Sir Keir Starmer has accused the Tories of a “different order of failure” on immigration, saying the previous government ran a “one-nation experiment in open borders”.
The prime minister said: “Time and again the Conservative Party promised they would get the numbers down. Time and again they failed, and now the chorus of excuses has begun.”
He told reporters in Downing Street: “A failure on this scale isn’t just bad luck, it isn’t a global trend or taking your eye off the ball. No – this is a different order of failure.
“This happened by design, not accident.
“Policies were reformed deliberately to liberalise immigration. Brexit was used for that purpose – to turn Britain into a one-nation experiment in open borders.”
Figures released earlier today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that net migration has fallen by 20 per cent this year, after reaching a record high of more than 900,000 last year.
It fell to 728,000 in the year to June 2024. But this came after net migration figures for the year to June 2023 were revised upwards to 906,000 from the initial estimate of 740,000, the ONS said.
Key points
- Brexit used to turn Britain into ‘one nation experiment’ - Starmer
- Home secretary announces 'world-first' agreement between Iraq and UK to tackle people smuggling
- Andrea Jenkyns running for mayor of Lincolnshire for Reform UK
- Net migration to UK fell sharply in 2024, latest figures show
- Starmer faces ‘total humiliation’ with Chagos deal on brink of collapse
Boris Johnson’s historic ‘experiment’ is to blame for immigration spike
20:56 , Jane DaltonKeir Starmer has accused the previous government of using Brexit as an “experiment” in “open borders”:
How Boris Johnson’s historic ‘experiment’ is to blame for immigration spike
Ex-Tory minister Andrea Jenkyns defects to Reform UK
20:50 , Jane DaltonA former Conservative minister has defected to join the Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage, in a blow to the new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch:
Ex-Tory minister Andrea Jenkyns defects to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK
Starmer defends Chagos Islands deal
19:50 , Jane DaltonThe prime minister has defended the Chagos Islands agreement as a “good deal”, amid reported criticism from the new leader of Mauritius and the incoming Trump administration.
He said the deal to cede sovereignty over the archipelago to the Mauritian government secured the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, and the UK was in talks with the new Mauritian leadership on moving forward with the agreement.
New Mauritian prime minister Navin Ramgoolam, a critic of the deal before he took office, reportedly expressed continued reservations after a meeting with the UK’s national security adviser Jonathan Powell on Monday.
Sir Keir Starmer said: “The Chagos deal is a good deal. It secures the base that’s in the vital interests of the US and the UK.
“And we are already engaging with the new administration in Mauritius as to how we take that forward.”
PM invited to EU leaders’ meeting for first time since Brexit
19:10 , Jane DaltonKeir Starmer is set to be invited to a meeting of EU leaders in what will be seen as a sign of success for his plans for a great Brexit “reset”:
Starmer to be invited to EU leaders meeting in win for his great Brexit ‘reset’
Visa numbers issued drop sharply
18:45 , Jane DaltonThe number of visas issued by the UK has fallen by more than a quarter (26%), from nearly 1.43 million in the year to September last year, official statistics show.
A total of 1.05 million visas were issued in the year to September 2024 to people coming to the UK for work, study or family reasons, or through one of the government’s settlement schemes, according to Home Office figures.
Work-related visas accounted for the largest proportion, at 453,056, followed by study visas (443,854) and family visas (86,942).
Some 24,130 visas were issued under the Ukraine resettlement schemes, 20,338 were granted to British National Overseas status holders from Hong Kong, and 15,153 were under the EU Settlement Scheme.
In addition, 3,904 were for dependants joining or accompanying others and 3,681 were under other settlement schemes.
The total number of visas issued, 1,051,058, is down sharply from 1,426,128 in the previous 12 months.
The fall is likely to reflect changes in legal migration rules introduced since January 2024 by the Conservative government, including a ban on overseas care workers and students bringing family dependants, and a sharp rise in the salary threshold for skilled workers to £38,700.
