Jeremy Corbyn confirms he is setting up new political party with Zarah Sultana – as it happened

Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed he is setting up a new political party with former Labour MP Zarah Sultana, vowing to “build a democratic movement that can take on the rich and powerful - and win”. In a post on X, the former Labour leader said he was founding the new party, which is being referred to currently as Your Party, to tackle injustices. Corbyn indicated that the inaugural conference for the new party he is launching will “hopefully” take place in the coming months. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Corbyn said: “That will hopefully be mid-autumn time, but we haven’t fixed the date for that yet.” Keir Starmer described the signing of a trade agreement between Britain and India as a “historic day”. As the prime minister met with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at the country estate Chequers, Starmer said they had agreed in autumn to make a “step change” in the two countries’ relationship. Starmer said the UK-India agreement was “the biggest and most economically significant” trade deal Britain has made since Brexit. The prime minister said: “Look, we both know this is the biggest and most economically significant trade deal that the UK has made since leaving the EU.” Indian prime minister Narendra Modi said the UK-India trade deal was a “blueprint for our shared prosperity”. He said: “Today marks a historic day in our bilateral relations. I am pleased to note that after many years of hard work, the comprehensive economic and trade agreement between our two countries has been concluded today.” Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has called for the Royal Air Force to carry out airdrops of aid into Gaza. “Aid delivered by the air is no substitute for the reopening of supply routes by land,” he said. Dozens of former UK ambassadors and diplomats have piled pressure on Keir Starmer to recognise a Palestinian state amid growing international revulsion at the harrowing scenes in Gaza. Their letter to the prime minister came as the archbishop of York condemned the dehumanisation of people in Gaza as “depraved” and “barbaric”. Keir Starmer’s government is “deeply committed” to recognising a Palestinian state, cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds said. The business secretary stressed that such a move would have to be meaningful and come as part of a “genuine move towards a two-state solution and a long-term peace settlement” with Israel. The police and government are ready to respond if violent protests over the asylum system spread following events in Epping, a cabinet minister has said. Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said he could understand people’s frustrations at hotels being used to house asylum seekers but insisted that had come down from around 400 hotels to “just over 200”. Young people could be automatically enrolled on the voting register under plans being explored by the government, a minister tells parliament. Labour former minister Lord Beamish argued in the Lords that “the only way we’re going to get young people and other people on the registry is auto-enrolment”. MPs have called on ministers to introduce long-awaited rules aimed at removing products from UK shelves that have been farmed on land where trees were cut down. The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) wrote to environment secretary Steve Reed calling for urgent action to tackle the issue in supply chains, PA reported. Reform UK footed the bill for a £350 bottle of champagne at a luxury lunch and a £989-a-night hotel with hundreds of pounds in room service, its election campaign spending data shows. Receipts submitted to the Electoral Commission show instances of high spending at top London venues in the first half of last year. The biggest rail workers’ union has warned that raising the state pension age would be met with protests and direct action. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union said a government review had sparked fears of a big increase in the pension age. Around one in 10 people aged 16 and over in England and Wales were victims of at least one of the crime types of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking in the year to March, new estimates suggest. The figure is closer to one in eight for women, while for men it is slightly lower at about one in 12. Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds blamed Donald Trump’s tariffs and competition from China for the slump in vehicle manufacturing. He told BBC Breakfast he was “very concerned” about the industry, which he described as the “jewel in the crown” of British manufacturing. Donald Trump will receive a “warm welcome” from the UK government when he touches down in Scotland on Friday, Scottish secretary Ian Murray has said. The US president is expected to visit both his golf clubs north of the border - in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire - during the four-day visit. The Labour government needs to ramp up the creation of green jobs or risk workers being tempted to vote for parties opposing the shift to net zero, two major unions have said. The GMB and Prospect, who between them represent tens of thousands of energy workers, said there needs