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Nick Lester

Nick Lester is PA's Chief House of Lords reporter

<p>Madeleine McCann vanished in Portugal 17 years ago </p>
Crime

Madeleine McCann police investigation to be given up to £192,000 more

(Alamy/PA)
Business

Minister warns over a ‘computer says no’ stance to buy now, pay later

King Charles has prorogued parliament for the first time in his reign (Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA)
UK

King prorogues Parliament for the first time in seven decades

Singer songwriter Ed Sheeran (Hannah McKay/PA)
UK

Ed Sheeran ticket price row fuels criticism of Royal Albert Hall

The DUP has raised concerns again about post-Brexit trade (Liam McBurney/PA)
UK

Regulations ‘another piece of Irish Sea border superstructure’, DUP warns

(PA)
UK Politics

Flagship law will make UK safest place in the world to be online, says minister

An abortive attempt to change the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill regarding housebuilding was spearheaded by two Conservative former Cabinet ministers (Andrew Matthews/PA)
UK

Government sees off Tory-led bid to restore housing targets as Lib Dems abstain

Tug boat Mercia pulls the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge (Ben Birchall/PA)
UK

Bibby barge arrives in port after Government sees off challenge to asylum plans

A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, onboard a Border Force vessel after being rescued during a small boat incident in the Channel (Gareth Fuller/PA)
UK

Government crushes late-night challenges to secure passage of small boats law

The House of Lords supported a demand to remove the contentious immunity provision from the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
UK

Peers demand ditching of Troubles amnesty in Government defeat

(Gareth Fuller/PA)
Home News

Government ‘abused, bullied and intimidated’ on small boats law

The Government pressing ahead with parliamentary scrutiny of controversial plans to tackle the small boats crisis into the early hours of the morning has been branded “disgraceful” at Westminster.
UK

Marathon through-the-night Lords sitting on small boats law ‘disgraceful’

DUP peer Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown made his comments as peers considered the Northern Ireland (Interim Arrangements) Bill (Anthony Devlin/PA)
UK

Northern Ireland ‘underfunding is blackmail bid to restore Stormont’, peers told

UK

Northern Ireland ‘underfunding is blackmail bid to restore Stormont’, peers told

DUP peer Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown made his comments as peers considered the Northern Ireland (Interim Arrangements) Bill (Anthony Devlin/PA)
The Carer’s Leave Bill has passed through the House of Lords (Peter Byrne/PA)
UK

Right to unpaid care leave set to become law to help millions of people

<p>Baroness Newlove told peers in Westminster how the youngster was filmed by a member of the public </p>
Home News

Autistic teen attempted suicide after site refused to take down video

One of Belfast oldest peace walls (Niall Carson/PA)
UK

Government tackled over clinging to ‘obnoxious’ Northern Ireland legacy Bill

Justin Welby (Jonathan Brady/PA)
Home News

Welby criticises government over ‘morally unacceptable’ boats law

Justin Welby (Jonathan Brady/PA)
Home News

Welby criticises government over ‘morally unacceptable’ boats law

File picture of the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby speaking in the House of Lords (House of Lords/PA)
UK

Refugee safeguards ‘not inconvenient obstructions to get round’, warns Welby

(PA)
UK

Apple and Google app stores ‘should have same legal duties as corner shops’

(Gareth Fuller/PA)
UK

Asylum centres may be fast-tracked without approval of local planners

Sunset over a former colliery site (Owen Humphreys/PA)
News

Coal mine ban backed by peers in parliamentary defeat for Government

Lord Dodds of Duncairn spoke against the Windsor Framework (Liam McBurney/PA)
UK

DUP move to block plank of NI Brexit deal overwhelmingly rejected by peers

<p>Shamima Begum </p>
UK Politics

Peer says passing buck on IS suspects risks terrorist breeding ground

Bernard Hill as Yosser Hughes in Boys From The Blackstuff (PA)
Business

Government ‘acts like Boys From The Blackstuff’s Yosser Hughes over strikes law’

The UK and EU have now agreed the Windsor Framework as a way to cut the red tape caused by the existing arrangement (Peter Morrison/PA)
UK

