Abedi assisted his brother in carrying out the Manchester Arena bombing (GMP/PA) More

“Savage” cuts to UK foreign aid will leave 55.5 million of the world’s poorest people without access to basic resources, The Independent can reveal.Analysis by Save the Children, shared exclusively with this publication, lays bare the true impact of repeated cuts to the budget, the latest of which will see spending fall to just 0.3 per cent of gross national income (GNI) – the lowest level in 25 years.Women and girls will suffer the most as the government is likely forced to scale back programmes across global education, family planning, water and food aid. British aid for maternal healthcare has been essential in countries like Nigeria, where projects supported the fight against pregnancy-related deaths More

Nigel Farage has claimed Elon Musk was “just trying to encourage” him when he called for him to be sacked as the leader of Reform UK. The former Ukip leader had a spectacular falling out with the billionaire adviser to Donald Trump earlier this year. At its height, just hours after Mr Farage claimed his friendship with the Tesla founder made his party “cool”, Mr Musk called for him to be replaced at the top of Reform. The Reform leader had a spectacular falling out with the billionaire adviser to Donald Trump earlier this year. More

Police have launched a probe after a transport minister was seen using a mobile phone while driving a vintage bus in London.Lord Peter Hendy, the rail minister, has apologised “in full for this error of judgment” which occurred during a charity tour last month.He was driving an old Routemaster bus, which he owns, at the time. The rail minister Lord Hendy (Lauren Hurley/PA) More

The UK government has moved to take control of British Steel following fears that the blast furnaces at its Chinese-owned site in Scunthorpe could be at risk of shutting down.Parliament approved the plans to seize control of the site after Sir Keir Starmer called for the Commons to hold its first Saturday sitting since the Falklands War in 1982. As the emergency measures were passed, dramatic reports emerged of workers at the plant preventing executives from the Chinese firm Jingye from accessing the site, amid fears of “sabotage” and “industrial vandalism” at the last remaining plant in the UK capable of producing virgin steel.Jonathan Reynolds accused Chinese company Jingye of failing to act ‘in good faith’ in negotiations over the future of the Scunthorpe plant More

Keir Starmer aims to pass emergency law in one day to prevent closure of British Steel plantMPs have backed the government’s plans to take control of British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant during an emergency debate in parliament. While MPs voted in a rare emergency debate on a bill for the government to take over British Steel, workers outside of the plant blocked Chinese executives’ access to key areas, it has been reported. Sir Keir Starmer called the session on Saturday to debate emergency legislation aimed at blocking the firm’s Chinese owners, Jingye, from closing blast furnaces at the Lincolnshire site, after the prime minister warned the future of the company “hangs in the balance”.After crunch talks with Jingye, officials in the Department for Business and Trade believed its intention was to stop the supply of raw materials needed to keep the blast furnaces operating. If the furnaces are stopped, it is extremely difficult and costly to them back online.Officials made it clear on Friday the bill allowing the government to take control of the plant was being tabled in a bid to keep the site’s blast furnaces online. It was approved by MPs following several hours of debate.The legislation will give the government “the power to direct steel companies in England, which we will use to protect the Scunthorpe site”, Downing Street said.Steelworkers union back government plan after Chinese owners failed to consult ‘in good faith’A union representing Steelworkers in Britain has backed the government after it won a vote to take over British Steel.Alasdair McDiarmid Assistant General Secretary of Community Union, The Steelworkers Union, said: “Community Union welcomes and wholeheartedly backs the Labour Government’s decisive action to take control of British Steel.“The government has sought to negotiate constructively and even offered to buy raw materials to stop the blast furnaces closing, but Jingye have shut down every avenue to keep the furnaces running and avoid imminent job losses.“Moreover, Jingye has not consulted in good faith with the unions, and they now need to get out of the road to give space to all those who want to see British Steel succeed.“Today’s intervention by the UK Labour government is a first step towards securing a sustainable future for British Steel and steel communities like Scunthorpe. “We will continue to work with the government to deliver this future and build a thriving UK steel industry which supports thousands of good jobs and the economic security of our country.”12 April 2025 15:40PM makes surprise visit to British Steel’s Scunthorpe plantThe prime minister met British Steel workers near Scunthorpe shortly after MPs backed a rescue plan for the steelworks.Sir Keir Starmer told the steelworkers: “You are the people who have kept this going.“You and your colleagues for years have been the backbone of British Steel, and it’s really important that we recognise that.“And I felt it was really important today, having been in Parliament this morning, to come straight up here to see you face to face to have that discussion with you.“Because this shouldn’t be a removed thing that’s happening down in Westminster, in Parliament, it should be something that’s living and breathing. It’s your jobs, your lives, your communities, your families.”The steelworkers thanked the Prime Minister for the Government’s action, with one adding: “We’re not there yet, we’ve still got a lot of hard work to do.”Sir Keir Starmer tells British Steelworkers, “You are the people who have kept this going.” More

Keir Starmer has delayed going on holiday with his family to attend an emergency session of Parliament to save British Steel. No 10 confirmed the prime minister had been planning to jet off on the trip, expected to be to southern Europe, but is now expected to leave on Sunday instead. It comes as MPs meet to back government plans to all but nationalise British Steel after the PM warned that the country’s “economic and national security is on the line”. ( More