Nigel Farage calls for parliament to debate stricter abortion limits
18:15 , Jane DaltonNigel Farage has said parliament should debate imposing stricter limits on abortion for women:
Nigel Farage calls for parliament to debate stricter abortion limits
Councils concerned over funding shake-up
17:51 , Jane DaltonThe “outdated and inefficient” system of funding councils will be replaced by a fairer process focused on the needs of communities, the government has said.
But both county and district councils expressed reservations. The County Councils Network (CCN) said that “at first glance” the way the government intends to distribute resources was a concern:
Counties voice concern as council funding shake-up announced
Number of migrants living in hotels soars under Labour as asylum costs top £5bn
17:00 , Joe MiddletonThe number of asylum seekers living in Home Office hotels has soared since Labour came to power, new government data shows.
35,651 asylum seekers were being housed in hotels as of 30 September this year, up from 29,585 just before the general election at the end of June. This is a rise of just over 20 per cent in three months.
Migration minister Seema Malhotra was challenged on the increased use of hotels on LBC on Thursday, with presenter Nick Ferrari pointing out that seven more have opened since Labour took office.
She said on Thursday: “We need to make sure that we are bringing hotel use down...We have a credible plan for reducing numbers coming here. We will see hotels closing as we return those who have a no right to be here.”
Holly Bancroft reports
Number of migrants living in hotels soars under Labour as asylum costs top £5bn
Farage says Reform UK MP who repeatedly kicked girlfriend deserves ‘Christian forgiveness’
16:38 , Joe MiddletonNigel Farage has said a Reform UK MP who was jailed for repeatedly kicking his girlfriend deserves “Christian forgiveness”.
The party leader said James McMurdock, who claimed after being elected that he had “pushed” a partner after a previous assault conviction was revealed, has “been forgiven”.
It emerged that Mr McMurdock was jailed 18 years ago for repeatedly kicking his girlfriend, after The Times applied to the courts for information from the official record of his sentencing.
He did not publicly disclose his conviction for assault before being elected and claimed he had “pushed” his partner when details were first revealed this summer.
Archie Mitchell reports
MP who repeatedly kicked girlfriend deserves ‘Christian forgiveness’, Farage says
Watch: Starmer says Tories used Brexit to run 'open borders experiment' in migration speech
16:21 , Joe MiddletonPM will not place ‘arbitrary cap’ on net migration
15:59 , Joe MiddletonThe prime minister said he would not place an “arbitrary cap” on net migration, but insisted he wanted to drive the numbers down.
Asked by broadcasters if he would set a cap, as previous governments had done, Sir Keir Starmer said: “I want to see immigration come down significantly. I said that before the election, I said that during the election, I say it again here today.
“That means bearing down on the influences that have driven it up this high with the measures that I set out a moment ago. We had a supposed cap in place for the best part of a decade, and it didn’t have any meaningful impact on reducing immigration.
“So I don’t think setting an arbitrary cap, which is what previous governments have done, is the way forward. But do I want it to significantly reduce? Yes, I do, and that’s what our plan will achieve.”
Assisted dying vote is ‘free vote’ for all MPs - Starmer
15:46 , Joe MiddletonThe prime minister has said that Friday’s vote on assisted dying is a “genuinely free vote” for all MPs.
Asked whether his view on the matter had changed since it was last voted on, he told a Downing Street press conference: “The vote is coming up tomorrow, obviously the Government is neutral on this and it is a genuinely free vote for all members of parliament and I don’t want to put pressure on them.
“I’ve obviously got a huge amount of interest and experience in this having looked at every single case for five years that was ever investigated.”
He added: “I will therefore be casting my vote tomorrow.”
Government will reform points-based immigration system, says Starmer
15:35 , Joe MiddletonSir Keir Starmer said the government would reform the points-based system and crack down on abuse of visa routes.
He said: “We will publish a white paper imminently, which sets out a plan to reduce immigration.
