Keir Starmer could face biggest rebellion over disability benefit freeze

Keir Starmer could face the biggest rebellion of his premiership with dozens of Labour MPs angry at his plans to cut billions from the rising welfare bill and threatening to vote against freezing disability benefits.In a bid to avoid a damaging showdown with MPs and peers, Downing Street began inviting groups of Labour backbenchers to meetings on Wednesday, stressing the “moral case” for changes designed to get people back to work as they made the case for painful changes.The Guardian understands that dozens of MPs have urged the government to think again. Many are particularly concerned that Rachel Reeves is set to go further than the former Tory chancellor George Osborne who, despite cutting working-age benefits for four years, kept the personal independence payments (Pip) rising.Some of those in the meetings revealed that No 10 officials appeared taken aback by the scale of the anger, especially from new MPs who have been unstintingly loyal

UK accuses Russia of driving its Moscow embassy towards closure

Russia is attempting to push the UK embassy in Moscow towards closing and has no regard for the escalatory impact of such a move, the Foreign Office has said.The UK expelled a Russian diplomat and their spouse on Wednesday in a tit-for-tat response to the expulsion of a British diplomat and a diplomatic spouse over allegations of espionage that UK officials strenuously deny.In a strongly worded statement, the Foreign Office said: “During the past 12 months, Russia has pursued an increasingly aggressive and coordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats, pumping out malicious and completely baseless accusations about their work.“Russia’s expulsion this week of a British diplomat and diplomatic spouse is yet another escalation. The accusations made against these individuals are entirely false, fabricated in order to justify their increasing harassment of UK diplomats

The fruit of flattery is tariffs, but Trump-wrangler Starmer stays circumspect | John Crace

Well, that went well, didn’t it? Weeks of finding ever more ingenious ways to flatter the US president. Extolling the brilliance of Donald Trump being able to tie his own shoelaces. “That’s incredible, Mr President. No one has ever managed to do that so beautifully.” No chance for flattery has been passed up

Farage feuds won’t faze Reform followers | Letters

Your editorial (10 March) makes the same old mistake with the assumption that Nigel Farage is damaging the Reform brand. The party’s followers don’t care, don’t read critical analysis of his behaviour, won’t even know about the spat with Rupert Lowe and aren’t swayed by unseemly behaviour or arguing in public. It’s all perfectly acceptable, even normal, for them. They just need to know someone backs their argument that foreigners are the reason for their woes. Their undying passion for the Farage cause will only get stronger

UK politics: UK expels Russian diplomat and says Moscow is seeking closure of British embassy in city – as it happened

Britain said it would revoke accreditation for a Russian diplomat in response to a similar move by Russia earlier this week against British diplomats.A government spokesperson said in a statement that Russia’s accusations made against the British diplomats were “entirely false” and “fabricated in order to justify their increasing harassment of UK diplomats”.A Foreign Office spokesperson said:During the past twelve months, Russia has pursued an increasingly aggressive and coordinated campaign of harassment against British diplomats, pumping out malicious and completely baseless accusations about their work.Russia’s expulsion this week of a British diplomat and diplomatic spouse is yet another escalation.The accusations made against these individuals are entirely false, fabricated in order to justify their increasing harassment of UK diplomats

Peers working for City firms dominate Lords panel scrutinising financial sector

Peers working for big City firms including Santander, Secure Trust Bank and the London Stock Exchange are sitting on a new Lords committee scrutinising regulation of the financial services industry, the Guardian has found.The House of Lords financial services regulation committee was formed in January last year and 10 of its 13 members have declared current or recent interests in the sector.From the start, it has been highly critical of the City regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, despite a number of the committee members being paid by companies that are overseen by the watchdog.Established to consider the regulation of financial services in the post-Brexit era, in common with other Lords committees it has the power to investigate and ultimately influence laws and public policy by holding inquiries and summoning ministers and officials to give evidence.Its chair, Michael Forsyth, was until May last year paid a salary of £230,000 a year as chair of the UK retail bank Secure Trust Bank, which is regulated by the FCA and has 1 million customers