Nurses’ union to pause strike action while it holds ‘intensive talks’ with government on pay – as it happened

Nurses stage a rally outside St Thomas' Hospital in London in early February. Photograph: Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock

6.03pm GMT

Early evening summary

• The Royal College of Nursing has suspended its 48-hour strike in England planned for early March after the government agreed to conduct “intensive talks” on pay. (See 5.27pm.) The health secretary, Steve Barclay, said the government was committed to a “fair and reasonable settlement”.

We've agreed to enter talks with @theRCN to find a fair and reasonable settlement, recognising the vital role nurses play and wider economic pressures.

Strike action will be paused while this happens. Read our joint statement here. 👇 https://t.co/xa37MTJgDq

— Steve Barclay (@SteveBarclay) February 21, 2023

According to the BBC, other health unions were not aware of the joint RCN/government statement about this issued earlier, which has prompted speculation that ministers might be planning a special offer just for nurses.

• The European Research Group of Eurosceptic Conservative MPs is demanding to see the full text of any deal on the Northern Ireland protocol, piling pressure on the prime minister to meet their demands of radical changes to the Brexit trading arrangements.

• SNP leadership candidate Kate Forbes has denied her attempt to replace Nicola Sturgeon is over before it has begun, after her comments about her personal opposition to equal marriage prompted an immediate and furious backlash.

A rally outside City Hall in Belfast today, where teachers and health workers have been on strike. Photograph: Liam McBurney/PA

5.53pm GMT

Minister plays down concern about estimated 2m people not having photo ID needed to vote under new law

Lee Rowley, the local government minister, has played down concerns that 2 million people do not have the photo ID they will need to vote under a new law that will come into effect for the first time for the local elections in England in May.

As my colleague Peter Walker reports, although the government has set up a scheme enabling people to get photo ID for voting if they do not have an appropriate document already, only around 21,000 people have applied – only 1% of the estimated 2 million voters who do not possess the necessary documents already.

In a Commons urgent question on this earlier, Rowley played down the significance of the 2 million figure. He said:

Of those two million people, which is an estimate, a large number of those will not have elections in their area this year.

Secondly, of that group a number will choose not to vote – much as we would like them to do so – will have chosen never to have voted, and we would encourage them to do so, but ultimately that is what the purpose of a democracy is – people have a right to vote and not to vote, and we’re seeking to encourage them to do so, we’re seeking to guarantee that integrity.

For Labour, shadow communities minister Alex Norris noted there are 72 days before polling day and went on:

We’re risking widespread disenfranchisement. When is the minister going to wake up and act to prevent these voter ID requirements from locking huge numbers of people out of their democracy at the next election?

Updated at 5.54pm GMT