LIVE – Updated at 17:47
‘We have more cards we can play,’ foreign secretary tells MPs as he says G7 foreign ministers found ‘common ground’ when meeting last week.
Only 37% seem to agree with Streeting about people getting mental health diagnosis too readily, poll suggests
Yesterday Wes Streeting , the health secretary, claimed there has been some “overdiagnosis” of mental health conditions.
Related: Experts criticise Streeting for saying mental health problems overdiagnosed
According to polling by YouGov , almost four out of 10 people (37%) seem agree with Streeting that getting a diagnosis is too easy. But 32% say getting a diagnosis is too hard, and 14% say the balance is about right – meaning at last 46% don’t agree with Streeting.
(Streeting talked about there being “overdiagnosis” of mental health conditions, whereas YouGov asked about it being “too easy” to get a diagnosis; the terms have different connotations, although roughly they imply the same thing.)
The polling also found considerable differences between demographic groups on this issue.
Women are more likely to say getting a diagnosis is too hard, not too easy – while men are more likely to say the opposite.
The under-50s are more likely to say getting a diagnosis is too hard, not too easy – while the over-50s are more likely to say the opposite.
People from London and Scotland are more likely to say getting a diagnosis is too hard, not too easy – while people from the rest of Britain are more likely to say the opposite.
And Labour and Lib Dem supporters are more likely to say getting a diagnosis is too hard, not too easy – while Conservative and Reform UK supporters are more likely to say the opposite.
King welcomes new Canadian PM Mark Carney to Buckingham Palace
King Charles has welcomed Mark Carney, the new prime minister of Canada, to Buckingham Palace. Later Carney is meeting Keir Starmer in No 10.
The king does not routinely meet foreign prime ministers when they visit London, and Carney is not staying in London for long. But the king is Canada’s head of state and, with President Trump repeatedly saying he wants the US to annex Canada, Charles seems to be more than usually keen to show Canadians that they have his full support.
The Green party MP Siân Berry has welcomed the growing interest in a wealth tax (a Green party policy) as an alternative to disability benefit cuts. (See 9.31am .) She said:
We are pleased to see pressure for a wealth tax growing, something the Green party has long argued for. Just a 2% tax on people with assets above £10m would raise far more than the savings proposed through welfare cuts. This tax is long overdue. The government cannot delay any longer. Now is the time to tax extreme wealth and stop punishing the poorest and most vulnerable.
During the questions about work and pensions in the House of Commons earlier today, Helen Whately , the shadow work and pensions secretary, asked Liz Kendall for an assurance that she had “collective agreement” for the plans for disability benefits being announced tomorrow.
When Kendall pleaded with Whately to remain calm, and chose not to tackle the issue regarding cabinet backing directly, Whately suggested this response indicated Kendall lacked backing from fellow ministers in the cabinet.
In another exchange Siân Berry The Green Party Member of Parliament requested confirmation that the proposed welfare reductions will either not be enforced within this calendar year or only after receiving approval through a vote among Members of Parliament.
Stephen Timms , the Minister for Social Security and Disability, responded:
I understand that there has been considerable unease, and for this, I am truly sorry. However, the wait won’t be lengthy; the plans will quickly come to light. I believe she will find many aspects of the alterations we wish to implement quite agreeable.
'We have more cards we can play' - Lammy says G7 planning further moves to pressure Russia into agreeing ceasefire
David Lammy The foreign secretary informed Members of Parliament that the G7 foreign ministers managed to reach "common ground" during their meeting in Canada last week, contrary to predictions suggesting otherwise.
He stated that a proposal for a truce had been presented, "Ukraine is committed to pursuing peace," and now it rests with President Putin to determine his response. He added:
Is President Putin truly committed to peace, sir? Will he halt the conflict? Or will he dawdle, engage in gamesmanship, offer mere verbal support for a truce whilst continuing to assault his targets?
My message to President Putin is clear: if your intentions are genuine, demonstrate them through an immediate and complete cessation of hostilities without conditions.
However, Lammy stated that Putin appeared uninterested in a truce, prompting the G7 to contemplate additional measures.
Should Putin fail to act—and I must inform this House that at present I do not observe any indications suggesting otherwise—the G7 summit equipped us with the means necessary to compel Russia into serious negotiations. We won’t be holding our breath awaiting actions from the Kremlin. Should they decline a truce, additional measures remain available for deployment.
We all recognise the effect of the G7’s unmatched sanctions on Russia’s struggling economy; decreased social spending, soaring inflation, and elevated interest rates. We must not ease off in our endeavours.
During our discussions in Canada, we explored additional ways to focus on targeting their energy and defense industries, intensify pressure on their oil income, and utilize seized Russian assets. Concurrently, we remain committed to supporting Ukraine—clearly, Europeans must step up and take our fair share of this responsibility.
The urgent question has concluded, but Robert Jenrick The Shadow Justice Secretary is currently bringing up a point of order.
