Lib Dem chief Ed Davey says authorities should droop arms gross sales to Israel after help staff killed in airstrike
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem chief, has mentioned the UK ought to halt arms gross sales to Israel. In an announcement he mentioned:
The deaths of those British help staff in Gaza is an absolute shame. These courageous individuals have been attempting to assist ravenous households in Gaza.
Clearly, the thought that British-made arms may have been utilized in strikes reminiscent of these is totally unacceptable.
The federal government should take swift motion to droop arms exports to Israel. We should redouble our efforts to safe a direct bilateral ceasefire.
The SNP has additionally known as for arms gross sales to Israel to be halted.
However the authorities is refusing to publish its authorized recommendation about whether or not or not Israel is complying with worldwide humanitarian regulation. Accepting that Israel is in breach of worldwide regulation would result in arms gross sales being halted. And Labour has mentioned that suspending arms gross sales would have little influence anyway. (See 10.13am.)
Key occasions
Round one in seven adults (14.7%) in England who’re ready for a hospital appointment or remedy say they’ve been ready no less than 12 months, PA Media reviews. PA says:
The determine is highest amongst 16 to 24-year-olds (21.3%) and lowest amongst these aged 70 and over (8.5%).
Amongst these people who find themselves disabled and whose day-to-day actions are restricted so much by their well being situation, almost one in 4 (23.6%) say they’ve been ready no less than 12 months, in contrast with almost one in eight (11.8%) who’re non-disabled and don’t have any well being situations.
There’s additionally a pointy distinction between individuals residing in essentially the most disadvantaged areas, the place the determine is 21.3%, and people within the least disadvantaged areas (12.4%).
The survey was carried out between January 16 and February 15 2024 by NHS England and the Workplace for Nationwide Statistics (ONS), and relies on a pattern of adults aged 16 and over in England who mentioned they’d been ready for a hospital appointment, take a look at or to start out receiving medical remedy by means of the NHS.
The figures are age-standardised charges, which suggests they have in mind inhabitants dimension and age construction, and are subsequently a greater comparability between totally different teams.
Delegates on the Nationwide Schooling Union’s annual convention in Bournemouth have voted for a movement saying Ofsted must be abolished. Commenting on the outcome, Daniel Kebede, the union’s basic secretary, mentioned:
NEU members have made their emotions very clear: Ofsted causes extra hurt than good and we’d like pressing and elementary reform. The career may be trusted to do their jobs successfully with out a punitive, high-stakes system to maintain them in line.
Sunak says arms exports to Israel stored below ‘cautious’ assessment, however resists calls to halt them
Rishi Sunak has mentioned that arms exports to Israel are stored below “cautious” assessment, however he has resisted requires them to be halted.
In an interview recorded as we speak with the Solar’s new politics programme, By no means Thoughts the Ballots, when requested if he would supend arms gross sales to Israel, Sunak replied:
We’ve at all times had a really cautious export licensing regime that we adhere to. There are a algorithm rules and procedures that we’ll at all times comply with.
And I’ve been persistently clear with Prime Minister Netanyahu because the begin of this battle that while after all we defend Israel’s proper to defend itself and it’s individuals in opposition to assaults from Hamas, they’ve to try this in accordance with humanitarian regulation, shield civilian lives, get extra help into Gaza.
Sunak advised the programme that, when he spoke to Netanyahu final evening, he advised him that the state of affairs in Gaza was “more and more insupportable”. Sunak mentioned:
I spoke to Prime Minister Netanyahu final evening and I used to be very clear with him that the state of affairs is more and more insupportable and what we urgently have to see is an intensive, clear investigation into what occurred.
But additionally a dramatic improve within the quantity of help stepping into Gaza, eradicating the obstacles.
Additionally, nearer work with help businesses in order that issues like this don’t occur once more.
Sunak additionally described the killing of the three British help staff in an airstrike in Gaza as “an terrible, terrible tragedy”.
Lib Dem chief Ed Davey says authorities should droop arms gross sales to Israel after help staff killed in airstrike
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem chief, has mentioned the UK ought to halt arms gross sales to Israel. In an announcement he mentioned:
The deaths of those British help staff in Gaza is an absolute shame. These courageous individuals have been attempting to assist ravenous households in Gaza.
Clearly, the thought that British-made arms may have been utilized in strikes reminiscent of these is totally unacceptable.
The federal government should take swift motion to droop arms exports to Israel. We should redouble our efforts to safe a direct bilateral ceasefire.
The SNP has additionally known as for arms gross sales to Israel to be halted.
However the authorities is refusing to publish its authorized recommendation about whether or not or not Israel is complying with worldwide humanitarian regulation. Accepting that Israel is in breach of worldwide regulation would result in arms gross sales being halted. And Labour has mentioned that suspending arms gross sales would have little influence anyway. (See 10.13am.)
