Early evening summary
For a full list of all the stories covered on the blog today, do scroll through the list of key event headlines near the top of the blog.
The latest episode of the Guardian’s Politics Weekly UK podcast is out. It features Pippa Crerar and Kiran Stacey talking about the murder of Ann Widdecombe and the political row it has triggered.
Farage accepts Mahmood's offer of meeting with official in charge of VIP security
Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, has posted this on social media in response to Shabana Mahmood’s offer of a meeting with the Home Office official in charge of VIP security. (See 4.38pm.)
Thank you for this offer @ShabanaMahmood.
I will meet with the Chair of RAVEC and discuss the security of all Reform politicians, including those who are not MPs.
Updated
Mahmood says any decisions about Farage's security won't have been affected by political factors
Robert Jenrick, the Reform UK Treasury spokesperson, asked Mahmood, if she agreed that it was “unwise of the government to heavily reduce the security offered to [Nigel Farage] given all that we know about his particular danger that is posed to him”.
Mahmood said the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), the body in charge of VIP protection, was “fiercely independent”. She went on:
It must be because the protection that is offered, and the level of protection and the tactics of protection that are offered to people must never be based on a political assessment of who needs it, but an independent operational assessment of what risk is and how it is best managed.
She said she would not compromise the integrity of Ravec by commenting on its work in public.
And she said she did not comment on media stories about its decisions (like the one referenced by Jenrick), regardless of whether they were true or false, because she wanted to protect the system.
Lee Anderson, the Reform UK MP, condemned the way members of his party were described as racist, including by other MPs in the Commons. He asked Mahmood if she was aware of Reform UK MPs facing a heightened risk.
Mahmood said all MPs should debate in a calm and careful way, and moderate their language.
As for threat, Mahmood said she would not discuss those in public, because that would undermine the integrity of the system. But she said she had offered Nigel Farage a meetinng with the head of the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), the body in charge of VIP protection.
Mark Francois (Con) said he knew Widdecombe through David Amess, the Tory MP who who was murdered. He said he thought social social media companies had some responsibility for these events.
MPs more likely to be killed than members of armed forces or police officers, Bernard Jenkin says
Bernard Jenkin (Con) said it was now an “unfortunate statistical fact that as a member of parliament you are more likely to meet a violent death than a member of Her Majesty’s armed forces or a member of the British police forces”.
He also recalled serving in shadow cabinet with Widdecombe. When Labour introduced the Human Rights Act, some shadow cabinet members were in favour of it. She was the only person firmly opposed. But she was right, he claimed.
Helena Dollimore (Lab) said she was concerned about the way media organisations frequently show footage with identifiable details of MPs’ or former MPs’ homes. And reverse image searching allows people to use these images to find an address, she said. She urged the government to look at this issue as a matter of urgency.
Mahmood said she would be discussing with colleagues what more can be done to keep information about where MPs live private.
Julian Lewis (Con) said, at the time when parliament came under pressure to publish details of MPs’ expenses, the Commons authorities went to great lengths to make sure details of MPs’ addresses were kept private. He said he was concerned to learn that, only six days before she was killed, Widdecombe was featured on TV at her home. He said the address was not given, but software is available that allows people to get this information.
Mahmood said Lewis was making a good point. She said she would consider the importance of keeping addresses private when considering lessons to be learned from Widdecombe’s murder.
Reform UK's Richard Tice urges police not to rule things out too quickly when investigating crimes
Richard Tice, the Reform UK deputy leader, was far less confrontational in the Commons than he was on social media earlier. (See 1.32pm.)
He started with a warm tribute to Widdecombe.
She was a colossus in public life, in political life, a legend adored and loved by millions and millions of people, including my own late mother.
She was a remarkable lady. She had an incredible work ethic. She would think nothing of going the length and breadth of the country to speak at rallies. She was an incredible orator who always spoke without notes, absolutely remarkable …
Her conviction, her passion and her advocacy for free speech was to be commended. I had the honour of working with her for the last seven years, and despite being a foot taller than her, I somehow always found myself looking up …
We will miss her dearly. And I also think that the the Scottish whisky industry has lost a very discerning customer.
Tice only made a brief reference to the police putting counter-terrorism in charge of the murder investigation, when earlier the police said there was no evidence of a political motive. He said:
We all want our police forces to do brilliantly, of course.
And would it be wise when considering motivation, when giving us early updates, to keep things open ended [in relation to] motive, as opposed to ruling things out too quickly that may then end up being ruled back in.