Jenrick asserts that Nicholas Dakin, the justice minister, misled Members of Parliament by stating that the new Sentencing Council guidelines had been endorsed by the previous administration. According to Jenrick, the guidelines that the former government received for consultation differed from those ultimately released due to additional phrasing being incorporated, a fact acknowledged by the council itself. in its recent letter.
The Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle , objects, and instructs Jenrick to charge Dakin with unintentionally misguiding the house. Members of Parliament cannot accuse one another of deliberate misinformation or falsehoods.
Dakin says he doesn’t think he inadvertenly misled MPs.
Justice minister Nicholas Dakin says he's 'confident' that Sentencing Council will respond to government's concerns
Desmond Swayne (Con) said the Sentencing Council row showed why it was a mistake for MPs “to delegate powers to quangos which then clearly come up with solutions which we find repulsive”.
Dakin says, if Swayne had been present at the meeting last week, he would not have seen it as Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, just “asking” for a new approach.
He says there was a constructive exchange of views and that a “proper process” is now in place, “which I am confident will come up with the right answer”.
Josh Babarinde The Liberal Democrat spokesperson for justice stated that a two-tier system of justice was already present in the UK. He mentioned that previously, the nation had been governed by "Tories who believed they were above the law and held unlawful gatherings at Number 10, while everyone else was instructed to remain indoors." Furthermore, he characterized Jenrick as belonging to this same category of two-tier Conservatives. who improperly endorsed a project benefiting his supporter.
Andy Slaughter The chairman of the House of Commons Justice Committee from the Labour party defended the Sentencing Council. He stated that the updated guidelines do not mandate obtaining pre-sentence reports for individuals within specified groups, such as those from minority ethnic backgrounds, nor do they prohibit judges from requesting these reports for others.
Dakin mentioned that Slaughter made a valid argument.
Responding to Jenrick, Nicholas Dakin, The Justice Minister, Shabana Mahmood, stated that the Secretary of State for Justice convened a meeting with the Sentencing Council to address this disagreement earlier last week.
He states that they had a "productive conversation" and Mahmood consented to outline her concerns in greater detail through written communication. The council committed to reviewing these points prior to implementing the new guidelines.
Dakin stated that this procedure should be permitted to unfold naturally.
Robert Jenrick employs an emergency question to demand that those responsible for crafting the fresh Sentencing Council directives be dismissed.
Robert Jenrick , the shadow justice secretary, is now asking a Commons urgent question about the new Sentencing Council guidelines that he claims will create “two-tier justice”.
He says the guidelines, which say judges should normally ask for pre-sentence reports when certain categories of offender, including minority ethnic offenders, are being sentenced. This violates the prinicple of equality before the law, he says.
He says the people who draw up the guidelines should be sacked.
He says the government should back his bill allowing the government to intervene. And he says he thinks Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, is refusing to do this because she secretly agrees with the plans.
The Conservative MP Lincoln Jopp asked what the government was doing about “so-called ‘sickfluencer’ sites, social media platforms where people are shown how to game the benefits system”.
In response, Alison McGovern , the employment minister, said:
We have a fraud bill going through the House at the moment and the issue that he has raised is at the forefront of the attention of my fellow minister, the minister for transformation [Andrew Western], and he will take every step he can to deal with issues in that area.
Later, in response to another question on the same topic, Western The government mentioned they faced "a shocking degree of deceit within the social security framework" left behind by the previous administration. They stated the deception expenses encompassed an £8.6 billion fund aimed at combating fraudulent activities.
Meg Hillier , the chairman from the Labour party at the House of Commons Treasury Committee, was questioned regarding a recent Guardian report The Department for Work and Pensions is contemplating raising the two-child limit for benefits, though exclusively for those with kids younger than five years old. Hillier mentioned that this measure would assist only a limited number of families impacted by the current cap. She requested confirmation from the government that they were planning to support all impoverished children.
Alison McGovern The employment minister stated that she concurred with the sentiment that "all children matter." However, she also mentioned that the government was examining various issues.
The SNP’s Kirsty Blackman asked for an assurance that people will people with conditions such as an amputation, schizophrenia, cancer or uncontrolled epilepsy would not face a benefits cut from the plans being published tomorrow.
Stephen Timms , the social security and disability minister, said the government was determined to protect those who need to be protected. He said he thought Blackman would welcome the plans when she saw them.
Kendall hints she can see argument for Pip claimants whose condition will never improve not facing reassessment
Jeremy Wright (Con) asks Kendall if she agrees that, for people who are receiving Pip (the personal independence payment, a disability benefit), if their condition is not going to get any better, it would be “sensible to relieve them of the burden of that reassessment process”, unless they want to be reassessed.
This would make "it less troubling for them" and enable officials to concentrate on evaluating individuals who require reassessment more swiftly, according to him.
Kendall states that she concurs with "much" of what Wright has said. She advises him to have patience and to await the announcement of the plans scheduled for tomorrow.
