Good morning and welcome to our coverage of UK politics.We’re now in recess but we’ll still be bringing you all the news from across the country including continued reaction to the suspension of Diane Abbott.This morning, a minister has denied the veteran MP’s assertion that “it is obvious this Labour leadership wants me out”.Exchequer secretary to the Treasury James Murray told Times Radio:That’s absolutely not the case.What’s happened is Diane has made some comments which come on the back of previous comments which she made and for which she apologised some time ago.

He added that there was an internal investigation and “we now need to let this process play out” so it can be resolved “as swiftly as possible”.Abbott now faces an investigation over her defence of remarks more than two years ago that people of colour experienced racism “all their lives”, which was different from the “prejudice” experienced by Jewish people, Irish people and Travellers.In a statement to Newsnight on Thursday evening, Abbott said: “It is obvious this Labour leadership wants me out.My comments in the interview … were factually correct, as any fair-minded person would accept.”In the interview with the BBC earlier on Thursday, Abbott, the first black woman elected to parliament, had said: “Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don’t know.

“I just think that it’s silly to try and claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same as other types of racism,I don’t know why people would say that,”In other news:The details of more than 100 Britons, including spies and special forces personnel, were included in a massive data leak that resulted in thousands of Afghans being secretly relocated to the UK,The voting age will be lowered to 16 across the UK by the next general election in a major change of the democratic system,Labour significantly outspent the Conservatives at the last general election including more than £12m advertising on platforms including Facebook and Snapchat, figures show.

Doctors could have some of their student loan debts written off as part of a package of measures being examined by Wes Streeting that may help avert next week’s strike.Plans for possible direct trains from London to Berlin will be drawn up by a joint UK-German taskforce, reigniting hopes for better rail connections across Europe.A minister has denied the veteran MP’s assertion that “it is obvious this Labour leadership wants me out”.Exchequer secretary to the Treasury James Murray told Times Radio: “That’s absolutely not the case.What’s happened is Diane has made some comments which come on the back of previous comments which she made and for which she apologised some time ago.

” He added that there was an internal investigation and “we now need to let this process play out” so it can be resolved “as swiftly as possible”.A criminal investigation into the performance of Belfast rap trio Kneecap at Glastonbury festival has been dropped by police.Avon and Somerset Police said it will be taking “no further action” on the grounds that there is “insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”, PA Media reports.HS2 has incurred “significant cost” because public bodies have launched nine legal challenges against it, transport secretary Heidi Alexander said.The Cabinet minister noted that in “almost all cases”, the courts have found in favour of the high-speed rail scheme between London and Birmingham.

HS2 Ltd was given the power to construct the railway when the High Speed Rail (London - West Midlands) Act received royal assent in February 2017.Gatwick Airport will remain covered by a High Court injunction stopping would-be environmental activists from trespassing on its land after a judge ruled it should continue.In July last year, the airport - the second largest in the UK - was granted protection from what its lawyers described as a “real and imminent risk of blockading, obstruction (and) disruption” at its site near Crawley, West Sussex, PA Media reports.England and Wales’ embattled water regulator will be abolished under recommendations from a government-commissioned review due out on Monday, the Guardian understands.Ministers will next week announce a consultation into creating a new regulator, to coincide with the results of a review into the water industry directed by former Bank of England deputy governor Sir Jon Cunliffe.

At least two people have been arrested after protesters clashed with police outside a hotel in Epping believed to be housing migrants, Essex Police said.Assistant chief constable Stuart Hooper, Essex Police, told reporters one man had been arrested on Thursday on suspicion of affray following reports of an assault during a protest on Sunday.The former defence secretary Grant Shapps has defended the use of an unprecedented superinjunction to suppress a data breach that led to the UK government relocating 15,000 Afghans.The Afghanistan Response Route (ARR) was created in haste after it emerged that personal information about 18,700 Afghans who had applied to come to the UK had been leaked in error by a British defence official in early 2022.John Healey has been accused by the Liberal Democrats of misleading parliament over the Afghan data leak.

