Closing Summary
Hello, we are now closing our rolling UK politics coverage. Here is a summary of events:
The Parliamentary commissioner for standards has launched an investigation into MP Andrew Gwynne. Gwynne was sacked as a minister and suspended from the Labour Party earlier this month after the emergence of offensive messages in a WhatsApp group.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said it will reinvestigate business secretary Jonathan Reynolds over accusations he misrepresented his legal career after “further information” came to light.
The Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said the government must swiftly ramp up defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP), adding it was oen of the “most alarming times for Britain’s defence and security since the second world war”. He also said Keir Starmer has to speak “frankly” with Donald Trump when he visits the US next week.
The UK is “potentially in a good position” with the Trump administration, cabinet minister Pat McFadden said, ahead of Keir Starmer’s trip to the US next week. McFadden said it is clear Europe must “do more” to contribute to its own defence and the UK must play a leading role in the change.
The Democratic Unionist Party described Sinn Fein’s decision to boycott a visit to Washington DC on St Patrick’s Day as “short-sighted” and “reckless”. Irish deputy premier Simon Harris criticised what he described as an “easy” stance from Sinn Fein, saying the boycott “doesn’t help anybody in Palestine”.
Scottish Labour would set up an Elon Musk-style department to clear out inefficient quangos and government waste if it wins power next year, Anas Sarwar has proposed. The Scottish Labour leader said the department of government efficiency – a title identical to the Doge run by Musk in the US, would oversee efforts to save money by scrapping dozens of quangos, merging health boards and cutting costs.
The Scottish government is seeking views from the public on what it calls its “flagship policy” of effectively ending the two-child benefits cap.
Labour’s Ian Murray insisted Scotland “cannot afford” to enter a third decade with the SNP in charge at Holyrood. Speaking at the Scottish Labour party conference, the secretary of state for Scotland said the country needs a fresh start with Anas Sarwar installed as first minister.
The government’s suicide prevention adviser said that legalising assisted dying in England and Wales may cause major issues in suicide prevention work if the state effectively concedes that taking one’s own life should be allowed in some circumstances.
Nigel Farage addressed the right-wing Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac) in Washington last night and praised Elon Musk as a “hero” just a month after the billionaire suggested he should stand down as leader of Reform UK.
Scottish Labour would set up an Elon Musk-style efficiency department to clear out government waste
Scottish Labour would set up an Elon Musk-style department to clear out inefficient quangos and government waste if it wins power next year, Anas Sarwar has proposed.
The Scottish Labour leader said the department of government efficiency – a title identical to the Doge run by Musk in the US, would oversee efforts to save money by scrapping dozens of quangos, merging health boards and cutting costs.
Sarwar claimed that after nearly two decades of the Scottish National party being in power, services were getting worse and “ministers blame everyone but themselves”.
“I can tell you now that as first minister, I will end this culture of waste,” he said. “Respect people’s hard-earned money, and get value for every penny.”
In a speech to the party’s annual conference in Glasgow, Sarwar unveiled a swathe of new policy proposals Labour hopes will reverse a sharp slump in the polls before next year’s Scottish parliament election in recent months.
Scottish Labour won 37 Westminster seats in July, taking 35% of the vote, but since then its reputation has plunged in the wake of unpopular decisions by the Chancellor Rachel Reeves, such as cutting winter fuel payments, refuse compensation to the Waspi pensioners, and raise national insurance costs for employers.
UK 'potentially in good position' with Trump administration - Pat McFadden
Pat McFadden said the UK is “potentially in a good position” with the Trump administration, ahead of Keir Starmer’s trip to the US next week.
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said it is clear Europe must “do more” to contribute to its own defence and the UK must play a leading role in the change.
He added whatever developments occur in the Ukraine war, Russia must not feel “emboldened”.
McFadden spoke at a Labour Friends of Scotland fringe event at the Scottish Labour party conference in Glasgow.
He stressed the importance of maintaining a “good and constructive relationship with the United States administrations” but said the UK should also “play a leading role in the change response that is going to have to come”.
Asked about the PM’s visit to the US next week, he said it was important to “understand the depth of this situation”.
He said:
The truth is Europe has benefited from the US security umbrella and we are being asked to do more and we are going to have to do more.
I don’t think people should see that as bleak, that is simply a necessary response because the first duty of any government is to protect its own people and we will protect the British people, we will do what is necessary to do that.
I think the UK is potentially in a good position with this administration, if we handle it correctly.
Handling it correctly doesn’t mean following every twist and turn of every comment, but is focusing on what will actually happen as well as what was said.”
He continued:
This is a big moment for us, we are going to have to step up on our own security.
In the future, it is really important we do that and whatever happens in the next few months you do not end up with a situation where Russia feels emboldened by the outcome, and that they see resolve on the European continent for those countries to work together.”