Under the present setup, individuals receiving PIP, which might exceed £600 monthly, should undergo periodic reassessment of their benefits entitlements.
It is anticipated that the government will make the requirements stricter, which would complicate matters for individuals seeking qualification. However, the timeline remains uncertain regarding when these updated regulations will come into effect and whether those currently receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP) will be subject to reevaluation at some point in the future.
Minster declines to state that disability support for those unfit for employment will not be reduced.
Stephen Timms The social security and disability minister informed Members of Parliament that the upcoming welfare reforms planned for this week aim to assist more individuals in transitioning from receiving benefits to finding employment. However, they noted that certain persons might never be able to work, adding that "we are completely committed to supporting them as well."
The Lib Dem MP Liz Jarvis Inquired about two constituents concerned regarding budget reductions. Was Timms able to guarantee these individuals that support payments for those incapable of working due to disabilities would remain untouched?
Timms replied:
I'm worried about the increased levels of anxiety observed recently… and it saddens me that this has occurred, leaving many troubled.
However, the system was letting down those it was meant to assist, he stated. He added that once Jarvis reviewed the proposals, she would realize they aimed to tackle this issue.
Liz Kendall states that the government is incorporating 'trust and fairness' into the disability benefits system, enabling it to endure 'for years to come'.
Liz Kendall The Work and Pensions Secretary informed Members of Parliament that the proposed changes to disability benefits, set to be released tomorrow, aim to ensure the longevity of the system.
Earlier during the DWP questions, she stated:
There has naturally been considerable speculation regarding the government's changes to social welfare systems.
I wish to reassure both the house and, more crucially, the public, that we will soon present our plans to guarantee confidence and equity within the social security framework. Our aim is to secure this support for those requiring assistance today as well as future generations.
Debbie Abrahams The chairman of the Work and Pensions Committee from the Labour party questioned Timms about whether the government would release an impact assessment together with the green paper concerning modifications to disability benefits.
Timms stated that a comprehensive impact evaluation would be released "at an appropriate time."
This suggested it won't be released until later than tomorrow.
During an appearance on Times Radio Paul Johnson The head of the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank stated that reducing disability benefits by £5 billion would not be straightforward. He elaborated:
It shouldn’t be this difficult since we’ve increased our expenditure by around £20 billion compared to what it was five years ago. Therefore, a savings target of £5 billion is merely one-quarter of that additional spend.
On the other hand, the only way you can really do it is by tightening up on the eligibility criteria ... it certainly hasn’t always worked because in the end, there are often ways that you can game the system, ways of getting around it …
So it should be possible but I don’t think anyone should pretend that it’s easy.
Regarding an inquiry into the modifications of disability support measures set to be unveiled tomorrow, Kendall informed Members of Parliament that the proposals would incorporate "adequate employment assistance to aid individuals on a route to success".
In the Commons Liz Kendall The Secretary of Work and Pensions is currently addressing queries.
She has informed Members of Parliament that she is "alarmed by the increasing numbers of youngsters unemployed because of mental health issues," and stated that the administration is concentrating on early intervention as a means to tackle this issue.
Mike Amesbury has stated that he will step down as an Member of Parliament today. initiating a byelection in Runcorn and Helsby. Since Labour secured the seat during the general election, they have the authority to determine when the byelection occurs. This vote may well align with the local elections scheduled for Thursday, 4 May.
Former Bank of England deputy warns Rachel Reeves against kneejerk cuts
The former Bank of England deputy governor Charlie Bean has warned the chancellor against making kneejerk cuts in next week’s spring statement to try to hit fiscal targets that are five years away, Heather Stewart reports.
Related: Former Bank of England deputy warns Rachel Reeves against kneejerk cuts
Farage names 29 councillors who have joined or defected to Reform UK, saying they show party 'very much on the up'
Nigel Farage then went on to confirm that 29 councillors have recently defected to Reform UK – or at least joined the party after sitting as independents.
He names them all, explaining in each case where they have come from.
He ends saying:
We're expanding, constructing. We're intensifying, widening, fortifying. We're preparing for the first of May. This gathering is definitely on the rise.
As the list doesn’t appear to be posted on Reform’s website, I’ll share it here for documentation purposes.
