Shabana Mahmood has unveiled sweeping asylum reforms which will see failed asylum families with children offered up to £40,000 to leave the UK or face being deported.
Her plans, announced in a speech on Thursday, are intended to reduce benefits available to asylum seekers who break the law or work illegally. New requirements for permanent settlement also include A-level standard English language requirements and a clean criminal record, she said.
The home secretary said the current system is “out of control” but that her reforms will deliver “levels of migration that are first and foremost fair”. She added her reforms to the asylum system and permanent settlement are “not a betrayal of Labour values”, but rather “an embodiment of them”.
But the plans have been slammed as “Reform-lite” by critics, who accused Ms Mahmood of echoing the rhetoric of the far right.
Ms Mahmood’s move follows Mr Farage and his home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf announcing draconian immigration plans at a press conference in Dover, where they vowed to introduce mass deportations, set up a British version of Donald Trump’s ICE immigration force, and cancel welfare for all foreign nationals among a series of extreme measures.
Key Points
- Home secretary to urge Labour left to back hardline immigration crackdown
- Failed asylum seeker families 'to be paid up to £40k to leave quickly'
- Analysis: Mahmood’s immigration plan is Labour’s last chance to stem tide of extremism from left and right
- Starmer defends special relationship with US amid Trump's criticism
- Cyprus says British military presence is the 'least we expect'
Foreign secretary in Cobra meeting discussing Middle East escalation
13:15 , Maryam Zakir-HussainForeign secretary Yvette Cooper is currently in the ministerial Cobra meeting discussing the situation in the Middle East, MPs were told after she was criticised for not appearing in the Commons to deliver a statement.
Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer said: "I would just say about the foreign secretary, she was in this House throughout the week, including at Foreign Office orals on Tuesday. We covered these issues in some detail with the prime minister yesterday.
"The foreign secretary is currently in the ministerial Cobra discussing these issues.
"She will, of course, make herself available to the House as much as she possibly can.
"I would hope that my colleagues across the House would recognise that I speak a great deal in this House because of their interest in these issues, and I will continue to return when the Foreign Secretary is unable to."
Mr Falconer also told MPs that the the British ambassador to Oman is currently in Muscat International Airport "to ensure the successful departure of flights".
Hangar was hit at Cyprus RAF base, Downing Street says
13:12 , Shaheena UddinThe Independent’s political reporter, Athena Stavrou writes:
Downing Street has confirmed further details about the strike on RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus over the weekend.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper originally said on Monday that the drone had hit the runway at the British base, but photos appeared to show a hole in the hangar at the base instead.
Asked about which reports were true, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “Our current understanding is that the drone hit a hanger on the air base. There were no casualties. The damage was minimal. There’s also been no damage to equipment inside the hangar.”
They also added that the drone was likely an Iranian-made Shahed-type drone, but that it was not launched from Iran.
Government is confident in 'our security of supply' of gas, Energy Secretary says
13:10 , Shaheena UddinThe Energy Secretary has said that the Government is confident in “our security of supply” of gas.
Ed Miliband told the Commons on Thursday: “In the days since the conflict began, we’ve seen Iran target energy production and export infrastructure across the Gulf.
“Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20 per cent of global oil and LNG is shipped, has declined very significantly, and the Iranian regime has issued reckless and unjustified threats to all ships using it.”
He added: “I’ve been in touch with National Gas and Neso (National Energy System Operator), who are confident about our security of supply (of gas). On oil, we hold substantial emergency commercial stocks and stand ready to work with the International Energy Agency to support the stability of oil markets if needed.”
He warned that, as with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the UK would be exposed to price competition in international oil and gas markets, which would push up wholesale prices.
“The Government continues to monitor the situation closely and work with our international partners,” he added.Mr Miliband also reiterated that the consumer energy price cap, which is set to fall by 7 per cent from April 1, is fixed until the start July.”
Starmer to give update on Middle East
13:04 , Shaheena UddinThe Independent’s political reporter, Athena Stavrou writes:
Sir Keir Starmer is set to give an update on the unfolding situation in the Middle East following criticism from key allies that the UK has not responded quickly enough.
The prime minister will give a speech and take questions from the media in Downing Street at 2pm.
It comes as Britain has been facing criticism for failing to have enough military assets in the Middle East after RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was hit by a drone.