Scottish government launches public consultation on ending two-child benefits cap
The Scottish government is seeking views from the public on what it calls its “flagship policy” of effectively ending the two-child benefits cap.
SNP ministers have pledged to mitigate the effects of the cap from April 2026, with some suggestions the policy could begin earlier if possible, PA Media reports.
A consultation will run until 18 April, with members of the public invited to share their views on how the scheme should be delivered - including whether the devolved agency Social Security Scotland should handle the payments.
Independent experts at the Scottish Fiscal Commission have already advised the policy could cost £155 million in its first year.
Opponents have pointed out no money has been set aside for this in the Government’s 2025/26 spending plans.
Discussions between the UK Department for Work and Pensions and the Scottish government on data sharing which would enable the policy to take place are ongoing.
Social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said there is “irrefutable” evidence the two-child cap is increasing poverty.
She said:
The UK Government has failed to scrap the two-child cap despite it being a key driver of child poverty. In the face of such inaction, the Scottish Government is determined to end the impact in Scotland.
If we can safely get the systems up and running earlier than April 2026, then we will make our first payments earlier - helping to lift thousands more children out of poverty.
More on Sinn Féin’s decision to boycott St Patrick’s Day events at the White House [see post 13.55] in protest against president Donald Trump’s Gaza policies.
Irish deputy premier Simon Harris criticised what he described as an “easy” stance from Sinn Fein, saying the boycott “doesn’t help anybody in Palestine”.
The Tanaiste argued that it is “more productive to show up” and engage with people.
He said:
It’s always easier to just not show up, isn’t it? What’s actually much more productive is to show up, work hard, and actually engage with people on complex and important issues…
…I think that’s exactly what the people of Palestine need right now.
He added:
For any politician to give up that opportunity to speak on behalf of the people of Ireland is regrettable, but really not surprising, with the mode we see Sinn Fein in these days.
Mr Harris who made the comments while attending the G20, said he had been advocating for the people of Palestine and a two-state solution.
Andrew Gwynne under investigation by parliamentary watchdog
The parliamentary commissioner for standards has launched an investigation into MP Andrew Gwynne.
Gwynne was sacked as a minister and suspended from the Labour party earlier this month after the emergence of offensive messages in a WhatsApp group.
Gwynne, who is now sitting as the Independent MP for Gorton and Denton, is listed among the allegations under investigation by the commissioner, specifically for “actions causing significant damage to the reputation of the house as a whole, or of its Members generally” according to the parliament website.
The investigation was opened on 18 February 2025, the entry states.
Updated
Solicitor's watchdog to reinvestigate Jonathan Reynolds over legal career claims
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has said it will reinvestigate business secretary Jonathan Reynolds over accusations he misrepresented his legal career after “further information” came to light, PA Media reports.
A spokesperson for the SRA said:
We looked at that issue at the time we became aware of it and contacted Mr Reynolds about the profiles.
The materials were corrected, and we closed the matter with no further action based on all the evidence we had at the time.
However, we’ve now become aware of further information, so we will look at this.
We have more coming for the Scottish Labour party conference in Glasgow.
Labour’s Ian Murray has insisted Scotland “cannot afford” to enter a third decade with the SNP in charge at Holyrood.
Speaking at the conference, the secretary of state for Scotland said the country needs a fresh start with Anas Sarwar installed as first minister, PA Media reports.
The SNP has been in power in Scotland since 2007 and currently leads in the polls ahead of next year’s Holyrood election, but Mr Murray said: “Scotland desperately needs a new direction.”
Noting Sir Tony Blair was still prime minister and the iPhone had not yet been launched in the UK when the SNP first came into Government, the Labour MP said Scotland needs “new energy and vision, to lead the government and the country into the 2030s”.
He branded John Swinney a “failing First Minister at the heart of a failing Government”, and said the SNP leader “simply belongs to a different era”.
Calling for Mr Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, to be the next first minister, Mr Murray said Scotland “needs a leader with the courage to tear up a broken model and reform our public services”.
He added: “Seriously conference, Scotland simply cannot afford to enter a third decade of the SNP.”
The Democratic Unionist Party has described Sinn Fein’s decision to boycott a visit to Washington DC on St Patrick’s Day as “short-sighted” and “reckless”, PA reports.
Earlier today, Sinn Fein’s leaders announced that they would not be attending an event at the White House in “a principled stance against the threat of mass expulsion of the Palestinian people from Gaza”.
It comes after Donald Trump suggested Israel would turn Gaza over to the US for redevelopment into the “Riviera of the Middle East”- involving a mass displacement of Palestinians from the territory.
Sinn Fein representatives normally travel to the US every year around the same time that the Irish premier traditionally gets invited to meet the US president for St Patrick’s Day events.