Cameron suggests prospect of Trump’s re-election will increase want for all Nato nations to spend 2% of GDP on defence
In his transient feedback to the media on the Nato summit, David Cameron additionally prompt that the prospect of Donald Trump successful this 12 months’s presidential election within the US made it significantly necessary for all Nato nations to be spending no less than 2% of GDP on defence.
Cameron mentioned it was important that each one nations within the alliance met the two% defence spending goal. He went on:
Many extra nations at the moment are doing that, however we’d like each nation to try this.
Frankly, that’s the most effective factor we are able to do to ensure the Nato Summit in Washington this summer season is successful.
And it’s additionally one of the best ways to organize for the American elections within the autumn, regardless of the end result could also be.
Cameron was referring to the prospect of the US presidential election being received by Trump, who did little to cover his lack of respect for Nato throughout his first time period as president and who not too long ago prompt that he would encourage Russia to assault any Nato member not paying its fair proportion of defence spending.
Even when a second Trump presidency didn’t result in the US leaving Nato, it’s extensively assumed that the alliance can be severely weakened by having as chief of its strongest member somebody not totally dedicated to the precept of collective defence.
As prime minister Cameron hosted a Nato summit in south Wales in 2014 the place he made getting Nato members to extend defence spending a precedence. However many members are nonetheless not reaching the goal. Listed here are figures from 2023.
David Cameron, the overseas secretary, has welcomed Israel’s announcement that it’s going to maintain an inquiry into the airstrike that killed seven help staff, together with three Britons, in Gaza.
Talking to reporters on the Nato summit, the previous PM mentioned:
I welcome what the Israeli overseas minister mentioned yesterday to me a few full, pressing and clear inquiry into how this dreadful occasion was allowed to occur, and we wish to see that occur in a short time.
I additionally welcome the actual fact he spoke about far more help stepping into Gaza, as much as 500 vans a day.
That’s important, we have now been promised this stuff earlier than and it actually must occur, together with longer opening instances on the important crossing factors.
However, after all, the additional help received’t work until there may be correct deconfliction, until help may be taken round Gaza and we keep away from the dreadful incidents like we have now seen within the final couple of days.
That’s important and Britain shall be watching very carefully to make it possible for that occurs.
Darren Jones performs down concern about Labour shedding members by saying individuals who joined below Corbyn ‘most well-liked protest’
In one other interview this morning Darren Jones, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, dismissed questions on Labour experiencing a pointy fall in membership numbers by claiming that individuals who joined below Jeremy Corbyn most well-liked being in a celebration of protest to being in a celebration taking the “troublesome selections” wanted in authorities.
The query was prompted by a report within the Observer on the weekend by Toby Helm. Toby mentioned:
In a report back to the NEC final week, the occasion’s basic secretary, David Evans, triggered shock when he revealed that membership, which had stood at 390,000 in January, had plummeted to 366,604 on the newest rely, with greater than 11,700 of those being in arrears. Labour membership reached a peak on the finish of 2019 when it hit over 532,000.
One senior Labour determine who was there mentioned: “It’s a massive fall in simply two months. Individuals have been shocked, even bowled over.”
Labour insiders consider that the autumn has been triggered primarily by anger amongst Muslim and others Labour supporters over Keir Starmer’s place on Gaza and his refusal over a number of months to name for a direct ceasefire.
Requested in regards to the figures on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Jones mentioned that “membership numbers of events go up and down on a regular basis”. He went on:
There was additionally an enormous surge in membership of the Labour occasion below Jeremy Corbyn and plenty of Jeremy Corbyn supporters most well-liked a celebration of protest versus a celebration who’ve needed to make troublesome selections across the trade-offs in its preparation for presidency within the hope that we get to run this nation.
We’ve nonetheless received loads of Labour Get together members throughout the nation, I feel greater than every other occasion.
Jones is true to say that, total, Labour has extra members than every other UK occasion. However, in proportional phrases, the SNP’s membership is way greater. Its membership has been falling, however a latest report mentioned it was nonetheless 69,235 on the finish of December. On condition that Scotland’s inhabitants is lower than a tenth of Britain’s, it has extra members per head within the nation the place it contests elections than Labour does.
Widespread settlement in UK and US that Israel has ‘gone too far’ in Gaza, says Labour’s Darren Jones
There’s widespread settlement within the UK and the US that Israel has “gone too far” in its warfare in opposition to Hamas, Darren Jones, a Labour Treasury spokesperson, mentioned this morning.
In an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Jones mentioned:
I feel what we’ve seen from President Biden, from Keir Starmer, and now from Lord Cameron, our personal overseas secretary, is that nations that supported Israel’s proper to defend itself and to get better its hostages from Hamas terrorists in Gaza, which clearly is their proper to have completed within the first place, have all mentioned that you just’ve gone too far, that we have to carry this warfare to an finish, we have to get across the negotiating desk, we have to help to get to individuals who desperately want it in Gaza.