Mahmood says 'more work' by social media companies in tackling hate on their platforms
Like Diane Abbott, Lucy Powell, the deputy Labour leader, also called for tougher action against social media companies. Powell told MPs:
We do need to tackle some of the online algorithms and business models which heighten this kind of polarisation and hate towards those in public life, and we must do more to tackle this with urgency.
In response, Mahmood said there was “more work” to be done, including by social media companies, in taking “greater responsibility for the kinds of behaviours that are promoted on their platforms”.
Updated
Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle rejects Zia Yusuf's claim he does not care about security of Reform UK MPs
Max Wilkinson, the Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson, said at the weekend Zia Yusuf from Reform UK made allegations about the Commons authorities ignoring the fears for Reform UK MPs. (See 1.50pm.) He said that, if they were true, they were very concerning. But, given Yusuf’s record, they might not be true, he suggested.
Mahmood said all MPs were treated equally by the speaker, and by the parliamentary security department. And that was the goverment’s position too, she said.
Hoyle intervened at this point too. He says that he treated all MPs equally. He said he did not discuss security measures, but he could say, when an issue was raised with him, he always passed it on to the relevant officials.
Diana Abbott, the mother of the house, said at one point she was getting more abuse and threats than all other female MPs. She said the situation had got a lot worse since she first became an MP. And she blamed social media companies. She went on:
We need to find a way to make some of these online companies more accountable for the threats and the violence that they allow on their platforms.
In her response to Philp, Mahmood repeated her point about the potential need for security guidance for former MPs who still retain a public profile.
She also said “given the range of new political parties contesting the political and democratic space”, they might need security guidance too.
Mahmood says she will consider providing security guidance for former MPs
In her opening statement Mahmood said she would consider “what security guidance can be provided to former members of parliament”, and she said he wanted to work with the speaker on this.
Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, responded to Mahmood for the Conservatives. He said Ann Widdecombe “fearlessly spoke her mind”, and he recalled his first meeting with her.
I first met Ann 29 years ago at a university debate, speaking on opposite sides.
I was a callow 21 year old student. She had just left government and was at the height of her powers.
I remember starting my speech by asking her to treat me more gently than she had recently treated Michael Howard.
Needless to say, I was put very firmly in my place.
Updated
Mahmood says she understands 'concern' Reform UK has about security, and offers Farage meeting with security official
Mahmood said she knew the murder of Ann Widdecombe would raise concerns about the safety of people in public life.
She went on:
Politics is a calling for those of us here, but it should not be a dangerous one.
And so it is incumbent on the house and the government to work together to protect those who choose to serve.
The Home Office and the police work closely with the parliamentary security department to provide practical advice and support directly to MPs.
But we must always be vigilant to changing threats and respond.
Security measures are kept under constant review to ensure MPs can carry out their duties safely, and I know that the police intend to issue guidance to MPs soon, and they will be contacting parliamentarians in their constituencies to offer support.
Referring directly to Reform UK, Mahmood went on:
I recognise the particular concern that the Reform party will feel today.
And of course, Nigel Farage, the party’s leader - I’m happy to offer a meeting for Mr. Farage with the chair of the independent body within the Home Office that manages the security of those in public life.
Updated
Mahmood says suspect in Widdecombe murder 'not known to Prevent'
Mahmood says the circumstances of Widdecombe’s death are “extremely distressing”.
She goes on:
Counter-terrorism policing have now taken the lead in the investigation as Lawrence Taylor, the head of national counter-terrorism policing, has said: “We now have new information and evidence that means counter-terrorism policing is leading the investigation. We are pursuing multiple lines of inquiry to establish the motivation for this attack.”
The police now have a suspect in custody, a 28-year-old white British man.
And I can confirm to the House that this man was not known to Prevent.
The police have cautioned against speculating about the case. That is the right thing to do for Ann’s family and friends.
It is also vital that the police are given the space they need to carry out their work.
Updated
Mahmood makes statement to MPs about murder of Ann Widdecombe
Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, starts her statement with a tribute to Ann Widdecombe.
Ann Widdecombe dedicated her life to politics and public service.
For nearly 40 years she was a fixture of our political life. She brought conviction to our politics, grounded in her profound Catholic faith.
She was forthright in her opinions and argued courageously for the things she believed in.
But, perhaps most of all, she brought an inimitable style to politics. She was forthright and fearless. As Lord Howard of Lympne can attest, she had a memorable turn of phrase, and she was joyful.
She thought seriously about ideas, but she did not take herself too seriously. And that allowed her to reach beyond this place and charm the country at large.
She was one of those rare politicians who was bigger than politics. There have been so many moving tributes in the last few days, reflecting her impact both within this place and beyond politics.
