Afternoon Summary
• John Swinney, one of the Scottish National party’s most experienced and longest-serving politicians, is on the verge of becoming the first minster of Scotland after he was chosen as the party’s new leader. The veteran SNP figure said in press conference on Monday that he would reach out to other parties, ruling out the return to an agreement with the pro-independence Scottish Green Party. He said that eradicating child poverty would be his primary focus if he were to become First Minister
• The Scottish National party’s depute leader has denied that a party activist was “leaned on” to pull out of the leadership race against John Swinney. The party’s deputy leader, Keith Brown, said Graeme McCormick’s last-minute decision on Sunday night not to stand against Swinney was proof the party was united and focused on delivering independence. Nominations for the role, vacated by Humza Yousaf last Monday, closed at midday on Monday.
• Rishi Sunak has insisted the result of the next general election “isn’t a foregone conclusion” and that he is “absolutely determined to fight” on. The Prime Minister made a renewed appeal for Conservative Party unity, emphasising that it was shared values which unified Tories, and insisting that his focus would be on demonstrating to voters that progress was being made on issues such as tax cuts and immigration.
• An Israeli offensive in Rafah “must not go ahead”, Sir Keir Starmer has warned, after the Israeli military told Palestinians to leave parts of the southern Gazan city. The announcement signals that a long-threatened Israeli ground invasion could be imminent, and came as ceasefire talks appeared to have stalled.
• Rishi Sunak said he was “deeply concerned” about the prospect of an Israeli offensive and said that the priority must be for all parties – “and particularly Hamas” – to agree to a deal that would pave the way for the release of hostages and for aid to go into Gaza.
Updated
Sunak: "deeply concerned" about a Rafah offensive
Rishi Sunak said he was “very concerned, deeply concerned” about the possibility of an Israeli military incursion into Rafah given the number of civilians sheltering there.
He had repeatedly made those points to the Israeli prime minister, but he added:
The priority now should be on all parties, but particularly Hamas, to agree to a deal to release hostages, to allow more aid to go in as part of a pause which would allow us to build a sustainable ceasefire.
That is the best way to end the suffering.
