Portrait of the week: Assisted dying, Israel vs Iran and Zelensky's visit
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MPs voted by a majority of 23 – 314 to 291 – for the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, which says people in England and Wales may lawfully 'be provided with assistance to end their own life'. In the free vote, the Health Secretary voted against and the Prime Minister voted for. The bill now goes to the Lords.
'Iran never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and the US has taken action to alleviate that threat,' Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, said. Seven men were charged with grievous bodily harm after protestors outside the Iranian embassy in London were attacked. Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organisation after supporters got into Brize Norton airbase to damage two RAF Airbus Voyagers; but 500 supporters rallied in Trafalgar Square and seven were charged. In the seven days to 23 June, 1,855 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats. Pakistan refused to take back two convicted ringleaders of a Rochdale grooming gang after they tore up their passports and renounced Pakistani citizenship. England achieved an astonishing victory against India in the first Test at Headingley by successfully chasing 371 to win by five wickets with 13 overs to spare.
The King asked President Volodymyr Zelensky to lunch at Windsor before the Nato summit at The Hague. Sir Keir Starmer undertook to meet a new Nato target by spending 5 per cent of GDP on national security (including things like roads) by 2035. Britain is to buy 12 F-35A fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear bombs. More than 120 Labour MPs signed an amendment to scupper the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, but Sir Keir said: 'I intend to press ahead.' Britain will lose 16,500 millionaires this year, according to a report from Henley & Partners. Emma Gilthorpe, the fifth chief executive of Royal Mail in six years, resigned. River Island was to close 33 of its 230 shops. Government borrowing rose to £17.7 billion in May. A project by a team under Lord Foster of Thames Bank was chosen to commemorate the late Queen with a statue, a glass-sided bridge and another statue with the late Duke of Edinburgh, all in St James's Park.
Abroad
The United States bombed three nuclear sites in Iran – Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. At Fordow, built into a mountain, the 30,000lb GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) was used. Seven B2 stealth bombers each dropped two MOPs. In a television address, President Donald Trump of the United States said: 'Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace.' He added: 'I want to just thank everybody, and in particular, God.' But a leaked preliminary Pentagon assessment found that the bombs sealed the entrances of the nuclear facilities but did not collapse the underground buildings. Although Pete Hegseth, the US Defence Secretary, said the US bombing 'has not been about regime change', Mr Trump posted a remark: 'If the current Iranian Regime is unable to make Iran great again, why wouldn't there be a Regime change?' After the strikes, Israel bombed targets in Iran more fiercely than ever, striking the Fordow site and Evin prison. Iran launched more missiles, some targeting America's big Al Udeid airbase in Qatar, with little effect. Hours later Mr Trump announced a 'complete and total' ceasefire between Israel and Iran. But Iran fired another missile and Israel sent more bombers, provoking Mr Trump to exclaim: 'They don't know what the fuck they're doing.' Earlier Israel said it had assassinated three more Iranian military officials, including Saeed Izadi, described as one of the architects of the Hamas attacks on 7 October. Israel recovered the bodies of two civilians and a soldier held hostage in Gaza.
Sergei Tikhanovsky, the husband of the Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, was unexpectedly released from prison in Belarus after five years and reunited with his wife, in exile in Lithuania. Russian air strikes on southeastern Ukraine damaged schools, hospitals and a passenger train, killing 17. Switzerland cut interest rates to zero. Rafa Nadal, the tennis player, was made Marquess of Llevant de Mallorca by the King of Spain.
At least 22 people were killed and 63 wounded in a suicide bomb attack at the Greek Orthodox church of the Prophet Elias in Damascus. More than 200 armed Islamists on motorbikes attacked a Niger army base near the border with Mali, killing 34 soldiers. A man drove down the Spanish Steps in Rome but the car got stuck and had to be removed with a crane. CSH
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Western Telegraph
28 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Starmer seeking to quell revolt over welfare reform plan
Downing Street insiders said talks were taking place with Labour MPs about the legislation after 126 of them publicly backed a move to block the legislation. The first vote on the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill is due to take place on Tuesday and a concerted effort has been launched by ministers to win round potential rebels. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faces the most serious revolt of his premiership (Ben Stansall/PA) A No 10 source said: 'The broken welfare system is failing the most vulnerable and holding too many people back. 'It's fair and responsible to fix it. There is broad consensus across the party on this.' The source insisted the reforms were 'underpinned by… Labour values'. They said: 'Delivering fundamental change is not easy, and we all want to get it right, so of course we're talking to colleagues about the Bill and the changes it will bring, we want to start delivering this together on Tuesday.' Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said talks between backbenchers and the Government were 'ongoing' as six more Labour MPs added their names to the rebel amendment that would halt the legislation in its tracks. The reasoned amendment argues that disabled people have not been properly consulted and further scrutiny of the changes is needed. Angela Rayner sought to reassure backbenchers on Wednesday (Andrew Milligan/PA) The new signatories include the Commons Environmental Audit Select Committee chairman Toby Perkins, Stoke-on-Trent Central MP Gareth Snell, Newcastle upon Tyne MP Mary Glindon and Tamworth MP Sarah Edwards. North Ayrshire and Arran MP Irene Campbell and Colchester MP Pam Cox, both of whom won their seats in the party's 2024 landslide election victory, have also added their names. The new names take the total number of Labour backbenchers supporting the amendment, tabled by Treasury Select Committee chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier, to 126. The plans restrict eligibility for the personal independence payment (Pip), the main disability payment in England, and limit the sickness-related element of universal credit. The Government hopes the changes will get more people back into work and save up to £5 billion a year. Existing claimants will be given a 13-week phase-out period of financial support, a move seen as a bid to head off opposition by aiming to soften the impact of the changes. But the fact so many Labour MPs are prepared to put their names to the 'reasoned amendment' calling for a change of course shows how entrenched the opposition remains. To leave it until a few days before the vote, it's not a very good way of running the country Labour backbencher One backbencher preparing to vote against the Bill told the PA news agency: 'A lot of people have been saying they're upset about this for months. 'To leave it until a few days before the vote, it's not a very good way of running the country. 'It's not very grown-up.' They said that minor concessions would not be enough, warning: 'I don't think you can tinker with this. They need to go back to the drawing board.' The Daily Telegraph reported that potential concessions being considered include a commitment to speed up payment of support to help people back into work and offering assurances that reviews of policies in this area will be published. Meanwhile, The Times reported some MPs opposed to the plans had blamed Sir Keir's chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and suggested the time had come for 'regime change' in Downing Street. Other senior Labour figures outside Parliament, including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan, have publicly expressed their opposition to the plans. Meanwhile, the Tories seem unlikely to lend the Government their support, with leader Kemi Badenoch setting out conditions for doing so, including a commitment to rule out tax rises in the autumn budget and further cut to the benefits bill.
The Independent
33 minutes ago
- The Independent
Starmer prepares welfare concessions amid backlash over benefit cuts
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Evening Standard
36 minutes ago
- Evening Standard
Starmer seeking to quell revolt over welfare reform plan
They said: 'Delivering fundamental change is not easy, and we all want to get it right, so of course we're talking to colleagues about the Bill and the changes it will bring, we want to start delivering this together on Tuesday.'