The 29 latest Councillors to join Reform UK are:
Bill Barrett - Ashford Borough Council, Singleton East, (Previously: Independent)
Cathy Hunt - Durham County Council, Woodhouse Close (Previously: Independent)
Christine Palmer - Swale Borough Council, Hartlip, Newington and Upchurch (Previously: Independent)
Claire Johnson-Wood - Powys County Council, Llanyre with Nantmel (Previously: Independent)
Dirk Ross - Kent County Council, Ashford South (Previously: Independent)
Edward Kirk - Wiltshire Council, Trowbridge Adcroft (Formerly: Conservative)
Emma Ellison - Blackpool Council, Norbreck (Formerly: Conservative)
Felix Bloomfield - Oxfordshire County Council - (Formerly: Conservative)
Geoff Morgan - Powys County Council, Ithon Valley (Formerly: Independent)
Graham McAndrew - Hertfordshire County Council, Bishop’s Stortford Rural (Formerly: Conservative)
Heather Asker - Uttlesford District Council, Saffron Walden Castle (Previously: Residents for Uttlesford)
Iain McIntosh - Powys County Council, Yscir with Honddu Isaf and Llanddew (Previously: Conservative)
Jan O’Hara - North Northamptonshire Council, Burton and Broughton (Previously: Conservative)
Joanne Monk - Worcestershire County Council, Arrow Valley East (Previously: Conservative)
Julian Kirk - King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council, Walsoken, West Walton and Walpole (Previously: Conservative)
Kirk Harrison - North Northamptonshire, Irthlingborough (Previously: Conservative)
Mandy Clare - Chester West and Chester Council, Winsford Dene (Previously: Independent Labour)
Manzur Hasan - South Holland District Council, Spalding St John’s (Previously: Independent)
Matthew Salter - Lancashire County Council, Wyre Rural Central (Previously: Conservative)
Paul Ellison - Wyre Council, Marsh Mill (Formerly: Conservative)
Paul Irwin - Buckinghamshire Council, Stone and Waddesdon (Formerly: Conservative)
Reg Kain - Cheshire East Council, Alsager (Formerly: Liberal Democrat)
Richard Palmer - Swale Borough Council, Hartlip, Newington and Upchurch (Formerly: Independent)
Robert Gibson - South Holland District Council, Spalding St Paul’s (Previously: Independently Represented)
Stephen Atkinson - Ribble Valley Borough Council, Brockhall and Dinckley (Formerly: Conservative)
Stephen Reed - North East Derbyshire District Council, Killamarsh East (Formerly: Conservative)
Stuart Davies - North Somerset Council, Wick St Lawrence and St Georges (Previously: Independently Representing)
Thomas Sneath - South Holland District Council for Moulton, Weston, and Cowbit (Formerly: Independent)
Vernon Smith - Gloucestershire County Council, Tewkesbury East (Formerly: Conservative)
At 3:30 pm, a Justice Minister will respond to an urgent query raised by Robert Jenrick, the Shadow Justice Secretary, concerning fresh directives issued by the Sentencing Council. Mr. Jenrick contends these guidelines equate to "a two-tier system of justice."
Following that, around 4:15 pm, David Lammy, who serves as the foreign secretary, will address the recent gathering of G7 foreign ministers that took place in Canada.
Liberal Democrats revive call for UK to join customs union with EU after OECD revises growth forecast down
The Liberal Democrats have reacted to the downward adjustment of the UK's growth forecast by the OECD announced today. 10.55am ) by reinstating their proposal for Britain to enter a customs union with the EU. Daisy Cooper , the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats and their spokesman for Treasury affairs, stated:
The chancellor can no longer turn a blind eye to this constant rhythm of economic hardship. Trump’s arbitrary tariffs coupled with the government’s own fiscal measures are weighing down any substantial progress.
During the spring statement, Rachael Reeves can’t ignore reality. She needs to acknowledge that her budget hasn't managed to move away from the decades of conservative economic destruction.
The chancellor must change course by first scrapping her growth-crushing jobs tax which is about to hammer small businesses, and second, by embracing the idea of a bespoke UK-EU customs union which would unleash growth.
It is only then that we will witness the necessary expansion to restore our public services and effectively safeguard household budgets.
Amanda Spielman, previously the head of Ofsted, criticises the Department for Education for prioritising the concerns of teaching unions over those of students.
Amanda Spielman The ex-chief of Ofsted has charged the government with prioritizing the concerns of teachers' unions over the educational requirements of students.
In A piece for The Daily Telegraph , she launched a wide-ranging attack on the eduction secretary, Bridget Phillipson, arguing that her policies would put educational improvement in England into reverse.
Spielman, who ran Ofsted from 2017 to 2023, said that over the past 25 years school standards in England had improved under measures introduced by Labour, the coalition and the Conservatives. She went on:
There is much interest from other countries in what has been achieved in England, and in learning from us. Just in the past year I have been working in Flanders and in the UAE, visited Australia, and talked to people in Poland and the USA. They are as astonished as I am by the speed and thoroughness with which Bridget Phillipson has moved to dismantle every main pillar of the system.
It is hard to understand the motivation, beyond being seen to be different, though the new minister is clearly giving a great deal of time and attention to the desires and demands of unions. And alas, unions will always defend the interests of the adults in schools over those of children.
Spielman argued that Ofsted verdicts were being “watered down”, by the ending of single-word judgments, in a way that would “make it much less likely that inspection will detect weaknesses”.