But I think her outlook on life is best summed up by Ann herself. Sitting on Graham Norton’s sofa, she said: “We get one go this side of eternity. One go. Life is not a dress rehearsal. You take opportunities that you like and you go for it.”
And she took her opportunities.
Updated
Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker, says issues relating to the Ann Widdecombe murder are not yet sub judice, because no one has been charged. But there is an ongoing criminal investigation, he says. He urges MPs to be careful not to say anything that might prejudice a trial.
Jesse Norman, the shadow leader of the Commons, said that Campbell should be “deeply embarrassed” by this announcement. He said the timetable switch means MPs will be debating the Hillsborough law bill without proper time to consider the amendments to it.
Commons leader Alan Campbell confirms elections bill being postponed so MPs can pass Hillsborough bill law this week
Alan Campbell, the leader of the Commons, is making his statement.
He says tomorrow MPs will deal with the remaining stages of the public office (accountability) bill, otherwise known as the Hillsborough law.
That means the representation of the people bill debate – or the elections bill debate, to use a clearer term – is being postponed.
He says the business for the rest of the week has not changed.
He says the house will rise for the summer recess on Thursday, and return on Tuesday 1 September.
The public office (accountability) bill will still have to pass through the Lords before it becomes law. But Keir Starmer would like to be able to say it has passed the Commons before he leaves No 10.
Tories call for Commons to sit next Monday so new PM can take questions from MPs before recess
Alan Campbell, the leader of the Commons, is about to make a statement to MPs. It is expected to be about the representation of the people bill report stage and third reading debate, originally planned for tomorrow, being postponed. But the Tories want him to announce that the summer recess is being delayed, for at least one extra day, to allow Andy Burnham to address the Commons as PM a week today.
Jesse Norman, Campbell’s Tory shadow, has posted this on social media.
Peter Riddell, the former Times political commentator and former head of the Institute for Government thinktank, agrees.
@Jesse_Norman has a point. It would be good for parliamentary democracy - and probably also for Andy Burnham’s standing- if he made a Commons statement, if not on the 20th when he will be appointed and forming his Cabinet, then on the 21st or 22nd rather than wait six weeks.
About 15 minutes after the Muslim Council of Britain issued its statement about the threat to an Islamic festival in Suffolk from rightwing terrorism (see 3.43pm), Keir Starmer posted this on social media.
Shocking news that Counter Terrorism Police are investigating a credible, serious threat targeted at an Islamic event in Suffolk.
Thanks to the quick action taken by police and the organisers, nobody was hurt.
My message is clear: I will not tolerate any attacks on our Muslim communities, or any form of anti-Muslim hatred.
In the Commons, Alison McGovern, the local government minister, is responding to an urgent question on local government reorganisation.
She said that the process was on track and that announcements about reorganisation in areas where details have not yet been settled would be unveiled this week.
In response to a question for James Cleverly, the shadow communities, McGovern would not say on what day the announcement would come.
Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker, said he thought it would be Thursday.
The Muslim Council of Britain has issued this statement about the terror attack on an Islamic festival averted by police action at the weekend. (See 3.26pm.) Wajid Akhter, the MCB’s secretary general, said:
We thank counter-terror police for their swift action in arresting twelve people over a terrorist threat to an Islamic event this weekend, the speed of their response undoubtedly saved lives, and we are relieved everyone is safe.
This cannot be treated as an isolated incident. Barely a month after racist pogroms in Belfast and a terror-related incident in Edinburgh that left five men injured, this once again highlights that the threat facing Muslim communities is real, not imagined. MCB calls on ministers to match the language of condemnation with actual action and policy, not another round of statements that change nothing.
Mahmood says she's still committed to extending settlement wait to 10 years, but says 'transitional arrangements' will apply
Jerome Mayhew (Con) asked Mahmood, in the light of today’s story in the Times (see 10.11am), if she was still committed to making migrants wait 10 years, not five years, before being eligible for indefinite leave to remain (ILR).
Mahmood replied:
It has been settled government policy since last summer, in fact, that the qualifying period will rise from five years to ten.
The government is consulting on what transitional arrangements may be needed, and we will come forward with settled policy later this year.
Later Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, asked more or less the same question, suggesting that ditching the 10-year wait for ILR might be Andy Burnham’s first U-turn. Mahmood gave the same reply, saying the policy had not changed but that there would be “transitional arrangements for those who are already in the country”.
The reply does imply some sort of concession is on the table, because “transitional arrangements” sounds like a nod towards compromise.
Updated
In the Commons, Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, is now taking topical questions. (Mostly, during departmental questions, ministers answer questions tabled well in advance; topical questions allow MPs to ask about anything, without the need to give advance notice.)