Ed Davey said that the defence secretary must “urgently come before parliament to answer the question of whether he knowingly misled MPs and the public”.Downing Street said the defence secretary’s statement to the Commons that “no serving member of our armed forces is put at risk” by the Afghan data leak was “accurate” after the Liberal Democrats accused him of misleading parliament.Asked if John Healey misled the House, a No 10 spokesman said: “The defence secretary’s statement to the House...

I believe it was an accurate statement.”US president Donald Trump will visit Scotland next week, the White House has confirmed.Speculation mounted about a potential visit of the president this month when Police Scotland confirmed it was in the early stages of planning for such an event.John Swinney has pledged to “turn the heat up” on the UK government to allow a second independence referendum as part of his latest strategy to achieve separation.Writing in the National newspaper on Friday, the Scottish first minister pledged to increase support for Scotland leaving the UK and stressed the importance of supporters of independence backing the SNP at next year’s Holyrood election.

The number of serious pollution incidents caused by water firms across England rose by 60% in 2024 compared with the previous year, the Environment Agency said.The watchdog revealed consistently poor performance from all nine water and sewerage firms in the country despite expectations for incidents to decrease, PA reported.A criminal investigation into the performance of Belfast rap trio Kneecap at Glastonbury Festival has been dropped by police.Avon and Somerset Police said it will be taking “no further action” on the grounds that there is “insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”, PA Media reports.The investigation was announced in June after officers reviewed video footage and audio recordings from the sets of Kneecap and punk duo Bob Vylan at the Somerset festival.

On Friday, the group, comprised of Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, posted a screenshot to social media from an email that appeared to be from a senior investigating officer.In the caption of their post, Kneecap said: “One element of the political policing intimidation attempt is over.“We played a historic set at Glastonbury.Whole area closed an hour before due to crowds.A celebration of love and solidarity.

A sea of good people at the world’s most famous festival.”Gatwick Airport will remain covered by a High Court injunction stopping would-be environmental activists from trespassing on its land after a judge ruled it should continue.In July last year, the airport - the second largest in the UK - was granted protection from what its lawyers described as a “real and imminent risk of blockading, obstruction (and) disruption” at its site near Crawley, West Sussex, PA Media reports.At a hearing on Friday, the airport asked for the injunction to be continued, stating that there remained a “compelling need” for it to remain in place to protect it from groups such as Just Stop Oil (JSO) and Extinction Rebellion.No one appeared in court to oppose the injunction being extended.

In a ruling, Duncan Atkinson KC, sitting as a deputy High Court judge, said that he was “satisfied” that there remained a “real and immediate risk” to the site and that lifting the injunction would make it a “greater target”.He said this was despite an announcement made by JSO in March, which said it was “hanging up the hi vis”.He said: “This announcement cannot be taken as an unequivocal and final renunciation of direct action.“It would be premature to rely on this announcement as a basis to vary or discharge the injunction.”Returning to the Epping incident (see earlier post), when asked how the violence began, assistant chief constable Stuart Hooper, Essex Police, told reporters:It was during the peaceful protest, there were parts of those that had come here intentionally to be involved in that kind of selfish vandalism and violence and actually it’s those individuals that we don’t want coming into our community.

He said the policing operation was from late afternoon yesterday into the early part of the evening, adding “and then the selfish criminality and violence that we saw took place from about 6,30pm last night”,By about 11 o’clock, “everyone had dispersed and had left this area”, he said,by Helena Horton, Anna Isaac and Rowena MasonEngland and Wales’ embattled water regulator will be abolished under recommendations from a government-commissioned review due out on Monday, the Guardian understands,Ministers will next week announce a consultation into creating a new regulator, to coincide with the results of a review into the water industry directed by former Bank of England deputy governor Sir Jon Cunliffe.