She said she was worried that reviews of the curriculum and teacher training would lead to standards being lowered. But she was particularly critical of the children’s wellbeing and schools bill, which will limit some of the freedoms that academy schools have , and end the presumption that new schools should be academies. She said:
The schools bill will cut the autonomy of schools and school groups right back, even though this has clearly been a contributor to system success. A better first step would have been a proper evaluation to see which dimensions of autonomy should be protected and which need adjusting …
It will probably take a while for parents to see through the polished verbiage and jazz hands that accompany every announcement. But unless they do see through it, and exert enough pressure to counteract union dominance, it is current and future generations of children – the people who were most harmed by lockdowns – who will bear the brunt of these changes.
A Department for Education A spokesperson informed The Telegraph that the legislation aims "to place highly-qualified educators in each classroom and guarantee that all educational institutions have the opportunity to innovate for attracting and retaining top-tier professionals." However, a governmental source countered, stating to the newspaper that Spielman has affiliations with the Conservative Party and suggested she ought to dedicate more of her attention to contemplating her unsuccessful tenure at Ofsted and the loss of trust from the teaching community who view her as the Chief Inspector.
Ben Quinn is a veteran journalist for The Guardian.
Nigel Farage The Reform UK leader stated that his party required experienced members as he unveiled the names of 29 councilors who have switched allegiance to his party from the Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats, and other groups. He added that this revelation serves to demonstrate the progress Reform claims to be making throughout Britain.
Nevertheless, despite the announcement preceding the local elections in May, one cannot help but see it as an effort to seize the advantage following the eruption of a Reform internal conflict subsequent to the suspension of Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe.
Farage stated at a press briefing in Central London that they experienced "turmoil" due to the issue, yet he maintained that any "distress" was confined to the periphery of what he referred to as the Reform "community".
He further mentioned that a prominent figure within the party had faced online harassment and "clearly racist" treatment. Although he did not identify the individual, this seems to point towards Zia Yusuf, who chairs Reform UK.
In recent weeks, Yusuf has faced criticism and comments within Reform Facebook groups that seem to have an Islamophobic undertone in certain instances.
The leftover Reform MPs listened to Farage, among them being Lee Anderson. He had previously been expelled from his former party, the Conservatives, due to remarks about London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, which were heavily condemned for being islamophobic.
Number 10 states that over 30 nations are part of the 'willing coalition' initiative for Ukraine, with several contributing military personnel while others participate through additional means.
Downing Street has said that more than 30 countries could be involved in the “coalition of the willing” plan to provide military support to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal.
The PM’s spokesperson said Keir Starmer said, after the virtual summit that he hosted on Saturday, that different countries would be offering different capabilities.
The spokesperson went on:
In relation to what the coalition are willing to be able to provide, we’re expecting more than 30 countries to be involved, but obviously the contribution capabilities will vary.
However, this will constitute a substantial effort, as a considerable number of nations will supply personnel, alongside a broader collective participating through alternative means.
For instance, as a way for nations to participate without offering soldiers, the spokesperson stated:
If a nation were to supply rapid-response aircraft to Ukraine, it involves more than simply delivering these planes. Consideration must also be given to their fuelling arrangements—where will this take place? Additionally, determine suitable bases for deploying these aircraft within the broader framework of ongoing military operations on Ukrainian soil. Identify who will offer technical maintenance and logistical assistance. Assess whether personnel from another state would need to assume responsibility elsewhere due to this transfer. Plan accommodation solutions for flight crew members. Establish methods for rotating staff efficiently. Lastly, enhance infrastructure at necessary airstrips to facilitate smooth landings and operational readiness.
That’s the sort of detail that the military partners will be getting into.
Asked how many countries were willing to provide troops, the spokesperson would not go beyond saying a “significant number”.
When it was put to the spokesperson that only 27 countries participated in the online summit on Saturday, he said that some of the countries willing to contribute to the “coalition of the willing” were not available for the call on Saturday.
No 10 rejects claim that disability cuts plan primarily driven by need to save money
No 10 has dismissed assertions that the suggested modifications to disability benefits are mainly driven by financial savings needs.
During the morning lobby briefing, when it was pointed out to the PM’s spokesperson when asked about the proposed cuts due to the "financial climate," he responded:
No, consider that we have the highest rate of inactive working-age individuals due to poor health among Western European countries. We are also the sole major economy where the employment rate has not bounced back following the pandemic. Therefore, there’s an obligation to address the flawed system that is failing millions of people in this nation.
When asked why Britain remains the sole significant economy where employment hasn’t rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, he responded that this is due to "a dysfunctional welfare system and an inadequate labor market framework that haven't successfully reintegrated enough people into work."
However, during the same briefing, the spokesperson mentioned that there was "both a moral and an economic argument" for reforming the welfare system.
When asked to verify whether certain disabled individuals who cannot work might end up worse off due to the alterations set to be unveiled tomorrow, the spokesperson declined to dismiss this possibility. Rather, they responded by saying:
The system undoubtedly requires overhaul. Upon observing the substantial rise in individuals becoming inactive, or those anticipated to join the disability benefit rolls, it becomes evident that the current setup is failing to function as originally planned.
