UK politics live: Tories cut Starmer’s poll lead to one point ahead of crucial leadership vote
Tories are just one point behind Labour as party members prepare to knock out one leadership candidate in crunch vote
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In a dramatic twist, the Conservatives have narrowed Labour’s lead to just one point, raising alarms for Sir Keir Starmer’s party months after its sweeping election victory.
The latest More in Common poll revealed the party now sits at 29 per cent, down one percentage point, while the Tories have gained two points, reaching 28 per cent.
This represents the smallest lead Labour has seen since the pollster began tracking voting intentions last year.
Sir Keir’s government is grappling with significant backlash over plans to limit winter fuel payments to pensioners receiving pension credit and the recent gifts row.
But the boost will be welcomed by the Tories, who prepare for a pivotal leadership vote this afternoon to narrow down the field to two candidates.
Four contenders, Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat are vying to position themselves as the next leader.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer is to chair his first cabinet meeting today since the announcement that Sue Gray would leave her post as his chief of staff just three months after Labour came to power.
Her successor, Morgan McSweeney, could attend the meeting as the prime minister seeks to bring Labour’s policy agenda back to the fore after weeks of reported infighting.
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Corbyn calls government to apologise to displaced Chagossian people
Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has called for the British Government to formally apologise for the forced removal of the Chagossian people from the Chagos Islands in the 1960s and 1970s.
Mr Corbyn, who sits as an independent MP and has been a longstanding campaigner on the issue, said when he was Labour leader that he would give the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
He told the Commons on Monday: “Will the Foreign Secretary take this opportunity to recognise that what happened to the Chagossian people in the 1960s and 1970s was abominable, abusive, illegal and disgraceful, and many of them lived in poverty for many years after that in the Seychelles and in Mauritius?”
Mr Corbyn asked the Government to pay tribute to the Chagossians who had campaigned for a return to the islands. He added: “An apology is due to the Chagossian people for the way that they were treated.”
He went on to ask Foreign Secretary David Lammy whether they would be able to return to Diego Garcia, now the site of a UK and US military base.
Mr Lammy replied: “In relation to whether they will have the right to visit Diego Garcia, I have got to tell him that they will not have such a right under this treaty.
“Any resettlement or visits will be to the outer islands.”
Labour says Falklands and Gibraltar ‘not up for negotiation’ amid Chagos Islands backlash
David Lammy sought to reassure MPs that the deal with Mauritius “does not signal any change in policy to Britain’s other overseas territories”.
The Foreign Secretary told the Commons: “I want to reassure the House and all members of the UK family worldwide that this agreement does not signal any change in policy to Britain’s other overseas territories.
“British sovereignty on the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and the sovereign base areas, is not up for negotiation. The situations are not comparable.
“This has been acknowledged across our overseas territories. Fabian Picardo, chief minister for Gibraltar, vocally supported this agreement, stating that there is no possible read across to Gibraltar on the issues of sovereignty.
“And similarly, the governor of the Falklands has confirmed that the historic context of the Chagos islands and Falklands are very different.
“The Government remains firmly committed to modern partnerships with our overseas territories based on mutual consent.
“After Mauritius’ elections, the Government will move towards treaty signature, and it is then our intention to pursue ratification in 2025 by submitting the treaty and the Bill to this House for scrutiny.
“This is a historic moment, a victory for diplomacy. We saved the base. We secured Britain’s national interest for the long term.”
Giving up Chagos Islands ‘strengthens UK position on Ukraine’, says Lammy
Giving up sovereignty over the Chagos Islands “strengthens our arguments when it comes to issues like Ukraine”, David Lammy has said.
He told the Commons: “Under the previous government, there were 11 rounds of negotiations, the last one held just weeks before the general election was called, so in July this government inherited unfinished business where the threat was real and inaction was not a strategy.”
Mr Lammy added: “Inaction posed several acute risks to the United Kingdom. First, it threatened the UK-US base from countering malign Iranian activity in the Middle East to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“It’s critical for our national security. Without surety of tenure, no base can operate effectively nor truly deter our enemies. Critical investment decisions were already being delayed.
“Second, it impacted on our relationship with the United States who neither wanted nor welcomed the legal uncertainty and strongly encouraged us to strike a deal. I am a trans-Atlanticist. We had to protect this important relationship.
“And third, it undermined our international standing where showing what we mean is what we say on international law and our desire for partnerships with the Global South. This strengthens our arguments when it comes to issues like Ukraine or the South China Sea.”
British sovereignty on Falklands ‘not up for negotiation’, says Lammy
David Lammy has sought to reassure MPs that the deal with Mauritius to relinquish sovereignty over the Chagos Islands “does not signal any change in policy to Britain’s other overseas territories”.
The foreign secretary said: “I want to reassure the House and all members of the UK family worldwide that this agreement does not signal any change in policy to Britain’s other overseas territories.
“British sovereignty on the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and the sovereign base areas, is not up for negotiation. The situations are not comparable.
