Zack Polanski calls for UK to withdraw trade agreement with Israel after strikes on Lebanon

Zack Polanski has called on the government to tear up the UK-Israel trade agreement after the Israeli strikes on Lebanon.Polanski also called for Keir Starmer to ban the US using UK airspace and said sanctions should be imposed on Israel, which he accused of “behaving in a completely uncontrolled way”.“What is it going to take for this government to actually put robust sanctions on Israel?” he said at the launch of the Green party local election campaign in London.“It is outrageous that Israel is still enjoying diplomatic and trade privileges from the international community. As a Green party, we are calling on this government to make much more robust sanctions, to withdraw the UK-Israel trade agreement and to end the genocide

‘They will not get my vote this year’: Birmingham focus group shows shift from Labour support

Almost two years into Keir Starmer’s government, the polls suggest that many swing voters, including some of those who voted Labour, are unimpressed with how the country is being run.In the constituency of Birmingham Yardley, a focus group of eight previous Labour voters last week found support was now splintering in different directions, with one person considering going to Reform and several to the Greens. The group, convened by More in Common, had very little good to say about the government on the key issues.Most of the group said spiralling prices were their biggest concern. Bob, an engineering manager, said: “The wages doesn’t match the increase of everything every year so it just gets harder … Maybe you don’t go on holidays this year, maybe you used to be able to shop in M&S and now you shop somewhere else

British crypto billionaire Ben Delo says he has given £4m to Reform UK

A British billionaire convicted in the US for failing to implement adequate anti-money-laundering controls in his cryptocurrency business has given £4m to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.Ben Delo, 42, who is now based in Hong Kong, wrote in the Telegraph that he had made the donation since the start of the year, before the government’s cap on donations to political parties by British citizens living abroad.The businessman, who was pardoned by Donald Trump last year, is moving back to the UK and therefore will not in future be subject to the new rules for donors. The cap may limit further contributions from Reform UK’s Thai-based donor Christopher Harborne, who has given £12m so far.In his article for the Telegraph, Delo explained his motivations for turning to Reform UK, saying England was his home and that “the biggest obstacle to national recovery is the entrenched self-deception of our elites”

UK politics: Starmer warns ‘lot of work to do’ to make ceasefire permanent at start of talks in Gulf - as it happened

Keir Starmer has said there is a “real sense of relief” in the Gulf at the Iran ceasefire – but also that there is “a lot of work to do” to make it permanent.Speaking to broadcasters at the King Fahd Air Base in Taif, Saudi Arabia, the PM said:double quotation markThere’s work to do. It’s early days.There is a real sense, I think, of relief you can feel it at the base here in Saudi Arabia, for 39 days, they’ve been acting in our collective self-defence. You can feel the relief

Keir Starmer is no Neville Chamberlain | Brief letters

Donald Trump says “We won’t want another Neville Chamberlain” (Trump uses Neville Chamberlain jibe to mock Starmer over stance on Iran, 6 April) – ie someone who does not stand up to tyrannical regimes and tries to appease them. Well, Donald, I am sure you are pleased that, so far, that is not happening in the UK, where our prime minister does seem to be standing up to such regimes by refusing to back the US-Israel attacks on Iran.Dominic RiceSheffield President Trump used to have the mantra “Drill, baby, drill”. Now it seems to be “Kill, baby, kill”.Rae StreetLittleborough, Greater Manchester The Guardian’s obituary pages invariably reveal fascinating details of the lives of both the well known and the less well known

Tell us: have you received local election leaflets through your door?

Have you received local election leaflets through your door? We’d like to see them. In an era of political turmoil, we’re particularly interested to see who each political party sees as their rival in their local area.You can tell us about the leaflets you’ve received – and share pictures of them – below.You can tell us about the local election leaflets you've received using this form.Please include as much detail as possible