“The migration advisory committee is already conducting a review and where we find clear evidence of sectors that are overreliant on immigration, we will reform the points-based system and make sure that applications for the relevant visa routes, whether it’s the skilled worker route or the shortage occupation list, will now come with new expectations on training people here in our country.
“We will also crack down on any abuse of the visa routes.
“For far too long, we’ve been casual about malpractice in our labour market, which sends a clear signal overseas that we’re a soft touch.
“Well, no more - our rules will be enforced.
“Any employers who refuse to play ball, they’ll be banned from hiring overseas labour.”
Brexit used to turn Britain into ‘one nation experiment’ - Starmer
15:27 , Joe MiddletonSir Keir Starmer has accused the last government of a “one nation experiment in open borders”.
In a press conference in Downing Street on Thursday, the Prime Minister accused the Conservatives of a “different order of failure” that happened “by design not accident”.
“Time and again the Conservative Party promised they would get the numbers down. Time and again they failed, and now the chorus of excuses has begun.”
He added: “A failure on this scale isn’t just bad luck, it isn’t a global trend or taking your eye off the ball, no this is a different order of failure.
“This happened by design not accident.
“Policies were reformed deliberately to liberalise immigration, Brexit was used for that purpose to turn Britain into a one nation experiment in open borders.”
Tories ran ‘open borders experiment’ - Starmer
15:25 , Joe MiddletonThe prime minister has accused the prime minister of running an ‘open borders experiment’.
He said: “As the ONS sets out, nearly 1 million people came to Britain in the year ending June 2023 that is four times the migration levels, compared with 2019.”
Keir Starmer’s press conference has started
15:22 , Joe MiddletonThe prime minister has started addressing today’s immigration figures.
BREAKING: Home secretary announces 'world-first' agreement between Iraq and UK to tackle people smuggling
15:14 , Holly BancroftHome secretary Yvette Cooper has announced a new security agreement with Iraq following a three-day visit to the country.
As part of her visit, Ms Cooper signed a joint statement on border security that pledged that the nations would work more closely on tackling people smuggling.
The UK is also providing up to £300,000 for Iraq law enforcement training in border security.
Keir Starmer is preparing to host a press conference
15:10 , Joe MiddletonThe prime minister will shortly deliver a press conference on migration from Downing Street
Watch live: Keir Starmer gives Downing Street speech on migration
15:04 , Joe MiddletonWatch live as Sir Keir Starmer holds a news conference on migration.
The prime minister will hold a press conference on migration in Downing Street at 3pm on Thursday (28 November).
Watch live: Keir Starmer gives Downing Street speech on net migration
‘Serious damage’ has been done to immigration system, says home secretary
14:50 , Holly BancroftHome secretary Yvette Cooper has said that “serious damage” has been done to the immigration system - as net migration figures showing that the UK’s population grew by 906,000 people in 2023 are revealed.
Commenting on the latest figures, she said: “In the space of four years net migration rose by almost five times to a record high - that shows the serious damage that was done to the immigration system, the lack of proper controls in place, and the over reliance on a big increase in overseas recruitment. Net migration is still four times higher than it was at the beginning of the last parliament and we are clear that it needs to come down.”
Keir Starmer’s great ‘reset’ win as he is invited to meeting of EU leaders for first time since Brexit
14:25 , Joe MiddletonKeir Starmer is set to be invited to a meeting of EU leaders in what will be seen as a sign of success for his plans for a great Brexit “reset’”.
It will be the first time a British prime minister has been asked to attend such a gathering since the UK’s exit from the European Union in 2020.
And it will be seen as an early win for Sir Keir’s plans to improve the UK’s damaged relationship with the bloc in the wake of Brexit.
Kate Devlin reports
Starmer to be invited to EU leaders meeting in win for his great Brexit ‘reset’
Number of Vietnamese migrants crossing Channel on small boats soars 177% in a year
14:05 , Joe MiddletonThe number of Vietnamese migrants arriving to the UK on small boats has jumped by 177 per cent year-on-year, according to new data on Channel crossings.