This newest state of affairs, not solely has it resulted within the demise of help staff, which is unacceptable, however it’s now making it a lot tougher for help to be made out there to people who find themselves in essentially the most determined conditions.
However Jones didn’t assist the decision from Lord Ricketts (see 9.50am) for the UK to finish arms gross sales to Israel. Requested if he was in favour of this, Jones replied:
The actual fact of the matter is that if the UK, for instance, stopped supplying arms, the warfare wouldn’t finish. What we have to do is get the events to a place the place the combating can cease.
Jones additionally sidestepped a query about whether or not he thought Israel was in breach of worldwide regulation. He mentioned:
As at all times, on questions of worldwide regulation, it’s for judges and courts to make that call, not for politicians.
Scottish authorities minister refuses to say if JK Rowling feedback may have been non-crime hate incident
A Scottish authorities minister has refused to say if feedback by Harry Potter writer JK Rowling may have been recorded by police as a non-crime hate incident, PA Media reviews.
As Libby Brooks reviews, Police Scotland mentioned yesterday that feedback by JK Rowling difficult police to arrest her for on-line misgendering didn’t quantity to a criminal offense.
However it’s not clear but whether or not or not that is being logged as a hate incident. The Scottish Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser has not too long ago threatened to take authorized motion in opposition to Police Scotland until they delete a criticism in opposition to him now recorded as a hate incident.
As PA Media reviews, the Scottish authorities’s group security minister Siobhian Brown advised the BBC this morning that it was an operational matter for the police to determine if the JK Rowling criticism must be recorded in these phrases.
Britain ought to cease arming Israel, says former nationwide safety adviser
The UK ought to cease arming Israel, Lord Ricketts, a former nationwide safety adviser, has mentioned, after seven worldwide help staff have been killed in Gaza in an Israeli airstrike. Sammy Gecsoyler has the story.
Schooling ‘will grind to halt’ until pay rises tackle recruitment disaster, lecturers’ union chief warns
Good morning. Rishi Sunak’s first 12 months in workplace was blighted by a wave of public sector strikes. A few of these disputes have been in the end resolved, however the issue has not gone away and this morning Daniel Kebede, president of the Nationwide Schooling Union, has been warning in regards to the prospect of an extra strike by lecturers in England until pay is improved.
The NEU is holding its convention this week and, an interview with the Right this moment programme, Kebede mentioned recruitment was now such an issue that training was susceptible to grinding to a halt.
I might say there’s a temper of desperation, if we’re being sincere. The career may be very a lot on its knees. Morale is at an all time low.
And naturally, we are able to see that within the disaster in recruitment and retention; 9% of the educating career left the career final 12 months previous to retirement. The federal government is frequently lacking its recruitment targets for brand new lecturers. We missed it by 50% for secondary lecturers this 12 months.
Fairly merely, if we proceed on this course of journey, training will grind to a halt …
Trainer pay has plummeted by 25% during the last decade. A instructor in England of their fifth 12 months of educating earns £7,500 a 12 months lower than a instructor over the border in Scotland. It’s grossly unfair.
Kebede mentioned the union would debate whether or not to carry a strike poll later this week. However it has already held a preliminary poll (a web-based poll that doesn’t have the authorized authority of a correct, postal strike poll), and people outcomes confirmed 90% assist for strike motion for an above-inflation pay rise, on a turnout of simply over 50%. Kebede mentioned the federal government ought to take this critically.
We’re a union of half one million members. To recover from 50% of members voting at a fee of 9 in 10 for strike motion is extremely vital.
Final 12 months the federal government tried to minimise the influence of strikes within the public sector by passing the Strikes (Minimal Service Ranges) Act, giving employers the best to drive some staff to come back in on strike days to take care of providers at a selected degree. However there may be contemporary proof as we speak this isn’t working. In a narrative for the Day by day Mail, David Churchill says rail firms are refusing to make use of the regulation to minimize the influence of the Aslef strike going down this weekend. He reviews:
MPs known as on practice chiefs to resign or have funding pulled for failing to make use of the powers which might drive unions to maintain 40% of providers operating throughout stoppages this week and subsequent.
The deadline for lodging their intention to make use of the ‘minimal service ranges’ legal guidelines handed on Monday.
However trade sources advised the Day by day Mail that bosses for the 16 practice companies affected had failed to satisfy it.
Drivers from the Aslef union will now inflict journey distress on thousands and thousands with industrial motion on totally different components of the community between tomorrow and subsequent Tuesday.
Parliament is in recess and there may be not a lot within the home political diary for as we speak. The most important debate in politics as we speak is about whether or not or not, within the mild of the killing of seven help staff, together with three Britons, in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, it’s now time for the UK authorities to declare Israel in breach of worldwide humanitarian regulation, however most of our protection of that story shall be on our Israel-Gaza warfare dwell weblog.
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