to be more of a focus on increasing green jobs as the fossil fuel industry is increasingly phased out. Kemi Badenoch has said she aspires to become Britain’s version of Javier Milei, the Argentinian far-right, chainsaw-wielding president whose driving mission is slashing the size of the state. Asked whether the UK needed its own Milei and whether she herself fit that role, Badenoch, whose party is languishing in third place in the polls, said: “Yes and yes.” MPs have called on ministers to introduce long-awaited rules aimed at removing products from UK shelves that have been farmed on land where trees were cut down. The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) wrote to environment secretary Steve Reed calling for urgent action to tackle the issue in supply chains, PA reported. Under the previous government’s proposals, businesses will be prohibited from using or selling goods containing palm oil, cocoa, beef, leather and soy linked to deforestation. This due diligence system was part of the 2021 Environment Act but ministers are yet to bring forward the necessary secondary legislation or set a timetable for when they will do so. EAC chairman Toby Perkins asked Reed to set out a specific date for introducing the legislation “ideally before the New Year” so that the rules can be in place for the new financial year in April. The letter said: “Delays in bringing forward this legislation makes the Cop15 agreement to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, and the UK’s commitment to ending deforestation and forest degradation by 2030, harder to achieve. “However, it also leaves businesses with uncertainty and will leave them with less time to prepare and comply with the regime. “On 2 June, in your response to the Committee, you recognised the urgency of taking action to ensure forest risk commodities are not driving deforestation and stated you would set out the Government approach in due course.” Several British supermarkets recently warned that they are in “limbo” waiting for the government to introduce the new rules. The former Labour leader also insisted that he and Zarah Sultana are “working very well together” after confusion over who would lead their new party. Asked why it was him alone doing broadcast media to launch the party and where Sultana was, Corbyn said: “We’re working absolutely together on this. “She happens to be, as far as I know at this moment in Coventry. “I was in touch with her just a few moments ago. So it’s all fine. We’re working very well together, all of us. Jeremy Corbyn has said that he wants the name of a new political party he is helming to be “inclusive” and “bring people in”. Asked what the new party he was establishing would be called, the ex-Labour leader said: “It’s your party. We’re going to decide when we’ve had all the responses, and so far the response rate has been massive. “They’ve been coming in at 500 a minute wanting to support and join the new party.” He added: “I want it to be something that inclusive, effective to mobilise people and bring people in.” Corbyn also denied the launch of his new party had been “messy” and said it had adopted a “totally coherent approach”. It was put to him that the party “looked a bit messy”, to which the former Labour leader said: “It’s not messy at all. It’s a totally coherent approach. “It’s democratic, it’s grassroots and it’s open.” Jeremy Corbyn has indicated that the inaugural conference for the new party he is launching will “hopefully” take place in the coming months. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Corbyn said: “That will hopefully be mid-autumn time, but we haven’t fixed the date for that yet.” “We want obviously to take soundings from those people that are signing up on the website,” Corbyn said and suggested that there are other people who “will want to be brought on board as well”. Jeremy Corbyn said his party was offering an alternative to Reform UK’s “dangerously divisive” politics. Asked whether he believed his new party could do on the left what Reform had on the right, he said: “Reform only offer a message of division and blame. “All they do is say that every social problem in our society is somehow or other the fault of extremely vulnerable minorities. They are a dangerously divisive sort of force in our society. “What we’re offering instead is to bring people together so we collectively face the issues of poverty, the issues about bad housing, the issues of underfunded education, so we face those issues together. “Reform are a road to danger, not a road to any improvement in people’s lives.” Asked how he could convince people the new project would not simply be a rehash of Corbyn-era Labour, he said: “The Labour party is a very top-down, highly centralised party that is full of control freaks who want to control whatever goes on within the party.” He added: “This is going to be community-led, community-based, grassroot-led, this is going to be very different, and you know what? It’s going to be fun.” Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has called for the Royal Air Force to carry out airdrops of aid into Gaza. “Aid delivered by the air is no substitute for the reopening of supply routes by land,” he said. “But the extent of the humanitarian catastrophe we are now witnessing requires us to leave no stone unturned in our efforts to get aid to Gazans.” Young people could be automatically enrolled on the voting register under plans being explored by the government, a minister tells parliament. Labour former minister Lord Beamish argued in the Lords that “the only way we’re going to get young people and other people on the registry is auto-enrolment”. Responding, communities minister Lord Khan of Burnley says the government would “take steps to move towards” this, but adds that electoral law is “complicated”. We intend to actively explore and test new and more automated methods of registration, including better use of data to identify people who are eligible, and integration with other government services to make it easier for people to register. The minister also reveals the government is “looking at” placing 16 and 17-year-olds on the electoral register at the same time they are given their national insurance numbers. This comes in response to Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard, who asks: Will the government now implement the unanimous cross-party recommendation of the House of Lords select committee and automatically include 16 and 17-year-olds on the electoral registers at the same time as they are given their national insurance numbers? Lord Khan replies: This is a major change in the electoral franchise, and we need to get it right. Changes to the electoral law of this magnitude require careful planning and should not be rushed. On the question in relation to national insurance, we are looking at different options for ensuring young people can be easily and accurately registered to vote, and ways to enable people to register when they interact with other government services. So the (Lord Rennard) keeps pushing. I’m going to give (Lord Rennard) good news ... to say we are looking at that as well. Adnan Hussain, the independent MP for Blackburn who was elected last summer, appeared to give his backing to the project, posting an image of Corbyn and Sultana’s statement online, adding: “Let’s do this”. A Labour source has said: “The electorate has twice given its verdict on a Jeremy Corbyn-led party.” The launch of Corbyn and Sultana’s new party has been bumpy. Sultana said they were joining forces earlier this month, but the former Labour leader appeared unready to announce the move. And now there appears to be no agreement on the party’s name. The movement has the website yourparty.uk, with a welcome message saying “this is your party” - but Sultana has said: “It’s not called Your Party.” Reform UK footed the bill for a £350 bottle of champagne at a luxury lunch and a £989-a-night hotel with hundreds of pounds in room service, its election campaign spending data shows. Receipts submitted to the Electoral Commission show instances of high spending at top London venues in the first half of last year. During one £1,703 lunch at the Shard restaurant in May last year, about four diners enjoyed set-course meals, the £352 magnum of champagne, another £155 bottle of Veuve Clicquot, three “girl in a glass” cocktails at £19.50 each, two £18 wines, a £24 gin and tonic, and an 18-year-old Glenfiddich whisky at £31. In another £1,367 bill from June 2024, Reform paid for a single night’s £989 stay at Sea Containers, a hotel on London’s South Bank, plus £99 on “dinner liquor” and £205 on room service and the minibar. Asked whether members would be happy for their subscriptions to be spent on such luxury items, party sources said the expenses were not incurred by Farage, his chair David Bull, or any other senior party figures, but were racked up by someone who has now left the party. Dozens of former UK ambassadors and diplomats have piled pressure on Keir Starmer to recognise a Palestinian state amid growing international revulsion at the harrowing scenes in Gaza. Their letter to the prime minister came as the archbishop of York condemned the dehumanisation of people in Gaza as “depraved” and “barbaric”. It was “a stain on the conscience of the international community”, and Israel’s “war of aggression” was a “grave sin”, said Stephen Cottrell, the de facto leader of the Church of England. The strength of the language used by Cottrell is a reflection of rapidly shifting opinion as images emerge from Gaza of starving children and accounts of civilians being killed as they try to secure food for their families. In Starmer’s cabinet, there has been a growing sense of horror and despair in recent weeks over Israel’s actions and the scenes in Gaza. This week, Wes Streeting, the health secretary, publicly called for recognition while there was “still a state of Palestine left to recognise” and condemned Israeli actions that went “well beyond legitimate self-defence”. On Wednesday, Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, urged the UK government to recognise a Palestinian state immediately, saying the scenes in Gaza were “absolutely harrowing”. Jeremy Corbyn has confirmed he is setting up a new political party with former Labour MP Zarah Sultana, vowing to “build a democratic movement that can take on the rich and powerful - and win”. In a post on X, the former Labour leader said he was founding the new party, which is being referred to currently as Your Party, to tackle injustices. A joint statement from him and Sultana said: The system is rigged. The system is rigged when 4.5 