Mahmood started by praising the police for the way 12 people were arrested over a terror threat to an Islamic festival in Suffolk at the weekend. She said the police have described this as related to extreme rightwing terrorism.
Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, described Ann Widdecombe as “a true public servant” in her first response to a question during Home Office questions. She said she would be saying more during her statement later. (See 1pm.)
At the start of proceedings in the Commons this afternoon, Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker, started with a personal tribute to Ann Widdecombe.
He said she was a “formidable politician” and someone who enjoyed “robust political debate”. He went on:
Whether you agree with her or not, she was principled, spoke her mind and was true to her beliefs, which were informed by a Christian faith, and was a close friend to David Amess, who was murdered in 2021, and both were fellow animal lovers.
(Hoyle is an animal lover too.)
Hoyle said, in the light of the ongoing police investigation, he would urge MPs not to say anything that might prejudice a future trial. He said he would say more about that before the home secretary’s statement later.
He ended by saying that he and Widdecombe often used dine together at a pizza restaurant in Kennington.
Updated
Chris Philp confirms Badenoch's new selection rules would stop someone like Ken Clarke being Tory parliamentary candidate
In an article for the Daily Telegraph last week, Kemi Badenoch said that anyone who wants to be a Conservative candidate at the next election will have to support leaving the European convention on human rights and getting rid of net zero targets. She said:
If someone still believes in net zero targets that make energy more expensive and are destroying industry, they are not coming back. If someone thinks that the ECHR can be wished away rather than being dealt with properly, they are not serious. If they want to jump on every passing fad that makes us look more like Liberal Democrats than Conservatives, there is no place for them in this party. We have to show we have changed for the better.
We need candidates with the five Cs: they must be clever, have charisma, communication skills, conviction and, most importantly, be Conservative.
She made it clear that people who have been former Tory MPs or ministers who are applying to stand again are being turned down.
Soon some of those who applied [to be candidates], including former MPs, will start to receive a decision and they will be unhappy at not passing the test that will let them stand for the party at the next election …
Some people should never have been candidates before. Some do not have the judgment. Some do not have the discipline. Some do not want the Conservative Party to change. Some say one thing in public and another in private. Some failed basic psychometric tests, including one candidate who turned up drunk to their assessment.
She also said she wanted “a team with a plan that can run the country and deliver radical change in the 2030s, not a retirement home for failed politicians”.
In an interview on the Today programme this morning, Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, was asked if this meant that a younger version of someone like Ken Clarke, the pro-European former chancellor, would no longer be allowed to be a Tory candidate.
Philp said it would depend on his views on the ECHR.
When it was put to him that someone like Clarke would not pass that test, Philp said that was justified because this issue was “fundamental” because “the ECHR is stopping us controlling our borders, it’s stopping us deporting foreign paedophiles”.
Asked if he did not believe in debate, Philp said he did, but in this case the party had had the debate and taken the decision.
Man arrested on suspicion of Widdecombe's murder rearrested on suspicion of terrorism offences
The 28-year-old white British man from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, who was arrested on suspicion of murder on Saturday has since been rearrested on suspicion of commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.
Jamie Grierson has more in his story on the investigation.
Burnham confirms he's backing immigration bill
Jessica Elgot is the Guardian’s deputy political editor.
Andy Burnham is expected to vote for the immigration bill tonight in the Commons, with his team guiding that he backs Shabana Mahmood’s controversial reforms for indefinite leave to remain and on refugee statements, though highlighting that he is supportive of the bill’s additional safe routes for refugees.
The bill will return to parliament this evening for its second reading with a vote expected around 10pm. MPs are not expecting a major rebellion - though there will be some abstentions - because some sceptics in the party are still holding out hopes of changes to the ILR proposals before the bill reaches its final stage in the Commons.
The Home Office says the bill is about making our asylum system fair for genuine refugees and for local communities by bearing down on uncontrolled, unsafe and illegal small boat crossings and moving towards capped, safe and legal routes for genuine refugees.
A spokesperson for Burnham said:
Andy believes the public deserve an asylum system that is both compassionate and credible.
This bill takes important steps towards restoring confidence by tackling illegal crossings while strengthening safe and legal routes for genuine refugees. This is about ensuring the system is fair both to those seeking protection and to the communities that welcome them.
Updated
No 10 and Commons authorities reject Zia Yusuf's claim they don't care about security of Reform UK MPs
Downing Street, and the House of Commons authorities, have both rejected a claim by Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson, that the authorities do not care about the security of Reform UK MPs.
Yusuf said yesterday:
The state is providing no protection whatsoever.
