UK politics: Polanski claims Green support surging in London as five Labour councillors defect in Brent – as it happened

The Green party has announced that five councillors in Brent have defected to it from Labour. It describes this as the biggest block defection yet to the Green party.The defections follow seven others to the Green in London since September, when Zack Polanski took over as leader and party membership started to soar.Announcing the switches, Polanski said:The Green surge has just widened in London. What we’re witnessing in Brent mirrors what we’re hearing across the country on doorsteps and in polls

Former Scottish secretary hits out at ‘humiliating’ sacking by Keir Starmer in reshuffle

The former Scottish secretary Ian Murray has hit out at the prime minister for his “humiliating” sacking, despite deciding to remain a minister in the government.In a candid interview Murray said he had felt underappreciated in his cabinet role, and that he had been in two minds whether to accept his current position as technology minister.The minister also directly criticised Keir Starmer’s approach to the reshuffle, saying he had not given him an adequate explanation as to why he was moved.Murray’s comments underline how unhappy several ministers and ex-ministers remain about the September reshuffle. Several were moved to make way for new MPs to join the fold – including Murray, who was replaced by the recently returned former foreign secretary, Douglas Alexander

Labour’s Andrew Gwynne says he has no plans to give up seat for Andy Burnham

The former health minister Andrew Gwynne has dismissed as “idle speculation” reports he could resign his seat as part of an Andy Burnham “coup” against Keir Starmer.Allies of Burnham were reported on Sunday to have identified a shortlist of seats to allow the Greater Manchester mayor to return to Westminster in the new year.One of these seats is said to be that of Gwynne, who was suspended by the Labour party in February after a leak of offensive WhatsApp messages.One source was quoted as saying that Burnham allies had found a “nailed on” constituency, while another reportedly said a seat was “likely to come free shortly” before the local elections in May.In a post on X on Sunday, Burnham dismissed the reports as “quite a lot of rubbish”, adding: “Reminds me why I left Westminster in the first place!”However, the former health secretary – who has been critical of Starmer’s leadership – has refused repeatedly to deny he would return to parliament if the opportunity arose

Shabana Mahmood dismisses White House’s ‘civilisational erasure’ claims

The US government’s claims that Europe faces “civilisational erasure” because of mass migration are an attempt to score political points against Muslims, the home secretary has suggested.Shabana Mahmood dismissed the idea that European civilisation and national identities were under threat because of migration and said the UK had managed the challenges of multiculturalism “very well”.Her comments are the strongest response from a government minister so far to Donald Trump’s national security strategy. Published this month, it triggered alarm with its wide-ranging attack on European governments and suggestion that the US should promote “patriotic” political parties.Asked by Trevor Phillips on Sky News to respond to the strategy and its implicit criticism of Muslims in Europe, Mahmood said: “Others will want to make political points about whether there’s too many Muslims in Europe or not

Reeves’s planning overhaul stalls as senior adviser quits after four months

Rachel Reeves’s attempts to overhaul Britain’s planning laws have been dealt a blow after a senior lawyer whom she appointed as an adviser decided to leave the government after just four months.Catherine Howard will leave the Treasury when her contract ends on 1 January, despite having been asked informally to stay on indefinitely.Howard is understood to have warned the government against pushing ahead immediately with some of its more radical proposals to sweep aside planning regulations in an effort to encourage more infrastructure projects.Her decision to leave the post comes amid disagreements at the top of government about how far to push its deregulation agenda, with some senior officials warning that Keir Starmer’s latest attempt to kickstart major building schemes could damage EU relations.Disquiet is also growing among some Labour MPs, with 30 writing to the prime minister this week urging not to push ahead with some of his more radical planning reforms

Victims of sexual offences face ‘postcode lottery’ with police, says home secretary – as it happened

The home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, has said victims of sexual offences face “a postcode lottery” in terms of how the police will deal with their report.“It is a postcode lottery at the moment if you are a victim in terms of the standard of service you are going to get when your allegation is being investigated by the police and whether that is going to lead to charges ultimately and hopefully a successful prosecution”, Mahmood told Trevor Phillips on Sky News.The home secretary was responding to claims from the Institute for Government that currently up to 50 per cent of police officers currently on sexual violence and rape squads are trainees. She said the government plans to get a specialist squad in ever force.Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood tells @TrevorPTweets that the standard of police responses to rape and sexual assault allegations is currently a "postcode lottery" as she announces a new violence against women and girls strategy