UK Government spent almost £200,000 defending NI Protocol legal challenges

<p>Shamima Begum </p>
UK Politics

Peer says passing buck on IS suspects risks terrorist breeding ground

Bernard Hill as Yosser Hughes in Boys From The Blackstuff (PA)
Business

Government ‘acts like Boys From The Blackstuff’s Yosser Hughes over strikes law’

The UK and EU have now agreed the Windsor Framework as a way to cut the red tape caused by the existing arrangement (Peter Morrison/PA)
UK

UK Government spent almost £200,000 defending NI Protocol legal challenges

A prolonged delay to plans ensuring hospitality workers receive all their tips has been branded ‘crazy’ at Westminster (Alamy/PA)
UK

Long delay to guarantee tips for hospitality staff ‘crazy’, Government told

UK

Long delay to guarantee tips for hospitality staff ‘crazy’, Government told

A prolonged delay to plans ensuring hospitality workers receive all their tips has been branded ‘crazy’ at Westminster (Alamy/PA)
A firefighter holding a copy of the Order of Service for the funeral of Barry Martin (Jane Barlow/PA)
UK

Fallen firefighter giving ‘maximum service’, says strikes law opponent

The aftermath of the explosion in Omagh (Paul McErlane/PA)
UK

Omagh bomb inquiry to be raised by minister with Irish counterparts

Something is ‘rotten’ in policing that needs to be urgently tackled, a senior church leader has said, after a string of scandals rocked the service (Ian West/PA)
UK

Something ‘rotten’ in policing, warns bishop following scandals

Molly Russell took her own life in November 2017 after she had been viewing material on social media linked to anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide (Family/PA)
UK Politics

Online safety law must be ‘fit for the memory’ of social media’s young victims

Molly Russell took her own life in November 2017 after she had been viewing material on social media linked to anxiety, depression, self-harm and suicide (Family/PA)
UK Politics

Online safety law must be ‘fit for the memory’ of social media’s young victims

(PA)
UK

Immunity rules for Troubles crimes may be tightened further, signals minister

The Union Flag flies above the Victoria Tower (Jonathan Brady/PA)
UK

Protesters removed from House of Lords as peers debate controversial laws

Eco-activists disturbed proceedings to demonstrate against the Public Order Bill, leading to a short adjournment (Nick Ansell/PA)
UK

Government suffers defeats in Lords over controversial protest crackdown

(PA)
UK

Tearing up Northern Ireland legacy Bill risks five-year delay, minister warns

A health minister said there are “many things” the Government did not get right during the coronavirus pandemic, highlighting the controversial procurement of personal protective equipment (PPE) and the test and trace system (Mr Standfast/Alamy/PA)
UK

Minister says there were ‘many things’ Government did not get right in pandemic

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (Aaron Chown/PA)
UK

Harry and Meghan’s Netflix show ‘mischief-making’ slammed by Tory ex-minister

Nigel Lawson (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
UK

Tory ex-chancellor Nigel Lawson retires from Parliament after nearly 50 years

Northern Ireland’s former first minister Dame Arlene Foster has taken her place in the House of Lords (Andrew Matthews/PA)
UK

Former Stormont first minister takes seat in House of Lords

General repairs are carried out on one of Belfast oldest peace walls (Niall Carson/PA)
UK

Northern Ireland legacy Bill ‘personally extremely challenging’, says minister

(Euan Cherry/Daily Mail/PA)
UK

Letting Anne and Edward to deputise for King adds ‘strength and depth to bench’

The changes are being made before the prospect of the King and Queen Consort going on overseas tours in 2023 (James Glossop/The Times/PA)
UK

Fast-tracked law change to allow Anne and Edward to deputise for King

UK

Fast-tracked law change to allow Anne and Edward to deputise for King

The changes are being made before the prospect of the King and Queen Consort going on overseas tours in 2023 (James Glossop/The Times/PA)
The King, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and the Earl of Wessex follow the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II (Martin Meissner/PA)
UK

King asks for change in law to allow Anne and Edward to deputise

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy will set out a ‘concrete plan’ later this month to reduce the UK’s debt in order to ensure economic stability (Victoria Jones/PA)
UK