million children live in poverty in the sixth richest country in the world. The system is rigged when giant corporations make a fortune from rising bills. The system is rigged when this government says there is no money for the poor, but billions for war. We cannot accept these injustices – and neither should you. We will only fix the crises in our society with a mass redistribution of wealth and power. That means taxing the very richest in our society. That means an NHS free from privatisation and bringing energy, water, rail and mail into public ownership. That means investing in a massive council-house building programme. That means standing up to fossil fuel giants putting their profits before our planet. Meanwhile, millions of people are horrified by the government’s complicity in crimes against humanity. Now, more than ever, we must defend the right to protest against genocide. We believe in the radical idea that all human life has equal value. That is why we will keep demanding an end to all arms sales to Israel, and for the only path to peace: a free and independent Palestine. Our movement is made up of people of all faiths and none. The great dividers want you to think that the problems in our society are caused by migrants or refugees. They’re not. They are caused by an economic system that protects the interests of corporations and billionaires. It is ordinary people who create the wealth – and it is ordinary people who have the power to put it back where it belongs. It’s time for a new kind of political party. One that is rooted in our communities, trade unions and social movements. One that builds power in all regions and nations. One that belongs to you. He added that there will be an inaugural conference following the “founding process” and the party’s website is already taking donations. Narendra Modi said the UK and India are “united in the belief that there is no place for double standards in the fight against terrorism”, as he thanked Keir Starmer for “strong condemnation of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam”. The Indian prime minister said: “Friends, we thank the Prime Minister and his government for strong condemnation of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. “We are united in the belief that there is no place for double standard in the fight against terrorism. “We also agree that the forces which espouse extremist ideologies should not be allowed to misuse democratic freedoms. “Those who misuse democratic freedoms to undermine democracy itself must be held to account. “Our security agencies will continue to enhance cooperation and coordination on matters such as the extradition of economic offenders.” Indian prime minister Narendra Modi said the UK-India trade deal was a “blueprint for our shared prosperity”. He said: “Today marks a historic day in our bilateral relations. I am pleased to note that after many years of hard work, the comprehensive economic and trade agreement between our two countries has been concluded today.” He added: “[It] is also a blueprint for our shared prosperity. On the one hand, Indian textiles, footwear, gems and jewellery, seafood, engineering goods will get better market access in the UK... “On the other hand, people and industries in India will be able to access products made in the UK, such as medical devices and aerospace parts, at affordable and attractive prices.” The Indian prime minister thanked Keir Starmer for his “warm welcome and gracious hospitality.” The trade deal is not the “extent or the limit” of Britain’s co-operation with India, Keir Starmer said. The prime minister said: “This is not the extent or the limit of our collaboration with India. “We have unique bonds of history, of family and of culture, and we want to strengthen our relationship further, so that it is even more ambitious, modern and focused on the long term.” He said the so-called India-UK Vision 2035 strategy, launched alongside the deal, sets out how the countries will work more closely on areas such as defence, migration, climate and health. Britain has been seeking a trade deal with India for many years “but it is this government that got it done”, Keir Starmer said. The prime minister said: The UK has been negotiating a deal like this for many years, but it is this government that got it done, and with it, we’re sending a very powerful message that Britain is open for business, and that is already generating huge confidence. Keir Starmer said the UK-India agreement was “the biggest and most economically significant” trade deal Britain has made since Brexit. The prime minister said: “Look, we both know this is the biggest and most economically significant trade deal that the UK has made since leaving the EU. “And I think I can say that it’s one of the most comprehensive deals that India has ever done. “So thank you, prime minister, for your leadership and for your pragmatism.” Keir Starmer hailed the UK-India deal as a “landmark moment” for both countries. Speaking alongside his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, the prime minister said: “Prime minister Modi, it is a pleasure to welcome you to Chequers. “This is a historic day, a landmark moment for both of our countries. “The UK-India deal is now signed, sealed and ready to be delivered , so it’s a real pleasure to welcome you.” Prof Tim Briggs, the NHS England national director for clinical improvement and elective recovery, has criticised the strike by resident doctors which starts on Friday. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said: As doctors, we are slightly different from other groups in that, yes, we have the right to strike, but we also have to make sure that we put the patient right at the centre of absolutely everything we do, and we must never harm patients. This strike will harm patients, and for me, that is not acceptable. When I speak to resident doctors, it’s not about the core pay. It’s about the non-pay, about their rotas of selection, the bottleneck and training, how they fund their courses, how they fund their exams and medical equipment. And there has been a commitment by the secretary of state and the government to look at that in a very sympathetic way because they believe they can help that and smooth that pathway. So I can’t understand how we are in this position from the BMA. He added: If you look at the last 12 months, due to the hard work of all the 1.3 million NHS staff, we’ve started to make real inroads into elective recovery, and we must not lose that. This time, we will be covering the emergency services and we will be doing as much of elective cares as we can, and that is absolutely the right thing to do. Keir Starmer described the signing of a trade agreement between Britain and India as a “historic day”. As the prime minister met with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at the country estate Chequers, Starmer said they had agreed in autumn to make a “step change” in the two countries’ relationship. He added: “So I’m really pleased and privileged to welcome you here today on what I consider to be a historic day for both of our countries, and the delivery of the commitment that we made to each other.” Modi, speaking via a translator, described the UK and India as “natural partners” and said the nations were “writing a new chapter” in a shared history. Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds and his Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal then formally signed the trade agreement in the great hall of Chequers. Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds blamed Donald Trump’s tariffs and competition from China for the slump in vehicle manufacturing. He told BBC Breakfast he was “very concerned” about the industry, which he described as the “jewel in the crown” of British manufacturing. British car output fell 7.3% in the first six months of the year, while van and other commercial vehicle production plummeted by 45.4%, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Reynolds said: I’m very concerned about automotive, the pressures on the system which come from the US trade agenda, but also an incredible increase in capacity from China. It’s why as a government we’ve adopted so many measures specifically around the automotive sector. So that’s everything from the industrial strategy, which reduces the energy costs for British automotive factories making vehicles - cars, vans and buses. It’s also why we changed the regulation that we inherited from the previous government on the transition to electric vehicles, why we negotiated the automotive quota with the US - a key market for us in that regard - and also why we’ve just announced an incentive program for... electric vehicles made in the UK, which will bring the cost down for British consumers. The biggest rail workers’ union has warned that raising the state pension age would be met with protests and direct action. The Rail, Maritime and Transport union said a government review had sparked fears of a big increase in the pension age. RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said: The UK state pension is already one of the worst in the entire developed world, which is a direct result of decades of governments transferring both our national and personal wealth to the super rich. Any decision to squeeze more out of working people by forcing us to work even longer would be a national disgrace. Around one in 10 people aged 16 and over in England and Wales were victims of at least one of the crime types of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking in the year to March, new estimates suggest. The figure is closer to one in eight for women, while for men it is slightly lower at about one in 12. It is the first time an estimate has been made of the combined prevalence of domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking. The figures have been published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) using data collected as part of the Crime Survey for England and Wales. Donald Trump will receive a “warm welcome” from the UK government when he touches down in Scotland on Friday, Scottish secretary Ian Murray has said. The US president is expected to visit both his golf clubs north of the border - in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire - during the four-day visit. The PA news agency understands Murray is expected to meet Trump as his plane arrives in Scotland. The president is also expected to meet prime minister Keir Starmer and Scottish first minister John Swinney. The Scottish secretary told BBC Radio Scotland the UK will extend a “warm welcome” to the president, given the historic ties