In fact, based on what I have seen in the last 48 hours, none of the government, the Speaker nor the police care at all about the security of Reform MPs.
Several of our MPs have written to the above in recent months about distressing, escalating security concerns, asking for help.
Their correspondence was not even replied to.
As HuffPost UK reports, the House of Commons has rejected this, with a spokesperson saying: “All MPs are offered appropriate security measures”.
And, at the No 10 lobby briefing, the PM’s spokesperson said a “rigorous and proportionate protective security system” was in place to protect MPs and ministers.
The spokesperson said:
We keep this under constant review to ensure it is able to adapt and evolve to ever-changing threats, and the parliamentary security department, police and Home Office teams work in close coordination to assess risk and provide comprehensive protective security measures.
According to Jack Elsom from the Sun, Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons speaker, has complained to Reform UK about Yusuf’s comments. Elsom says:
Hearing that Lindsay Hoyle has spoken to Reform chief whip Lee Anderson over Zia Yusuf’s claims that he doesn’t care about their MPs’ security.
Sounds like the Speaker is not very happy, to say the least.
We have not heard from Nigel Farage yet on the news that counter-terrorism police are investigating the murder of Ann Widdecombe, but Reform UK will doubtless take this a massive vindication.
Over the weekend Farage suggested that there was a political motivation for the killing – despite Devon and Cornwall police saying there was "no information to suggest this was a terrorism-related incident and there was “nothing to suggest that it was politically motivated”.
The Times ran a story highlighting a comment by Harvey Proctor, a former Tory MP and close friend of Widdecombe, who criticised Farage for his remarks. Proctor said:
Ann Widdecombe was far too dear to her family, friends and former colleagues for her murder to be exploited as political propaganda.
The police have expressly asked the public not to speculate about the motive. It is therefore deeply disappointing that Nigel Farage has chosen to do precisely that.
This morning Richard Tice, the Reform UK deputy leader, posted a message on social media claiming the Times’ coverage was “sick” and asking: “How many more Reform politicians do you want dead?”
And, within the last hour, he has posted this.
A lot of journalists MUST now APOLOGISE to Nigel and us at Reform
You know who you are
Counter terrorism police now leading investigation into Ann Widdecombe’s murder investigation
Counter-terrorist police chief says 'new evidence' led to his officers taking charge of Widdecombe investigation
Laurence Taylor, head of national Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP), has issued this statement about CTP taking over the investigation into the murder of Ann Widdecombe.
Building on the progress made by our colleagues in Devon and Cornwall Police, we now have new information and evidence that means Counter Terrorism Policing is now leading the investigation.
We are pursuing multiple lines of enquiry to establish the motivation for this attack.
Our priority is progressing this investigation quickly, with all the capabilities we have available to us. If anyone has any information, please share it with the police.
We would like to thank local communities, the wider public and the media for their ongoing support and patience, and would ask them to continue to support us in the next stage of the investigation.
Updated
Ministers expected to delay final Commons debates on representation of people bill
The Shabana Mahmood statement in the Commons on the death of Ann Widdecombe is one of three statements in the chamber. There is also an urgent question.
Here is the running order.
2.30pm: Mahmood takes Home Office questions.
3.30pm: A communities minister responds to a UQ from James Cleverly about local government reorganisation.
Around 4.15pm: Alan Campbell, leader of the Commons, makes a business statement. It is understood he will announce that the representation of the people bill report stage and third reading debate scheduled for tomorrow will be postponed. Ministers may want time to debate the Hillsborough law (see 10.30am) instead.
Around 4.30pm: Mahmood makes her statement on Widdecombe.
Around 6pm: Mary Creagh, the nature minister, gives a statement on nature and the climate.
Counter-terrorism police now investigating murder of Ann Widdecombe, home secretary says
Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, has announced that counter-terrorist police are now investigating the murder of Ann Widdecombe.
She says:
This morning I have spoken to the head of @TerrorismPolice. Following new information and evidence, they are now leading on the investigation into the horrific murder of Ann Widdecombe.
The police are pursuing multiple lines of enquiry to establish the motivation for this attack. I will be updating the House further this afternoon.
My thoughts today remain with Ann’s family and friends, and all those who loved her.
Updated
Iran's IRGC designated threat to national security, with people working for it facing possible life imprisonment, minister says
The government has announced that it is in effect proscribing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It is doing so using new powers under the National Security (State Threats) Act 2026.
Ministers have been under pressure for years to proscribe the IRGC, which backs terrorist activity outside Iran. But the last Conservative government, and Labour when it took power, argued that it would be difficult to use laws intended to target terrorist organisations against a state-run organisation.