Chancellor to set out ‘concrete plan’ to reduce debt, says Treasury minister

Narrow Water Point and Warrenpoint Port seen from Flagstaff Viewpoint on the hills outside Newry where the Newry River flows out to Carlingford Lough, the UK and Republic of Ireland share a border through the lough (Liam McBurney/PA)
UK

Rishi Sunak urged to rethink Northern Ireland Protocol Bill at Westminster

<p>Schemes have been created to compensate victims and others caught up in the Horizon scandal in which 700 people were wrongly prosecuted </p>
Business News

Giving contracts to Fujitsu after Post Office scandal ‘appalling’

<p>Schemes have been created to compensate victims and others caught up in the Horizon scandal in which 700 people were wrongly prosecuted </p>
Business News

Giving contracts to Fujitsu after Post Office scandal ‘appalling’

Putting a stop to volunteer work and telling people to hit the streets to take up sex work and drug dealing would drive up GDP, a former Whitehall chief said as he savaged the Government’s botched growth plans (Stock image/Stephen Barnes/Sexuality/Alamy/PA)
UK

Sex work and drug dealing boost GDP – not volunteering – says ex-Whitehall boss

The view from the top floor of the accommodation block at the Hope Hostel in Kigali, Rwanda (Victoria Jones/PA)
UK

UK not ‘doing its bit’ for refugees, says archbishop amid Rwanda plan criticism

The Government has been urged to take action on in-game purchases to safeguard youngsters against harm (Alamy/PA)
UK

Games industry has ‘financial interest in fostering addiction’ with loot boxes

Lord West of Spithead served as First Sea Lord from 2002 to 2006 (David Mirzoeff/PA)
UK

Ex-Navy chief questions security of UK’s offshore assets amid Ukraine tensions

The Queen leaves a Bentley as she arrives in Cardiff (Barry Batchelor/PA)
UK

Archbishop of York ‘healed’ Queen’s Bentley

Labour’s Lord Blunkett during a speech to the House of Lords (House of Lords/PA)
UK

Queen helped Lord Blunkett ‘shift round’ when he faced wrong way at ceremony

(Family handout/PA)Accusations the UK has chosen to “look the other way” over the detention and alleged torture of a Scottish Sikh blogger in India has been rejected by a Foreign Office minister (Family handout/PA)
UK

UK ‘not looking the other way’ over detention of campaigning Sikh blogger

The Bill will return for a second reading at a future date (PA)
UK

Heckling as Northern Ireland Protocol Bill introduced to House of Lords

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has been criticised in the Lords (Andrew Milligan/PA)
UK

SNP government illegally using taxpayers’ money in bid to break up UK – peer

Mike Veale, who led a controversial inquiry into sex abuse claims against the late prime minister Sir Edward Heath when he was in charge of Wiltshire Police, is accused of breaching “standards of professional behaviour” during his time with Cleveland Police (PA)
UK

Priti Patel ‘silent on scandal’ of adviser role for accused ex-police chief

Haggis has been banned in the US since 1971 (David Cheskin/PA)
UK

250th anniversary of US War of Independence ‘chance to lift haggis ban’

UK

250th anniversary of US War of Independence ‘chance to lift haggis ban’

Haggis has been banned in the US since 1971 (David Cheskin/PA)
The Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is in the House of Lords (Aaron Chown/PA)
UK

Talks offer in Troubles amnesty row amid calls to ditch legislation

(PA)
UK

Stormont should have dealt with Irish language legislation, says UK minister

<p>Lord Winston has accused the emergency services of wasting time as Lady Winston lay dying in his arms </p>
Home News

Lord Winston told by 999 to ‘count wife’s heartbeats’ as she lay dying

(PA)
UK

Granting abortion powers in Northern Ireland ‘constitutional sabotage’

(PA)
UK

Granting abortion powers in Northern Ireland ‘constitutional sabotage’

(PA)
UK

Offence trigger warnings for Hansard spark criticism amid free speech fears

Members of clergy as preparations take place before a service at York Minster, York, where Ms Libby Lane was consecrated as the eighth Bishop of Stockport.
UK

Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham takes seat in House of Lords

