Rayner: government ‘cannot just go through the motions in the face of decline’

Angela Rayner has said the very survival of the Labour party is at stake and warned Keir Starmer that he “cannot go through the motions” in the face of declining support.In a speech at campaign group Mainstream’s spring reception, the former deputy prime minister said she believed the government was “running out of time” to show it can deliver the change that the public needs.In what will be seen as a major intervention, Rayner said it was “un-British” to move the goalposts on indefinite leave to remain, putting her at odds with the government’s key immigration proposal of increasing the standard qualifying period for permanent residence from five to 10 years.Rayner said on Tuesday evening in London: “It is down to us to rebuild this nation and this party – the question is are we up for this fight? I know we in this room are.“As a party, and as a movement, we cannot hide, we cannot just go through the motions in the face of decline

Reform UK may breach data laws with free energy bills competition

Reform UK risks breaching data protection laws with its competition to win free energy bills for a year, lawyers and data experts have warned.Nigel Farage announced the lottery on Tuesday as a way to advertise his latest policy to cut energy bills. The Reform leader encouraged British people to sign up via a website for a chance to have their energy bills paid for a year, as well as those of their entire street.To enter the competition, however, entrants have to disclose not only their name, email and telephone number, but also how they voted at the last election and how they intend to vote at the next one – something experts warned could be unlawful.Mariano delli Santi, legal and policy officer at Open Rights Group, a campaign for digital rights, said: “Reform are asking the public to hand over sensitive data about their voting habits without being transparent about how it will be used

Kemi Badenoch calls Trump’s repeated criticisms of Starmer ‘childish’

Kemi Badenoch has called Donald Trump’s repeated criticisms of Keir Starmer “childish”, as the Conservative leader continued her recent moves to distance herself from the US president and his military action against Iran.Speaking shortly before Trump yet again singled out Starmer, saying the prime minister had not been sufficiently supportive of the US war, Badenoch used a social media video to describe Trump’s actions as counterproductive.Describing herself as “Keir Starmer’s biggest critic”, Badenoch went on: “But the words coming from the White House are completely wrong. I think it’s actually quite childish. There is a lot that can be said behind closed doors

‘I don’t distance myself from the IRA’: Gerry Adams brings his ‘dead true’ denials to court | Esther Addley

“A very happy St Patrick’s Day,” said Gerry Adams, as he took his seat in the stand of court 16 in the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday. Mr Justice Smith hadn’t quite caught what the defendant said, and asked him to repeat himself.“Oh that’s very kind of you,” the judge stammered when he finally worked it out. The green tie and small sprig of shamrock in Adams’s lapel – worn alongside a Palestinian flag pin – ought perhaps to have been a clue.Adams used to spend 17 March at the White House, glad-handing a succession of thematically dressed presidents and supportive senators of Irish extraction

Zelenskyy says Europe is a ‘global force’ that can stand against any other power in address to MPs – as it happened

Zelenskyy suggests Ukraine is also protected by its values.We believe in people, in their rights and freedom. We believe in culture and we want nations to live in real peace, strong peace and communities in respect together.double quotation markEurope is a global force – one the world cannot do without and that no one can stand against.Zelenskyy says European leaders must protect it so “that the future generations will say these leaders acted when it mattered and that people lived in safety

Nige and Honest Bob want to turn politics into a downmarket reality gameshow

Nige and Honest Bob. Honest Bob and Nige. Reform’s answer to the Chuckle Brothers. Robert Jenrick is just about the only other member of Reform UK that Nige will be seen dead with now. Apart from Richard Tice, everyone’s favourite fake-tanned beta male