
Tickets go live for Electoral Dysfunction live show in London
Get ready for an unforgettable evening with Sky News' chart-topping weekly politics podcast Electoral Dysfunction as it hosts a special live show at the prestigious Cadogan Hall in London on Tuesday 20 May.
Following a series of sold-out performances across the UK last September, featuring high-profile guests including government minister Jess Phillips and former politician Michael Gove, this one-off event promises to be a highlight of the political calendar.
The podcast, fronted by Sky News' political editor Beth Rigby, former deputy leader of the Labour Party Harriet Harman, and former leader of the Scottish Conservatives Ruth Davidson, has had nearly five million downloads since its launch in 2024.
On 20 May, join the trio... and special guests... for a behind-the-scenes look at government workings, with sharp dissections of the latest spin from Westminster and beyond.
Expect plenty of live discussions and insights into significant political moments in the UK and globally in 2025, including the ongoing rollercoaster of global trade tariffs. The team will analyse which politicians are thriving and which are at risk of facing an electoral dysfunction.
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The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Labour splits over assisted dying debate heat up ahead of crucial vote
Kim Leadbeater has been warned by a Labour colleague that an article she promoted on assisted dying has only served to sway undecided MPs against her end of life legislation. The shot across the bows from former political journalist-turned Labour Rochdale Paul Waugh has come just days ahead of the final stages in the Commons of Ms Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill. Ms Leadbeater had tweeted and quoted an article by Sharnee Rawson in The Guardian highlighting how her grandparents in Australia ended their lives together not long after their 70th wedding anniversary. Ms Leadbeater pulled out the touching quote: 'When they chose to die together, my grandparents wrote the final chapter of a love story spanning 70 years.' But in a warning Mr Waugh responded: 'I have the utmost sympathy for this family. But this article is precisely why more MPs are turning against the Assisted Dying Bill. Neither of the couple involved appears to have had a terminal illness, yet their deaths went ahead despite 'strict' eligibility rules.' He went on: 'The piece even spells out that the implementation of the rules was far from strict: 'It was unclear whether the spinal condition would qualify as a terminal illness.' He added: 'I voted against the UK bill at 2nd reading and will certainly do so again at 3rd reading.' Ms Leadbeater retorted to the criticism online by highlighting the strict legal criteria in Australia for end of life assistance. 'The criteria in New South Wales are quite clear,' she said. Since Ms Leadbeater won a majority of 55 for her bill at second reading last November a series of heated arguments at committee stage have seen support dwindling. At least 12 MPs who backed her previously or abstained now plan to vote against it. Concerns have been raised over Ms Leadbeater's decision to move proposals away from a judge making the final decision in court towards leaving the job to an expert panel. Ms Leadbeater argues this strengthens the process, but critics have claimed it makes coercion more likely. If it clears the Commons, there is a threat that the bill could clog up business in the Lords with strong opposition from peers, including cross bench former Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson. The row comes amid concerns that attempts to decriminalise abortion beyond the legal limit of 28 weeks will also become a distraction for the government, with divisions among the parliamentary party. The Independent has learned of plans to derail the government's Crime and Policing Bill in the Lords if amendments by Labour MPs Stella Creasy and Tonia Antoniazzi decriminalising late abortions are passed. Already, there are expected to be splits within Labour in the Commons and what is a 'conscience vote' even though it is attached to government legislation with York Central Labour MP Rachael Maskell at the forefront of arguing against the move. But a peer has told The Independent that a cross party group in the Lords are 'ready to play ping pong' with a crucial government bill over the issue. 'There will be attempts to move criminal responsibility to providers instead of women and other moves which will be difficult for the government,' a source said. 'There will be new attempts to control home abortion pill provision as well. It will be opening a can of worms. 'Because this [abortion reform] was not in the manifesto we can hold up the bill without the government being able to use the Parliament to bypass the Lords.' It is understood that opponents have been boosted by some polling last week by Whitestone Insight. Asked if 'having an illegal abortion should continue to be a criminal offence to protect both the unborn and vulnerable women who could be coerced into losing a baby they may have wanted, for example by an abusive partner', more than six in 10 (62 per cent) agreed, while less than one in five (17 per cent) disagreed. A similar number (64 per cent) agreed with the statement that 'abortion is a matter of life and death and it is therefore appropriate that the criminal law provides a clear boundary to protect everyone involved'. Just 14 per cent of those surveyed disagreed. The poll of more than 2,000 members of the public, commissioned by the pro-life group SPUC.


