Politics latest: Government under fire over airport decision as PM touts green agenda (2024)

The Home Office has said small boat crossings are "undermining border security and putting lives at risk".

Its statement comes after the department's latest figures showed 206 migrants crossed the Channel yesterday, spread across just three boats.

It takes the total for the year so far to 19,294 - a 10% increase on the same period in 2024.

The Home Office's main policy when it comes to stopping crossings is launching its so-called Border Security Command, which will work with European partners to target the gangs behind the crossings.

It is still in the process of recruiting someone to lead the initiative, which will have "new counter-terror-style powers and hundreds of personnel stationed in the UK and overseas".

By Alexandra Rogers, political reporter

No action will be taken by Labour against an MP who was the subject of a complaint from antisemitism campaigners, Sky News understands.

Labour Against Antisemitism submitted a formal complaintabout a post written by Clive Lewis, the Labour MP for Norwich South, which they argued blamed Jews for theriots that took place across UK towns and cities at the end of July and into the beginning of this month.

In the post on X on 10 August, Mr Lewis replied to an article in The Guardian which reported the number of dead following an Israeliattack on a Gaza shelter and wrote: "The link between the daily inhumanity being meted out to Palestinians and rising Islamophobia in the UK, are not unconnected.

"The inhumanity being shown to one is giving 'permission' for the other.

"These actions diminish us all."

Scotland's health secretary has said the number of drug-related deaths there remains "hugely concerning".

The country's record is the worst in Europe, with new figures showing 1,172 people died due to drugs last year - up by 121.

Neil Gray said the SNP government was "taking a wide range of actions", including opening drug-checking facilities, piloting a facility for "safer drug consumption", and improving access to rehab.

But he acknowledged the rise was "unwelcome" and said the administration would "intensify" its efforts to improve things.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross branded the figures "shocking and shameful", while Labour's Scottish health spokesperson said the SNP had "failed to live up to its promises" to tackle the issue.

Read more on this story from our Scotland reporter Jenness Mitchell:

Our lead story in the Politics Hub today is the government approving plans for London City Airport to expand.

The transport hub on the Thames, not far from Canary Wharf, has been given permission to increase its annual capacity from 6.5 million to nine million over the next seven years.

While a ban on Saturday afternoon flights has been upheld, the capacity increase has not gone down well with green campaigners - especially as it comes after the airport's application was initially knocked back by the local council, Labour-run Newham.

Our chief political correspondent Jon Craig says it's a "controversial move" from the government, especially given the prime minister is in Wales today talking up his green energy plans.

"Environmentalists have reacted angrily to this decision and are claiming the government has gone against advice from official bodies such as the Climate Change Committee," says Jon.

"But there's also an element of the class war here - green groups are hitting out at the fact London City Airport is one of the main centres for private jets."

They've pointed out it's people living in poorer neighbourhoods near the airport who will suffer from air and noise pollution, and that many of the European cities served by the airport can be reached by train.

The government of course rejects such criticisms, but it seems the prime minister's finding out it might not be easy being green.

The race to replace Rishi Sunak still has a long way to run.

Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Dame Priti Patel, Mel Stride and Tom Tugendhat are the six contenders, to be narrowed down to four after parliament returns on 4 September.

Those four will be whittled down to the final two on 10 October by Tory MPs, with the winner chosen by party members through an online ballot on 31 October and announced on 2 November.

By Jennifer Scott, political reporter

The government's child poverty taskforce has got to work as ministers begin putting together a strategy to lift families out of destitution.

But despite pressure within Labour and from other parties, it won't be scrapping the controversial two-child benefit cap.

What is the policy?

The two-child benefit cap was announced by the Conservatives in 2015, forming part of their austerity measures.

It means while parents can claim child tax credit or Universal Credit payments for their first and second child, they couldn't make claims for any further children they had.

These are separate payments to child benefit, which has no limit on how many children can be claimed for.

The argument from the Tories limiting the tax credit to two children made the system fairer for taxpayers, ensuring households on benefits "face the same financial choices about having children as those supporting themselves solely through work".

But opposition MPs and campaigners said the measure would drag more children into poverty and hit hard up families.

What is Labour's stance on it?

Labour were strong critics of the policy while in opposition and many expected they would scrap it if they won power.

But last year, Sir Keir Starmer ruled it out due to the public finances.

The Resolution Foundation has said abolishing the two-child limit would cost the government somewhere between £2.5bn and £3.6bn, but the Save the Children charity estimated the move would take half a million children out of relative poverty.

Seven Labour MPs paid the price for trying to force the government to scrap the policy - they were suspended from the parliamentary party for voting against the King's Speech.

Ministers have hinted they don't particularly like the policy - but it's not going anywhere for the foreseeable future.

Talks between members of the RMT Union and the Department for Transport appear to have concluded for the day.

In the last few moments, Mick Lynch, general secretary of the union, was spotted leaving the department after discussions on the RMT's next pay round.

Mr Lynch previously said he expects a "parallel, synchronised offer" similar to that which was previously offered to drivers' union Aslef.

As a reminder, this saw train drivers offered a deal amounting to a 15% three-year backdated pay rise including a4.5%increase for 2024/25.

However, Mr Lynch offered no indication of which direction today's talks took.

Government defends approach to pay talks

The discussion comes after senior Tories criticised Sir Keir Starmer over pay offers to train drivers and junior doctors, with James Cleverly claiming the government has been "played by its union paymasters".

In defence of the government, Nick Thomas-Symonds said it was "sticking to the promises we made in opposition" in its deals with public sector workers.

The Scottish government has announced it will no longer hold meetings with Israeli ambassadors until "real progress has been made towards peace" in the Gaza conflict.

The move comes after theSNPadministration faced criticism over a meeting earlier this month between External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson and Daniela Grudsky, Israel's deputy ambassador to the UK.

In a statement on Monday, Mr Robertson apologised that the meeting was not "strictly limited" to talks about a ceasefire in theIsrael-Hamasconflict.

He claimed the meeting with the new ambassador was made at Israel's request, which gave the Scottish government an opportunity to express its "clear and unwavering position on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza".

"And I did exactly that," Mr Robertson added.

It's lunchtime!

Not only does that mean it's time for a screen break and a sandwich, it also means there's a round-up of the main things you need to know from this morning's Politics Hub coverage:

• Sir Keir Starmer has been continuing his visit to Wales this morning, primarily touting his government's green credentials;
• He and First Minister Eluned Morgan have visited a wind farm, one of the many green infrastructure projects Labour's GB Energy initiative will aim to support and help the UK hit its climate targets;
• But the prime minister has admitted it's a "difficult" situation at Wales's massive steelworks Port Talbot, where upwards of 2,800 workers are facing redundancy due to the green transition.

• In other domestic challenges for the government, the transport department will meet RMT union boss Mick Lynch today to discuss a potential pay deal for more rail workers;
• Drivers were offered a raise last week, but this would concern other people who work on the network.

• And on prisons, minister Jo Stevens has told Sky News the decision to activate emergency measures yesterday was down to the failures of the last government and the impact of the riots;
• Operation Early Dawn will see defendants held in police cells until prison places are freed up, but could see court dates delayed.

That's all for now, we'll have another bulletin for you later and more updates throughout the afternoon.