“This has been acknowledged across our overseas territories. Fabian Picardo, chief minister for Gibraltar, vocally supported this agreement, stating that there is no possible read across to Gibraltar on the issues of sovereignty.
“And similarly, the governor of the Falklands has confirmed that the historic context of the Chagos islands and Falklands are very different.
“The government remains firmly committed to modern partnerships with our overseas territories based on mutual consent.
“After Mauritius’ elections, the government will move towards treaty signature, and it is then our intention to pursue ratification in 2025 by submitting the treaty and the Bill to this House for scrutiny.
“This is a historic moment, a victory for diplomacy. We saved the base. We secured Britain’s national interest for the long term.”
Lammy says Chagos Islands deal is ‘strongly backed’ by US
Foreign Secretary David Lammy told MPs that the deal to relinquish sovereignty over the Chagos Islands is “strongly supported by partners” and recognises the “wrongs of the past”.
He told MPs: “It is strongly supported by partners, with President Biden going so far as to applaud our achievement. Within minutes of the announcement, Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin have also backed this successful outcome, which reaffirms our special defence relationship.”
“This agreement will be underpinned by a financial settlement that’s acceptable to both sides. Members will be aware the government does not normally reveal payments for our military base overseas, and so it would be inappropriate to publicise further details of these arrangements at this stage.
“The agreement also recognises the rights and wrongs of the past. The whole House would agree that the manner in which Chagossians were forcibly removed in the 1960s was deeply wrong and regrettable.
“Mauritius is now free to implement a resettlement programme to islands other than Diego Garcia.
“The United Kingdom and Mauritius have also committed to support Chagossians welfare, establishing an entrust fund capitalised by the UK and providing additional government support to Chagossians in the UK and the UK will maintain the pathway for Chagossians to obtain British citizenship.”
Tory MP says ‘not true’ as Lammy sets out ‘context’ of Chagos Islands deal
Tom Tugendhat repeated the words “not true” as David Lammy set out the “context” to the United Kingdom’s decision to relinquish sovereignty over the Chagos Islands.
The Conservative Party leadership hopeful repeated the phrase from the opposition benches as Mr Lammy told the Commons: “Since its creation, the territory and the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia has had a contested existence. In recent years, the threat has risen significantly.
“Coming into office, the status quo was clearly not sustainable. A binding judgment against the UK seemed inevitable and it was just a matter of time before our only choices would’ve been abandoning the base altogether or breaking international law.”
Lammy hails ‘historic’ Chagos Islands deal
Foreign secretary David Lammy is now speaking to MPs about the UK government’s deal to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
Amid a backlash over the decision, Mr Lammy began by calling Thursday’s announcement “historic” and said it came after two years of negotiations “and decades of disagreement”.
He added that the treaty “is neither signed nor ratified” yet, but that formal negotiations have concluded.
Starmer asked to confirm UK will not be involved in Israeli response to Iran missile attack
Stephen Flynn of the SNP has asked Sir Keir Starmer to confirm that there “will be no British involvement – be that personnel, facilities or airbases – in any Israeli response” to Iran’s “abhorrent” attack on Israel last week.
Sir Keir replied: “I thank him for his question. I’m not – and he will understand – going in to details on the floor of the House as to our capabilities.
“But he will know that the involvement so far, for example in relation to the attack in April, was in relation to Israel’s self-defence when missiles were raining in on Israel. That is the support that we did provide and would always be prepared to provide.”
Britain must do ‘all it can’ to prevent wider war in Middle East, says Ed Davey
Britain must do “all it can” to prevent a wider war in the Middle East, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has said.
Responding to the PM’s statement on the anniversary of the 7 October attacks, Sir Ed said: “We must never forget the trauma of the hostages and their families.
“In Tel Aviv, I met Itzik Horn, a father still praying for his two sons Gair and Eitan to come home,” he said, adding that everything must be done to ensure everyone takes the steps most likely to get the hostages home quickly and safely.
He added: “The last year has seen terrible violence in the Middle East, a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and an appalling spike in hate crimes here in the UK, so we must stand firm against antisemitism [and] Islamophobia.
“We must press for an immediate bilateral ceasefire to end the terrible cycle of violence and bring about lasting peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians, and we must do all we can to prevent a regional war in the Middle East.”
He continued: “I hope the government will try to convince Israel that keeping her citizens safe and secure is best achieved by restraint, not retaliation, and the risk of regional war.”
Sir Keir Starmer replied: “The messaging is very much de-escalation across the region.”
Labour reshuffle: Who’s in and out after Sue Gray resigns
Sue Gray has resigned as Sir Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, saying that “intense commentary” around her position had become a “distraction”.
The special adviser became a household name in 2022 when she headed a report into the Partygate scandal, criticising Boris Johnson and the Conservative government of the time.
Ms Gray was given the influential position of Downing Street chief when Labour came into power in July. However, her resignation means she will have held the role for less than 100 days.
You can read the full story below:
Labour reshuffle: Who’s in and out of Starmer’s top team after Sue Gray resigns
Sue Gray resigned less than 100 days after starting her No 10 role
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