UK

Rebel Labour MPs have hit back at Sir Keir Starmer after they were threatened with suspension or blacklisting for voting against his benefit cuts. Party whips have warned backbenchers they will be ruled out of government jobs and could lose the Labour whip if they reject plans to slash the welfare bill by £5bn. Sir Keir is bracing for the biggest rebellion of his leadership when MPs vote on the changes, which will remove the main disability benefit, personal independence payment (PIP), from up to 800,000 people. Keir Starmer and Liz Kendall are seeking to stave off a mass rebellion More

The choice Keir Starmer makes in the next 48 hours could define his premiership. Tony Blair never escaped the accusation he had been George Bush’s “poodle” over the invasion of Iraq. And how far the current Labour PM goes in backing another US president in another foreign conflict could help or haunt him for years to come. Sir Keir has urged Donald Trump to step back from the brink of a direct strike on Iran, warning against any action that would “ramp up the situation”.The PM’s official spokesman said “de-escalation is the priority” after the US president threatened to wade into the conflict.But, if that did happen, how could the UK respond? Sir Keir Starmer has worked hard at forging close ties with President Trump since his return to the Oval Office More

The Scottish government announced it will not mirror the planned changes to welfare disability benefits proposed by Labour.The cost-cutting measures are largely focused on the Personal Independence Payment (PIP), designed to help with extra costs incurred by living with an illness or disability.The equivalent in Scotland is the Adult Disability Payment (ADP), and the administration of which is devolved to the Scottish government.Holyrood’s social justice secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville, confirmed the decision in an official announcement, criticising the UK government for the plans.Ms Somerville said: “The UK government’s proposed reforms will be hugely damaging to those who rely on social security support, particularly during the ongoing cost of living crisis. These plans have yet to be passed at Westminster, so there is still time for the UK government to step back from this damaging policy and I strongly urge them to scrap their harmful proposals.Scottish social justice secretary Shirley Anne-Somerville More

An MP has been offered the use of a private ambulance to bring her to parliament amid fears the hugely controversial assisted dying bill could come down to just a single vote. Sorcha Eastwood, a Northern Irish MP, announced earlier this week that she was unable to travel to Westminster for the crunch vote because she has Covid.She has spoken out passionately against the proposed bill, but said she did not want to put others at risk of contracting the illness. In response, the entrepreneur Declan Ganley contacted her on social media to offer to arrange transport in a private ambulance.Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood (PA) More

Angela Rayner has praised The Independent’s “amazing” Brick by Brick campaign after the first family fleeing domestic abuse moved into a home it built.The deputy prime minister said she was heartened by the success of the campaign and urged backers to continue supporting it to go from strength to strength. Construction on two purpose-built safe houses was completed earlier this year, and now a survivor of abuse has been handed the keys to their new home – and a fresh start.Angela Rayner praised the ‘amazing’ success of The Independent’s campaign More

Nearly nine years on from the narrow Brexit referendum result, which saw the UK leave the European Union, most Britons want to see the UK return to the EU. A new YouGov poll highlights the extent to which the UK public is ‘Bregretful’ about the outcome of the vote, which ended David Cameron’s time as prime minister. It found that 56 per cent want the UK to return to being part of the EU, while 61 per cent believe Brexit has been a failure. Of these, the overwhelming majority, more than eight out of ten, blame Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party, while more than two-thirds blame Nigel Farage. It will be nine years since the landmark Brexit referendum vote next week (Steve Parsons/PA) More

Downing Street is urging Donald Trump to step back from the brink of a direct strike on Iran, warning against any action that would “ramp up the situation”. Sir Keir Starmer’s official spokesman said “de-escalation is the priority” after the US president threatened to wade into the conflict. “We would not want to see anything that ramps up the situation,” the spokesman added. And, speaking to broadcasters, Sir Keir warned there was a “real risk of escalation” in the Middle East as Mr Trump mulls whether to join Israeli strikes on Iran.Donald Trump said he may strike Iran More

Kim Leadbeater has made a last-minute plea to MPs to support her assisted dying bill, warning that if it is rejected on Friday, terminally ill adults could face a ten-year wait before the issue is debated again.In an emotional plea ahead of Friday’s final Commons vote on the Terminally Ill Adults bill, the Labour MP asked how many more would suffer dying without dignity if MPs reject her plans. “If we don’t pass this law tomorrow, it could be another decade before this issue was brought back to parliament,” she told a press conference in Westminster. Kim Leadbeater said she is confident her assisted dying bill will pass on Friday More