Thousands offered UK asylum in secret scheme after personal data of Afghans who helped British forces leaked by mistake – as it happened

5.42pm BST

Afternoon summary

• Personal information about more than 33,000 Afghans seeking relocation to the UK after the Taliban takeover was released in error by a defence official – and the Ministry of Defence tried for nearly two years to cover up the leak and its consequences.

• Rachel Reeves has unveiled a package of City changes meant to cut “unnecessary” red tape and encourage more financial risk-taking by companies and consumers in the hopes of spurring economic growth.

• Donald Trump has said he does not want parliament to be recalled for his state visit to the UK, praising Keir Starmer, and saying that, despite being a liberal, the prime minister was straightening out a “sloppy” Brexit.

• Election officials should consider banning political donations made in cryptocurrency, a minister has said, amid concerns that foreign powers are using untraceable money to influence British politics.

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.

5.36pm BST

Keir Starmer faces another defence-related headache, according to a story by Patrick Maguire and Charlie Parker at the Times. They report that Al Carns, a former soldier who is veterans minister, is threatening to resign over the government’s plans to repeal the Tories’s Northern Ireland Legacy Act giving soldiers (and terrorists) immunity from prosecution over Troubles-era offences if they cooperate with a reconciliation commission. Carns “is said to have told ministers that he cannot support any proposal that would leave veterans vulnerable to criminal proceedings”, the Times reports.