Home Office figures published on Thursday showed that from January to September this year the two most common nationalities making perilous journeys across the Channel were Afghans and Vietnamese.
Compared to the same nine-month period last year, the number of Afghan arrivals has decreased by 14 per cent, but the number of Vietnamese is up by a staggering 177 per cent.
Some 3,132 Vietnamese small boat migrants made the journey from January to September this year - up from 1,306 in the whole of 2023.
Holly Bancroft reports
Number of Vietnamese migrants crossing Channel on small boats soars 177% in a year
ICYMI: Net migration falls after reaching record high of 900,000 in 2023
13:40 , Joe MiddletonNet migration to the UK has fallen this year, after reaching a record high of more than 900,000 in 2023 - 166,000 more than previously thought.
It fell to 728,000 in the year to June 2024, a decline of 20 per cent. But this came after net migration figures for the year to June 2023 were revised upwards to 906,000 from the initial estimate of 740,000, provisional data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicates.
A similar change was made for the year to December 2023, which was initially estimated to be 685,000, and is now thought to be 866,000 – an increase of 181,000.
Millie Cooke reports
Net migration falls after reaching record high of 900,000 in 2023
Watch: Home Office minister repeatedly declines to give amount of 'acceptable' level of migration
13:20 , Joe MiddletonEXCLUSIVE: Matt Hancock urges MPs to back assisted dying after constituent’s cancer tragedy changed his mind
12:56 , Joe MiddletonMatt Hancock has urged MPs to back Kim Leadbeater’s assisted dying bill, recounting his experience with a constituent suffering from terminal cancer who begged him to change the law.
The former health secretary told The Independent it is time for the law to change, saying it is wrong that some people are “still forced to have very painful deaths”.
“I can remember the moment that I changed my mind and became in favour of assisted dying when I was health secretary”, Mr Hancock said, telling the story of David Minns, one of his Suffolk constituents, who died last year.
Millie Cooke reports
Matt Hancock urges MPs to back assisted dying after constituent’s cancer tragedy
Reform UK closes in on Tory membership numbers
12:29 , Archie MitchellReform UK chairman Zia Yusuf has announced that the party now has more than 100,000 members, up from around 15,000 a year ago.
“Momentum and trajectory are much more important than absolute position,” he told assembled press at a conference in London.
The party is polling around 20 per cent, also up from around 10 per cent this time last year. It means Reform is closing in on the Tory membership figure of 131,680.
Without leaving the ECHR we cannot combat illegal immigration, Nigel Farage
12:19 , Archie MitchellNigel Farage has promised to slash illegal migration by leaving the European Convention on Human Rights if Reform UK wins the next election.
The Reform leader said there is “nothing we can do” to stop illegal immigration inside the convention.“When it comes to legal immigration, it’s perfectly clear that the more low-skilled people we take in, the poorer the rest of the population gets,” Mr Farage said.
He added: “During six of the last eight quarters, GDP per capita has fallen, whilst net migration figures have legally reached the highest number ever.
“The link is clear. We have to drastically reduce the numbers coming into Britain.”
BREAKING: Andrea Jenkyns running for mayor of Lincolnshire for Reform UK
12:08 , Archie MitchellFormer Tory MP Dame Andrea Jenkyns has joined Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, and will stand for the party as its candidate for the newly created Lincolnshire mayoralty next year.
“Today I have joined the party of the brave,” she said after being unveiled at a press conference in London.
The move is a blow to Kemi Badenoch, as Ms Jenkyns was an influential figure on the right of the Tory party under Rishi Sunak.
Farage promises to use Elon Musk as blueprint if Reform comes to power
12:01 , Archie MitchellNigel Farage has promised to use Elon Musk’s work in the Department for Government Efficiency as a blueprint in “cutting the administrative state” if Reform UK comes to power after the next general election.
