Lucas David Littlefair, from Hesleden, died after the Volkswagen Passat he was driving collided with a Citroen C3 on the B1281 Hesleden Road near Blackhall Colliery on August 2. 

The 19-year-old, who has been described as a “treasured” son, brother, grandson, and boyfriend, was pronounced dead at the scene. 

An inquest opened into his death at Crook Coroners’ Court today (September 8) heard how the crash took place near to the entrance to Hardwick Hall.

A post mortem carried out at the Newcastle Freeman Hospital by Dr Tuomo Polvikowski gave the former tree surgeon’s cause of death as multiple skull and vertebral fractures with a catastrophic brain injury and a traffic accident.

Following his death, Lucas’ family released an emotional tribute to him, saying: “Lucas, you have been cruelly snatched from us much too soon, a great hole has been left in your place and life can never be the same again without you.

“Rest in peace, Lucas – the only thing that can keep us going is knowing we will meet again. Lucas was loved more than he can ever know. 

“We will never forget him or ever stop loving him, and will miss him dearly.

“Lucas had a passion for motorbikes and when he wasn’t at work he was always spending time with friends, family and his girlfriend. 

“He brought so much happiness to all our lives and we have so many memories as a family that we will never forget.”

The serious two-car crash took place when the two vehicles collided and left one of the vehicles overturned. 

Three passengers who were in the VW, two boys aged 17 and a 17-year-old girl, were taken to hospital as a precaution before being discharged. 

The driver of the Citroen, a 22-year-old woman, was also taken to hospital and discharged.

Senior Coroner Jeremy Chipperfield adjourned the inquest for a mention hearing on November 17 at the coroners’ court, sitting at The Miners Hall in Durham.

Officers were called to Wensleydale Square just after 11am on Sunday, September 6, after reports that a man had been attacked.

The man, in his thirties, was taken to hospital for treatment.

Police believe the attack happened on the Woodhouse Estate about an hour before they were called.

Residents have described how a quiet Bishop Auckland street was “flooded” with police after a man was found with suspected stab wounds. (Image: THE NORTHERN ECHO)

One resident said he’d never seen anything like it on the street.

Mr Ogden, who has lived on the street since October 1965, said: “I saw around seven police cars on Sunday morning. I just saw it from my box window upstairs but didn’t pay much attention.

“I haven’t heard much about what actually happened.”

He added: “The area has gone downhill, like everywhere has over the years, you keep your doors locked now just in case, it never used to be like that. I think all us old ones are dying off and new people are coming in.”

Another resident said: “I was cooking dinner for the family when I heard the commotion and saw the police. The street was flooded with them.”

She added: “I’ve been here since the houses were built, from about 1965, and it’s usually a quiet, nice area.”

A woman whose daughter found the injured man said: “It’s usually a quiet area. I’ve never known anything like that to happen on the street.”

Durham Police confirmed an investigation had been launched. after a man was assaulted in Bishop Auckland.

A spokesperson added: “Officers would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who may have information that could assist their investigation.”

A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called to an incident at a private address off Weardale Drive in Bishop Auckland at 10.56am on September 6, 2026.

“We dispatched a clinical team leader and an ambulance crew, who took one patient to hospital.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Durham Constabulary on 101, quoting crime reference number CRI00705491.

Information can also be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

The singer is heading back to his roots and playing some of the key venues and towns he played on the road to success – including a stop off at the Perth Concert Hall.

Callum Beattie has dropped a festive treat for fans – a surprise Scottish tour that will take in Perth and close out the biggest year of his career.

The Edinburgh-born singer is getting back to his roots taking in some of the key venues and towns he played on the road to success.

In the last 12 months Callum has headlined the OVO Hydro, Edinburgh Castle, Belladrum and Queens Park – but he and manager Dave Rogers wanted to go back to small intimate shows one more time.

Callum said: “This is really a thank you to the fans because we owe everything to them.

“They have made dreams come true for my manager Dave and I time and time again – the Hydro, the Castle, Bella, the album success. It’s been the biggest and best year we could ever have dreamed of.

“It’s been incredible playing these huge shows but it feels really special for all of us to go back to some of the places around Scotland that helped us get to this level.

“More intimate shows bring a different buzz and intensity so it just feels like the perfect way to show our love and appreciation for fans all over the country.”

