UK politics – live: Labour rejects claims it’s returning to austerity ‘ahead of Reeves’ Spring Statement cuts’

The UK known as on Vladimir Putin to decide to a “full and rapid ceasefire” as Russian forces continued to bombard Ukraine.

Overseas Secretary David Lammy mentioned the Russian chief ought to conform to the US and Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional ceasefire.

Army chiefs from the UK and its allies had been assembly to debate how a peacekeeping pressure may function in Ukraine to discourage additional Russian assaults if a deal to finish the warfare is reached.

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Writing on social media platform X in a uncommon intervention, Mr Lewis mentioned: “PIP (Private Independence Fee) is usually a person’s lifeline, the distinction between an unsustainable life and a manageable one. The govt. says these in ‘real want’ might be protected, but that every one boils right down to matter of definition.”

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Coastal communities deserve “longer, higher, more healthy lives”, Liberal Democrat MP Steff Aquarone mentioned, as he known as for a devoted minister to have duty of coastal communities.

The North Norfolk MP mentioned coastal communities ought to obtain extra direct Authorities consideration, as he highlighted the disparity in well being and life expectancy in comparison with those that stay inland.

Referring to a report by England’s chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty on well being outcomes in seaside cities, Mr Aquarone mentioned: “What he uncovered was stunning.

“We’ve got increased charges of poor well being and illness, the charges of heart problems and most cancers are increased, and people recognized with these illnesses have poorer outcomes, in addition they endure with them for longer.”

He added: “Our coastal communities should stay longer, higher, more healthy lives than they do now.”

Former Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has mentioned there was not a “scrap of proof” of wrongdoing in opposition to her within the Operation Branchform probe as she was cleared.

Police Scotland mentioned on Thursday it has dropped the investigation into Ms Sturgeon and former SNP treasurer Colin Beattie in relation to the get together’s funds.

It got here as Ms Sturgeon’s estranged husband and former get together chief government Peter Murrell appeared in court docket charged with embezzlement.

Ms Sturgeon and Mr Beattie had been arrested in 2023 in relation to Branchform, however had been launched pending additional investigation.

Chatting with journalists exterior her house close to Glasgow, she mentioned she is “relieved” to have been cleared, and admitted the previous two years have been “troublesome” and “irritating”.

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Sir Keir Starmer has arrived at a gathering of army chiefs from the UK and its allies to debate particulars of a future peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.

The Prime Minister travelled to the assembly at a army website in Better London after visiting the UK’s newest technology of nuclear submarines in Barrow-in-Furness within the north west of England.

He arrived with Defence Secretary John Healey and was met by the UK’s chief of joint operations, Lieutenant Common Nick Perry, in addition to his French counterpart Main Common Philippe de Montenon.

Impartial MP Shockat Adam referred to David Lammy’s household hyperlinks to slavery earlier than suggesting he may “unshackle his personal chains” and make sure the UK ceases all arms licences to Israel.

The MP for Leicester South instructed the Commons: “I, together with a billion Muslims around the globe, started my (Ramadan) quick on Tuesday morning not with just a few meals and water however with the screams of 400 harmless males, ladies and kids ringing in our ears as they had been burnt alive of their makeshift tents.”

Mr Adam criticised Israel for its actions in Gaza and the West Financial institution earlier than accusing the UK of offering “army help and our airbases in Cyprus”.

He went on: “Can I ask the minister – and take this because it’s sincerely meant, the minister has passionately spoken about his heritage and his ancestors who had been shackled within the chains of slavery – to unshackle his personal chains and to right away stop all arms licences and, regardless of the £6.1 billion financial ties, to impose financial sanctions and put in place a viable technique of recognising the state of Palestine?”

Mr Lammy replied: “(Mr Adam) brings highly effective rhetoric to this Home this afternoon however let me say to him that however the horrors of the battle that has begun, we’re three days into that battle and it’s my job to make use of all endeavours I can to get again to that ceasefire.”

A Labour Treasury minister has rejected claims that the federal government is returning to a Conservative-style police of austerity, forward of Rachel Reeves’ Spring Assertion.

Stories in The Guardian have advised the chancellor will unveil the most important set of cuts since George Osborne’s period, with sure Whitehall departments going through a seven per cent minimize.

In a Q&A on the Institute for Authorities thinktank, requested about this declare, Jones replied: “Simply factually, it could be incorrect to say that we’re doing what the Conservatives did after 2010.

“The numbers might be revealed subsequent Wednesday, however as you noticed on the funds final yr, we’re rising public spending, and we’ve elevated it quite a bit.

“The actual fact is that we’ve received to do that modernisation and reform agenda. However we’re not, factually, taking an method that’s simply blindly slicing spending as a result of we expect we must always simply cut back spending with out a plan for easy methods to get there. So I wouldn’t recognise that type of definition of what’s going down.”

Once I resigned from David Cameron’s authorities because the secretary of state for work and pensions in 2016, welfare stood at £61.6bn. By the top of this parliament, it’s projected to be £108.7bn. Sickness benefit alone, which was £19bn again then, is about to rise to £32bn. So it’s with incapacity profit, which is about to rise from £11bn to some £31bn. To control is to decide on. Towards the backdrop of an more and more unsafe world, the necessity to make investments considerably extra in defence, and a flatlining economic system, further reform of welfare is a necessity.

The pandemic response has hit the welfare funds arduous. The rise in illness profit claims poses a problem to the federal government, notably as a result of some 60 per cent of claims since Covid are from psychological well being points. Nearly all of these are for despair and nervousness. The well being division has declared that the perfect remedy for despair and nervousness goes again to work.

That’s the reason, as illness profit strikes into common credit score, the potential for large-scale reform opens up for the federal government.

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Anas Sarwar has denied that Labour’s resolution to slash £5 billion a yr from the welfare funds quantities to cuts.

The Scottish Labour chief rejected claims – together with from inside his personal entrance bench – that the advantages system overhaul quantities to austerity as a result of total spending on welfare continues to be set to extend.

He mentioned it’s proper that the UK Authorities focuses on encouraging extra individuals into work and he criticised the Scottish Authorities for an “inefficient” advantages system north of the border which he mentioned had wasted tens of thousands and thousands of kilos.

UK Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall introduced on Tuesday £5 billion price of proposed welfare modifications, largely stemming from a giant discount in help for these off work because of incapacity and ailing well being.

Round 1,000,000 individuals are anticipated to lose their incapacity advantages as a part of the welfare overhaul, consultants imagine.

Chatting with reporters at Holyrood, Mr Sarwar denied the transfer quantities to cuts, and he mentioned it won’t come into impact this yr.

Instructed the UK Authorities is slicing the welfare funds by £5 billion, he mentioned: “No, you’re improper often because at the moment welfare spending throughout the UK is £50 billion, and the brand new proposals will imply it’s projected to be £64 billion.”

Sir Keir Starmer has mentioned there was scope for higher co-operation with the European Union after Brussels’ plans to extend defence spending would block the cash getting used to purchase from UK arms companies.

The Prime Minister instructed Sky Information: “I’m very happy that the EU is signalling their intent to spend a lot on defence.

“I’ve been making the argument, as others have, that every one of us in Europe have to step up, not simply in relation to Ukraine, however extra usually, in our personal collective self-defence.

“That does imply extra spend, extra functionality, extra co-ordination, and I need to have these discussions with our European allies. We’re persevering with these discussions with them, as a result of I do suppose the scope for extra joint work is right here.”