Cyprus’s high commissioner to the UK said a British military presence to defend the island was “the least we expect”, in a criticism of the UK’s approach to managing the conflict.
Oil, gas and stocks fluctuate over Iran war – what does it mean for your money, pension and energy prices?
13:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe price of wholesale oil and gas remains high after a bruising start to the week prompted by the crisis in the Middle East which stoked fears about the longer-term hit to the global economy.
The widespread conflict, which began after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on the weekend, hit commodity prices and stock markets, prompting concerns that the impact will trickle down to working people, who may see price hikes to their fuel, heating energy and - if left unchecked for too long - some foods and day-to-day products.
Read more from Karl Matchett here:
Oil, gas and stocks fluctuate over Iran – what it means for your money and pension
Experts criticise home secretary's new plan
12:50 , Maryam Zakir-HussainHere are some responses to news that failed asylum seeker families will be paid up to £40,000 to leave or be deported:
Anita Hurrell, head of. policy at Coram Children’s Legal Centre, said: “Families need access to quality legal representation so that they get a fair hearing of their protection claims and any claims to stay in the UK, including for children born or growing up here. We oppose any system of forced family removal that involves the administrative detention of children. The government proudly removed extended child detention powers only last year; we would be disappointed to see the government now seeking to detain babies and children for immigration purposes.”
Kamena Dorling, director of policy at Helen Bamber Foundation Group, said: "Medical research has consistently shown that immigration detention, even for short periods, is traumatising for children, with serious impact on both their mental and physical health. Reintroducing child detention and imposing forced destitution to coerce families to leave the UK has already been proven ineffective and will cause significant harm."
Imran Hussain, executive director of communications and external affairs at the Refugee Council, said: “The British public wants to see a fair and controlled asylum system that treats people with dignity. But giving families just seven days to decide whether to uproot their children’s lives, often without access to proper legal advice, risks creating chaos rather than control. Many families simply do not feel safe to return to their countries of origin. And nobody wants to see distressed children detained and forced onto deportation flights.
“Families are far more likely to engage if given proper time, support and legal advice – making it more effective, and better value for the taxpayer.”
Mahmood says Labour needs to enter next election with system 'under control'
12:20 , Maryam Zakir-HussainHome affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft reports from the IPPR:
Shabana Mahmood has said "we’ve got to go to the electorate at the next general election with a system that is under control" as she challenges Labour MPs on the left of her party to back her changes.
She claimed that the "majority of people agree that the system is out of control and the Labour party is putting forward our way of solving these issues".
She said that the plans will help Labour "build a coalition of voters across this country".
Ms Mahmood said she is "not fearful of carrying a big stick" when it comes to immigration reform.
Farage criticises former Tory government who 'ran down our Armed forces'
12:05 , Maryam Zakir-HussainNigel Farage criticised the previous Conservative government, who he said "ran down our Armed Forces in a virtually criminal way".
And the Reform UK leader told a party conference in Newport that it did not take a "rocket scientist" to work out that the US would attack Iran.
"It's been flagged for weeks and yet we have a Prime Minister incapable of making a decision," Mr Farage said.
"I'm guessing it's because Morgan McSweeney has gone. With McSweeney gone, we see that our Prime Minister is a follower and not a leader, that he and our reputation on the world stage is frankly going down the drain - and the sooner they're gone and out of office, the better it'll be for everybody."
Home sec says it is a 'difficult time' for Labour as party is being 'bitterly' contested
11:54 , Maryam Zakir-HussainShabana Mahmood said it was a "difficult time" for the Labour Party, and that the party's identity is being "bitterly" contested on issues like migration.
The home secretary said the party needed to be "more Labour" in a speech at the IPPR (Institute for Public Policy Research), telling the event: "It is a pleasure to be here and to be hosted by the IPPR, Britain's leading progressive think tank, a fitting host to set out not just what this government is doing on asylum and migration, but why.
"There is no denying that we meet at a difficult time for my party. It is a time when who we are and what we stand for is contested, sometimes bitterly, and nowhere is that contest more keenly felt than in the politics of migration.
"I have, of late, been offered wise counsel on this topic from certain quarters. I have been told that we must, quite simply, be more Labour. Well, you know what? I happen to agree we should be more Labour.
"Of course, we should be more Labour. The real question is, what does more Labour mean, because, in my view, more Labour doesn't mean more Green, just like more Labour doesn't mean more Reform.
