Rishi Sunak is grilled by UK public as pressure mounts – live

A Labour Party spokesperson mentioned on Monday night time: “Following new information about further comments made by Azhar Ali coming to light today, the Labour party has withdrawn its support for Azhar Ali as our candidate in the Rochdale by-election.

“Keir Starmer has changed Labour so that it is unrecognisible from the party of 2019.

“We understand that these are highly unusual circumstances but it is vital that any candidate put forward by Labour fully represents its aims and values.

“Given that nominations have now closed Azhar Ali cannot be replaced as the candidate.”

Labour will beat the Tories in probably the most 100 rural constituencies in England, based on a shock new ballot.

The ballot discovered Conservative assist had fallen by 25 factors because the 2019 election, with simply 34 per cent of voters within the 100 most rural constituencies in England saying they might vote for the get together.

The Conservatives at present maintain 96 of the 100 most rural seats, however now face shedding greater than half to Labour and the Lib Dems, together with these of senior Tories Jacob Rees-Mogg, Jeremy Hunt, Thérèse Coffey, Andrea Leadsom, Mel Stride, Mark Harper and Liam Fox.

Zoe Grunewald and Christopher McKeon report:

Rishi Sunak is set to be grilled by the UK public as pressure continues to mount on the prime minister in one of the crucial difficult weeks of his premiership.

Mr Sunak is dealing with questions from undecided and swing voters in County Durham through the People’s Forum occasion, which kicks off at 8pm on GB News.

It comes amid per week when the PM is enduring two tough by-elections, opposition to his Rwanda plan, and the discharge of official figures revealing whether or not the nation has slipped right into a recession.

Mr Ali had apologised after he was recorded suggesting in a gathering of the Lancashire Labour Party that Israel had taken the October 7 Hamas assault as a pretext to invade Gaza.

A celebration spokesperson mentioned: “Following new information about further comments made by Azhar Ali coming to light today, the Labour Party has withdrawn its support for Azhar Ali as our candidate in the Rochdale by-election.

Alexander Butler reports:

Conservative frontbencher Lord Stewart of Dirleton conceded some safeguards agreed in a treaty with Rwanda are not yet in place.

He told peers: “It’s a matter of working towards having these safeguards in place, and we have received assurances from the Government of Rwanda that the implementation of all measures in the treaty will be expedited.”

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Purvis of Tweed mentioned: “If the Rwandan government is working towards putting safeguards in place, that means that they are not currently in place. Is that correct?”

Lord Stewart mentioned: “Well, it must do.”

Political correspondent Archie Mitchell studies:

Home Office minister Lord Sharpe of Epsom advised friends: “Rwanda is a country that cares deeply about supporting refugees.

“It works already with the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and hosts more than 135,000 refugees and asylum seekers, and it stands ready to relocate people and help them rebuild their lives.”

He mentioned earlier in his remarks: “We consider that the terms of the treaty, which had been carefully agreed with the Government of Rwanda and will be binding in international law, to be sufficient to ensure that those relocated under the partnership will be offered safety and protection with no risk of refoulement.

“The Government has conducted its own assessment as to the safety of Rwanda… This evidence draws on a wide range of sources, in addition to the institutional expertise of the Home Office, the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, as experts on the bilateral relationship between the UK and Rwanda.”

He added: “The Home Office has reviewed a wide range of sources, including evidence from the UNHCR via an established process for assessing countries safety, this is therefore the most appropriate assessment on which to rely.

“It would not be right for our ability to deliver this policy, which is key to our commitment to stop the boats, to be left solely dependent on a further independent assessment by an external body like UNHCR.”

Labour’s Rochdale by-election candidate was not round for interviews on Monday – with no signal of exercise on the marketing campaign HQ within the city.

And MPs and senior Labour figures who final week backed Azhar Ali, have additionally not been out there for remark – although the get together is standing by their candidate.

Mr Ali, Labour’s candidate following the loss of life final month of sitting MP Sir Tony Lloyd, has apologised after a recording emerged of him in a gathering of the Lancashire Labour Party showing to counsel that Israel intentionally lowered its guard to make use of the Hamas terror assaults as a pretext to invade Gaza.

Parliament has heard it is “unbelievable” the Government needs to be reminded of the necessity to adjust to worldwide legislation.

Labour frontbencher Lord Coaker mentioned: “Whatever our view on the various amendments we are totally and fundamentally opposed to the whole Bill.”

He added: “Any Bill, any law that we pass of course should be compliant with international law.”

He went on: “I am astonished, astounded, I find it unbelievable that His Majesty’s Government has to be reminded of the fact that we want our Government to comply with international law.

“I would have thought that would have been a statement of the obvious.”

Responding, Home Office minister Lord Sharpe of Epsom mentioned: “The overriding purpose of this Bill is to ensure that Parliament’s sovereign view that Rwanda is a safe country is accepted and interpreted by the courts to prevent legal challenge, which seek to delay removals and prevent us from taking control of our borders.”

Human rights campaigner Lord Alton of Liverpool mentioned legislating that Rwanda is secure “doesn’t make it so”.

He mentioned: “Just saying that an apple is a pear doesn’t make it such. Saying a dog is a cat doesn’t make it such. It may be your opinion but it isn’t true.”

Green Party peer Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb mentioned: “I am arguing that this is an absurd Bill. It is nasty, it is inhumane and I don’t want any part of it.”

President of MigrationWatch UK, Lord Green of Deddington, mentioned: “The reality is that the Government has lost control of our borders.”

The unbiased crossbencher and former ambassador added: “And there is deep public anger I regret to say but there is. It seems to me, therefore, it’s for the Government to take action to bring all this under control and for us to give some advice as to how that could best be done.”

But former ambassador and crossbench peer Lord Kerr of Kinlochard mentioned: “In think we are dealing with a Bill which it is very hard to make acceptable.”