Labour under fire for ‘shambolic’ U-turn on Rochdale candidate as ‘new Israel comments’ emerge - latest

Matt Hancock has defended his decision to use a chauffeur-driven Jaguar funded by the taxpayer to travel to the Covid inquiry despite leaving his government job more than two years ago.

A spokesman for Mr Hancock, the independent MP for West Suffolk, said it was “entirely reasonable” for the government to arrange his travel to the inquiry given that he was attending as the former health secretary.

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Labour’s former director of policy has said the party’s handling of Azhar Ali’s alleged antisemitic comments “revealed a double standard”.

Andrew Fisher’s comments came after former MP Dame Louise Ellman told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I was very shocked when I read about and heard Azhar Ali’s comments, and I was very shocked because they were really at odds with my experience of him over a period of 20 years, where he consistently spoke out against extremism, against antisemitism.

“When I looked at his apology I could see that it was a proper apology, (he) apologised for what he said, not apologising for the words, or (like) some people say, for any offence caused.”

Mr Fisher, former director of policy under Jeremy Corbyn, responded on Today: “(The treatment of Mr Ali) revealed a double standard. I think you’ve heard that from Louise Ellman just now, she very openly said I worked with him, he was an ally of mine, we gave him the benefit of the doubt.

“That doesn’t apply to people who are on the left, ever, and that’s the double standard.

“These disciplinary processes are used for factional reasons within the Labour Party and that results in people like Azhar Ali being given the benefit of the doubt, being backed up by shadow cabinet ministers on the radio. Shadow cabinet ministers still going out campaigning for him on Sunday.”

Rosie Duffield says her party needs to be clearer over what they stand for - and stop sitting on the fence on big issues, Archie Mitchell reports.

The Labour MP also criticised Keir Starmer’s decision to u-turn on the party’s key green spending pledge.

She told GB News : “I don’t have any sort of input into the future manifesto as a backbencher, but I know that a lot of Labour MPs would really like some clarity on our policies going forward because we’re always asked about it. I was really disappointed with the scrapping of the green pledges, as were lots of other vocal Labour MPs, so it would be nice to get a bit more clarity on those issues. A bit less fence sitting in the next few months.

“And we’re going to have to do that, aren’t we? So people know what we stand for?”

Asked if she, herself, felt she really knew what Labour stands for on some of the bigger issues she continued: “No. I think people are obviously developing our manifesto. So hopefully we’ll hear that quite soon.”

Ms Duffield also said her party had work to do when it came to being clearer over trans-issues.

She added: “We haven’t exactly been clear on those issues for the last few years, but I mean, what can I say I think we’re still in a bit of a mess about it, to be completely honest. I’m not sure sitting on the fence on this issue is really winning the Labour Party and your friends.”

Labour MPs feel there is a “disparity in treatment” within the party about antisemitism allegations, the lawyer of the Forde Report has said.

Martin Forde KC led the 2022 report that found factional disputes between the party’s right and left under former leader Jeremy Corbyn, and that both sides had weaponised antisemitism.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Labour’s decision to withdraw support from its Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali 36 hours after allegations of antisemitism emerged “appears pretty shambolic”.

Mr Forde said: “If you want a fair and transparent system then it has to deal with people consistently, and I’m aware from discussions with some of the MPs within the party – who might be described as left-leaning – that they feel that when it comes to disciplinary action taken against them then things move rather slowly, but if you’re in the right faction of the party, as it were, then things are dealt with either more leniently or more swiftly.

“Now that’s the perception, I can’t quantify it, but I do think it’s something that leadership should be concerned to, in a away, dilute, or if it is in fact the case, they need to give reassurance to members of the voting public and to their members that people will be treated fairly.”

Housing minister Lee Rowley accused Labour of “going to ground” after no shadow minister appeared on Tuesday’s morning media round amid criticism of remarks made by Rochdale by-election candidate Azhar Ali.

Mr Rowley told Sky News: “I mean, where is Labour? Where’s Labour today? Talking to people like yourselves, they’re not doing it.

“They’re going to ground.”

It was put to Mr Rowley that he was on “dodgy ground” accusing another party of going to ground when the government is “not always around”, to which he replied: “That is a party which has not changed. It’s a party which will say anything to win government, and I hope people are watching.

“They’ve got no plan and they’re getting themselves into a real mess over things like this.”

Sir Keir Starmer is under fire after pulling his support for Labour’s Rochdale by-election candidate over a series of remarks he made about Israel.

The Labour leader backed Azhar Ali to contest the by-election despite him having been recorded suggesting that Israel had allowed the allowed the 7 October Hamas attack to take place in order to invade Gaza.

But, in a dramatic climbdown on Monday night, the party said its support for Mr Ali had been withdrawn following “new information about further comments”. He has also been suspended from the Labour Party pending an investigation.

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The Government’s proposed Rwanda asylum legislation “needs further tightening to avoid potential legal challenges that would prevent it from achieving its aims”, according to a Conservative peer.

Baroness Lawlor, speaking in favour of amendment 32 in a bid to disapply “relevant” domestic and international law from the Bill, told the Lords: “The first reason for this amendment is a practical one – it is pointless to make a law that is unlikely to work and that sadly seems to be the case for the present Bill unless it is amended.

“The second reason is a deeper one. There is no doubt that there’s a popular wish for the small boats to be stopped and that one of the reasons why the Government was elected was to control our borders.

“Unless it makes a law strong enough to withstand whatever challenge might be brought to it through national or international law, the Government will be failing the people on whose support the laws made to govern Britain should be grounded and trust in the democratic system – with its political parties, Parliament and government and the judiciary – will be lost.”

Rishi Sunak has defended his under-fire Rwanda policy as the UK public grilled the prime minister live on TV.

Mr Sunak faced questions from an audience of undecided and swing voters in County Durham on Monday night, including over his flagship deportation scheme.

He argued illegal migration is “profoundly unfair” and is putting a strain on the country’s public services, while he cited “compassion” for vulnerable migrants who are being “exploited by criminal gangs” as another reason for implementing his plan.

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The Prime Minister defended his commitment to the Rwanda policy by saying it is necessary as “a deterrent” to illegal migration.

Rishi Sunak was asked by one voter at GB News’ People’s Forum, a retired woman from Middleton-in-Teesdale, why he was “so adamant” about the Rwanda policy “when public documentation shows it isn’t working and that it’s not going to work”.

Mr Sunak said it was needed to tackle illegal migration, adding: “In order to fully solve this problem, we need a deterrent.

“We need to be able to say pretty simply and unequivocally that if you come to our country illegally, you won’t get to stay.

“We want to be able to remove you either to your home country if it’s safe, like we’ve done with Albania, and for everyone else we need an alternative and that’s what Rwanda is about.

“So yes, we’ve made progress – down by third – but in order to fully solve this problem, we need a deterrent. That’s what Rwanda is all about and that is why I’m absolutely committed to getting this bill through Parliament and getting this scheme up and running.”