"More Labour means reconnecting with who we are, who we represent, and what we believe. That begins by understanding that the Labour Party has always been a broad church."
Asylum plans will leave people homeless, expert warns
11:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneHome affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft reports:
Sile Reynolds, Head of Asylum Advocacy at Freedom from Torture, has warned that Shabana Mahmood's plans to remove accommodation and financial support from some asylum seekers will leave people homeless.
She said: "Without the very basic support that many of them receive from the government they would be homeless and destitute, at risk of violence and exploitation on the margins of our society. This policy change will increase the risk that survivors of torture – many of whom cannot work due to disability or trauma – will have their essential support stripped away.
"Too many survivors are already threatened with refusal or withdrawal of support due to some case working or data error. This harsh and unnecessary policy on support will just raise the stakes, making vulnerable people destitute and leaving local authorities and communities to pick up the pieces."
Failed asylum seeker families with children will be offered up to £40k to leave, Mahmood says
11:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s home affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft reports from the IPPR:
Failed asylum seeker families with children will be offered up to £40,000 to leave the country or face being deported under new Home Office plans.The Home Office has launched a pilot for 150 families who are living in migrant hotels, with offers already sent out.
The families will be offered £10,000 per family member to leave the UK voluntarily and up to £40,000 in total for each family. They will have seven days to reply and if they do not take up the offer the Home Office will try to forcibly remove them from the country.
It has said that it will launch a consultation on how to remove families with children legally, including considering how force can be used against children.Officials say that the pilot scheme will offer value for money for the taxpayer, with the average family of three costing around £158,000 to house in an asylum hotel for a year.
The Home Office does not know how many failed asylum-seeking families they are housing in migrant hotels, however officials estimate that there are more than 700 Albanian families in this situation.
Home secretary announces changes to qualifications for asylum
11:28 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s home affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft reports from the IPPR:
Ms Mahmood has said that she wants "people to put down roots in this country and contribute to our national life", while announcing her changes to permanent settlement in the UK.
While these changes are being consulted on, she said: “The qualifying period for settlement must move from five years to ten." She said that those who gain permanent settlement rights should have "a history of being in work and paying taxes" and will have to meet A-level English language requirements.She has also announced that there will a new student refugee route, with the first arrivals expected in 2027.
The home secretary has also spoken about her plan to remove the duty to support some asylum seekers with accommodation and financial payments. Those asylum seekers who have broken the law, worked illegally, or have their own resources will have their support removed, Ms Mahmood said.
Home secretary announces new student refugee route into country
11:26 , Nicole Wootton-Cane“We will always offer protection to genuine refugees,” Ms Mahmood says as she announces a new student refugee route from autumn 2027.
She said this will be the first of a number of “safe and legal routes” into the country.
Mahmood says she wants 'fair' migration not Farage 'nightmare'
11:17 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s home affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft reports from the IPPR:
Ms Mahmood has said that she wants to deliver “levels of migration that are first and foremost fair”.
She added: “Fair to those living in this country today, particularly the working class communities…fair also to those seeking a new and better future in this country.”She said that Labour’s policies will sit between the “fairytale” of the Greens and the “nightmare” of Farage’s Reform party.
Ms Mahmood said that “we must be honest” about the scale of low-skilled legal migration to the country and the impact of these nationals getting permanent settlement rights in the UK.
We must be 'more Labour', not 'more Green or Reform', Mahmood says
11:10 , Nicole Wootton-CaneThe Independent’s home affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft reports from the IPPR:
The home secretary Shabana Mahmood has said that “we meet at a difficult time for my party” as she gives a major speech on migration at the IPPR think tank.
She said “who we are and what we stand for is contested”, and added: “I have been told that we must quite simply be more Labour. I happen to agree, we should be more Labour, of course we should be more Labour. The real question is what does more Labour mean.
“In my view, more Labour doesn’t mean more Green, just like more Labour doesn’t mean more Reform.”
Home secretary set to begin speech at IPPR
11:07 , Nicole Wootton-CaneShabana Mahmood will take the stage to outline her reforms shortly.
She is currently being introduced by IPPR executive director Harry Quilter-Pinner.
Starmer facing Labour revolt over immigration plans
11:05 , Nicole Wootton-CanePolitical writer Athena Stavrou reports:
Sir Keir Starmer is facing yet another revolt from the Labour backbenches over his latest immigration reforms.