Former Brexit minister Lord Frost (Peter Byrne/PA)
UK

Lord Frost hits out at ‘unconstructive’ EU over post-Brexit trade deal problems

Lord Hain (PA)
UK

Call in Parliament to block one of Chelsea bidders amid concerns

The Union Flag flies above the Victoria Tower and the Palace of Westminster (Jonathan Brady/PA)
UK

Parliament rushes through economic crime reforms in response to Ukraine invasion

Chancellor Rishi Sunak (Justin Tallis/PA)
UK

Reverse Universal Credit cut ‘in name of humanity’, urges Tory grandee

The Union Flag flies above the Victoria Tower and the Palace of Westminster (Jonathan Brady/PA)
UK

Government eyes action to prevent asset-flight in ‘dirty money’ crackdown

Lord Tebbit (Philip Toscano/PA)
UK

Lord Tebbit bids farewell to Parliament after more than half a century

A disabled peer has said he ‘might as well have been dead’ as he lambasted the lack of support he received from the House of Lords after undergoing major surgery (PA)
UK

Disabled peer condemns lack of help and says he ‘might as well have been dead’

CBI president Lord Karan Bilimoria (Stefan Rousseau/PA)
UK

CBI chief tells Parliament ‘wrong time’ for tax burden to reach 70-year high

Unisex non-binary gender neutral toilets (Martin Keene/PA)
UK

Women patients’ dignity and safety ‘diminished’ by NHS imposing trans rights

<p>More than 28,300 people made the crossing in 2021</p>
Home News

Push back of migrant boats ‘courts disaster’

Sections of the Parthenon Marbles (PA)
UK

Boris Johnson ‘in final days’ should arrange return of Parthenon Marbles

Seble, the eight week old puppy that has been rescued and is looking to be re-homed at the Nowzad Dogs charity based in Kabul, Afghanistan (Ben Birchall/PA)
UK

Claims of PM involvement in Afghan animal airlift ‘absurd’, says minister

<p>Peers were strongly critical of not only the measures, but also the way they had been introduced </p>
UK Politics

Peers inflict string of defeats against government protest crackdown

Victoria Tower, part of the Palace of Westminster in London (John Walton/PA)
UK

Crackdown on ‘sex-for-rent’ predators backed by peers in Government defeat

Seble, the eight week old puppy that has been rescued and is looking to be re-homed at the Nowzad Dogs charity based in Kabul, Afghanistan (Ben Birchall/PA)
UK

Claims of PM involvement in Afghan animal airlift ‘absurd’, says minister

<p>Peers were strongly critical of not only the measures, but also the way they had been introduced </p>
UK Politics

Peers inflict string of defeats against government protest crackdown

Victoria Tower, part of the Palace of Westminster in London (John Walton/PA)
UK

Crackdown on ‘sex-for-rent’ predators backed by peers in Government defeat

(PA)
UK

Ex-NHS chief bids to force ministers to ‘reveal hand’ on mental health cash

Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson said she is ‘unashamedly a pro-business Tory’ (House of Lords/PA)
UK

Ruth Davidson voices ‘despair’ at Tory colleagues who dismiss business

General repairs are carried out on one of Belfast oldest peace walls (Niall Carson/PA)
UK

Ban on Troubles prosecutions ‘legally dubious and morally corrupt’, says Hain

The weapons engineer officer’s tactical trigger, that would be used in the final stage of a nuclear missile launch, on board Vanguard-class submarine HMS Vigilant (Danny Lawson/PA)
UK

Nuclear war with Russia over Ukraine ‘a very unwelcome outcome’, says minister

The Telecommunications (Security) Bill will force providers to stop installing equipment by the Chinese phone-maker Huawei in the UK’s 5G networks (PA)
Business

Government defeat as peers demand action to bolster future telecoms security

Peers have dealt the government another defeat over its international law-breaking bill
UK Politics

Peers vote to give devolved nations consent over Internal Market Bill

Campaigners say consumers do not want chlorinated chicken from the US
UK Politics

Government defeated in Lords over post-Brexit food standards

Chesterfield FC football player Ched Evans leaves Cardiff Crown Court with partner Natasha Massey after being found not guilty of rape
Home News

Government to review law on rape complainants after Ched Evans case

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