The Reform UK leader described the Trump ally and billionaire as his “new friend” and said he was excited for Mr Musk to take up the role, designed to slash billions of dollars worth of government spending.
‘I have had enough of being lied to by the Conservatives,’ Nigel Farage
11:58 , Archie MitchellNigel Farage has responded furiously to the immigration figures, saying that after almost one million migrants entered the UK, net, in a single year, he has “had enough of being lied to”.
He said: “In 2023, under a Conservative government, nearly 1 million net people came into our country.“This after manifestos in 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019 promising in the first three, they reduced the numbers to tens of thousands a year, and in the last one, a substantial reduction.
“I have had enough of being lied to by the Conservative Party. I don’t believe they’ll be forgiven at any point in the next few years for what they have done.”
Nigel Farage has on Union Jack socks
11:57 , Joe MiddletonNigel Farage has been introduced at his London press conference as the most patriotic political leader in the UK.
The Reform UK leader is living up to the claim, with Union Jack socks.
Labour accuses Tories of being the ‘open borders party'
11:25 , Joe MiddletonLabour said the latest migration figures showed the government had started the “hard graft” of tackling the issue, and accused the Conservatives of being the “open borders party”
A spokesperson for the party said: “In their own words, the Tories broke the immigration system. On their watch, net migration quadrupled in four years to a record high of nearly one million, despite saying they’d lower it to 100,000.
“They are an open borders party who lied time and again to the public. This is the chaos Labour inherited and any crowing from the Tories should be seen in that light.
“Over the summer, the Government started the hard graft. We hired more caseworkers to tackle the asylum backlog and we’re now interviewing 10,000 people per month, compared to 2,000 under the Tories, so we can get people out of asylum hotels and save the taxpayers billions.
“We’ve also ramped up the removal of those with no right to be in the UK by a fifth. Without this action, thousands more would remain in the UK illegally.
“Labour is getting on with cleaning up the Conservatives’ mess. Our new Border Security Command is working with our European partners to smash the criminal gang networks driving small boat crossings.”
Almost 160k children living in temporary accommodation, latest figures show
11:12 , Holly BancroftAnother homelessness record has been set with today’s new statistics on children living in temporary accommodation.
There are now 159,380 homeless children living in temporary accommodation - a 15 per cent increase in a year and the highest figure since records began in 2004.
The number of households living in temporary accommodation, such as hotels and B&Bs, has also hit a record 123,100 - up 16 per cent on last year.
There are 9,550 families with children stuck in B&Bs and hostels, according to government figures out today.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Year after year, we’re seeing the devastating toll the housing emergency is taking on families and communities with more than 159,000 children being subjected to the trauma of homelessness.”
Comment: Only when the assisted dying bill passes will I stop feeling angry about Terry Pratchett’s final years
11:09 , Joe MiddletonAs MPs prepare to vote on enabling terminally ill adults to end their own lives, Rob Wilkins – long-time friend and biographer of the ‘Discworld’ novelist – says Pratchett would be furious at our politicians’ foot-dragging
Passing the assisted dying bill would carry out Terry Pratchett’s final wish
Number of asylum seekers evicted from Home Office hotels who are made homeless increases, figures show
10:59 , Holly BancroftThe number of asylum seekers who have been evicted from Home Office hotels and are made homeless has continued to increase.
In the year 2023/24, 13,520 asylum seekers were made homeless this way - up from 3,850 the year before, according to new government statistics published today.
This will partly be driven by an increased speed in processing the asylum claims backlog leading to more decisions being made.
Once an asylum seeker is refused asylum or successful in their claim, they are moved on from Home Office hotels - often dependent on local councils to help them from becoming homeless.
Government faces ‘tough choices’ on immigration, says top think-tank
10:46 , Joe MiddletonThe Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) has said the government faces tough choices on immigration and further cuts to numbers could cause recruitment issues in social care.
