Senior London Labour MP backs further inquiries into growing claims over Rachel Reeves CV and banking expenses
A senior London Labour MP backed further inquiries into growing claims over Rachel Reeves CV, time in banking and expenses claims.Mitcham and Morden MP Dame Siobhain McDonagh believes such further probing is inevitable after a BBC investigation claimed there was at least an initial inquiry into the expenses of Ms Reeves and two other staff when she worked for Halifax Bank of Scotland.'There is no point not wanting it because it's going to happen,' Dame Siobhain told BBC Politics Live.But she added: 'I have known Rachel Reeves for a very long time and I would say that she is one of the most hard-working, honest politicians I have ever met in a long career.'She stressed: 'First of all we have to be sure about what happened with the expenses scandal.'As far as I'm aware she absolutely denies that she was approached by anybody about the expenses scandal.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Huckabee suggests Muslim countries should give up land for Palestinian state
The US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has suggested "Muslim countries" should give up some of their land to create a future Palestinian state. In an interview with the BBC, Huckabee said "Muslim countries have 644 times the amount of land that are controlled by Israel". "So maybe, if there is such a desire for the Palestinian state, there would be someone who would say, we'd like to host it," he said. The ambassador also called a two-state solution - a proposed formula for peace between Israel and the Palestinians that has generally received international backing, including from multiple US administrations - "an aspirational goal". The two-state solution envisages an independent Palestinian state in the occupied West Bank and in Gaza, with East Jerusalem as its capital. It would exist alongside Israel. In a separate interview with Bloomberg, Huckabee said the US was no longer pursuing the goal of an independent Palestinian state. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce later said the ambassador "speaks for himself", and it is the president who is responsible for US policy in the Middle East. Later this month at the United Nations in New York, French and Saudi diplomats will host a conference aimed at laying out a roadmap for an eventual Palestinian state. Although Huckabee did not say where any future Palestinian state could be located specifically or whether the US would support such an effort, he called the conference "ill-timed and inappropriate". "It's also something that is completely wrongheaded for European states to try to impose in the middle of a war," he said, arguing that it would result in Israel being "less secure". "At what point does it have to be in the same piece of real estate that Israel occupies?" he said on the BBC's Newshour programme. "I think that's a question that ought to be posed to everybody who's pushing for a two-state solution." Asked if the US position was that there could not be a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Huckabee said: "I wouldn't say there can never be, what I would say is that a culture would have to change. "Right now the culture is that it's OK to target Jews and kill them and you're rewarded for it. That has to change." Israel rejects a two-state solution. It says any final settlement must be the result of negotiations with the Palestinians, and statehood should not be a precondition. Huckabee has previously been a strong supporter of the idea of a "greater Israel", seeking permanent Israeli control of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and using the biblical term "Judea and Samaria" for the West Bank. Some of his language echoes positions frequently taken by ultranationalist groups in Israel. Some in this movement, including far-right ministers in the Israeli governing coalition, have argued for the expulsion of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank and Gaza, saying any future Palestinian state could exist in Arab or Muslim countries. If such a policy was enacted, rights groups and European governments say it would be a clear violation of international law. The ambassador also strongly criticised US allies for sanctioning two far-right Israeli ministers over "repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities" in the occupied West Bank. The sanctioning of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich was part of a joint move announced by the UK, Norway, Australia, Canada and New Zealand on Tuesday. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the Israeli officials had "incited extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights". The men were banned from entering the UK and will have any assets in the UK frozen. Israel registered strong objections to the move, and Huckabee called it a "shocking decision". "I have not yet heard a good reason for why these two elected ministers have been sanctioned by countries that ought to respect the country's sovereignty and recognise that they have not conducted any criminal activity," he said. The war in Gaza began after Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking around 251 others hostage. There are 56 hostages still being held by Hamas in Gaza, at least 20 of whom are believed to be alive. Since October 2023, at least 54,927 Palestinians have been killed, according to the territory's Hamas-run ministry of health. The UN estimates that more than a quarter of them are children. UK sanctions far-right Israeli ministers for 'inciting violence' against Palestinians Gaza health workers say four killed by Israeli gunfire near aid centre The unseen map that promised to bring peace to the Middle East
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Reeves to say spending review will reflect ‘priorities of working people'