DUP leader Gavin Robinson confirmed that his party would be represented in the US capital next month. He said:
The fact that Sinn Fein’s decision to boycott the annual St Patrick’s Day celebrations in Washington DC was announced in Dublin speaks volumes about where Northern Ireland sits as a priority for Sinn Fein
The DUP will be represented in DC for St Patrick’s events. We always use the opportunity to strengthen Northern Ireland’s economic and political ties with the United States, regardless of who occupies the White House. We will continue to engage with our partners in Washington, promoting Northern Ireland as a place to invest, work, and do business.
While there will always be differences of opinion on policy matters, Sinn Fein’s decision to disengage from an important diplomatic and economic opportunity is both short-sighted and counterproductive. It also doesn’t align with being a so-called ‘First Minister for All’.
The United States is a key economic partner for Northern Ireland. Turning away from that relationship, particularly at a time when we need continued international support, is a reckless move that does nothing to advance the interests of people and businesses in Northern Ireland.
Updated
Legalising assisted dying in England and Wales ‘may hamper suicide prevention work’
The government’s suicide prevention adviser has said that legalising assisted dying in England and Wales may cause major issues in suicide prevention work if the state effectively concedes that taking one’s own life should be allowed in some circumstances.
Prof Louis Appleby, who chairs the government’s national suicide prevention strategy advisory group, also said he took issue with MPs who said it was offensive to call assisted dying “suicide” – saying that it was wrong to bar the use of that phrase in this context.
In an interview with the Guardian, Appleby said he did not consider himself an avowed opponent of legalising assisted dying, but said it would radically change the long-held consensus that it was right to try to prevent all suicides.
“The suicide prevention consensus is a remarkable thing,” he said. “As society, we are signed up to the idea that we should do all we can to help [suicidal people] get through. It’s very rarely questioned. Society accepts that it has a role in protecting people who are vulnerable and at risk. We look after our friends when they’re in crisis. We sit up all night with them. We look out for strangers on a bridge.
“My concern is that if we decide as a society, if we concede the principle that people who want to take their own lives should be helped through that crisis and out the other side, then conceding that ground is a huge step.”
You can read the full report here
In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.
In case you missed it, Nigel Farage addressed the right-wing Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac) in Washington last night.
Farage praised Elon Musk as a “hero” just a month after the billionaire suggested he should stand down as leader of Reform UK, PA reports.
He told the audience:
I think he is a hero, because if you remember 2020, in November, you couldn’t say anything about the conduct of the election in this country. You then couldn’t say anything about vaccines or about lockdowns without social media closing you down. And then along came the hero of free speech, Elon Musk.
The months following November 2020 saw repeated false claims on social media and elsewhere that Donald Trump had won the US presidential election.
Farage went on to praise Musk’s work at the head of the “Department for Government Efficiency” (Doge), which has slashed US government projects over the past month in ways that have been challenged in the courts.
He also praised Trump, calling him “simply the bravest man I know”
At the same event, Trump’s former chief strategist, Steve Bannon, appeared to give a Nazi salute following his speech. Musk performed a similar gesture on stage in January.
Updated
Labour MPs, trade union leaders and members of the Ukrainian community in Britain are to protest outside the Russian embassy in London tomorrow to mark the third anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
They will include John McDonnell MP, the former shadow chancellor, who said they would be calling for a “just peace determined by the Ukrainian people and not imposed upon them by either [Donald] Trump or Putin.”
The demonstration has been called by a coalition of Ukrainian community organisations, trade unions and civil society organisations. It is supported by the Trade Unions Congress, along with national unions GMB, ASLEF, PCS, UCU, UNISON and the NUM. Others who will speak include Joe Powell, the Labour MP for Kensington & Bayswater.
Paul Nowak, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress said: “The TUC stands in solidarity with our sister unions in Ukraine and the people of Ukraine. They have the right to live in peace and that has to start with an end to Putins aggression.”
Those taking part will gather at noon at St Volodymyr Statue in Holland Park, before marching to the Russian embassy for a rally an hour later.
Updated
Alex Salmond planned new Scottish town
Chris McEleny, a candidate for the Alba party’s deputy leadership has said he and former first minister Alex Salmond planned a new Scottish town called Independence.
McEleny said:
Alex Salmond and I had a vision for a new Scottish town and we could think of no better name than Independence.
Scotland has an abundance of renewable energy potential. At the moment the Westminster plan is to cable most of that energy south with no benefit to Scotland.
What we should be doing is using that energy to attract the industries of today and tomorrow to Scotland by using the incentive of cheaper energy anywhere else in Europe.
He added it was now time to see the plan come to fruition:
A new Scottish town has not been designated since not long after the Second World War, now is the right time to begin a discussion to make a town called Independence a reality.
Alba is currently choosing a new leader following the death of Salmond last October, PA Media reports.
McEleny is Alba’s general secretary, though he was suspended earlier this month over claims of “gross misconduct”.