Home secretary Shabana Mahmood is set to unveil sweeping reforms intended to reduce benefits available to asylum seekers who break the law or work illegally in a speech this morning.
But the plans have been slammed as “Reform-lite” by critics, who accused Ms Mahmood of echoing the rhetoric of the far right.
In a letter seen by Bloomberg, 100 MPs urged the government to rethink immigration reforms, warning the home secretary that such measures will “breed insecurity and fractured communities”.
Defence secretary meets with officials in Cyprus after British response criticised
11:00 , Nicole Wootton-CanePolitical writer Athena Stavrou reports:
John Healey has met with his counterpart in Cyprus after Britain’s slow response to the outbreak of war in the Middle East was criticised by key allies.The defence secretary said he spoke with the Cypriot defence minister Vasilis Palmas about measures Britain has taken since an RAF base on the island was hit over the weekend.
It comes after Cyprus’s high commissioner to the UK, Kyriacos Kouros, said that a British presence is “the least we expect” as a warship being readied to protect the British base there is not set to sail until next week.
“The longstanding friendship between the UK and the Republic of Cyprus is strong in the face of Iranian threats,” Mr Healey wrote on X alongside a picture of him meeting Mr Palmas.
“I discussed how the UK is further reinforcing our air defences to support our shared security.”
How many people are claiming asylum in the UK?
10:50 , Nicole Wootton-CaneMore than 100,000 people claimed asylum in the UK last year, slightly down on the year before but still significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels, figures released last week show.
Net migration to the UK dropped by two thirds in the 12 months to June 2025, driven by a huge drop in people coming to Britain for work or study.
Net migration was an estimated 204,000 - down 69 per cent from 649,000 a year earlier and the lowest annual figure since 2021, according to the Office for National Statistics.
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party receives second big donation from crypto investor
10:45 , Nicole Wootton-CaneNigel Farage's Reform UK party secured a second big donation from the crypto investor Christopher Harborne in the fourth quarter of last year, helping it to raise more money than its rivals during that period.
Reform raised 5.5 million pounds ($7.4 million) in the fourth quarter of last year, helped by a 3 million donation from Harborne, the Electoral Commission said on Thursday.
This came after he gave the party 9 million pounds in the previous quarter, the biggest single donation to a British political party by a living donor.
The donations mean Reform received more in donations in the last quarter than the governing Labour Party, which took in about 2 million pounds and the opposition Conservative Party's 2.4 million pounds, excluding public funds.
Full report below:
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party receives second big donation from crypto investor
Analysis: Mahmood’s immigration plan is Labour’s last chance to stem tide of extremism from left and right
10:35 , Nicole Wootton-Cane
Mahmood’s immigration plan is a last chance for Labour to stem the tide of extremism
Minister rejects criticism from Cyprus on slow response to defend island
10:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPolitical writer Athena Stavrou reports:
A government minister has rejected criticism from Cyprus’ high commissioner to the UK after it was suggested Britain’s response to a strike on RAF Akrotiri has been too slow.
Kyriacos Kouros, Cyprus’s high commissioner to the UK said that a British presence is “the least we expect” as a warship being readied to protect the British base there is not set to sail until next week.
Border security minister Alex Norris said he “can't quite accept the characterisation”, and added: “We’ve spent significant periods of time building up our defensive systems in eastern Mediterranean, and they've had really significant impact in recent days.
He added: “We are absolutely resolute, as I say, in protecting the nation's interests, and that's what we're doing.”
British couple paid £1,500 for chauffeur service to get from Dubai to Muscat for Heathrow flight
10:20 , Nicole Wootton-CaneDan Haygarth reports from Heathrow:
Sarah, 54, and Ed Short, 58, from Kent were met by emotional family members as they returned to Heathrow on a commercial British Airways flight from Muscat.
The couple had been in the UAE on holiday and planned to return to the UK on Saturday, but their plane did not take off before airspace was closed.
They returned to London this morning, having paid £1,500 for a taxi to take them from Dubai to the Oman capital for their flight.
Mr Short told The Independent: “British Airways initially cancelled all the flights and then they tried to put us via Qatar through Doha and I said, I don't think that's going to happen.“We found out almost by accident that because we had a BA booking somebody had spotted on Facebook that BA were launching an evacuation flight from Muscat."He added: “We were just like yeah - out of Dodge. We paid £1,500 quid for a chauffeur service to take us yesterday to Muscat.”