Responding to the migration statistics, Marley Morris, IPPR associate director for migration, trade and communities, said: “Net migration is coming down from record highs as the previous government’s policies start to bite. We expect a further substantial fall in the next set of figures.
“But revisions to earlier estimates mean that last year’s peak in net migration is even higher than previously thought, at just over 900,000.
“The new government faces a tough set of choices on immigration. Further cuts to numbers could be challenging for recruitment in key sectors such as social care, as well as university finances. It will need a clear framework to work through these choices and manage the potential impacts.”
Braverman latest Tory to take credit for fall in net migration figures
10:35 , Joe MiddletonTory former home secretary Suella Braverman is the latest conservative politician to take credit for a fall in net migration.
Another former home secretary, James Cleverly, and new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch have already said changes in policy when they were in government led to the fall in net migration.
Mrs Braverman said: “A 20% drop in immigration since June 2023 is a result of the changes I fought for and introduced in May 2023 as home secretary.
“That’s when we started to turn the tide.
“But 1.2 million arrivals a year is still too high. This is unsustainable and why we need radical change.”
A 20% drop in immigration since June 2023 is a result of the changes I fought for and introduced in May 2023 as Home Secretary.
— Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) November 28, 2024
That’s when we started to turn the tide.
But 1.2 million arrivals a year is still too high.
This is unsustainable and why we need radical change. https://t.co/YFatBuq9lx
19% fall in number of people given sanctuary in the UK on humanitarian routes, data shows
10:29 , Holly BancroftIn the past year there has been a 19 per cent drop in the number of people given sanctuary in the UK on humanitarian routes, largely due to the reduction in visas granted on the Ukraine schemes.
New Home Office data shows that both the Ukrainian visa scheme, and the scheme for Hongkongers, have seen a substantial drop in grants of sanctuary to the UK. Ukraine scheme visa grants have dropped 53 per cent from September 2023 to September 2024, going from 62,946 to 29,507 grants each year.
For the Hong Kong scheme, there has been a 23 per cent drop from around 40,000 to just over 30,000.The Afghan resettlement schemes and the family reunion route have however seen large increases.
The number of grants for the Afghan schemes is up 735 per cent year-on-year; from 1,083 grants up to September 2023 to 9,048 grants up to September 2024.
Family reunion visa grants, which allow people granted asylum in the UK to bring their close family to safety, are up 230 per cent year-on-year. This accounts for an increase of over 13,000 grants.
Jump in asylum processing claims, latest data shows
10:17 , Holly BancroftA big jump in the processing of asylum claims is obvious in the data published by the Home Office this morning.
The number of people who have received initial decisions on their asylum claims in the year ending September 2024 was 102,305 - almost double the number made in the previous year due to an increased number of decision makers and greater productivity.
The success of asylum claims is going down, with only 52 per cent of initial decisions being grants of asylum. This is compared to 75 per cent in the previous year.
Badenoch and Cleverly takes credit for fall in net migration
10:04 , Joe MiddletonFormer home secretary James Cleverly has taken credit for today’s fall in net migration.
Writing on X, he said: “Today’s migration figures are the first to show the impact of the changes that I brought in as Home Secretary.
“Numbers are still too high, but we see the first significant downward trend in years. Changes that Labour opposed and haven’t fully implemented.”
In a speech on immigration yesterday, Kemi Badenoch said: Tomorrow, immigration figures will be released that should show a drop in net migration. This is because of the changes we made in the last year of the Conservative government.”
Today’s migration figures are the first to show the impact of the changes that I brought in as Home Secretary.
— James Cleverly🇬🇧 (@JamesCleverly) November 28, 2024
Numbers are still too high, but we see the first significant downward trend in years. Changes that Labour opposed and haven’t fully implemented. pic.twitter.com/qG03N34zWg
21 per cent drop year-on-year in small boat arrivals, new data shows
09:54 , Joe MiddletonThere’s been a 21 per cent drop year-on-year in the number of small boat arrivals, new Home Office data shows. New data shows that there were 29,851 small boat arrivals in the year up to September 2024.