However, we will consistently make sure that the system keeps aiding those who have the greatest needs.
Farage alleges that the media fails to cover how Reform UK's chairman, Zia Yusuf, has been targeted with racist abuse online.
At the Reform UK press conference again, Nigel Farage has just referred briefly to his fall-out with Rupert Lowe, who has been suspended over misconduct allegation he strongly denies that were only made public by the party after Lowe criticised Farage in an interview.
Farage said the row caused some “consternation”, but had not held up Reform’s election planning.
But he said the dispute led to a senior figure in the party (Zia Yusuf, the chair – although Farage did not name him) being subject to racist abuse on social media. He claims journalists would have turned this into a big story if it had happened to a politician from any other party, but it was ignored because it was Reform.
He said the only “honourable exception” was the Times columnist and Tory peer Daniel Finkelstein . He is referring to this column by Finkelstein published last week. Finkeslstein said:
Because he is clearly articulate and clever, and because he is a Muslim and has worked for Goldman Sachs, Yusuf is a symbol of the modernisation — the broadening — Farage believes essential. But, for the same reason, the deepeners [people in the party who want a ‘deeper’ version of Reform – like Lowe] want him gone. Wading through online comments about Yusuf’s ethnicity and commercial success is not an edifying experience.
At the Reform UK press conference Zia Yusuf , the party chair, claims that his party had achieved “the most historic acceleration politically in British history”. He goes on:
We've risen from 14% national support to an average of 26% in polls. More than 160,000 new, fully paid-up members have joined us. Additionally, we now boast 400 branches and have hosted over 30 events attended by tens of thousands across our wonderful nation.
(Those who recall the emergence of the SDP might argue with this point.)
Yusuf is followed by Nigel Farage The party leader asserts that Reform has a significant chance during the upcoming local elections. He mentions that Labour has begun poorly, the economic situation is weakening, and the Conservative Party lacks direction.
The Tories assert that the OECD’s downward adjustment of the UK’s growth forecast indicates 'red warning lights.'
The Conservative Party is asserting that the OECD has revised downward its forecast for economic growth in the UK today (referencing 10.55am ) indicates "the warning lights are glowing red". In a statement, Mel Stride , the opposition finance spokesperson, stated:
It comes as no shock that the UK’s growth projections have been revised downwards following Labour’s damage to the economy.
The situation is about to become more challenging, as Labour's employment tax looms ahead. Just nine days remain before Labour's emergency budget meeting, and the alarm signals are turning crimson.
This is the most recent humiliation for Keir Starmer following him making growth his top priority.
The Reform UK press conference is about to start. There is a live feed here.
According to reports, Nigel Farage will reveal that 29 councilors have switched their allegiance to his party. the Guido Fawkes website.
Starmer urged to introduce wealth tax instead of cutting disability benefits
Good morning. “You want me to cut £1bn. Shall I take £100 each off 10 million people, or £1,000 each off 1 million people?” The former Tory chancellor Ken Clarke is credited with coming up with this explanation of what big number spending cuts actually mean, but every chancellor has probably thought the same.
Tomorrow the government is expected to announced disability cuts said to be worth at least £5bn. You can work out the maths. That is more than three times as much as the £1.5bn saved by cutting the winter fuel payment, the single policy decision that has done more than anything else to make the government unpopular. So it is not hard to work out why Keir Starmer is facing Labour turmoil over this decision.
(To be fair, the winter fuel payment was an immediate cut. The figures briefed about how much money the government wants to save by cutting disability benefits seem to refer to savings by the end of the decade. But we don’t know the details at this point. Last week the New Economics Foundation , a leftwing thinktank, claimed that cuts could be worth as much as £9bn by 2029-30.)
Hard facts might be in short supply this morning, but comment isn’t. With 24 hours to go before one of the biggest announcements of the Keir Starmer premiership, lots of people are staking out positions. Here are some of the key developments.
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Diane Abbott, the Labour leftwinger and mother of the Commons, has urged the government to impose a wealth tax as an alternative to cutting disabilty benefits. In an interview on the Today programme, asked what she would do instead, Abbott replied:
I would introduce the wealth tax. If you brought in a wealth tax of just 2% on people with assets over £10m, that would raise £24bn a year. That’s what I would do.
This is broadly similar to what the Green party was proposing at the last election.
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Andy Burnham, the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, has joined those expressing concerns about the plans. In an article for the Times , he says:
I would share concerns about changing support and eligibility to benefits while leaving the current top-down system broadly in place. It would trap too many people in poverty. And to be clear: there is no case in any scenario for cutting the support available to disabled people who are unable to work.
He says Greater Manchester’s Live Well initiative is a model for how people who are ill can be supported back into work.