About the scenes at Muscat airport as people tried to get out of the Middle East, Mr Short said: “ There was chaos basically at the end where we were.
“We met loads of people who'd been booked on the government repatriation flight, lots of people who just said we've got a booking, we haven't got a booking, we just turned up.
“People were there, they were expecting to go at 11, obviously, as you know, they never left. They were trying to board them before us. It was a bit messy.”
About the atmosphere on the flight back to Heathrow from Muscat, Mr Short said: “People were massively relieved and obviously when we landed there were cheers and claps for the crew because the crew were brilliant.
“They were magnificent and BA has done a lot of great stuff.”
About being home, he said: “It's brilliant, yeah, really, really, really delighted to be home. It hasn't really sunk in yet because we're all delighted to be back and yeah.
“[Walking through the arrival gate] was great. The family were cheering and it was like wow.”
He joked: “I've got to get out of here and extend my parking once, but now they'll probably try and charge me extra to get out.”
Home secretary to urge Labour left to back hardline immigration crackdown
10:15 , Nicole Wootton-CaneShabana Mahmood will warn that the scale of small boat arrivals is “breeding fear” as she warns MPs on the left of her party to back her hardline immigration reforms.
It comes as she begins to introducing sweeping changes that will see asylum seekers who break the law or work illegally thrown out of government-funded accommodation and lose financial support.
The home secretary will say that her reforms to the asylum system and permanent settlement are “not a betrayal of Labour values”, but rather “an embodiment of them” as she bids to fight off criticism over the crackdown. The controversial changes are facing significant opposition from campaigners as well as dozens of Labour MPs with some warning that the party face becoming “Reform-lite”.
The Independent’s home affairs correspondent Holly Bancroft reports:
Home secretary to urge Labour left to back hardline immigration crackdown
Failed asylum seeker families 'to be paid up to £40k to leave quickly'
10:02 , Nicole Wootton-CaneFamilies with failed asylum applications will be paid “up to £40,000 to leave the UK within seven days,” the home secretary is expected to announce.
The radical new plan will initially involve around 150 families as the government trials the policy, LBC has reported.
It is hoped that, if rolled out more widely, it can save the Home Office up to £20million a year.
Food shortages and price hikes: How war in Iran will affect your supermarket shop
09:55 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAt first glance, war in the Gulf can feel oddly distant from the British weekly shop. Iran is not where we buy our bananas. Our strawberries are not shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. Most of what fills UK supermarket shelves is grown here or imported from Europe, Africa, America, Asia and Australasia, not from the Middle East.
And yet, the moment the region flares, the price of the basics can start to wobble. Not because Britain suddenly can’t get hold of food, but because food is glued – more tightly than we like to admit – to energy.
Hannah Twiggs has more here:
Food shortages and price hikes: How war in Iran will affect your supermarket shop
PM says US-UK special relationship still exists
09:40 , Maryam Zakir-HussainSir Keir Starmer has told MPs the special relationship with Washington will endure after the US president lashed out at his initial refusal to allow British bases to be used for raids against Iran.
After Mr Trump said the Prime Minister was "not Winston Churchill", Sir Keir said the bond with the US was not about "hanging on to President Trump's latest words".
He defended his decisions about the use of UK bases, saying the country needs to act "with clarity, with purpose, and with a cool head".
In response to Iran's retaliatory actions, Sir Keir has given the US permission to use British bases for the limited purpose of attacking missile launchers and infrastructure, but RAF jets have not been involved in striking Iran.
Labour MP Joani Reid’s husband arrested on suspicion of spying for China
09:25 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThree men – one of whom is the partner of a sitting Labour MP and former ministerial special advisor – have been arrested on suspicion of spying for China.
The men were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of assisting China’s foreign intelligence service, the Metropolitan Police confirmed.
Counter Terrorism Policing London arrested a 39-year-old man at an address in London, a 68-year-old man in Powys in central Wales, and a 43-year-old man in Pontyclun, south Wales.