The tour takes in Edinburgh Playhouse on November 26, Oban Corran Halls on November 27, Dunfermline Alhambra Theatre on November 28, Troon Concert Hall on December 3, Dunoon Queen’s Hall on December 4 Strathpeffer Pavilion on December 5, Aberdeen Music Hall on December 11 and then Perth Concert Hall December 12.

And it finishes up with three shows at Glasgow Barrowland on December 18 and 19 – including a matinee on December 19.

As well as venues he may never play again, the tour also includes two shows – Edinburgh and the first Glasgow night – where fans will get to choose the entire set list from his full back catalogue.

Callum said: “This is a mad idea Dave came up with and roped me into – and he is insisting that everything is up for grabs including a couple I really don’t like performing.

“I suppose that is what makes this fun and a bit special – I’m just the human jukebox for the night and it’s all about what the fans want me to play.

“I won’t say what the songs I don’t want to play are, or they’ll definitely be chosen.

“But I really like the idea now I’ve got my head around it. It’ll be fun and also gives us a real insight into what fans feel about the usual set lists too.”

Supporting at all shows are Pistol Daisys, a band who have become intimately linked with Team Callum.

He said: “These guys are phenomenal – really special. They’ve been a big part of this last year, Lorna and Lewis play with us as part of our band at the big shows.

“So we had to have them with us, playing as themselves and joining our show too.

“They really have something unique and I want more fans to see that and get on board.

“Lewis works in the studio with us and does a lot with Dave so it felt really natural as the partnership grew to involve them in the live set-up – it’s been crazy good.”

Callum’s first fully independent album INDI came out in January and inspired a charity foundation he and Dave are working on.

INDI was his most successful record yet hitting no4 in the UK album charts, No1 in Scotland and huge streaming numbers, and brought massive ticket sales with festival, arena and even castle headlines.

But for the tightly-bonded pair and their band, it’s never about the business – it’s about the fans and the love of what they have created together.

Callum said: “It’s been the best gigging year of my life – the best year in music of my life. It’s been the best year overall.

“Truly bucket list stuff with these massive landmark moments at the most iconic venues. Incredible for a wee guy from Musselburgh.

“But there’s nothing like the intimacy of the smaller rooms. The energy is different and I am excited to share that with you all again.

“Business stuff says this tour doesn’t make sense but that’s not what it’s about – it’s for fun and the sheer love of our fans and what they have helped us achieve.

“I can’t think of a better way to end this amazing year than with the people who made it happen.”

Tickets are on sale on now at Ticketmaster and the venue box office.

By GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

Published: 13:55 BST, 8 September 2026 | Updated: 16:58 BST, 8 September 2026

The Maldives today demanded talks with Andy Burnham over the future of the Chagos Islands as it renewed a sovereignty claim to the vital archipelago.

Mohamed Muizzu, the Maldives president, wrote to the Prime Minister to call for discussions over what is officially known as the British Indian Ocean Territory.

He also expressed his concern about the UK Government‘s controversial attempt to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. 

Labour‘s so-called ‘surrender deal’ to cede sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius is currently in limbo following the withdrawal of American support for the agreement.

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US President Donald Trump switched his position on the UK’s handover of the Chagos Islands amid a furious spat with former PM Keir Starmer over his Iran war. 

Parliament’s ratification of the agreement has since stalled, with Mr Trump continuing to attack the ‘terrible’ deal while suggesting Mr Burnham ‘will have a look’ at it.

The Maldives today demanded talks with Andy Burnham over the future of the Chagos Islands as it renewed a sovereignty claim to the vital archipelago

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Mohamed Muizzu, the Maldives president, wrote to the Prime Minister to call for discussions over what is officially known as the British Indian Ocean Territory

Under the terms of Labour’s deal with Mauritius, Britain would hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and then pay to lease back the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia 

A statement issued by Dr Muizzu’s office revealed he had invited Mr Burnham to hold talks over the Chagos Islands.

‘The President expressed the Maldives’ concerns regarding the UK’s decision to proceed with the handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius,’ the statement said.

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‘The President highlighted the shared history and cultural ties between the Maldives and Chagos, as well as the Maldives’ longstanding support for major marine conservation and scientific research expeditions in the region.

