Khan joins other members of Labour Party in urging for Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire, while Starmer faces mounting pressure. Updates on UK political developments.

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The request for Starmer to back a ceasefire has intensified this week, with numerous Labour council members and around 25% of party MPs, including two from the frontbench, urging him to do so.

Starmer has chosen not to advocate for a complete cessation of hostilities, but rather endorsed the UK and US’s strategy of supporting temporary halts in specific locations and times to facilitate the delivery of essential aid to those lacking water, food, and medicine.

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A representative for the Labour party has expressed their understanding for the desire to call for a ceasefire. This comes as Keir Starmer is facing renewed demands to solidify his stance.

There has been increasing pressure on the leader of the Labour party in recent days to back a ceasefire, following requests from hundreds of Labour representatives and almost a quarter of their Members of Parliament, including two who hold positions on the party’s front bench.

Earlier today, both the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and the Scottish Labour leader, Anas Sarwar, publicly expressed their support for a ceasefire.

According to a representative from the Labour party, in reply to the statement:

We recognize the reason behind people’s desire to urge for a halt in hostilities.

The citizens of Palestine do not represent Hamas and they are enduring great hardship. This is why we advocate for temporary breaks in fighting to allow for the urgent delivery of aid, fuel, water, electricity, and medicine to those in need.

We also have to recognise Israel was subject to a vile terrorist attack. Israel has a right and a duty to defend itself, rescue the hostages and stop Hamas from being able to carry out that sort of terrorist attack ever again.

Hamas is currently launching rockets into Israel and has established infrastructure, including tunnels, to continue carrying out attacks. As a result, a military operation is currently in progress.

This must be accomplished in accordance with international laws and aid must be promptly, safely, and consistently delivered to prevent a humanitarian crisis.

Anas Sarwar, the leader of the Labour party, has joined in urging for a halt to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. This puts more pressure on Keir Starmer to do the same.

On a social media video, he stated:

We all strongly yearn for peace and long to witness the cessation of violence.

This is why it is crucial to have prompt action taken towards the release of hostages and providing immediate access to essential resources such as humanitarian supplies, food, medicine, electricity, and water in Gaza.

The immediate cessation of violence, with an end of rocket fire into and out of Gaza. And let me be clear, that means a ceasefire right now.

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) mandated an annual chemical and ecological assessment of rivers at the national level. Following Brexit, the WFD was incorporated into English law, but the government eliminated the stipulation for yearly testing.

The UK is now showing a clear difference in its environmental regulations compared to the EU. According to recent research, numerous harmful chemicals and pesticides that have been prohibited in the EU since Brexit are still allowed for use in the UK. Additionally, government officials are trying to eliminate sewage pollution guidelines that originated from the EU for construction companies.

In the previous full water assessments conducted in 2019, only 14% of rivers were found to be in good ecological condition and none met the requirements for good chemical health. The government has announced that a comprehensive update will not be provided until 2025, which is the latest acceptable timeline according to the new WFD regulations.

According to The Guardian, the government will be utilizing a undisclosed method to evaluate the health of rivers. Some activists argue that this could lead to difficulties in comparing the condition of the nation’s rivers with those in the EU, and may also result in a lack of transparency regarding pollution from sewage and agriculture.

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The Home Office is facing increasing demands to assist over 1,400 refugees in Glasgow who are at risk of being homeless due to their hasty efforts to resolve a large number of pending asylum applications.

Attorneys representing refugees in Glasgow have issued a cautionary statement regarding potential legal repercussions for the city council and the Scottish and UK governments if they do not fulfill their obligation to provide adequate housing for individuals granted the legal right to reside in the UK.

The Scottish Refugee Council cautioned that inadequate housing could lead to an increase in street homelessness this winter, leaving people vulnerable to exploitation and potentially putting their lives at risk.

Graham O’Neill, the policy officer for the SRC, stated that it is ironic that instead of feeling relieved, hopeful and joyful, those who are granted refugee status experience torment and homelessness.

The Glasgow city council anticipates that over 1,400 refugees will become homeless in the city later this year due to a decision by the Home Office to expedite the processing of asylum cases, resulting in over 50 hotels no longer housing applicants.

According to city officials, an increase in cases could result in immediate expenses of approximately £26m for emergency housing in the city, which has the highest number of asylum seekers in the UK. Additionally, the city may face an additional cost of up to £54m over the next year.

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Fellow members of the Labour party who have opposing views on the Israel-Hamas conflict.

According to him, during an interview with Sky News:

I fully comprehend and share the feelings of my colleagues who are witnessing the events in Gaza and are feeling a sense of hopelessness. Many viewers will be watching these scenes and experiencing deep distress at the ongoing pain and hardship.

If this assault, which Israel experienced, had occurred in the UK or the US, our countries would have taken action to safeguard our citizens by disabling the ability of the terrorist group responsible. This also applies to Israel, as they have the legal right to do so under international law.

However, while undertaking this task, they must adhere to international law. In the long run, a military approach will not be the ultimate solution to this crisis.

Political negotiations are the only means to address this issue, and it is vital for the international community to prioritize it more than they have in past decades.

When questioned about the potential electoral consequences of Labour’s position on the war, Reed commented:

I believe [it] will not … and my reasoning for this is that in politics, one should prioritize doing what is morally correct rather than what is politically advantageous.

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Starmer has faced increasing pressure this week to back a ceasefire, following demands from numerous Labour council members and almost 25% of MPs, including two in prominent party positions.

Starmer has declined to demand a complete cessation of hostilities, opting instead to endorse the UK and US’s strategy of advocating for limited and targeted pauses in fighting. These pauses would be designated for specific times and locations, in order to facilitate the delivery of aid to those in need of water, food, and medicine.

Close the accounts that Farage had with Coutts, a private bank.

The initial report also noted “several flaws” in the decision-making process, communication with Farage, and handling of confidential information by the bank.

The Financial Conduct Authority stated that it had examined the results of the initial report conducted by an independent party. It also noted “potential violations of regulations” and several aspects that could be improved upon.

That included how the bank considers the potential closure of accounts, handles complaints from customers, and the effectiveness of its “governance mechanisms”.

Howard Davies, the chair of NatWest, stated:

This report sets out a number of serious failings in the treatment of Mr Farage. Although Travers Smith confirm the lawful basis for the exit decision, the findings set out clear shortcomings in how it was reached as well as failures in how we communicated with him and in relation to client confidentiality.

We would like to express our apologies to Mr. Farage for the treatment he received. His encounter did not meet the expected standards for any customer. Our responsibility moving forward is to prevent a recurrence of this situation.

The bank is dedicated to putting into practice the suggestions provided by Travers Smith. We are actively making adjustments to our policies and procedures, specifically to guarantee that the lawful beliefs or opinions of customers have no influence on our decision-making process.

On Friday, Farage criticized the report, claiming that it overlooked the true reasons behind the closure of his accounts.

Travers Smith has approached this complicated matter with vague and evasive language. The legal firm claims that my political beliefs not matching those of the bank was not a political choice in itself. This is ridiculous.