However when comparing annual years, more migrants have crossed the Channel so far in 2024 than in the whole of 2023.
In January to September 2024, Afghans and Vietnamese were the two most common nationalities amongst small boat arrivals. While the number of Afghan arrivals has decreased year-on-year by 14 per cent, the number of Vietnamese arrivals has increased by a staggering 177 per cent.
In the year up to September, only 28 per cent of the total number of people claiming asylum in the UK had arrived on a small boat.
Why has net migration fallen?
09:48 , Joe MiddletonONS director Mary Gregory explained the drop saying: “Since 2021, long-term international migration to the UK has been at unprecedented levels. This has been driven by a variety of factors, including the war in Ukraine and the effects of the post-Brexit immigration system.
“While remaining high by historic standards, net migration is now beginning to fall and is provisionally down 20% in the 12 months to June 2024.Over that period we have seen a fall in immigration, driven by declining numbers of dependants on study visas coming from outside thee EU.”
She added that in the first months of 2024 there has also been a drop in the number of people coming to the UK for work.
BREAKING: Net migration to UK fell sharply in 2024, latest figures show
09:38 , Joe MiddletonNet migration to the UK dropped 20 per cent in the year to June 2024, down from a record high the year previous.
Estimated net migration to the UK stood at a provisional 728,000 in the year to June 2024, down from 906,000 for the year to June 2023, according to provisional figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released on Thursday.
The total for the 12 months to June 2023 has been revised upwards by 166,000 from the initial estimate of 740,000.
Archie Mitchell reports
Net migration to UK fell sharply in 2024, latest figures show
Comment: We should strive for a better national health service – not a national death service
09:30 , Joe MiddletonAs a doctor who became a politician, I believe that some of the so-called safeguards around the assisted dying legislation are completely false, writes former trade and defence secretary Liam Fox – who believes the bill is ‘rushed’ and will increase risks to vulnerable people
We should strive for a better national health service – not a national death service
What’s on the agenda today?
09:18 , Joe Middleton9.30am: Latest estimates of net migration to the UK, from the Office for National Statistics. At the same time the Home Office is also publishing its latest figures relating to asylum applications.
11am: Reform UK press conference on party growth, professionalisation and special announcement
11.30am Government holds lobby briefing
Assisted dying decisions should be made on ‘secular basis’, minister says
09:09 , Joe MiddletonDecisions about assisted dying should be made on a “secular basis”, a government minister said ahead of MPs voting on the issue on Friday.
Home Office minister Seema Malhotra acknowledged that “people have their faiths” but decisions in Parliament should be “based on the evidence”.
Her comments came after Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she would not support a change in the law on assisted dying because of her Muslim faith.
Ms Malhotra said she would vote against the legislation on Friday, telling Sky News she was “concerned about the challenges, the pressures that could be put on vulnerable people” if there was a change in the law.
She said: “People have their faiths but I think what is important is that when we are making decisions as members of Parliament we are making them on a secular basis because that’s the way our Parliament is designed in terms of making decisions based on the evidence and arguing the case for law, the advantages, the disadvantages, the concerns in Parliament.
“And I think that is an important principle to me.
“I want to see that we have a debate that is in a way that everybody feels that their voice can be heard, that they can be respected for the views that they hold, that Parliament is able to make a decision on this on Friday and then that we know the government will abide by the will of Parliament.”
Justice Secretary Ms Mahmood has previously stated she will oppose the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, telling the Times: “As a Muslim, I have an unshakeable belief in the sanctity and value of human life.”
Watch: Farage claims Trump insiders 'horrified' at Chagos deal with Mauritius
09:05 , Joe MiddletonEXCLUSIVE: Starmer faces ‘total humiliation’ with Chagos deal on brink of collapse
08:55 , Joe MiddletonSir Keir Starmer has been warned that he faces “total humiliation” on the world stage with his plans to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius on the brink of collapse in the next 48 hours.