In a written ministerial statement, Angela Eagle, the security minister, says the IRGC and two other bodies – the Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right (IMCR), and the main intelligence directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation Volunteer Corps (GRU VC) – are the first groups to be designated under the 2026 act.
She says:
Designation introduces new criminal offences relating to supporting, assisting, or obtaining material benefit from a designated body. Where an individual engages in espionage, sabotage or foreign interference for, on behalf of or with the intention to benefit the designated body, they may also be charged under the National Security Act 2023. The maximum penalty for these offences reaches life imprisonment.
For a body to be designated, the home secretary must reasonably believe that it is, or has been, involved in foreign power threat activity and must consider that designation is necessary to protect the safety or interests of the United Kingdom.
Referring to the IRGC, she says:
The United Kingdom has identified activity linked to the IRGC involving threats to life and intimidation on UK soil. In January 2024, the UK announced sanctions targeting Iranian officials responsible for threats to kill on UK soil and criminal gangs who do the regime’s bidding overseas. The Iranian officials designated under these sanctions were members of IRGC Unit 840, which was exposed in relation to plots to assassinate two Iran International TV journalists in the UK.
In 2022, the National Cyber Security Centre issued an advisory alongside international partners exposing malicious activity. The advisory highlighted the threat from cyber proxy actors affiliated with the IRGC targeting a broad range of entities, including entities across multiple US critical infrastructure sectors as well as Australian, Canadian and UK organisations.
Eagle also said the IMCR was implicated in attacks in Britain.
Between March and May 2026, there were a series of attacks and attempted attacks targeting Jewish communities, journalists and Israeli interests in the United Kingdom and across Europe. These incidents — including acts of arson and intimidation — have caused real fear and distress, and have had a profound impact on those communities affected.
The Islamic Movement of Companions of the Right (IMCR), otherwise known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyah, have publicly claimed seven attacks at UK locations linked to Jewish and Israeli communities, and Persian-language media, including the antisemitic arson attack on four Hatzola ambulances in Golders Green on 23 March.
Sitting behind IMCR were members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Qods Force, who almost certainly directed IMCR attacks across Europe.
Updated
Back to Andy Burnham, and Dan Bloom has a good long read at Politico about Burnham’s plans to impose devolution on the civil service. Bloom says there is talk of a “Bank of England” moment.
It will be hard to wrestle a head-turning policy announcement from structural reforms to the state, though his allies are discussing a potential big bang early on.
One ally of Burnham recalled Gordon Brown’s announcement that the Bank of England would be made independent, four days after he became Labour’s finance minister in 1997. The person said: “He wants a Bank of England moment.”
Burnham wants more senior officials working outside of London. Bloom has this quote explaining why potentially this could make a real difference.
It’s about “forcing the civil service to understand this is not just data on a graph,” said one Labour MP allied to Burnham. “Once you have a base where you can’t get free affordable integrated transport that gets you somewhere within 20 minutes easily, it changes perspectives pretty much overnight.”
And here is an extract from what he says about the plans for No 10 North.
Civil servants and Burnham’s allies are unanimous that No. 10 North will only be more than a gimmick if people with real power (including Burnham) spend serious time in Manchester — forcing Westminster’s lobbyist and journalist ecosystem to move with them. [Lucy] Powell predicted “big chunks” of Whitehall power will leave the capital. [Steve] Rotheram said: “You can’t have a No. 10 and then just have a load of junior officials there.”
The senior civil servant quoted above said a key test will be whether the No. 10 policy unit ends up based permanently in the northern version of Downing Street.
Updated
A week today Keir Starmer is due to resign as PM, and Andy Burnham will go to Buckingham Palace where the king will invite him to form a government. Burnham is then expected to give a speech in Downing Street.
Outside No 10, workers already getting the platforms in place for the media.
UK and EU impose joint sanctions on cybercriminals linked to Russia
The UK and EU have jointly sanctioned alleged hackers linked to Russia as Britain’s cybersecurity service urged critical sectors to strengthen their online defences against the threat from Moscow, the Press Association reports. PA says:
Some 24 individuals and entities said to be behind “destructive” operations, including proxy networks connected to the Russian Intelligence Services, have been targeted by the Foreign Office.
The EU said it was imposing restrictive measures on nine individuals and four entities, including GRU officers, self-proclaimed “hacktivists” and cybercriminals, citing “close co-ordination” with the UK.
Both EU member states and the UK have also attributed a cyberattack on Poland’s energy grid in the depths of winter to Russia’s cyber-intelligence unit FSB Centre 16, the Foreign Office said.
