UK politics: Government says it is ‘fully committed to free speech’ after campaigners’ US visa ban – as it happened

Good morning. Christmas is the time of peace on earth and goodwill towards all men. But there is not much sign of that in US/UK relations this morning, where the Trump administration has just sanctioned two Britons, among others, for supposedly trying to suppress free speech in the US, and that has led to the Lib Dem leader Ed Davey engaging in a Twitter spat with a senior figure in the US state department.Let’s start with the sanctions. Yesterday Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, issued this statement saying:The State Department is taking decisive action against five individuals who have led organized efforts to coerce American platforms to censor, demonetize, and suppress American viewpoints they oppose

Welsh first minister vows to keep Labour ‘most successful democratic party on the planet’

The first minister of Wales has said she is determined for Welsh Labour not to lose its crown as the world’s most successful democratic party, despite warnings it could be relegated to third place in May’s elections.Polls suggest Reform UK and Plaid Cymru could win more seats than Eluned Morgan’s party in the Seneddelections next year, ending 100 years of dominance for Labour in Wales.Morgan said: “Of course I feel the pressure but I’m also determined to turn this round. We’re the most successful democratic political party on the planet. It’s a long winning streak

U-turn on inheritance tax for farmers ‘snuck out’ to avoid scrutiny, say Tories

Ministers “snuck out” the announcement that they had decided to U-turn on inheritance tax for farmers, the Conservatives have said after the government revealed the move in a press release two days before Christmas.The shadow environment secretary, Victoria Atkins, accused the government of trying to dodge scrutiny of its latest policy reversal, under which the threshold for taxing inherited farmland will rise from a planned £1m to £2.5m.The move was announced on Tuesday in a press release from the environment department after months of pressure from farmers, campaigners and some Labour MPs.Atkins told Sky News on Wednesday morning: “This being snuck out the day before Christmas Eve means that, of course, we haven’t had chance to scrutinise this properly in parliament

Keir Starmer encourages Britons to ‘reach out’ to others this Christmas

Keir Starmer has called on Britons to show kindness to struggling friends or family this Christmas, saying being in touch with those in need can make a big difference.Starmer, whose brother died last Boxing Day, said people should channel the spirit of the many volunteers and public sector workers who are on duty this Christmas by resolving to get back in touch with those who might find the time of year difficult.“Some truly special people will be pulling on their uniforms and heading out to work,” he said. “Many volunteers will be out there as well. Serving food

Ministers raise inheritance tax threshold for farms after backlash

Ministers will increase the threshold for taxing inherited farmland from £1m to £2.5m after months of pressure from campaigners and MPs representing rural areas.In a statement slipped out just before Christmas, the environment department announced the U-turn, which will apply from April when the tax kicks in.Plans to tax inherited agricultural assets worth more than £1m at a rate of 20% were announced in Rachel Reeves’s first budget last year.The change reversed tax relief that has existed in its modern form since the 1980s

Deputy leader Lucy Powell says Labour must ‘stick to manifesto’ over EU customs union, in implicit rebuke to Streeting – as it happened

In an interview published at the weekend, Wes Streeting, the health secretary, suggested that he would like Britain to join a customs union with the EU. This is not government policy, and it is a proposal that Keir Starmer has ruled out. But Streeting would like to be PM himself one day and the interview was interpreted as his (latest) attempt to ensure that he is well positioned in case there is a leadership contest before the next election.No 10 largely played down the significance of Streeting’s comments yesterday.But Lucy Powell, Labour’s deputy leader, has delivered an implicit reprimand to the health secretary

Reform council’s plan to shut eight care homes ‘a betrayal of local people’

A Reform UK-led council plan to shut eight of its residential care homes has been condemned as “a betrayal of local people”.Days before Christmas, Derbyshire county council announced that the homes would have to close after a proposed sale fell through.The closures have prompted a backlash and have echoes of the furore in Lancashire where the Reform-led council is planning to close five care homes and five day centres and move residents into the private sector.Mick Coppin, a regional organiser of the GMB union, said the Derbyshire plans put vital services and more than 200 jobs at risk.“These closures are nothing short of a betrayal of local people and staff,” Coppin said

Reform plan to cap aid at £1bn would damage UK’s international influence, critics warn

Plans by Reform UK to slash the aid budget by 90% would not cover existing contributions to global bodies such as the UN and World Bank, shredding Britain’s international influence and risking its standing within those organisations, charities and other parties have warned.Under cuts announced by Nigel Farage in November, overseas aid would be capped at £1bn a year, or about 0.03% of GDP. Keir Starmer’s government is already set to reduce aid from 0.5% of GDP to 0

Keir Starmer told closer EU trade ties ‘strategic necessity’ for UK firms

Keir Starmer’s government has been told a closer EU trade deal is a “strategic necessity” for companies in Britain as growing numbers of exporters find it tougher to do business under the UK’s post-Brexit agreement.Calling on Labour to accelerate its reset with Brussels, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said the UK’s existing trade and cooperation agreement (TCA) was failing to help them grow their sales in the EU.More than half (54%) of exporters in a survey of almost 1,000 businesses – the majority of which were small and medium-sized firms – said the trade deal negotiated by Boris Johnson’s government and enacted in 2021 was not helping them.Highlighting an ongoing economic hit from Brexit, the BCC said this was a 13 percentage point increase from the proportion of firms that were unhappy in a similar survey a year earlier.Adding to pressure on Labour to take action to support the economy after a challenging year for businesses, it said that just four out of the 946 firms surveyed thought the support from the government on dealing with trade policy changes was comprehensive