between the two countries. Keir Starmer’s government is “deeply committed” to recognising a Palestinian state, cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds said. The business secretary stressed that such a move would have to be meaningful and come as part of a “genuine move towards a two-state solution and a long-term peace settlement” with Israel. The prime minister is under increasing pressure to fulfil Labour’s promise to recognise Palestine. Reynolds told LBC Radio: We are deeply committed to the recognition of Palestine as a state, that was part of our manifesto, but obviously we want that to be meaningful. Now, at the minute, there is not a Palestinian state there. There is not political agreement between the two principal Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza. We have taken other steps in relation to the intolerable situation in Gaza. We’ve obviously sanctioned two Israeli cabinet ministers. I myself have ended arms exports to Israel that could be used in the conflict in Gaza. We’ve ended our talks with Israel on a more enhanced trade agreement and trade relationship. So we have taken those immediate steps. And we do want to see Palestine recognised. I want that to be meaningful. I want that to be working with partners, other countries around the world. The police and government are ready to respond if violent protests over the asylum system spread following events in Epping, a cabinet minister has said. Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said he could understand people’s frustrations at hotels being used to house asylum seekers but insisted that had come down from around 400 hotels to “just over 200”. Asked if he was worried about unrest spreading in the way riots broke out around the country last summer, he told Sky News: All the government, all the key agencies, the police, they prepare for all situations. So I wouldn’t want you to be talking this up or speculating in a way which is unhelpful. Of course, the state prepares for all situations. But I think what we’ve got to talk about is: why are people unhappy with, say, the asylum system? Are they reasonable? Are they upset for legitimate reasons? Yes, we share those as a government. That is why we are sorting it out. And I understand the frustrations people have, but ultimately, you solve those frustrations and solve the problem by fixing and getting a grip of the core issue, which is what we’re doing. The Labour government needs to ramp up the creation of green jobs or risk workers being tempted to vote for parties opposing the shift to net zero, two major unions have said. The GMB and Prospect, who between them represent tens of thousands of energy workers, said there needs to be more of a focus on increasing green jobs as the fossil fuel industry is increasingly phased out. They said without more tangible progress there is a danger of public support for the transition to clean energy being undermined – and potentially voters opting for a new government that does not support net zero. Their intervention comes after Reform UK pledged to rip up green energy contracts if the party wins power and the Conservatives also shifted away from support for net zero earlier this year, showing the political arguments over the shift to green jobs are not settled. Launching a new campaign group called Climate Jobs UK, Gary Smith, the general secretary of GMB union, said: “How the UK makes the transition to net zero is hugely important. The voices of those working in the energy sector day in, day out, who have vast experience of dealing with change, need to be front and centre of the process. If not, it’s doomed to fail. “At the moment, the transition feels like something being done to workers – that can’t continue. People need to see real jobs created where they live, and their local economy boosted, or we’re going to see more and more tempted by the siren calls of those who deny the reality of climate change.” Kemi Badenoch has said she aspires to become Britain’s version of Javier Milei, the Argentinian far-right, chainsaw-wielding president whose driving mission is slashing the size of the state. Asked whether the UK needed its own Milei and whether she herself fit that role, Badenoch, whose party is languishing in third place in the polls, said: “Yes and yes.” Milei is a self-described anarcho-capitalist who came to power in 2023 promising to dramatically cut state spending. He has often expressed admiration for Margaret Thatcher. In an interview with the Financial Times, Badenoch said Milei would be the “template” for her government. She said the Conservatives “cannot be a repository for disenchantment” and must be about “offering hope”, unlike Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. But she admitted that “the public are not yet ready to forgive” the Tories after the political chaos of the last few years and that Reform was “stealing everyone’s oxygen”. Badenoch argued the public would eventually tire of Farage’s “bullshitting” and claimed he was positioning his party to the left of the Conservatives on issues such as benefits. She said her own programme, which she is under pressure to set out in more detail, would not be “not about cutting bits of the state” but rather “looking at what the state does, why it does it”. The brother of a British man who has been