David Lammy says G7 considering further moves to pressure Russia into agreeing Ukraine ceasefire – as it happened

David Lammy in Canada for the G7 meeting. Photograph: Saul Loeb/Reuters

6.10pm GMT

Early evening summary

• The former Bank of England deputy governor Charlie Bean has warned the chancellor against making kneejerk cuts in next week’s spring statement to try to hit fiscal targets that are five years away.

• Welfare ministers have suggested that people worried about the disability benefit cuts being announced tomorrow may be reassured when they see the details – while refusing to guarantee that people who are too sick or disabled to work aren’t at risk of losing money. (See 3.07pm, 3.37pm and 4.54pm.)

• David Lammy, the foreign secretary, has told MPs that Britain and its G7 allies have have “more cards that we can play” to help force Russia to negotiate “seriously” about a ceasefire in Ukraine. (See 4.38pm.)

• Downing Street has said that more than 30 countries could be involved in the “coalition of the willing” plan to provide military support to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal. (See 1.19pm.)

• Kemi Badenoch has been interrupted by protesters while giving a speech at the the CPS’s Margaret Thatcher Conference on Remaking Conservatism. As PA Media reports.

Two protesters have been ejected from a speech by Kemi Badenoch at London’s Guildhall.

The Conservative leader began to speak when a woman holding a banner that said “Abolish Billionaires” held up a banner and began to shout.

She was soon ejected from the Central London hall by members of the audience.

A second woman appeared to shout about the cost-of-living crisis as she was ejected from the room.

At the event, which marked 50 years since Margaret Thatcher helped to set up the think tank, Badenoch could be heard to say: “I hardly think Mrs Thatcher can be blamed for the cost-of-living crisis.”

Leftist protester bungled out of Kemi Badenoch speech. pic.twitter.com/OOvBiaMoZW

— Tom Harwood (@tomhfh) March 17, 2025

• Nigel Farage has presented 29 councillors who have joined Reform UK as he tries to move his party on from a damaging rift surrounding the suspension of one of its MPs, Rupert Lowe.

• Regulators will face twice-yearly performance reviews from ministers, aimed at forcing them to be more growth-friendly, as the chancellor warned that “too much bureaucracy” is holding back the economy.

• Britain’s media regulator is scrambling to close a legal loophole that allowed politicians on GB News and other broadcasters to in effect act as newsreaders.

Updated at 6.13pm GMT

5.47pm GMT

Only 37% seem to agree with Streeting about people getting mental health diagnosis too readily, poll suggests

Yesterday Wes Streeting, the health secretary, claimed there has been some “overdiagnosis” of mental health conditions.

According to polling by YouGov, almost four out of 10 people (37%) seem agree with Streeting that getting a diagnosis is too easy. But 32% say getting a diagnosis is too hard, and 14% say the balance is about right – meaning at last 46% don’t agree with Streeting.

(Streeting talked about there being “overdiagnosis” of mental health conditions, whereas YouGov asked about it being “too easy” to get a diagnosis; the terms have different connotations, although roughly they imply the same thing.)

The polling also found considerable differences between demographic groups on this issue.

Women are more likely to say getting a diagnosis is too hard, not too easy – while men are more likely to say the opposite.

The under-50s are more likely to say getting a diagnosis is too hard, not too easy – while the over-50s are more likely to say the opposite.

People from London and Scotland are more likely to say getting a diagnosis is too hard, not too easy – while people from the rest of Britain are more likely to say the opposite.

And Labour and Lib Dem supporters are more likely to say getting a diagnosis is too hard, not too easy – while Conservative and Reform UK supporters are more likely to say the opposite.