Politics LIVE: Farage slams silent Starmer after PM ‘ignores’ Reform UK’s immigration demands – ‘Does he care?’
Nigel Farage has hit out at Sir Keir Starmer after he claimed the Prime Minister ignored Reform UK’s immigration demands.
In an open letter published on November 1, Farage, alongside the other four Reform MPs, called for the release of a selection of immigration data, accusing the Government of information being “withheld or deliberately concealed” from the public.
The MPs have demanded that Labour make public data on tax, welfare claims, arrest and sentencing rates and asylum hotel costs.
The letter said: “According to the national polls, the British people consider immigration to be one of the most important issues facing the country.
“The overwhelming majority of ordinary people want to end the deliberate policy of mass, uncontrolled legal immigration and regain control over illegal immigration.
“This is causing a national crisis, with public trust in politics and the system collapsing… While other Governments across Europe are collecting and making more data available on the impact of immigration, Government departments in the UK appear to be publishing less. Why is this?”
Now, the Clacton MP has claimed that Keir Starmer has not responded to the letter. Farage wrote on social media: “We are yet to receive a response to this letter from Keir Starmer.
“Does he care about the concerns of the British people?”
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Assisted dying Bill will say terminally ill can take their own life in three weeks
The assisted dying Bill will tell terminally-ill people that they could be allowed to kill themselves in three weeks. The legislation will require two independent doctors to determine whether the person satisfies the criteria to take their own life.
A judge will then have to take evidence from at least one of the doctors, and could question the terminally-ill person themselves, before deciding whether they should be allowed to self-administer the fatal medication.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, from Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, is due to be published on Tuesday and is likely to run to more than 40 pages.
Leadbeater has said the draft assisted dying laws will feature the “strictest protections” against coercion anywhere in the world. Sir Keir Starmer was asked if he was going to vote in favour of the legislation and whether he had any concerns about potential coercion or issues raised by disability charities.
The Prime Minister said: “Look, it’s going to be a free vote and I mean that. It will be for every MP to decide for themselves how they want to vote. I’m not going to be putting any pressure whatsoever on Labour MPs. They will make their own mind up, as I will be.
“Obviously a lot will depend on the detail and we need to get the balance right but I’ve always argued there will need to be proper safeguards in place.”
Starmer will not be “telling people how to live their lives” over emissions reduction target
Sir Keir Starmer says he will not be “telling people how to live their lives” as part of plans to reach the UK’s new emissions reduction target.
The Prime Minister will set the emissions goal out at Cop29 later on Tuesday but it has been reported that the UK will pledge to reduce its emissions by 81per cent compared with 1990 levels by 2035, a goal in line with the recommendation of the Climate Change Committee.
Speaking to reporters in Baku, he said: “I’ll set out our goal later on today, but look, it will be ambitious, and that’s measured not by telling people what to do…It’s measured by making sure that we get to clean power by 2030 – that’s the single most important target on the way to the emissions.
“And that will bring with it lower bills for people, for their energy it’ll give them independence, so that tyrants like (Vladimir) Putin can’t put his boot on our throat, causing all sorts of difficulties for our energy bills.”