Category: News Story

STORY

The Home Affairs Committee is taking evidence on the impact of serious and organised crime on local neighbourhoods. The session was scheduled for 16 June as part of the committee’s work scrutinising crime, policing and Home Office policy.

The inquiry is expected to consider the effect of organised criminal activity on communities, including how national and local agencies respond to criminal networks. The issue includes concerns about drug markets, exploitation, fraud, violence and the use of vulnerable people by organised gangs.

The evidence session comes as crime and policing remain central political issues for the Government and opposition parties. The committee’s work will form part of Parliament’s wider scrutiny of enforcement, prevention and support for affected communities.

STORY

MPs drawn in the Private Members’ Bill ballot are presenting their Bills in the House of Commons this week. Parliament said the presentation of Bills would take place during Commons proceedings on 16 June.

Private Members’ Bills allow backbench MPs to introduce legislation outside the main Government programme, although only a small number usually make significant progress without ministerial support. The ballot gives selected MPs priority for parliamentary time on sitting Fridays.

The presentation of Bills marks the formal start of the process, with full details of individual proposals expected as the Bills are published and given future sitting dates. The Government’s own legislative programme is also continuing, including the Health Bill and other measures introduced in the new session.

STORY

The Steel Industry (Nationalisation) Bill is due to receive its second reading in the House of Lords, after completing its Commons stages earlier this month. The Bill would give ministers powers to bring a steel company into public ownership where this is judged to be in the public interest.

The Government has said the legislation is being fast-tracked because of the need to safeguard the future of the UK steel industry. Parliament’s Lords Library said the Bill completed its House of Commons stages on 9 June and was scheduled for Lords second reading on 16 June.

The legislation does not itself nationalise British Steel, but it would give the Government a route to do so if ministers decide that intervention is necessary. Peers are expected to examine the principles of the Bill and the case for expedited legislation.

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The Health Bill has entered detailed scrutiny in a Public Bill Committee, with MPs taking oral evidence from health leaders, patient groups, charities and former ministers. The committee began its work on 16 June and is expected to continue considering the legislation until July.

Witnesses listed for the first day included representatives from NHS England, the King’s Fund, National Voices, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, Healthwatch England, Carers UK, Age UK and other health and care organisations. Jeremy Hunt was also listed to give evidence during the committee’s first evidence session.

The Bill follows the Government’s wider programme of NHS reform and will be considered line by line after the evidence sessions. The committee is expected to report by 16 July, although parliamentary committees can conclude their work earlier.

STORY

Two men have been found guilty in connection with arson attacks on properties linked to Keir Starmer. Roman Lavrynovych and Stanislav Carpiuc were convicted of conspiracy to commit arson following incidents involving a car and properties associated with the Prime Minister.

The attacks took place in May 2025 and included a vehicle previously owned by Starmer, a house in north London and another property linked to his family. Prosecutors said Lavrynovych had communicated through Telegram with a person using the alias El Money, although no national security charges were brought in the case.

A third man, Petro Pochynok, was acquitted. Sentencing is expected to take place later this week, with the case raising concerns about security threats directed at elected politicians and their families.

STORY

Credit rating agencies are assessing the potential fiscal implications of Andy Burnham’s political rise as the Greater Manchester mayor campaigns in the Makerfield by-election. The contest is being watched closely at Westminster because a Labour victory could return Burnham to Parliament and increase speculation about a future Labour leadership challenge.

Reuters reported that Moody’s, Fitch and S&P Global were considering the possible market implications of political instability and any future shift in fiscal policy. The agencies were reported as focusing on whether any change in Labour leadership would alter the Government’s approach to borrowing, investment and debt reduction.

Burnham has said he would maintain fiscal rules, while also arguing for a more interventionist approach to economic policy. The by-election is due to take place on 18 June and is seen as one of the most politically significant parliamentary contests of the year.

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Keir Starmer has met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the G7 summit in France, with Downing Street confirming that the meeting took place on 15 June. The meeting came as the UK Government sought to maintain close engagement with European allies on Ukraine, defence, energy and economic security. Germany remains one of the UK’s most important European partners, including on NATO, sanctions and wider diplomatic coordination.

The Government has not issued a detailed readout of the discussion beyond confirming the meeting. The talks formed part of a wider programme of bilateral and multilateral meetings during the G7 gathering.

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The UK Government has announced a further package of sanctions against Russia as the Prime Minister attends the G7 summit in France. Downing Street said the measures were intended to increase pressure on Russia’s military, financial and energy networks as the war in Ukraine continues.

The Government said the new measures would target organisations and vessels linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, as well as financial institutions and procurement networks accused of helping Moscow obtain technology for its war effort. The UK also said it would support Ukraine’s energy security, including through arrangements involving enriched uranium for the country’s nuclear power sector.

Keir Starmer said the package was part of the UK’s continued support for Ukraine and its efforts to work with allies to reduce Russia’s ability to fund the war. The announcement came as G7 leaders met to discuss Ukraine, sanctions enforcement, energy security and wider international instability.

STORY

The Solicitor General, Ellie Reeves, has referred the sentence of Vickrum Digwa to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme. Digwa was convicted of the murder of Henry Nowak and the Court of Appeal will now consider whether the sentence imposed should be increased.

The Attorney General’s Office said the referral followed a review by the Solicitor General, who has the power to ask the Court of Appeal to reconsider certain Crown Court sentences in England and Wales. The scheme allows sentences to be reviewed where they may be unduly lenient, including in cases involving murder, manslaughter and rape.

Reeves said the case had “horrified” her and said difficult questions needed to be answered about the way police handled Henry Nowak’s murder. She said her role was to review Digwa’s sentence and that, after careful consideration, she had decided to refer the case to the Court of Appeal.

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The Court of Appeal has ruled that the Government’s decision to proscribe Palestine Action under terrorism legislation was lawful, overturning an earlier High Court judgment which had found the ban unlawful. The case concerned the Home Secretary’s decision to add the group to the list of proscribed organisations under the Terrorism Act 2000.

The Court of Appeal said the Home Secretary had been entitled to conclude that the group was not merely a non-violent protest organisation and that its activities involved covert operations and support for unlawful violence. The ruling means the proscription remains in force, making membership of, or support for, Palestine Action a criminal offence.

Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori has said the group intends to continue its legal challenge, including by seeking to take the case to the Supreme Court. The Home Office has welcomed the judgment, while civil liberties and human rights groups have criticised the use of counter-terrorism powers against a direct action group and warned of the implications for protest rights.