Rishi Sunak refuses to back James Cleverly on stopping all small boat crossings this year – latest

The authorities is below hearth for failing to commit to sending a minister to help Luke Littler within the darts world championship, Archie Mitchell studies.

MPs have piled stress on the Conservatives to rally behind the 16-year-old sensation for Tuesday night time’s semi-remaining match at Alexandra Palace.

Former enterprise secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg urged the federal government to ship a consultant to the “jolly event”, whereas the Liberal Democrats mentioned the game is “far more embedded in British culture” than the Conservatives realise.

Littler has stormed into the ultimate 4 and can face prime-10 seed Rob Cross on Tuesday.

But the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has failed to say whether or not a minister will attend the match, or the grand remaining on Wednesday if he makes it by way of, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Rishi Sunak has urged workers to test their payslips this month to be sure that they’ve had a National Insurance lower, Kate Devlin studies.

Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, unveiled the transfer within the Autumn Statement in November.

His announcement that it might take impact from January 6 led to hypothesis the federal government was planning a spring election.

But there have been issues that some employers may battle to deliver within the lower in in time.

Asked if the prime minister would advocate workers test their payslips this month, his official spokesman mentioned: “I think we would encourage that generally, to check that you are being paid what you are owed and that you are receiving any tax reductions.”

No job supply was made to Dominic Cummings throughout a gathering with Rishi Sunak, Downing Street has mentioned.

The former Vote Leave marketing campaign director beforehand claimed the prime minister had sought a “secret deal” with him in a bid to win subsequent year’s election.

The prime minister’s official spokesman mentioned a “private political discussion” had taken place, however Mr Cummings was not provided a job.

He mentioned: “It was a political meeting, I wouldn’t have any more details than that, I think they (special advisers) have been clear there wasn’t a job offer made.”

“This is a private political discussion, I think my political colleagues have made clear it was about politics and campaigning, I can only point you to that detail.

“Those sorts of discussions are not required to be disclosed, I think the only exception is for senior media executives.”

The authorities initially mentioned it had cleared all so-referred to as legacy asylum claims – counted as these submitted earlier than June 2022 – however figures revealed at present have confirmed that 4,500 of those instances are nonetheless to be processed.

Holly Bancroft and Kate Devlin report:

Rishi Sunak has refused to back his residence secretary’s goal to deliver the variety of small boats crossing the channel to zero this year, Kate Devlin studies.

No 10 mentioned the prime minister wouldn’t set a deadline to delivering his pledge to cease the boats.

Earlier James Cleverly was requested what his goal was for crossings this year and informed LBC Radio: “Well, my target is to bring it down to zero. I mean, I’m completely committed…”

Asked if he was referring particularly to 2024, he mentioned: “That’s my target. My target is to reduce it to zero, to stop the boats. And I’m unambiguous about that.”

The prime minister’s official spokesman mentioned the 2 males had been united in wanting to cease the crossings.

But he wouldn’t repeat Mr Cleverly’s goal.

Pushed on the 2024 goal, the spokesman mentioned the PM needed to “stop the boats as soon as possible” however he wouldn’t “set out a deadline”.

Downing Street denied that Mr Sunak was “wrong” when he tweeted this morning that the backlog has been cleared, Kate Devlin studies.

This morning the prime minister wrote: “I said that this government would clear the backlog of asylum decisions by the end of 2023. That’s exactly what we’ve done.”

But provisional figures from the Home Office present 4,537 asylum purposes within the legacy backlog nonetheless “awaiting an initial decision” as of December 28.

Asked if Mr Sunak was “wrong” No 10 mentioned: “No. As I said we’ve cleared that backlog. What that entails is processing 100,000 claims as we have done. As a result of that processing there is a small number, four and a half thousand, that require additional (work)”.

Rishi Sunak has been accused of telling a “barefaced lie” after claiming to have cleared the backlog of asylum candidates, Archie Mitchell studies.

The prime minister mentioned he had delivered on a promise to clear the backlog of asylum choices by the top of 2023.

“That’s exactly what we’ve done,” Mr Sunak mentioned. But the asylum backlog is now at 98,599, figures present.

Stephen Kinnock, Labour’s shadow immigration minister, mentioned: “The PM’s barefaced lie that he has cleared the asylum backlog would be laughable if it wasn’t such an insult to the public’s intelligence.

“Statistics published this morning by his own govt show there are still around 100,000 cases languishing in the Tories’ never-ending backlog.”

Rishi Sunak’s declare to have cleared the backlog of asylum seekers was hit by a reality test, Archie Mitchell studies.

The publish on X, by which the PM claimed he had delivered on a promise to clear the backlog of asylum choices by the top of 2023, has had a “community note” added.

The observe clarifies Mr Sunak’s tweet, saying: “The backlog has not been cleared.”

The asylum backlog is now at 98,599, figures present, and Labour has accused the PM of telling a “barefaced lie” over the declare.

Education secretary Gillian Keegan hopes the most important enlargement of free childcare in this nation’s historical past can have a transformative influence on the lives of working households

Read her full remark piece right here:

NHS Confederation chief Matthew Taylor has mentioned {that a} decision is extraordinarily unlikely as neither aspect is keen to budge from their place.