Culture secretary Lisa Nandy has defended chancellor Rachel Reeves’ decision to visit China amid turbulence in the economy as being “right and proper”.Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Nandy said fluctuations affecting the bond market and the pound were part of “a global trend that we’ve seen affecting economies all over the world.”“Rates rise and fall,” she said.“We’ve seen it, most notably in the United States.”Nandy continued:We are confident that we’re taking both the short term action to stabilise the economy, but also the long term action that is necessary to get the economy growing again.

That’s why, from my point of view, and I think many others, it is absolutely right and proper that the chancellor is taking seriously our relationship with the world’s second largest economy, and is in China this weekend.Culture secretary Lisa Nandy has defended chancellor Rachel Reeves’ decision to visit China amid turbulence in the economy as being “right and proper”.She said “it is absolutely right and proper that the chancellor is taking seriously our relationship with the world’s second largest economy”Nandy has said she believes that the Labour government is still “on track” with its ambition for the UK to be “the fastest growing economy in Europe,” adding “I’m not, for a moment, saying it’s all going swimmingly” she said when asked about Labour’s first few months in government.Nandy said “our intention is that in the next few years, people will start to feel significantly better off in their own lives and for the prospects for their children”Almost 700,000 homeowners are facing an increase in mortgage costs when their fixed-rate deals end this year, as a sell-off in the UK government debt market threatens to push up household borrowing costsThe Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, has joined calls for a “limited” national inquiry into grooming gangs, saying the scope of the local inquiry he had commissioned in Oldham did not have the same legal powersBurnham’s intervention was seized upon by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and shadow home secretary Chris Philp, both of whom have been criticised for raising the issue now rather than when they were previously in government.Tom Crowther KC, the former chair of the Telford child sexual exploitation (CSE) inquiry, said the “Telford model” led to real progress in the Shropshire town and could be used in towns across the country looking into similar CSE scandalsProf Alexis Jay, who led the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, will appear before the Commons Home Affairs Committee on 21 January.

The inquiry’s secretary, John O’Brien, will also appearCulture secretary Nandy rejected calls for England’s men’s cricket team to boycott a planned match against Afghanistan over the treatment of women by the TalibanPA Media reports that it understands 11 councils in England have asked for their local elections to be postponed.They include Surrey, Oxfordshire, Devon and Norfolk county councils as well as Worcestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Gloucestershire and Thurrock.The Liberal Democrats have accused Conservative-run areas of “running scared” in areas where the Lib Dems made huge gains in last year’s general electionThe UK has enough gas and electricity to meet demand this winter, the government has insisted, after the company that owns the country’s gas stores said levels had become “concerningly low” amid the current cold snapCarla Denyer, the co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, has accused world leaders of “sleepwalking” into a “deadly new future” and demanded that Keir Starmer revoke recently issued North Sea oil and gas drilling licencesThe opening of the UK’s first safer drugs consumption room will be a “significant step forward” in efforts to tackle drug problems in Scotland, John Swinney said.The first minister was speaking as he toured the Thistle Centre in Glasgow’s east end, which is due to open on MondayThe co-leader of the Scottish Greens, Patrick Harvie, has said his party was yet to make a “final decision” on whether to back the draft Scottish budget, and that they were continuing to “negotiate constructively” with the SNP-led government on itThat is it from me, Martin Belam, for today.Thank you very much for all your comments.

I will see you again at some point next week.PA Media reports that it understands 11 councils in England have asked for their local elections to be postponed.They include Surrey, Oxfordshire, Devon and Norfolk county councils, which have all voted to push their elections back.Worcestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Gloucestershire and Thurrock have also requested postponements.Local authorities have until Friday to request permission from the government to postpone their elections, after plans to abolish two-tier council areas were announced in December, as part of Labour’s proposals to devolve more power away from Westminster.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has been out on the Friday afternoon photo trail again, this time with a visit to the Burwell Print Centre in Burwell, Cambridge, which describes itself as “a social enterprise that provides fulfilling work and social experiences for adults with additional needs”.Davey has also spoken to PA Media about Elon Musk.He told the news agency:He has said that America should replace our government.I’m afraid it’s British people at the ballot box that decide that, not the richest man in the world who happens to be close to the next president of the US and who has this social media platform.I think these powerful people need to be held to account.

The Liberal Democrats champion free speech,But when the richest man in the world owns a platform that he distorts to promote his views and prevents other people speaking, he isn’t a champion of free speech, he is an opponent of free speech,Ellie Chowns, the Green Party of England and Wales MP for North Herefordshire, has also responded to data showing 2024 was the world’s hottest year, calling it a “wake-up call”,Chowns said “The new EU Copernicus report is a wake-up call: 2024 was the warmest year ever, at 1,62°C above preindustrial levels.