Figures and entities targeted by Britain include senior GRU officials Vyacheslav Stafeyev, Ivan Senin and Ivan Kasyanenko, who the Foreign Office said had directed the agency’s cyber and hybrid threat operations. The full details are here.
Mainstream, the Labour group set up last year with support from Andy Burnham, has issued a statement critical of the immigration and asylum bill being debated today. Its interim council said:
The public rightly expects an immigration and asylum system that is fair, controlled and compassionate. We welcome the government’s determination to restore confidence in a system that today works neither for local communities nor for people fleeing war and persecution.
As parliament considers this bill, we want to see reforms that address some of the system’s biggest shortcomings, including faster, higher-quality asylum decisions, an end to the reliance on expensive and unsuitable accommodation (which would be easier if asylum seekers were allowed to take paid work after six months), and more effective and expansive safe and legal routes that help undermine the criminal gangs who profit from human misery.
Those are essential ingredients of an immigration and asylum system that works for everyone. Unfortunately, this bill does not offer them. Instead it will weaken the rights of asylum seekers in a number of ways.
Some of these points, such as the suggestion asylum seekers should be allowed to work after six months, echo what was said in a letter sent to Shabana Mahmood reportedly backed by almost 80 Labour MPs.
Although Mainstream was seen as a pro-Burnham campaign vehicle when it was set up, it is not wholly aligned with him and does not speak on his behalf. Burnham will vote for the bill tonight, Kevin Schofield from HuffPost UK reports.
Ex-Foreign Office chief Olly Robbins launches legal bid to get court to accept Starmer's decision to sack him 'irrational'
Olly Robbins is taking the government to court over its decision to sack him as permanent secretary at the Foreign Office.
The move has been announced by his union, the FDA, which represents senior civil servants. It is supporting Robbins as he seeks a judicial review of Keir Starmer’s decision to sack him.
In a news release, the FDA says:
The prime minister has acknowledged that his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the United States in December 2024 was a mistake. He should also admit that sacking Olly was a mistake, based on a grievous misunderstanding of how the national security vetting (NSV) system worked and a rash response to a media story.
A point of principle is at stake, which affects all FDA members. It damages the core values of a professional and impartial civil service if its most senior officials can be dismissed on a prime ministerial whim, without even the semblance of a fair process or considered understanding of the core issue.
In a statement today, Robbins said:
I bring this action reluctantly. It would have been unnecessary if the prime minister had simply apologised for his mistake and made amends for the distress and cost it has caused me and my family. Instead, I now have to ask the courts to determine that the prime minister’s decisions were unlawful, unreasonable and to quash them.
According to the FDA, these are the arguments that Robbins is making in his submission to the court seeking judicial review. Judicial review is a process that allows government decisions to be challenged on the grounds that they were taken in a manner that was irrational or unlawful.
Robbins is arguing that:
-The prime minister has asserted publicly that it was his decision to dismiss Olly, however the prime minister has no statutory authority to dismiss the head of the diplomatic service;
-Not only was there no fair procedure involved in his dismissal, there was no process at all; and
-Insofar as Olly has been given reasons for his dismissal, they are irrational. Rather than being under a duty to tell ministers about the process leading up to the vetting decision, Olly was under an obligation not to. The process is independent of government ministers, who are only informed of the final outcome. This position was confirmed in a letter of 16 September 2025 that was signed by the foreign secretary, using text both drafted and approved by No 10
Minister says there will be 'no carve-out' for security services under revised plan for Hillsborough law
Keir Starmer is expected to use his final week in office to push the Hillsborough law through its remaining stages in the Commons after months of delays. Aletha Adu has the story.
In an interview on the Today programme this morning, Catherine Atkinson, the victims minister, confirmed that there would be “no carve-out” for the security services under this arrangement. She said:
There is no carve-out. What has been absolutely clear is that there will be a duty of candour, but it’s the way that it is carried out.
So, in consultation with the security services, we’ve ensured that there are safeguards so that information that’s provided is done so securely and appropriately.
The Hillsborough Law Now campaign has welcomed the news. Last night it posted this on social media.
Our campaign is special. We are not one person, we are for the many by the many. #HillsboroughLawNow team you did this, every one of us has played some part, to every single one of you who has push in any way, big or small. You did this! Congratulations and thank you
We have comments open at the moment but we won’t be allowing comments on the Ann Widdecombe murder, in line with our usual policy of not allowing comments on cases where legal proceedings are active. Please respect this and avoid commenting on this topic. If the moderators judge that this is being ignored, exposing us to a contempt risk, comments will be turned off.