detained overseas since 2017 has said he is putting his faith in the prime minister ahead of a meeting between Keir Starmer and the Indian prime minister. Talks between Starmer and Narendra Modi of India are seen as being a “unique opportunity” to seek a resolution to the case of Jagtar Singh Johal. Johal, a Sikh activist from Dumbarton near Glasgow, was arrested while in India for his wedding, and has been held ever since – despite having been cleared of one of the cases against him earlier this year. But he still faces charges at a federal level, which his supporters – who claim an initial confession he made was as a result of torture – fear could take years to come to a conclusion. However, campaigners at Reprieve, who have been working to free Johal, say the talks between the UK and Indian leaders could be a “rare chance to make progress” in the case. The Indian prime minister is visiting London to sign a landmark, free trade agreement between his country and the UK. Hello and welcome to the UK politics blog. I’m Tom Ambrose and I will be bringing you all the latest news lines throughout the day. We start with the news that India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, is visiting London to sign a landmark free trade agreement between his country and the UK. Modi, who arrived yesterday, is expected to sign the long-awaited deal later on Thursday, which will see tariffs cut on goods and increase market access for both countries. He is also due to speak with prime minister Keir Starmer and meet King Charles before leaving for the Maldives. For Britain, eager to score a post-Brexit win, the £4.8bn deal is its most economically significant trade agreement since leaving the EU. For India, it marks its first major free trade pact outside Asia. For both, analysts say, the agreement signals a long-term economic partnership. “The UK and India, in many ways we have complementarities. We have had a historical relationship. It’s good to have a deeper trade relationship,” said Indian economist Sanjaya Baru. India stood firm on key demands during negotiations, winning concessions on work visas, recognition of professional qualifications, and exemptions from national insurance contributions for Indian nationals working temporarily in the UK, all longstanding sticking points. Modi, accompanied by his commerce minister, Piyush Goyal, who led the negotiations, can claim India held its ground while the UK compromised, bolstering his message of India’s rising global clout. However, the deal must still be ratified by both parliaments, likely delaying implementation until mid-2026. For more detail, see our full report here: And for a full analysis of the deal, see my colleague Eleni Courea’s piece: In other news: Newly appointed shadow housing secretary James Cleverly has criticised the prime minister for a “disconnect from reality” when it comes to housing asylum seekers. The Tory MP and former home secretary said asylum hotels are being reopened and that more asylum seekers are likely to be sent to an accommodation centre in his own constituency of Braintree. Essex police have denied claims officers “bussed” counter-demonstrators to a protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Epping last week. The claims have promoted a call from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage for the force’s chief constable to resign. Clacton MP Farage earlier posted a video on X, saying: “This video proves EssexPoliceUK transported left-wing protesters to The Bell hotel in Epping. There is no way Chief Constable BJ Harrington can stay in position.” A record number of police officers were sacked from forces in England and Wales in the past year, new figures show. Latest Home Office data reveals 426 officers were dismissed or had their contracts terminated in the 12 months to March. This is up 17% year on year from the previous record of 365 and more than double the number fired at the start of the decade, when 164 officers were dismissed in 2019/20. Kemi Badenoch blamed Labour for the strains on social cohesion highlighted by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner. The Conservative leader said: “I’m surprised it’s taken her this long to actually understand what is going on.” Speaking in north-west London she said Hillingdon council had a £17m deficit because it has had asylum seekers “dumped on their doorstep”. Charities have warned of the increasing danger to asylum seekers posed by far-right protesters after small boat arrivals were moved from their usual landing place in Dover to further along the coast to avoid clashes. The Guardian understands that Home Office officials received intelligence that some of those participating in what was billed the Great British National Protest in Dover on Saturday afternoon could have been planning to target Kent Intake Unit, where small boat arrivals are initially processed after being escorted to shore in Dover by the Border Force. Reform UK councillors have been accused of hypocrisy after voting to spend £150,000 on hiring political advisers at a county council despite pledging to cut waste and save money. The plans were put forward by Reform councillor George Finch, a 19-year-old who was narrowly elected as the leader of Warwickshire county council during a meeting on Tuesday, which was picketed by protesters.