Telegraph
5 hours ago
- Telegraph
Labour ‘abandons' manifesto pledge to hire more teachers
Labour has been accused of abandoning its flagship manifesto pledge to recruit 6,500 new teachers. In its pitch for the 2024 election, the party vowed to enlist 6,500 extra teachers in key subjects to tackle shortages across the country. The Government has since claimed it is on the right track, pointing to more than 2,000 new teachers recruited last year. But it has now admitted that it is not counting primary school teachers towards the target, shortly after it emerged their numbers have fallen by nearly 3,000. The revelations, first reported by TES, the specialist education magazine, have led to claims that Labour is fiddling the figures to inflate its achievements. In a statement on Thursday, the Department for Education (DfE) said there are now '2,346 more teachers in secondary and special schools in England compared to last year, as Government makes progress on its additional 6,500 teacher target '. However, the overall number of teachers in state-funded schools in England fell in 2024-25. This is because the primary school total has dropped by about 2,900, while the number of secondary and special school teachers, as well as those working in pupil referral units, has gone up by about 2,350. The DfE has since confirmed to TES that primary teachers will not count towards the 6,500 target. Outrage from Tories It has sparked outrage from the Tories, who accused Labour of abandoning one of their central manifesto pledges. Neil O'Brien, the shadow education minister, told The Telegraph: 'Labour have abandoned not just their main education pledge but one of their main promises in their whole election manifesto. 'And everyone knows why they have dropped it. The statistics show the number of teachers overall is down under Labour. 'Falling teacher numbers are driven by a particularly sharp fall of 2,900 fewer primary school teachers under Labour. So now they are suddenly saying that primary school teachers don't count, which is so rude to primary teachers.' The drive to recruit 6,500 teachers was supposed to be funded by Labour's VAT raid on private schools. But questions have been raised about the amount of cash the change will raise, with Treasury analysis suggesting it could actually require the Government to spend an extra £650 million per year. In March, the National Foundation for Educational Research found teacher vacancies in England were at their highest rate since records began. 'They broke both promises' Mr O'Brien added: 'They promised that taxing independent schools would pay for more state school teachers and also promised they would compensate schools for the national insurance tax increase. 'They broke both those promises and now children are losing out as a result, and their response is to try to fiddle the figures. It's pathetic.' Damian Hinds, the former education secretary, also suggested that the DfE had been dishonest about the target. Last year, the Tory MP tabled a parliamentary question asking which phases of education would count towards the goal. In response, Catherine McKinnell, the education minister, said: 'This Government will work with the sector to deliver its pledge to recruit 6,500 additional teachers across schools and colleges over the course of this parliament to raise standards for children and young people and deliver the Government's mission to break down the barriers to opportunity at every stage.' Mr Hinds posted on X: 'In a written question I asked ministers specifically 'which phases of education count towards the 6,500 target of new expert teachers'. 'The answer says 'across schools and colleges' and does not say 'except primary'.' The DfE has been approached for comment.


South Wales Guardian
8 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Minister says AI ‘does lie' but defends Government amid copyright row
Peter Kyle acknowledged the technology was 'not flawless' as he insisted the Government would 'never sell downstream' the rights of artists in the UK. He also said he had 'mistakenly' said his preferred option on AI and copyright was requiring rights-holders to 'opt out' of their material being used by tech companies, and had since 'gone back to the drawing board'. Ministers have faced a backlash from major figures in the creative industries over their approach to copyright, with Sir Elton John this week describing the situation as an 'existential issue.' The Government is locked in a standoff with the House of Lords, which has demanded artists to be offered immediate copyright protection as an amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill. Peers have attempted to change the legislation by adding a commitment to introduce transparency requirements aimed at ensuring rights-holders are able to see when their work has been used and by whom. Asked about the risk of AI producing unreliable information, Mr Kyle said 'people need to understand that AI is not flawless, and that AI does lie because it's based on human characteristics'. 'Now it is getting more precise as we move forward. It's getting more powerful as we move forward,' he told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips. 'But as with every single technology that comes into society, you can only safely use it and wisely use it by understanding how it works.' He added: 'We are going to legislate for AI going forward and we're going to balance it with the same legislation that we'll bring in to modernise the copyright legislation as well.' The Government has said it will address copyright issues as a whole after the more than 11,500 responses to its consultation on the impact of AI have been reviewed, rather than in what it has branded 'piecemeal' legislation. Among the proposals had been a suggestion that tech companies could be given free access to British music, films, books in order to train AI models without permission or payment, with artists required to 'opt-out' if they do not want their work to be used. Asked about the prospect of an opt-out clause, Mr Kyle told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'I always had on the table from the outset an opt-out clause. 'But I mistakenly said this was my preferred option that had more prominence than perhaps some of the creatives wanted it to have, and I've now sort of gone back to the drawing board on that, because I am listening to what people want.' Last month hundreds of stars including Sir Elton, Sir Paul McCartney and Kate Bush signed a joint letter to Sir Keir Starmer urging the Prime Minister to introduce safeguards against work being plundered for free.