
Government whip Vicky Foxcroft quits over disability benefit cuts
Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft has resigned as a whip over the government's plans to cut disability benefits.In a letter to the prime minister, Foxcroft said she understood the need to address "the ever-increasing welfare bill" but said cuts to personal independence payments and universal credit should "not be part of the solution". She said she had "wrestled with whether I should resign or remain in the government and fight for changes from within".She added: "Sadly it now seems that we are not going to get the changes I desperately wanted to see."
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Times
an hour ago
- Times
Iran's ‘propagandist-in-chief' to speak at Scottish mosque
Iran's 'propagandist-in-chief' is scheduled to give an address at a Scottish mosque, it has emerged, as the tensions between the Islamic Republic and Israel continue to escalate. Seyed Hashem Moosavi, the UK representative of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei, is due to appear at the al-Mahdi Islamic Centre in Glasgow's southside on Friday. The mosque has been linked to the regime in Tehran, including displaying the Iranian flag and images of its leaders: Ayatollah Khomeini, who proclaimed a death sentence on the British author Salman Rushdie, and his successor Khamenei, who praised Hamas 'resistance fighters' after the October 7 atrocities in Israel. The Times previously revealed the mosque has received grants worth almost £400,000 from the Scottish government. Moosavi is described on adverts for the Glasgow event as a special guest speaker. It has been organised to celebrate Eid al-Ghadir and Mubahala, two significant dates in the Shia Islamic calendar.


Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
Donald Trump delays decision on Iran strikes as Keir Starmer calls for restraint
Donald Trump has delayed a decision on whether to join Israeli attacks on Iran as Sir Keir Starmer continues to urge restraint in the Middle East. The US president said he was still hopeful of reaching a negotiated solution with Tehran and would decide on military action within two weeks, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday. Quoting a message from the president, Ms Leavitt said: 'Based on the fact that there is a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision on whether or not to go within the next two weeks.' On Wednesday, Mr Trump said he 'may' join Israeli strikes against Iran and its nuclear programme, but added: 'I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I'm going to do.' On Thursday, the Prime Minister had urged him to step back from military action, saying there was a 'real risk of escalation'. Sir Keir said there had been 'several rounds of discussions with the US' and 'that, to me, is the way to resolve this issue'. Foreign Secretary David Lammy took the UK's plea for de-escalation to Washington, where he was expected to meet Mr Trump's top diplomat Marco Rubio on Thursday evening. Mr Lammy's meeting comes amid speculation that US involvement could require using the UK-controlled Diego Garcia base in the Chagos Islands. The B-2 stealth bombers based there are capable of carrying specialised 'bunker buster' bombs which could be used against Iran's underground nuclear facility at Fordo. Attorney General Lord Hermer is reported to have raised legal concerns about any British involvement in the conflict beyond defending its allies, which could limit the extent of any support for the US if Mr Trump decides to act militarily. Sir Keir has declined to comment on advice from Lord Hermer, but said the 'principle, the driving intent', was 'de-escalation'. It remains unclear whether the UK would join any US military action. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said she would 'in principle' support the US using Diego Garcia to strike Iran, while her shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said the party would support UK involvement if it was deemed necessary. But Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called on the Government to publish Lord Hermer's advice, saying: 'The last thing we need is for the UK to be dragged into another illegal war in the Middle East by the US.' Meanwhile, Israel and Iran continued to exchange fire, with the Israeli defence minister directly threatening the Iranian supreme leader after an attack damaged a major hospital in Tel Aviv. Israel Katz said Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 'should not continue to exist' if the military was to 'achieve all of its goals'. Israel also continued to attack Iran, striking the country's Arak heavy water reactor, part of Tehran's nuclear programme. Iran has insisted its nuclear programme is peaceful, but it is the only non-nuclear-armed state to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90% and far above the levels required for power stations. Amid the conflict, 22,000 tourists are seeking evacuation flights from Israel, according to the country's tourism ministry. The ministry's director-general, Danny Shachar, said the Israeli government was working to co-ordinate flights as part of its 'safe return' programme, originally intended for Israelis returning to the country from elsewhere. The UK Government has not said how many British nationals are in Israel, but has urged those in the country to register their presence with the embassy. Although the Foreign Office advises against all travel to Israel and has evacuated the family members of embassy staff, it has not advised Britons to leave the country.


Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
Diplomacy to end Israel-Iran conflict picks up pace - but what is its chance of success?
Diplomacy to prevent the conflict between Israel and Iran spiralling further out of control is picking up pace with the UK at its centre. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has met with his US counterpart Marco Rubio and President Trump's chief negotiator Steve Witkoff in Washington, and flies next to Geneva. Sources close to the talks say the meeting in the US capital was positive and the Americans are seeking a diplomatic solution while retaining military action as very much an option "on the table". Mr Lammy flies to meet with Iran's foreign minister Abbas Aragchi and their French and German counterparts in Geneva on Friday. He will be taking with him a message to the Iranians from the Trump administration. Their response could be crucial in what happens next in a conflict that threatens to escalate, engulfing the region. 4:22 Israel is not involved in the talks. Israelis say Iran cannot be trusted and do not want their stunning military progress jeopardised by weeks of delaying diplomacy, fearing the Iranians will play for time. US President Donald Trump though seems willing to give the talks more time, possibly as much as two weeks before taking military action if it fails. 0:40 The talks will focus on Iran's alleged nuclear weapons programme and the issue of uranium enrichment. Iran has been enriching to levels that can only be used for military purposes while claiming to do so for civilian reasons. Israel and America both believe Iran cannot be trusted to enrich uranium for any purposes. But if Iran can be persuaded to give up its enrichment programme and verifiably guarantee its nuclear project can only be used for civilian purposes, a deal might be possible. That is a big if. Iran has long defended its right to enrich uranium. Israel will need a lot of persuading to call off its military offensive and if President Trump remains unconvinced by the diplomacy too, escalation including US military action seems at this stage hard to avoid.