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Abbott has said that opposition to the government’s plans for disability benefit cuts is not just coming from the left. In her interview on the Today programme, she said she agreed with what Burnham is saying, and she said she also agreed with Ed Balls, who said last week that cutting benefits for those most in need was not something Labour should be doing. Abbott, Burnham and Balls were three of the candidates in the 2010 Labour leadership contest. A fourth, Ed Miliband, is also reported unhappy about the cuts, although as a cabinet minister he has not spoken out publicly.
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Emma Reynolds, a Treasury minister, has said the government is “for the time being not going to come forward with a wealth tax”. She said this in an interview on the Today programme, when asked if the government would be following Abbott’s advice. Reynolds said the government had already raised taxes affecting wealthy people.
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Reynolds urged Labour MPs and others to wait for the details of the plans before coming to a verdict on them. In comments implying the final proposals might not be as draconian as some of the pre-briefing has implied, she said:
Some colleagues are jumping to conclusions about our plans before they’ve heard them. So I just urge them to be patient.
When it was put to here that she was saying some of their concerns might be addressed when they read the actual proposals, Reynolds said there had been “a lot of speculation about what we might or might not do”.
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She said there would always be a safety net for those most in need. She said:
We’ll set out further details, but the severely disabled and the most vulnerable will always get support, and there will always be a safety net.
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The Resolution Foundation thinktank has said that the government’s proposed disability cuts are likely to fall disproportionately on the poor. In a statement it says:
The government is reportedly focusing on cutting incapacity and disability benefits to stem rising spending and support more people into work. But while the system needs reform, Ministers appear to be focused on cutting personal independence payments (Pip) – a benefit that isn’t related to work.
The foundation warns that cutting Pip by £5bn in 2029-30, for example by raising the threshold to qualify for support, could see around 620,000 people losing £675 per month, on average. The Foundation adds that 70 per cent of these cuts would be concentrated on families in the poorest half of the income distribution.
Here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, is meeting the heads of regulatory agencies in Downing Street to discuss their plans to boost growth. Later Reeves is recording broadcast interviews.
11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
Noon: Nigel Farage and other Reform UK MPs hold a press conference to make what they call “a special announcement”.
2.30pm: Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, takes questions in the Commons.
After 3.30pm: David Lammy, the foreign secretary, is expected to make a Commons statement about Ukraine.
After 4.30pm: MPs start debating the remaining stages of the children’s wellbeing and schools bill.
5.35pm: Kemi Badenoch gives a speech at the CPS’s Margaret Thatcher Conference on Remaking Conservatism. Other speakers earlier in the day include George Osborne, the former chancellor, who is doing a Q&A at 3.35pm.
Early evening: Keir Starmer meets Mark Carney, the new Canadian PM, in Downing Street.
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OECD cuts growth forecast for UK in 2025 by 0.3% to 1.4%
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has cut its forecast for UK growth by 0.3 percentage points this year to 1.4%, and by 0.1 percentage points for 2026 to 1.2%, Richard Partington reports. The reducations are from the forecast published in December.
Here is an extract from the OECD’s latest economic outlook report.
European economies will experience fewer direct economic effects from the tariff measures incorporated in the baseline projections, but heightened geopolitical and policy uncertainty is still likely to restrain growth. Euro area growth is projected to edge up from 0.7% in 2024 to 1.0% in 2025 and 1.2% in 2026, with growth in the United Kingdom projected to be 1.4% in 2025 and 1.2% in 2026.
And here is Richard’s story.
Related: Trump trade wars are slowing global growth and fuelling inflation, says OECD
Commenting on the report, Rachel Reeves , the chancellor, said:
This report shows the world is changing, and increased global headwinds such as trade uncertainty are being felt across the board. A changing world means Britain must change too, and we are delivering a new era of stability, security and renewal, to protect working people and keep our country safe. This means we can better respond to global uncertainty, with the UK forecast to be Europe’s fastest growing G7 economy over the coming years – second only to the US.
While it is hardly surprising that Diane Abbott, who has been on the left of the Labour party all her career and who was shadow home secretary under Jeremy Corbyn, is opposed to the proposed disability benefit cuts (see 9.31am ), what is remarkable about this issue is that it has united the Labour left with some of those at the opposite end of the party’s ideological spectrum. In her Today interview Abbott pointed out that she is now aligned on this with Ed Balls . After her interview, John McTernan , who when he was Tony Blair’s political secretary devoted much of his time to marginalising people like Abbott, posted a message on social media saying that one of her comments was excellent.
@HackneyAbbott Excellent suggestion on @BBCr4today that the government should be a “bit more Attlee” - a warfare state must have a welfare state.
Kemi Badenoch has told her party that she wants to take her time before coming up with a full policy platform. According to an item in Andrew Pierce ’s diary in the Daily Mail , the party is going through its archives in the search for ideas. He says:
Little-known Tory party chairman Nigel Huddleston and the entire party board are heading to the Bodleian Library in Oxford to examine the official party archive. It features leaflets, handbills, car stickers, posters, manifestoes, and direct mail dating back to 1867 when the Earl of Derby was party leader.
