Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has suggested the UK could rejoin the EU in the “medium to long term”.
The Labour politician said there would come a time when a “conversation” would need to be had to determine whether Brexit had been a success.
His comments contrast with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who has said he does not see the UK rejoining the EU in his lifetime.
“Rejoining the EU is not possible in the short term,” he told the New Statesman.
“I think the referendum is a once-in-a-generation issue.
“In the medium to long term, we will need to discuss whether we have a better future inside or outside the EU.”
In its 2024 general election manifesto, Labour promised there would be “no return to the single market, the customs union and freedom of movement”.
Tom Tugendhat reveals his MSP backers
I have always kept my promises to this country.
And I am committed to doing my part for the good of the UK as a whole. pic.twitter.com/fhBwpfQtwB
— Tom Tugendhat (@TomTugendhat) August 20, 2024
Family of jailed pro-democracy activist meets with new UK government
The family of a jailed Egyptian-British pro-democracy writer hopes his release can be secured as he approaches the fifth anniversary of his arrest.
Alaa Abd El-Fattah, 42, has been detained since September 29, 2019, and was sentenced to five years in prison in December 2021 for spreading false news.
Abd El Fattah has previously gone on hunger strike while in detention and his case has also been discussed between the British and Egyptian leaders.
The Free Allah campaign said Mr Allah’s sister, Mona Seif, met with Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer on Monday, the first meeting between his family and the new Labour government.
Seif urged his brother to be released by September 29 and reiterated his request that the family meet with Foreign Minister David Lammy before that date.
“I thought it was a good first meeting,” Seif said.
“Minister Falconer was sympathetic and assured me that my brother’s freedom was a top priority for the new government.
“Of course, it is too early to know how this will be translated into action and whether 2024 will finally be the year that Alaa is released and our family’s suffering ends, but in the words of Alaa’s letter upon hearing that David Lammy has finally become Foreign Secretary, ‘I feel hopeful’.”
Keir Starmer discusses Israel-Hamas ceasefire with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Keir Starmer spoke about the latest developments in the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
P
Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “The Prime Minister first offered his heartfelt condolences to the Israeli people and the families of the six hostages, including British national Nadav Popplewell, who were rescued in Gaza this morning.”
“The leaders discussed diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire and the release of hostages, and the Prime Minister welcomed Israel’s support for the US ‘bridging proposal’ and stressed the need to act swiftly.”
“Deduction of tensions in the region is in everyone’s interest, as the consequences of miscalculation would be costly on all sides,” the leaders agreed.
“The UK firmly supports Israel’s right to self-defence and will continue to work with our partners to protect regional security,” the prime minister added.
“The prime minister also called on Netanyahu to expand access to detainees in Israeli custody, increase aid shipments to Gaza, and ensure that international law is always respected. The two leaders agreed to stay in close contact.”
Starmer will give staff more rights and supports more people working from home
The Prime Minister backed moves towards greater remote working after Labour leaders pushed for far-reaching workplace reforms.
Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman warned that a “culture of attendance” is killing productivity, following plans to give employees across the country “the right to switch off” and fine bosses who contact staff outside working hours.
“Good employers understand that employees need to be able to switch off to stay motivated and productive, and that a culture of forced attendance can have a detrimental effect on productivity,” he said.
“It’s important to get the balance right between making the most of the flexible working practices we’ve seen since the pandemic and having the right arrangements in place to enable people to remain productive.”
However, research on working from home has proven false the claim that it increases productivity.
A survey of more than 1,500 employees at Chinese tech companies found that despite employees being “happier,” their productivity had not actually increased.
Nicholas Bloom of Stanford University said the results would surprise people “who like working from home and expect big productivity gains” but also those “who hate working from home and expect the impact on productivity to be very negative.”
“Their argument would be that remote work productivity will soar, thanks to the time saved on travel and the quiet time at home,” Bloom told The Times.