We’re crossing dangerous thresholds.“We must phase out fossil fuels, act urgently on decarbonisation, and invest in adaptation.The time is now.”Earlier party co-leader Carla Denyer cautioned that world leaders were “sleepwalking” into a “deadly new future” and demanded that Keir Starmer revoke recently issued North Sea oil and gas drilling licences.First minister John Swinney has said “we are all paying the price” of Labour’s policies.

In a social media post, the SNP leader said:Labour’s straitjacket on tax, their hike in employers’ national insurance, and their refusal to rejoin the EU single market have all stifled growth which we so badly need.They ignored every warning, and now we are all paying the price.Prof Alexis Jay, who led the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, will appear before the Commons Home Affairs Committee on 21 January.The inquiry’s secretary, John O’Brien, will also appear.PA Media reports committee chair Karen Bradley said: “We have a responsibility to ensure that the results of comprehensive public inquiries set up by government are acted upon.

”The Conservative, who has been MP for Staffordshire Moorlands since 2010, continued:For too long, children were failed by those who should have been protecting them.We are holding this session to understand how the government and the different institutions within the remit of the inquiry have responded to its findings.We want to see if there has been progress in the wide-ranging change needed to implement a comprehensive child safety framework, and what more needs to be done.Prof Jay has previously expressed dissatisfaction at the failure to put the report’s recommendations into place.It was published when Liz Truss was prime minister.

The new Labour government has committed to implement them in full.Jillian Ambrose is the Guardian’s energy correspondentThe UK has enough gas and electricity to meet demand this winter, the government has insisted, after the company that owns the country’s gas stores said levels had become “concerningly low” amid the current cold snap.Centrica, which also owns British Gas, said on Friday that its inventories had fallen by half since early November, to a quarter below where gas storage levels were at the same time last year.The company blamed the decline to less than a week’s worth of gas – it usually stores a fortnight’s worth – on the early start to a colder than normal winter across the UK and high prices in the global wholesale market.A No 10 spokesperson said: “We are confident we will have a sufficient gas supply and electricity capacity to meet demand this winter, due to our diverse and resilient energy system.

“We speak regularly with the national energy system operator to monitor our energy security, and ensure they have all tools at their disposal if needed to secure our supply.”Read more here: No 10 insists UK has sufficient energy supply despite ‘concerningly low’ gas storage levelsCarla Denyer, the co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, has accused world leaders of “sleepwalking” into a “deadly new future” and demanded that Keir Starmer revoke recently issued North Sea oil and gas drilling licences.She issued the statement after data from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) showed that the average temperature in 2024 was 1.6C above preindustrial levels, representing levels of heat never experienced by modern humans.She said:This news comes as uncontrollable wildfires rage in Los Angeles, and just months after unprecedented flooding in Spain killed over 200 people.

The target of limiting warming to below 1.5 degrees was an attempt to prevent the deadliest effects of the climate crisis.Breaching that limit is catastrophic for humanity – and yet our leaders are sleepwalking into this deadly new future.We need to massively speed up the transition away from fossil fuels – that is the bottom line.In a world of 1.

5 degree warming it’s unconscionable that the government is still letting some new North Sea oil and gas drilling go ahead – Starmer must revoke those consents and licenses immediately.But we also need to start thinking about how we make our communities more resilient in the face of the extreme weather that is now unavoidable.From flooding to extreme heat, our homes and neighbourhoods need to be fit for the future.Labour’s MP for Mid & South Pembrokeshire, Henry Tufnell, has just issued a long statement saying he has been “deeply saddened” by what he called “misleading and inflammatory claims” about his participation in the parliamentary vote on Wednesday.Conservatives attempted to kill the government’s child wellbeing and schools bill by tabling an amendment that would force a national grooming and rape gangs inquiry, blocking the bill at the same time.

The amendment was defeated by 364 votes to 111, a majority of 253.Tufnell, in a series of posts to social media, said:Let me be absolutely clear: the safety of children and ensuring justice for victims of these appalling crimes is a cause I hold incredibly close to my heart.The recent vote was not about turning a blind eye or denying justice to victims of grooming gangs.It was about ensuring that our efforts to tackle these heinous crimes are focused and effective.Over the past 10 years, several thorough investigations – including the Alexis Jay Report into child exploitation in Rotherham and the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse – have highlighted systemic failings and led to significant reforms in the justice system.

If there is consensus from victims or survivors calling for a new inquiry, we must listen carefully.Any decision on further investigations should be informed by their voices and needs, ensuring that it adds value to the work already done and delivers meaningful outcomes.What matters most is action.Many recommendations from existing inquiries remain unfulfilled, and it is critical that we prioritise implementing these changes to protect vulnerable children and bring perpetrators to justice.We cannot allow delays or rhetoric to stand in the way.

