UK should have ‘robust but constructive’ talks with Beijing, says David Lammy – as it happened

David Lammy, left, and Wang Yi meet at the Foreign Office in Westminster. Photograph: James Manning/PA

5.46pm GMT

Afternoon summary

• Keir Starmer has angered the farming lobby by suggesting the public would prefer the government to spend money on the NHS than on “tax breaks for farmers”. (See 4.55pm and 5.30pm.) He was speaking after farmers disrupted a visit he was making to publicise the government’s plans for new towns (see 11.11am).

• Rachel Reeves has “dealt with any issues that arise” from her career in retail banking, Keir Starmer has said, after claims the chancellor misused expenses and made inaccuracies on her CV. (See 12.48pm.) In response to the expenses allegations, Jayne Wayper, a former HR business partner who worked with Reeves at HBOS, said:

I do not recognise any of the accusations or claims that have been made against Rachel Reeves.

In my role, I would have been made aware of any investigation which concluded there was a case to answer. I would have been required to organise and oversee a disciplinary process. This did not happen. Under the Financial Conduct Authority’s rules, any such accusations would have to have been properly investigated.

Under the company’s then expenses policy, birthday gifts and Christmas presents could be purchased using motivation cards. Indeed, staff were encouraged to do so for their teams.

• David Lammy, the foreign secretary, said the UK will continue engage in “robust and constructive” talks with Beijing as he met his Chinese counterpart in London. (See 3.26pm.)

• The UK’s competition regulator has pledged to “drive growth and investment” and speed up its decisions after pressure from the government to be more pragmatic and less risk averse in its investigations.

• Thirteen more oil and gas licences could be cancelled as ministers decide new guidance for fossil fuel extraction after a landmark court case, the Guardian has learned.

• A growing “exodus” of dentists willing to provide care on the NHS threatens to exacerbate the crisis in patients’ access to treatment, the profession’s leaders have said.

• Angela Rayner was told nearly three years ago that the sacked minister Andrew Gwynne had made a “derogatory” joke about her on an offensive WhatsApp group, the Guardian has been told.

5.30pm GMT

Farmers to Action, the group that organised the protest that disrupted a visit by Keir Starmer near Milton Keynes today, has put out a statement criticising him for his response (see 11.11am) and for not discussing the inheritance tax issue directly with farmers. Referring to the response, and Starmer’s claim the nation had to choose between higher NHS spending and “tax breaks for farmers”, the campaigners said:

The demonstrates PM Keir Scarpers complete disconnect with and contempt for everyday working people and shows extreme irresponsibility while in the seat of power. Our food security is paramount and that is why the majority of British people are opposed to these attacks on our farmers businesses and veterans, amongst others.

While farmers are grappling with the existential issues facing them caused by the new IHT rules imposed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves at the last budget, it seems it is too much for the British Prime Minister to address their concerns.