Labour launches pension credit ‘push’ after backlash over means-tested winter fuel payment
Reeves is urging pensioners to apply for the pension credit after the means-tested Winter Fuel Grant is in place. Getty Images
The Labour government has launched a new “awareness campaign” about pension allowances following its decision to effectively scrap winter fuel allowance for pensioners.
Previously, all older Britons were entitled to up to £300 in support towards their energy bills, but now households will have to receive means-tested payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Finance Minister Rachel Reeves has faced backlash from pensioners, policymakers and charities over her decision to means-test winter fuel payments, particularly as energy bills are expected to rise in October in line with Ofgem’s price cap.
Around 1.3 million households in England and Wales will continue to receive the Winter Fuel Allowance, but Reeves and pensions ministers are aiming to encourage greater use of pension credit.
Read the full story here
Starmer promises to protect jobs in Port Talbot
P
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to “do everything we can” to protect jobs at the steelworks in Port Talbot, south Wales.
Asked if he risked giving “false hope” to workers in the town, the Prime Minister replied: “No. The Prime Minister and I are working hard together on this because it’s really important that we do everything we can to protect these jobs.”
“We have been working on this even when we were in opposition, but since coming to power we have accelerated it.”
“Obviously it’s difficult, but I think everyone understands that.
“We’ve been able to inject some funds over the last week or so, particularly on the supply chain side, but we’re going to do all we can to preserve jobs.”
SNP slams rise in drug deaths as ‘unimaginable tragedy’
The SNP has been accused of overseeing a “tragedy of unimaginable proportions” following a rise in drug-related deaths in Scotland.
New figures from the National Records Office for Scotland show there will be 121 more deaths in 2023 than in 2022.
People in the most deprived areas of Scotland were 15 times more likely to die from drug misuse in the last year than those in the least deprived areas.
The council areas with the highest rates of deaths from drug misuse in 2023 were Glasgow and Dundee, while the lowest were East Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire.
Anti-drug campaigner Ann-Marie Ward described the figures as an “unimaginable tragedy”, adding that it was a “painful reminder of the urgent need for comprehensive, truly compassionate support systems and effective policy changes that prioritise prevention, treatment and recovery”.
“We must remember that behind every statistic there is a human story, a life cut short and a grieving family. Our collective response must be based on empathy, understanding and an unwavering determination to prevent any more lives being needlessly lost.”
Starmer vows to make UK an ‘energy superpower’ with green plan
Speaking ahead of a tour of wind farms with the new Prime Minister, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said his desire to make the UK an “energy superpower” included a key role for Wales.
The First Minister and Eldest Morgan are due to visit the site in west Wales on Tuesday as part of their first joint official visit.
The two men, who meet in Cardiff on Monday, are expected to pledge to work closely together to realise the interests of the state-owned energy company.
The Welsh Government previously launched Trydan Gwyrdd Cymru, and the UK Government is developing Great British Energy.
Allocated £8.3 billion in funding over the next five years, GB Energy has been tasked with developing future offshore wind projects as part of efforts to accelerate the UK’s transition to renewable energy.
Liberal Democratic Party fined for election funding fiasco
P
The Liberal Democrats were fined a total of £3,600 by the electoral authorities for 22 offences relating to late reporting of donations.
The Election Commission said five of the fines had been paid by August 2.
Meanwhile, the Labour Party’s Richmond Park constituency in south-west London was fined £1,000, which it paid on 26 July.
The Election Commission investigated a local political party’s “failure to submit its 2022 financial statements on time” and found one violation.
“The laws we implement are there to ensure transparency in the money political parties spend and receive and to increase public confidence in our system,” Jackie Killeen, the watchdog group’s director of election governance and regulation, said in a statement.
“It is important that stakeholders comply with the requirements and report in a timely manner.”
Politics Live
Welcome to GB News’ Politics LIVE blog.
We will be updating this page throughout the day as new political updates become available.
