Reform UK councillor shared Facebook post saying Labour MP ‘should be shot’

A Labour MP has said politicians should not expect to face “death threats as standard” after a Reform UK councillor shared a Facebook post which said she “should be shot”.The picture of Natalie Fleet, who has spoken previously about being groomed and raped as a teenager, was accompanied by a fake quote misattributed to her, which read: “I voted against the grooming gang enquiry.”The Facebook post was shared by Simon Evans, the deputy leader of Lancashire council and cabinet member for children and families. He also reshared text accompanying the picture, which said: “You dozy cow, you should be shot.”Fleet, who is MP for Bolsover in Derbyshire, said: “Posts like this are so common I don’t bat an eyelid

British dual nationals risk imminent refusal of travel to UK, Home Office affirms

British citizens with a second nationality risk being blocked from entering the UK from Wednesday, the Home Office has confirmed.The government has decided to ignore pleas from families, the3million campaign group, the Liberal Democrats and the former Conservative cabinet minister David Davis for a grace period to allow British dual nationals to adapt to the new rules they face.Those who do not present a British passport or a certificate proving their right to enter the UK may be refused boarding on a flight, ferry or train under the latest rules.A Home Office spokesperson said: “The UK is moving to a modernised digital immigration system to enhance our border security. From 25 February, international carriers will check all passengers for valid permission or status to travel to the UK – just as they currently do for visa nationals

Reform’s Danny Kruger criticises UK’s ‘totally unregulated sexual economy’

The UK is “suffering from having a totally unregulated sexual economy”, the Reform MP Danny Kruger has said, and he indicated he expected the party to have a “limited but important role” in resetting sexual culture.Kruger said Reform UK had a “pronatalist ambition” and would seek policies to encourage people to have more children, including exploring changes to the tax system to make payments based on households rather than individuals.In an interview with the House magazine, the MP, who recently defected from the Conservatives, said he would personally support reversing changes that allowed no-fault divorce.Asked what role a political party could have in undoing the sexual revolution, Kruger said: “A limited but important one.” He said policy would be “critically important to the way families form” and he suggested changes could come via the tax system to mean that partners compile a household tax return rather than individually

Minister under investigation over targeting of reporters makes late donation declaration

A Cabinet Office minister under investigation over his role in allegedly smearing journalists has made a late declaration of personal donations.Josh Simons is facing an investigation from the prime minister’s independent adviser on ministerial standards over his role in commissioning a PR agency to examine journalists who had written about £730,000 in undeclared donations to Labour Together, a thinktank he led at the time.The money came from a donor whose undeclared gifts to Labour Together were a subject of the stories that prompted Simons to commission the firm’s investigation into the journalists.Newly released data shows Simons received gifts of £1,250 on 21 October and 4 December 2025 from Trevor Chinn, a longstanding Labour donor.House of Commons rules require MPs to publicly declare cumulative donations of more than £1,500 within 28 days of receiving them

Rupert Lowe fails in effort to block investigation by MPs’ watchdog

A high court judge has dismissed an attempt by the independent MP Rupert Lowe to block a parliamentary watchdog from investigating a complaint against him.Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, is taking legal action against the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), which investigates complaints of inappropriate behaviour against MPs, after the body’s decision last July to investigate a complaint made about him.At a high court hearing earlier this month, Lowe asked a judge for an interim injunction preventing the ICGS from investigating the complaint pending a resolution of his claim against it.The body opposed the move and is defending the wider legal challenge, arguing the court has no jurisdiction over the matter and that it would interfere with parliamentary privilege.In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, Mr Justice Chamberlain dismissed Lowe’s request for an interim injunction, saying: “It seems to me that there is a strong public interest in allowing a process established pursuant to resolutions of the House of Commons to take its course

Mandelson’s downfall is one of fastest ever seen in British public life

Just six months ago Peter Mandelson seemed unassailable as the UK’s ambassador to the US, one of the most vaunted positions in British diplomacy. As our man in Washington, Mandelson appeared to have used his skill for schmoozing, learned over years as a cabinet minister and a European commissioner, to secure a good relationship with the tricky Trump administration. He was considered instrumental in securing a relatively favourable US trade deal for the UK.He was also an influential voice in Labour politics with the ear of the prime minister and his inner circle, notably his friend and protege Morgan McSweeney, Starmer’s then chief of staff.Mandelson’s arrest on Monday marks one of the quickest and steepest descents ever seen in British public life