Read more here:
Labour MP Joani Reid’s husband arrested on suspicion of spying for China
Badenoch urges Starmer to strike Iran after criticism from Gulf allies
09:10 , Maryam Zakir-HussainSir Keir Starmer is facing further pressure to strike Iran after UK bases were attacked and key allies in the Middle East criticised Britain’s slow response.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the UK should take offensive action in order to “do what we can to stop the ability for these attacks to take place”.
“Being realistic is not gung ho. I don’t want a wider war,” she said.
“But sometimes the best way to de-escalate a situation is to try and finish it quickly, rather than let it drag out because you don’t want to get involved.”
Currently, the UK is allowing US forces to use British bases to launch ‘limited and defensive’ strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile launchers and depots.
“I think that we should look at what our allies in the region are saying. Even if we’re not talking about Iran, Cyprus feels that we have not been helpful. It is extraordinary that Bahrain and Kuwait in the UAE are publicly criticising us,” Mrs Badenoch added.
“They think that we’re abandoning them.”
UK’s first charter flight to evacuate Britons from Middle East fails to take off
09:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe first flight chartered by the UK government to bring back Britons stranded in the Middle East by the US-Israeli war against Iran did not take off from Oman on Wednesday.
The plane, which was due to depart Muscat at 7pm on Wednesday, was not able to take off due to “technical issues”, the government said. It is instead due to depart later on Thursday.
Some 130,000 Britons have registered their presence in the Middle East and the Foreign Office has said it is working with airlines to bring them back.
Dan Haygarth and Harriet Boucher report from Heathrow:
UK’s first charter flight to evacuate Britons from Middle East fails to take off
Minister says 'operational reasons' in Oman prevented a chartered flight from leaving Middle East
08:45 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain"Operational reasons" on the ground in Oman prevented an overnight chartered plane from leaving the Middle East, a minister has said.
Asked why the flight did not leave as planned, Home Office minister Alex Norris told BBC Breakfast: "Well, there are operational reasons that can happen in circumstances where these things are being stood up quickly. I know that's stressful for those people - that's why there's support on the ground.
"We made sure we got them hotel rooms for the night as well and we are facilitating and rebooking today's flight.
"We hope that they do, and there's multiple flights after it as well."
The government is taking the war between Iran and the US "exceptionally seriously", Mr Norris insisted, after Cyprus's high commissioner to the UK appeared disappointed by Britain's action to defend the island.
Mr Norris added: "This is a very significant situation, one that has profound implications for our nation.
"Here, we've moved quickly. We will continue to work with our partners in the region in our collective self-defence."
Middle East allies feel ‘failed’ by UK’s response to Iran war
08:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPolitics reporter Athena Stavrou writes:
Key UK’s allies in the Middle East have expressed concern at Britain’s slow response to the outbreak of war in the Middle East.
Allies in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates reportedly feel failed by the UK’s lack of an immediate response to the strikes in the region.
It comes after Cyprus’ high commissioner to the UK also criticised Britain’s slow movements to defend the island after a strike on RAF Akrotiri.
A UAE source told The Times there was a feeling that Sir Keir Starmer “had to be dragged there”, adding: “It obviously reflects badly in the eyes of the Gulf Cooperation Council.”
Kyriacos Kouros, Cyprus’s high commissioner to the UK said that a British presence is “the least we expect” as a warship being readied to protect the British base there is not set to sail until next week.
He said: “The French are coming. The least we expect is the Britons to also be present since, as I said, we are not only defending Cypriots on the islands.”
Defence secretary John Healey to arrive in Cyprus
08:11 , Holly EvansDefence Secretary John Healey is travelling to Cyprus amid the war between Iran and the US, the Press Association understands.
Mr Healey is expected to arrive on the Mediterranean island later on Thursday.
Britain’s base at RAF Akrotiri on Cyprus has been the target of drone attacks since the war began.
‘Untrue’ that Starmer faced a cabinet revolt over Trump’s initial strikes
08:10 , Holly EvansA government minister has denied reports that Sir Keir Starmer faced a cabinet revolt over the initial US strikes on Iran.
Reports in The Spectator suggested that Ed Miliband, Rachel Reeves and Yvette Cooper strongly opposed British support for US military action in Iran.
The prime minister is said to have backed them before changing his mind 48 hours later.
However, a report in the Spectator has suggested Sir Keir initially believed there was a case for the US using UK bases from the start which Downing Street has denied.
On Thursday morning, border security minister Alex Norris said the reporting “is not true”.