Last week it was reported that almost 80 Labour MPs have written to Andy Burnham urging him to drop the Shabana Mahmood plans requiring migrants, including those already in the UK, to wait 10 years or more to claim indefinite leave to remain (ILR), instead of five years, which is the norm now.
In the Times today Matt Dathan reports on one possible compromise option. He says Mahmood is considering letting migrant workers and their families who have been in the UK since 2021 continue to qualify for ILR after five years – but requiring them to wait longer until they can access benefits that normally come with ILR.
Dathan says:
At present, those with ILR can also access welfare including housing support, universal credit, disability payments, council tax reduction, tax credits and state pension credits.
Under the proposed changes, migrants who gain leave to remain would have to wait further before they could access such benefits, according to two government sources familiar with the plans. The waiting time would also apply to refugees.
Here is some reaction to this from Jonathan Portes, an economics professor and immigration expert.
First & foremost this would remove the main principled objection to the changes - retrospectively changing rules to (at best) keep people who came here legally with 5 year path to settlement in insecure visa status for up to 15 years - and for many effective deportation/remigration. (2/4)
Changing rules/time limits on benefit access ex post is *not* the same thing - we do it all the time (eg my pension age!).
That doesn’t mean it’s a great idea - it will increase poverty, be administratively complex, and various exemptions/workarounds will be needed.
But politically one key advantage.
As HO source implies, drives wedge between those who are (or claim to be) worried about benefit access & those who want “remigration”, whose primary motivation is racism and ethnonationalism.
The reaction to this will therefore be revealing.. (4/4)
Minister suggests Home Office will use visa threats to deport Rochdale grooming gang leader to Pakistan
Good morning. Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, will be in the Commons for much of the afternoon and she is involved in several of the main news stories in the mix today. MPs are debating the second reading of the immigration and asylum bill, meaning that those Labour MPs opposed to her plans may speak out at some point. (Her most controversial proposal is about extending the amount of time migrant workers have to wait until they can apply for indefinite leave to remain [ILR], and that is not actually part of the bill, but it would be surprising if ILR does not come up.) We are also expecting a Home Office statement about security, in the light of the murder of Ann Widdecombe. As Aletha Adu reports, the police, who have arrested a man on suspicion of murder, have said at this point there is no evidence to suggest the killing was politically motivated. But that has not stopped Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, doing exactly that.
And Mahmood is also due to give MPs details of how she plans to amend the law so that the Rochdale grooming gang leader, Shabir Ahmed, can be deported.
Ahmed is a former British-Pakistani joint national who has now had his British nationality revoked and who has recently been released from jail after serving 14 years of a 22-year sentence for 30 child rape offences. Victims were told that, because his British nationality had been revoked, he would be deported on his release. But in fact that is not possible because under the Immigration Act 1971 there is an exemption for people who, like Ahmed, came to the UK before 1973.
When the government first indicated that it would change the law to get rid of this exemption, the Tories said that, on its own, this would be pointless because Pakistan has said that it will not take Ahmed back anyway. They said the government should stop issuing visas to Pakistan unless it agreed to his deportation.
Today it sounds as if Mahmood will adopt this approach. Catherine Atkinson, the victims minister at the Ministry of Justice, was giving interviews this morning and on the Today programme, when it was put to her that Pakistan was refusing to take Ahmed, she replied:
I understand that the home secretary will be having more to announce on this later today.
She has been absolutely clear that this government will take action to see Shabir Ahmed removed, and we’ve seen the success that she has had when it comes to removals in previous cases.
I think she threatened visa penalties for Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo unless they took back illegal immigrants. And four months later, all three were co-operating.
And, at another point, she said:
There were previous negotiations where countries refused to take back foreign national offenders. And Shabana was able to secure those returns.
Asked if the UK would be willing to return some political dissidents to Pakistan as part of a deal to secure the deportation of Ahmed, Atkinson replied:
I can’t get ahead of what the home secretary will be announcing today, but she has a strong track record on being able to see progress where people previously have said things weren’t possible.
Here is the agenda for the day.
11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
2.30pm: Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, takes questions in the Commons.
3.30pm: Officials from the Crown Estate and the Royal Household give evidence to the Commons public accounts committee about the use of Crown Estate properties
After 3.30pm: A Home Office minister is expected to make a Commons statement on the security of politicians, Politico is reporting.
4.40pm: Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, gives evidence to the Commons culture committee about the BBC charter renewal.
Afternoon: Mahmood opens the debate on the second reading of the immigration and asylum bill.
8pm: Andy Burnham takes questions from Labour MPs at a private hustings event.
And Keir Starmer is in Paris today, where he and Emmanuel Macron, the French president, are co-chairing a meeting coalition of the willing group of Ukraine alllies.
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