Rachel Reeves will unveil her spending review on Wednesday, arguing that her priorities are 'the priorities of working people'. The Chancellor is expected to focus on 'Britain's renewal' as she sets out her spending plans for the coming years, with big increases for the NHS, defence and schools. Arguing that the Government is 'renewing Britain', she will acknowledge that 'too many people in too many parts of the country are yet to feel it'. She will say: 'This Government's task – my task – and the purpose of this spending review is to change that, to ensure that renewal is felt in people's everyday lives, their jobs, their communities.' Among the main announcements is expected to be a £30 billion increase in NHS funding, a rise of around 2.8% in real terms, along with an extra £4.5 billion for schools and a rise in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP. But Wednesday could present a tough prospect for other government as the Chancellor seeks to balance Labour's commitments on spending with her fiscal rules. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has already warned that any increase in NHS funding above 2.5% is likely to mean real-terms cuts for other departments, or further tax rises to come in the budget this autumn. This could mean a budgetary squeeze for areas such as local government, the justice system and the Home Office, despite reports that policing would receive an above-inflation settlement. The Chancellor has already insisted that her fiscal rules remain in place, along with Labour's manifesto commitment not to increase income tax, national insurance or VAT. She will say on Wednesday: 'I have made my choices. In place of chaos, I choose stability. In place of decline, I choose investment. In place of retreat, I choose national renewal. 'These are my choices. These are this Government's choices. These are the British people's choices.' Other announcements expected on Wednesday include £39 billion for social and affordable housing over the next decade as the Government aims to meet its target of building 1.5 million new homes by the next election. The Treasury said this would see annual investment in affordable housing rise to £4 billion by 2029/30, almost double the average of £2.3 billion between 2021 and 2026. The additional spending has been welcomed by homelessness charities, with Crisis calling it 'a determined political signal that housing really matters' and Shelter describing the move as 'a watershed moment in tackling the housing emergency'. The Chancellor has also already announced some £15.6 billion of spending on public transport in England's city regions, and £16.7 billion for nuclear power projects, the bulk of which will fund the new Sizewell C plant in Suffolk. There is also expected to be an extension of the £3 bus fare cap until March 2027 and an extra £445 million for upgrading Welsh railways. But one of the big losers from the spending review could be London, which is not expected to receive funding for any significant infrastructure projects or powers to introduce a tourist levy – both key requests from Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Final decision due on Porton Down science labs
A decision is finally expected on whether to move hundreds of government science jobs out of Wiltshire to Essex. The Health Security Agency at Porton Down researches how to tackle the world's most infectious diseases, and prepare the UK for future pandemics. Over the last 15 years plans have been worked up to relocate its 900 workers to new facilities in Harlow, but the estimated costs have spiralled - ministers expect a final decision in Wednesday's government spending review. The MP covering Porton Down - Conservative John Glen - said: "It's taken 10 years to still be in doubt whether this should still happen and the costs have gone up six-fold." The National Audit Office reported the cost of the whole project is estimated to be £3.2bn, a figure more than 500% higher than the initial forecast of £530m. When it was officially announced in 2015 that the labs would move to Harlow, Essex, the MP there at the time said he was pleased and it would "bring thousands of jobs". Speaking to the BBC this week, Mr Glen said the new build would be "dressed up" as a world-class hub. "But Porton Down already is world-class," he said. "We've already got the world's best scientists doing amazing collaborative work." More news stories for Wiltshire Listen to the latest news for Wiltshire He added staff get paid to do work for other countries, including the US, and when unions asked workers there several years ago, most did not want to move. He said: "There's an established pattern of activity there. We do need more investment but not the extent of building and refurbishing an unsuitable lab in Harlow." Scientific work has been going on at Porton Down for 100 years, but much the infrastructure is old. However, Mr Glen said there had been "additional investment" because of the Covid-19 pandemic, so the government needs to "be realistic". "This is an opportunity to save money, to reverse George Osborne's ambitious decision but still invest in science and an established rhythm of work," he said. No construction work has started at the Harlow site, which is being maintained by staff to keep it secure. The government said it had been considering options and whether building a new facility is still viable. It estimates if the Harlow centre is built, it will not open before 2036 - some 15 years behind schedule. When Health Secretary Wes Streeting was asked about the possible move in March, he said: "[This] has been running around the system so long that it is now used in a case study for senior civil servant recruitment," he said. "The worst decision is indecision. "It has plagued us for too long and I hope we can soon report back to the house with a decision on that for everyone's benefit." Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Deadly pathogen research hub remains unbuilt despite £400m spend Work paused on dangerous pathogens research facility Site purchase promises thousands of jobs Public Health lab move confirmed Can this laboratory help stop the next pandemic?