This is not about scoring points; it is about standing up for victims, holding institutions accountable, and ensuring the weight of the law is applied to those who commit such horrific crimes.I remain committed to these principles and will continue to work for justice for all.Let’s remain focused on what truly matters: delivering justice for victims and survivors, and ensuring that children and women in our communities are safe from harm.Earlier this morning a new YouGov poll, commissioned by the Women’s Policy Centre, reported that 76% of British people would like to see a new national inquiry.That has been picked up on social media by the Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as well as shadow home secretary Chris Philp.

Philp, who endured a torrid time when being interviewed by Cathy Newman on Channel 4 on Wednesday over his previous silence on the issue in parliament, posted to social media to say “Victims, independent-minded Labour figures such as Andy Burnham, and now the public,All are saying the same thing,Starmer and the Labour government should listen and hold the proper national Inquiry we need,”Downing Street has issued read-outs of two diplomatic calls that prime minister Keir Starmer has had today, with Kristen Michal the prime minister of Estonia and with president Alexander Stubb of Finland,Both read-outs are broadly similar, stating that Starmer discussed with them the issues of undersea cable security and support for Nato and Ukraine.

The read-outs also explicitly mentioned Starmer’s desire for a “reset” of relations with the EU, stating that with Stubb “the leaders discussed the UK’s EU reset, and talked about ambitions for closer economic and security ties between the UK and the EU,” while with Michal the focus was “on ambitions for an even stronger relationship through the UK’s reset with the EU.”Plaid Cymru is continuing its campaign today for money it claims is owed to the Welsh budget over the HS2 railway.Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said “Wales’ wait for HS2 cash epitomises how Westminster ignores our needs.Labour used to agree that £4b is owed to us, but now in power, they’re only asking for £350m! The uplift must contain every £ we’re owed, otherwise it’s further proof that only Plaid Cymru stands up for Wales.”Wales is owed £4bn from HS2 - not the £350m that Labour now claim since gaining power in Westminster.

Plaid Cymru won't accept anything less for our communities.pic.twitter.com/uHQGiyj6QLDespite none of the planned HS2 route or work being in Wales, it was designated as an England and Wales project, meaning the Welsh government was excluded from extra transport investment that was made available to Scotland and Northern Ireland.Earlier today Sky News reported that first minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, was expecting to see “some uplift in terms of rail infrastructure and financing” for Wales from the government in Westminster.

Sky quoted a government source saying Labour is making efforts to “fix” the “historic underinvestment in rail in Wales, exacerbated by HS2”.The prime minister’s official spokesperson has said No 10 would not “mandate” postponement of local elections in England, but would work “collaboratively” with councils.PA Media quotes them saying:We have set out before that any postponed elections will only be considered at the request of the local authorities involved, so this will not be mandated by the government.Instead we will work collaboratively with them to ensure any postponement is aligned to ensuring that it fits with reorganisation and devolution in the most ambitious timeframe.Ministers announced a major redesign of local government in December, where smaller district councils and larger county councils could be merged to create unitary authorities that handle all services.

Deputy prime minister and local government minister Angela Rayner told a select committee hearing this week that it would be “ludicrous” for councils to hold elections if they were planning mergers.The Liberal Democrats have accused Conservative-held areas in the south of England thought to be considering election delays of running scared after the Lib Dems made significant gains in those areas in last year’s general election.[See 10.45]Jessica Murray, our Midlands correspondent, reports:Public inquiries are seen as the “Rolls-Royce solution” to tackling the grooming gangs scandal but local reviews are more effective, the former chair of the Telford child sexual exploitation (CSE) inquiry has said.Tom Crowther KC said the “Telford model” led to real progress in the Shropshire town and could be used in towns across the country looking into similar CSE scandals.

“Everyone wants a public inquiry.It’s seen as the Rolls-Royce solution.But we couldn’t have had the result that we’ve had in Telford through a public inquiry,” he said.“We saw far more people in Telford than ever would have come forward if that had been a formal inquiry.”Crowther led a three-year independent inquiry into the scale of CSE in Telford, which concluded in 2022 that hundreds of children were sexually exploited over decades with authorities failing to investigate and victims, rather than perpetrators, often blamed.

The government has said its main priority was implementing the recommendations of the national independent report into child sexual abuse published in 2022, and MPs rejected calls for a new national inquiry in a Commons vote on Wednesday.Read more from Jessica Murray’s report here: ‘Telford model’ is more effective for child abuse inquiries, says former chair