We are now moving now to the Scottish Labour Party conference in Glasgow.
Paul Blomfield, who served as a Labour MP for Sheffield Central, and is chairman of campaign group Dignity in Dying spoke of how his father, who had terminal lung cancer, took his own life alone.
Speaking at a fringe event organised by Dignity in Dying, Blomfield said it “hadn’t crossed my mind” he would end his life.
The lack of assisted dying laws, he said, meant his father “died alone and he died earlier than he would have done”. Dignity in Dying, backs changing the law in this area.
He added:
He had less life because assisted dying wasn’t available. I am convinced he acted while he had the capacity to do so, rather than fear if he lost that capacity.
He said his father “was at a fairly early stage of the disease”, however he said he had seen “too many of his friends die badly”, PA Media reports.
Bills aiming to legalise assisted dying are currently being considered at both Westminster and Holyrood, put forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater and Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur respectively.
Referring to McArthur and Leadbeater Blomfield said:
Both Liam and Kim are trying to fix that problem that we face as a society. My father wasn’t alone, more than 600 people a year take their own lives with a terminal diagnosis.
In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org.
Pilot of domestic abuse experts helping in 999 call rooms begins in England
Domestic abuse specialists embedded in control rooms receiving 999 emergency calls will help “create force-wide cultural change”, said Jess Phillips as the first phase of “Raneem’s law” was rolled out across England.
The new law is named in memory of Raneem Oudeh, who was killed alongside her mother, Khaola Saleem, in Solihull by Oudeh’s ex-husband, whom she had reported to the police at least seven times, as well as making four 999 calls on the night she was murdered.
An inquest found police failings “materially contributed” to their deaths.
The new policy, which will involve domestic abuse specialists working in 999 control rooms to give feedback on responses to emergency calls, is being piloted in five police forces, and could be rolled out across the whole of England and Wales by the end of the year.
You can read the full report here:
Thirty English councils granted exceptional financial support packages
A record 30 English local authorities have been granted effective “bailouts” enabling them to borrow money to avoid bankruptcy, as ministers advised them against selling off prized local assets such as historic buildings, parks and allotments.
The councils, all of whom were experiencing “unmanageable” financial pressures, were given the green light by ministers to collectively borrow £1.5bn to plug significant budget gaps caused by underfunding and soaring demand for social care and other services.
Three councils – Birmingham, Bradford, and Windsor and Maidenhead – will each be allowed to borrow more than £100m this year to stay afloat, while also being allowed to issue cap-busting council tax bill increases of up to 10%.
Six councils who are in special measures after declaring effective bankruptcy in recent years – Birmingham, Croydon, Nottingham, Slough, Thurrock and Woking – have again been granted special financial help.
The exceptional financial support (EFS) packages enable councils to take out capital loans to fund revenue spending, on the basis they will pay down the debt in future by disposing of assets and cutting back on frontline services.
Read the full report here:
We have more from Ed Davey’s interview on the Today programme.
He said the prime minister would not be reflecting the views of the British people if he did not speak frankly with Donald Trump during an upcoming a visit to Washington.
He challenged Keir Starmer to confront the US President on the US’s sharp shift in foreign policy on Ukraine, and his recent remarks about the war, PA Media reports.
He said:
It is a very difficult visit there’s no doubt about that, but I do think you have to speak to your friends honestly and openly.
The threat that Donald Trump poses to our economy and security is as serious as I can ever remember.
Whether it’s the threat of terror to our country, indeed to our friends in the Commonwealth and Europe, or whether it’s what he’s saying with president Putin and Russia and Ukraine, I think we’re all astonished and deeply alarmed, and if the British prime minister doesn’t reflect that, he’s not reflecting the views of the British people.
Government must increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, say Lib Dems
Hello and welcome to our rolling coverage of UK politics.
The Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has said the government must swiftly ramp up defence spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP).
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme he said:
I’ve never known a time like this, it is probably one of the most alarming times for Britain’s defence and security since the second world war, with our closest ally changing their position. So we have to debate it, it is going to be difficult.
I don’t think there’s an easy solution, but we have put some ideas on the table. One idea we have put is to increase the digital services taxes, a tax on about 20 multinational companies with turnovers of over £500m and we would raise it from the current 2% to 10%.
That would raise the vast bulk of what you’d need to move quickly to the 2.5% of national income spending on our defence and our country’s defence.
Davey also said he wanted to see Russian assets, frozen across Europe since the war began, used to support Ukraine and build up Britain defences.
In other news:
Foreign secretary David Lammy is in South Africa for the second day of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has pledged to do “whatever it takes” to tackle the “waiting times emergency” in the NHS.
The Scottish Labour party conference runs until Sunday. Today’s speakers include Scottish secretary Ian Murray and Labour party leader Anas Sarwar
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