“What is true is what's in the public domain already and what Keir has made very clear to parliament and the nation,” he told Sky News.
Cyprus says British military presence is the 'least we expect'
08:08 , Holly EvansThe Government has also been criticised for failing to have enough military assets in the Middle East region after RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was hit by a drone.
Air defence destroyer HMS Dragon will be sent to the eastern Mediterranean to help protect Cyprus, but the Type 45 warship is not expected to sail until next week.
Sir Keir said Wildcat helicopters with anti-drone capabilities would be on the Mediterranean island this week.
He insisted action had been taken in response to rising tensions in the region before the war broke out.
The Cypriot high commissioner to the UK, Kyriacos Kouros, said the deployment of HMS Dragon was welcome but noted it would take “more than a week” to arrive.
Asked if he thought the UK had acted with sufficient urgency to protect those people who are living in and around the bases, he told Sky News: “Already we have the presence of Greek forces on the island. Two frigates arrived, four aircraft arrived, all of them with abilities to combat drones.
“The French are coming. So… the least we expect is the Britons to also be present since, as I said, we are not only defending Cypriots on the island.”
UK taking war 'exceptionally seriously' amid criticism, minister says
07:59 , Holly EvansThe Government is taking the war between Iran and the US “exceptionally seriously”, Mr Norris insisted, after Cyprus’s high commissioner to the UK appeared disappointed by Britain’s action to defend the island.
Home Office minister Alex Norris dded: “This is a very significant situation, one that has profound implications for our nation.
“Here, we’ve moved quickly. We will continue to work with our partners in the region in our collective self-defence.”
Starmer defends special relationship with US amid Trump's criticism
07:54 , Holly EvansSir Keir has told MPs the special relationship with Washington will endure after the US president lashed out at his initial refusal to allow British bases to be used for raids against Iran.
After Mr Trump said the Prime Minister was “not Winston Churchill”, Sir Keir said the bond with the US was not about “hanging on to President Trump’s latest words”.
He defended his decisions about the use of UK bases, saying the country needs to act “with clarity, with purpose, and with a cool head”.
In response to Iran’s retaliatory actions, Sir Keir has given the US permission to use British bases for the limited purpose of attacking missile launchers and infrastructure, but RAF jets have not been involved in striking Iran.
Western officials said on Wednesday that US bombers had not yet used Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean or RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, but that the UK was ready to accept them and that they were expected to arrive within the next few days.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy said the UK and US are “close allies” but that the US has chosen a “different way”.
“The US has chosen a different way, and we have made an assessment, and it’s the right assessment, about not putting UK soldiers into an offensive situation that did not meet the legal threshold that we set in our own country,” he told ITV’s Peston.
Watch: Border Security secretary reacts after first charter flight for Britons in Middle East fails to take off
07:52 , Holly EvansHeathrow Airport left empty overnight as repatriation flight delayed
07:52 , Holly EvansThe arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport was deserted in the early hours of Thursday morning, as many stranded Britons thought to be landing at around 4am never left Muscat.
The Independent expected to arrive to a mob of people waiting for their family and friends to return on the government’s first repatriation flight from the Middle East.
Instead, we arrived at an almost-empty airport to find only a small number of airline staff who were just beginning their day.
It’s likely a stark contrast to Muscat International Airport, where Britons are scrambling to get a flight back home.
One unnamed passenger due to board the repatriation flight described the situation as shambolic.
There has been no information from the Foreign Office on why the flight did not depart, and staff at both Heathrow and Muscat International Airport were unable to provide any update.
Passengers set to board the government’s chartered flight may now be wishing they had flown commercial, with a British Airways flight from Muscat set to touch down at Heathrow at around 8.15am on Thursday.
The passenger told Sky News that the plane would be taking off later on Wednesday after the pilot had rested.
Evacuation flight didn't take off last night due to ‘operational reasons’, minister says
07:44 , Holly EvansOur reporter Athena Stavrou reports:
A government minister has explained why Britain’s first evacuation flight from the Middle East was unable to take off last night.
Border Security Minister Alex Norris said “delays getting passengers on board” were part of the “operational reasons” the chartered plane did not take off from Muscat as scheduled last night.
“There have been a number of commercial flights that have gone yesterday," he told Sky News.
"We have chartered a flight out of Oman that wasn't able to leave last night for operational reasons. We expect that to be leaving today.”