Huddleston and a team of researchers will pore over papers in search of policy ideas, slogans, and campaign themes.
SNP urges Starmer to scrap proposed disability cuts and revise fiscal rules
The SNP is urging the government to abandon its proposed disability benefits cuts and its fiscal rules. In a statement this morning Stephen Flynn , the SNP’s leader at Westminster, said:
Keir Starmer must admit he got it wrong, scrap the Labour party’s cuts to disabled people and ditch its broken Tory spending rules, which are the central problem and will make everyone poorer.
The cuts to disabled people are shameful - and they are just the start. We will all be worse off if the Labour government takes the axe to public services and goes ahead with its reckless plan for a new era of austerity cuts.
Former minister Michael Matheson to stand down as MSP in 2026, joining list of leading SNP figures quitting Holyrood
Severin Carrell is the Guardian’s Scotland editor.
Michael Matheson, the disgraced former Scottish National party minister, is standing down at the next Holyrood election, the latest amongst a growing number of senior SNP figures who are quitting.
The MSP for Falkirk, Matheson was forced to resign as health secretary last year after he wrongly claimed £10,935 in mobile roaming expenses for the personal use of his parliamentary iPad on a family holiday.
It emerged his children had live streamed a football match while they were in Morocco; Matheson also failed to follow the rules on using and updating the iPad. He was suspended from Holyrood For an unprecedented 27 days and with a deduction of 54 days' pay, even after John Swinney, the first minister and a close acquaintance, pleaded for clemency.
In a statement, Matheson said:
When I joined the SNP at 17 years of age the re-establishment of a Scottish parliament was still a distant prospect.
I could never have imagined that I would have had the privilege to represent Falkirk in our national parliament for over two decades.
Matheson, 54, is one of the last few MSPs elected to the Scottish parliament at devolution in 1999. He initially won on the Central Scotland regional list before becoming the constituency MSP for Falkirk West in 2007.
He is one of a growing cohort of senior SNP figures quitting at the next Holyrood election, due in May 2026. Two former first ministers are standing down: Nicola Sturgeon, who announced her decision to quit last week , and Humza Yousaf, her successor.
Several cabinet secretaries are also standing down: Fiona Hyslop, the transport secretary and another veteran from 1999; Mairi Gougeon, the widely-respected rural affairs secretary, who joined parliament in 2016, and Shona Robison, the current finance secretary also first elected in 1999. Several junior ministers, Richard Lochhead, Christina McKelvie and Joe Fitzpatrick, are also leaving.
Regulators agree up to 60 pro-growth measures with Treasury, including slimmed-down bat protection guidance
Rachel Reeves , the chancellor, has announced the abolition of another quango, Philip Inman reports. She made the announcement ahead of her meeting with regulators, which is taking place now, where she is discussing their plans to promote growth. This is the third quango scrapped by the government within the past week, but only one of the announcements, about NHS England, made headline news. Last week the government said the Payment Systems Regulator was going , and today the Regulator for Community Interest Companies is getting the chop.
Here is Philip’s story.
Related: Reeves to outline plan to cut regulation costs and boost growth
Under pressure from the Treasury, regulators have come up with up to 60 propoals intended to boost growth. In its news release , the Treasury lists some of them.
Following weeks of intense negotiations, watchdogs have signed up to 60 growth boosting measures – including:
-Fast-tracking new medicines to market through a new pilot to provide parallel authorisations from key healthcare regulators, so that patients can access the medicine they need quicker;
-Attracting more investment from international financial services firms by setting up a bespoke ‘concierge service’ to help them get to grips with UK regulations, making it easier to do business in the UK;
-Paving the way for package deliveries by drone, as the Civil Aviation Authority permits at least two more large drone-flying trials in the coming months - which have already helped cut travel times for blood samples from 30 minutes down to 2 minutes between hospitals - and streamlines the regulatory process for manufacturing drones;
-Allowing families to manage their spending safely as the Financial Conduct Authority reviews contactless payment limits, including the £100 cap on individual payments, while speeding up queues at checkout.
-Support for homeownership as the Financial Conduct Authority simplifies mortgage lending rules, including making it easier to re-mortgage with a new lender and reduce mortgage terms.
-Helping start-ups secure funding to grow through the Financial Conduct Authority issuing more notices where they are likely to approve applications from budding entrepreneurs.
And there is bad news for bats. Planning guidance intended to protect them is being slimmed down, the Treasury says.
It should not be the case that to convert a garage or outbuilding you need to wade through hundreds of pages of guidance on bats. Environmental guidance, including on protecting bats, will be looked at afresh. Natural England has agreed to review and update their advice to local planning authorities on bats to ensure there is clear, proportionate and accessible advice available.
Peter Walker has more from Diane Abbott ’s interview on the Today programme this morning.
Related: Cutting benefits is ‘not a Labour thing to do’, says Diane Abbott