This consultation is likely to conclude in the abolition of Ofwat, the embattled watchdog that polices how much water companies can charge for their services in England and Wales, sources said.Ofwat has faced intense criticism over its failure to prevent sewage spills, hefty payments of dividends and ballooning debts across England and Wales’s water companies.The review will recommend creation of new regulatory system.Cunliffe’s review was set up by the government amid growing public anger about record sewage spills and rising bills, as well as the fraying finances of some of the biggest companies.Read the full report here:Here is more from Essex Police assistant chief constable, Stuart Hooper, from Epping (see earlier post).

“I do not want to see a repeat of last night” or “anything we saw last year”, he said.Asked if he feared a repeat of the violent disorder that swept across the country last summer, Hooper said:The first bit is that I’m focused on our communities here and we want to make sure that kind of everyone is safe, we will not accept that kind of selfish vandalism that we saw last night.I want to be working with our communities, you know - if you are coming to Essex, to Epping, to take part in that sort of criminality then that is absolutely not acceptable.He added: “I do not want to see a repeat of last night, or in fact anything that we saw last year.”Earlier in the press briefing, Mr Hooper said:There were different groups out protesting last night.

It is our place to make sure that without fear or favour we’re supporting the right to protest and that’s what we were trying to achieve last night.We have more on the incident during which protesters clashed with police outside a hotel in Epping believed to be housing migrants (see earlier post).Essex Police assistant chief constable Stuart Hooper said it is “absolutely, totally unacceptable” that eight police officers were assaulted.Speaking from Epping, he told reporters:Eight of my officers - and not only my officers, we were supported by colleagues from other forces as well - were assaulted last night and that is absolutely, totally unacceptable.They come here to do a role to support our communities, they’re a part of that community and that’s what we won’t tolerate.

”He added: “They had injuries to their hands and cuts and grazes as a result of the incidents last night.”Hooper also said there were “no reports of anyone actually breaking into the hotel last night”.At least two people have been arrested after protesters clashed with police outside a hotel in Epping believed to be housing migrants, Essex Police said.Assistant chief constable Stuart Hooper, Essex Police, told reporters one man had been arrested on Thursday on suspicion of affray following reports of an assault during a protest on Sunday.He has since been charged.

A second person was arrested on Thursday night for failing to comply with orders given around dispersal and remains in custody, he said.Downing Street said the government will wait for a final report on the water industry due next week when asked if there were plans to scrap Ofwat as the regulator.A No 10 spokesman said: “We are waiting for Sir Jon Cunliffe’s final report next week - you can expect us to set out our response after that on what more we will do to turn the sector around.”Downing Street said the defence secretary’s statement to the Commons that “no serving member of our armed forces is put at risk” by the Afghan data leak was “accurate” after the Liberal Democrats accused him of misleading parliament.Asked if John Healey misled the House, a No 10 spokesman said: “The defence secretary’s statement to the House.

..I believe it was an accurate statement.”He said the government is “committed to transparency”.He added: “In terms of security of our personnel, we take take that extremely seriously, particularly those in sensitive positions.

“We always have appropriate measures in place to protect their security.”US president Donald Trump will visit Scotland next week, the White House has confirmed.Speculation mounted about a potential visit of the president this month when Police Scotland confirmed it was in the early stages of planning for such an event.Speaking at a briefing in Washington DC on Thursday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Trump will visit both of his golf courses in Scotland: Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire; between 25 and 29 July.It has already been confirmed Trump will meet with prime minister Keir Starmer while in Aberdeen, while plans are being put in place for the president to meet first minister John Swinney, according to the Scottish government.

Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie accused the Scottish first minister of hitting the “independence panic button”, claiming Scots will be “shaking their heads”.She added: “Twenty-five years ago, the then SNP leader, John Swinney, claimed that independence was ‘closer than ever’.Now he is attempting to lead his troops up the hill once more - but even they don’t buy it.“John Swinney offers absolutely no vision and no hope for the people of Scotland.“It is time to turn our backs on John Swinney’s old, failed politics of the past and to choose a better Scotland with better leadership.

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