With Sir Keir’s national security adviser Jonathan Powell heading to the US in a late bid to dissuade Donald Trump from vetoing the controversial deal, doubts have now also been raised by the new prime minister of Mauritius, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, who has expressed doubts about the deal struck with his predecessor.
After a meeting with Mr Powell earlier this week, Mr Ramgoolam said: “I informed them that I wished to have more time to study the details with a panel of legal advisers.”
David Maddox and Millie Cooke report
Starmer faces ‘total humiliation’ with Chagos deal on brink of collapse
Esther Rantzen defends Starmer’s silence on assisted dying debate
08:53 , Joe MiddletonDame Esther Rantzen has defended Sir Keir Starmer for staying silent on how he plans to vote on the assisted dying bill on Friday.
With the vote teetering on a knife edge, the prime minister has faced criticism for refusing to reveal his stance - despite high profile interventions from ministers including Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood.
Sir Keir has confirmed he will vote, but not yet whether he will support Kim Leadbeater’s bill.
But Dame Esther Rantzen, who is terminally ill and has argued strongly for a change in the law, has defended the prime minister;s decision not to reveal how he will vote.
Archie Mitchell reports
Esther Rantzen defends Starmer’s silence on assisted dying debate
Rantzen reiterates disappointment in Wes Streeting
08:51 , Joe MiddletonDame Esther Rantzen has reiterated her disappointment in health secretary Wes Streeting after his intervention in the assisted dying bill.
Mr Streeting - who plans to vote against the assisted dying bill - has suggested there may need to be cuts to other NHS services if the policy was brought in.
Cabinet ministers were told not to campaign for a change in either direction. Ms Rantzen hit out at the health secretary and said “he has been very vocal in his opposition”.
Ahead of Friday’s Commons debate, Dame Esther has written to MPs urging them all to take part and vote.
Dame Esther Rantzen urges MPs to be honest about assisted dying views
08:42 , Joe MiddletonDame Esther Rantzen has urged MPs guided by their religious beliefs to be honest about why they will vote against plans to legalise assisted dying for the terminally ill.
The broadcaster, who is terminally ill, has been a strong advocate for changing the law to allow dying adults to take their own lives in limited circumstances, without fear of their families being prosecuted for helping them.
The 84-year-old revealed in December last year that she had joined Dignitas, to give her the choice of an assisted death in Switzerland.
Ahead of a debate on the assisted dying Bill on Friday, Dame Esther said she was “heartened” by the fact Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood had disclosed it was her religion which was informing her opposition to the Bill.
The senior Cabinet minister came under fire from Labour peer Lord Falconer for a strongly-worded letter to constituents in which she made clear her opposition to the Bill.
Dame Esther told the broadcaster LBC: “I mean, what worries me is the number of people who are guided by their faith - that’s fine, that’s their choice, whether they’re Evangelical, Christian or Catholic. Yes, they have the right to choose, but please be honest about your real motivation.”
The journalist and television presenter also said some opponents of the Bill had been “claiming facts which are not facts, distorting evidence, when really their reason is that they believe for faith reasons, religious reasons, that this Bill should be opposed”.
David Cameron backs assisted dying bill in shock U-turn by former prime minister
08:40 , Joe MiddletonFormer prime minister Lord David Cameron has backed the move to legalise assisted dying for terminally-ill adults after previously opposing the legislation.
The Private Member’s Bill is due for its second reading in the House of Commons on Friday, in the first debate and vote of its kind in the House since 2015.
MPs will be given a free vote on the issue, allowing them to decide according to their conscience rather than in line with party policy.
The Bill, which covers England and Wales, says that only terminally ill adults with less than six months left to live and a settled wish to die would be eligible.
Jabed Ahmed reports
David Cameron backs assisted dying bill in shock U-turn by former prime minister
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08:39 , Joe MiddletonGood morning and welcome to our live politics blog bringing you the latest from Westminster and beyond.
