Grooming gang survivors tell MPs to stop ‘tug-of-war with vulnerable women’ – as it happened

The political “tug-of-war with vulnerable women” abused by grooming gangs must stop ahead of a new national inquiry into the crimes, survivors have told the Guardian.Holly Archer and Scarlett Jones, two survivors who played a key role in a “gold-standard” local inquiry into the crime in Telford, have urged politicians and those without experience of abuse to allow women to shape the investigation.“We have to put politics aside when it comes to child sexual exploitation, we have to stop this tug-of-war with vulnerable women,” said Archer, author of I Never Gave My Consent: A Schoolgirl’s Life Inside the Telford Sex Ring.“There are so many voices that need to be heard. There’s some voices, though, that need to step away,” she said

Ministers urged to publish legal advice on UK involvement in Israel-Iran war

Ministers are facing calls to publish legal advice given to the government on Israel’s war against Iran after reports emerged that the attorney general had warned that any UK involvement beyond defensive support would be illegal.Richard Hermer, the government’s most senior legal officer, is said to have raised concerns internally about the legality of joining a bombing campaign against Iran.Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, said the government should publish Hermer’s advice. “The last thing we need is for the UK to be dragged into another illegal war in the Middle East by the US,” he said.An official who had seen Hermer’s official legal advice told the Spectator, which first reported the story, that “the AG has concerns about the UK playing any role in this except for defending our allies

Reeves promised oil industry ‘quid pro quo’ over windfall tax in private meeting

The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, told a fossil fuel company the industry would receive a “quid pro quo” in return for higher taxes on its windfall profits, it can be revealed.In a meeting with the Norwegian state energy company Equinor on 27 August, Reeves suggested that the government’s carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) subsidies were a payoff for oil firms being hit with a higher tax rate.Minutes of the meeting obtained by DeSmog and seen by the Guardian state that Equinor’s CEO, Anders Opedal, raised concerns over the energy profits levy – also known as the “windfall tax” – and “its impact on the value” of Equinor’s UK portfolio.In response, Reeves said that raising the windfall tax from 35% to 38% was a “manifesto commitment”, but stated that “Equinor should recognise the quid pro quo – the funds raised enable government investment in CCUS etc”.CCUS is the controversial practice of trapping the emissions produced by fossil fuel plants before they enter the atmosphere

Keir Starmer needs to crack down on misconduct in politics, John Major says

Keir Starmer needs to reset standards in public life and bring in proper sanctions before trust in the UK system is damaged beyond salvage, John Major has said.The former Conservative prime minister said proposals for an ethics commission appeared to be “in the long grass” but No 10 could strengthen the Nolan principles of public life and make sure there was punishment for misconduct within the standards framework.In a speech to mark the 30th anniversary of the Nolan principles of selflessness, integrity, objectivity, accountability, openness, honesty and leadership, which Major brought in as prime minister, he said the system was still a good one but needed to be more enforceable.With No 10 rethinking the idea of setting up a new ethics commission, as promised in the Labour manifesto, Major said it was time for action to improve the system.“It has been our past practice to offer guidance on good conduct, and trust it will be delivered

‘He just told me lies to have sex with a teenage girl’: Natalie Fleet MP on grooming, statutory rape and fighting back

At 15, she began seeing an older man and conceived her beloved daughter. It was years before she properly understood it as abuse. Now she is working tirelessly in parliament for other survivorsNatalie Fleet is nervous about this interview. Her assistant has warned me and Fleet tells me several times, before and during. “I just feel sick,” she says

Keir Starmer to chair emergency Cobra meeting to discuss Israel-Iran conflict

The UK government will have to sign off on the US use of its Diego Garcia base in any bombing raid on Iran, it has emerged, as ministers gathered to discuss a range of scenarios amid further increasing tensions in the region.The prime minster, Sir Keir Starmer, chaired an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss the UK’s response to the crisis in the Middle East which could escalate further should the US enter the conflict between Israel and Iran.After the prime minister landed back in Britain following the G7 summit in Canada, he brought together ministers and senior officials to update the UK’s response beyond urging de-escalation.But with Donald Trump still not revealing what action he may take, the UK government is working on a series of options dependent on whether the US pursues military action, and if it asks allies for support at any stage.One key issue for the UK would be whether to give permission for the US to fly B-2 stealth bombers from the Diego Garcia airbase in the Indian Ocean to attack Iran’s nuclear enrichment site, which is between 80 and 90 metres inside a mountain at Fordow