‘In this regard, he reaffirmed the Maldives’ commitment to maintaining a reliable and constructive partnership with the UK on matters relating to Chagos, while safeguarding the legitimate interests of the Maldivian state and its people.

‘President Dr Muizzu reiterated the importance of meaningful dialogue between the UK and the Maldives on matters concerning the sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago.

‘He further expressed hope that renewed engagement and partnership between the two countries would contribute to stability and security in the Indian Ocean, particularly at a time of increasing global uncertainty.’

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Under the terms of Labour’s deal with Mauritius, Britain would hand the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius and then pay to lease back the UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, the largest of the islands, for 99 years.

It would see Britain pay an average of £101million a year to Mauritius over that period, totalling about £3.4billion according to the Government’s figures.

But critics have said the real cost would actually amount to £35billion and warned about handing control of the islands to Mauritius, which is seen as an ally of China.

Malé, the capital of the Maldives, is around 800 miles from Diego Garcia, while Mauritian capital Port Louis is around 1,300 miles.

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Since becoming PM in July, Mr Burnham has retained Jonathan Powell – the architect of the Chagos deal – as national security adviser.

It has prompted concerns that Mr Burnham will mount a new attempt to push the agreement through Parliament, despite the withdrawal of US support for the deal.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said: ‘We continue to speak to our counterparts in the Maldives on a regular basis about a range of issues.

‘However, the question of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago is a matter for the UK and Mauritius, which is why the previous government launched negotiations with Mauritius on the issue in 2022, rather than with the Maldives.’

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The worst affected airports are Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham.

Leeds Bradford Airport is not affected but many people living in North Yorkshire and York use Manchester Airport.

READ MORE: The Bread Bin (Harrogate) Ltd of Harrogate in liquidation

The air tracker found 352 flights to and from Heathrow were delayed out of its daily average of about 1,300.

Meanwhile, 281 Gatwick flights were delayed out of its 850 total operations average.

This was 249 out of 650 for Manchester, and 101 out of 300 for Birmingham.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was aware of the issue impacting flights and that engineers were “fixing it as we speak”.

She said: I’m aware of a technical issue impacting flights at airports including Heathrow and Gatwick.

“Technicians have identified the issue and are fixing it as we speak.

“I know this will be frustrating for passengers and I’m sorry.

“Please check with your airline for latest advice.”

Have you been affected by this widespread issue and live in North Yorkshire? Contact kevin.glenton@newsquest.co.uk if so.

She said the crash ‘ruined her life as she knew it’

A mum pushed her daughter to safety after a car crashed into her family before the driver fled the scene. The woman was walking with her young daughter, followed by her partner walking their puppy just behind in Brinkley Road, Burrough Green, near Newmarket on the evening of July 9, 2024.

When she noticed the car being driven straight at them, the mum managed to push her daughter out of the way, but she was hit by the car alongside her partner and their puppy.

Lydia White, 43, was driving on the road following a person she knew on a motorbike in front. She mounted the footpath and crashed into the family just before 10pm.

After the crash she didn’t stop and drove off, leaving the mum and her partner with serious injuries. The man was left with a fractured hip and the woman suffered a fractured arm, severe bruising and soft tissue damage, requiring skin grafts and prolonged rehabilitation.

Both were taken to hospital and the puppy was taken to the vets by an officer. The dog suffered a broken pelvis and needed thousands of pounds of specialist treatment.

The mum said the crash had “ruined her life as she knew it” and has led to her family being around £25,000 in debt due to not being able to work. She said she is now fearful to go out, feels constantly vulnerable and like a burden on her own family. She described the crash and its consequences as a never-ending nightmare.

After the crash, two people identified the driver following a police appeal for witnesses. Police were able to identify her as the suspected driver of the white Hyundai i20.

A Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) was sent to White but she denied being the driver, failed to identify who was and then ignored the second notice.

However, she was caught on CCTV getting into the car about a mile before the scene of the crash and again following the motorbike just before and after the crash. Her car has never been found, but the insurance was renewed a few months later with White as the only registered driver.

White, of Grange Road, Chalfont St. Peter, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, gave no comment to all questions asked of her in three different police interviews. She later pleaded guilty to two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

She was sentenced at Peterborough Crown Court today (September 1) where she was handed two years and seven months in prison, suspended for two years. She was also ordered to complete 220 hours of unpaid work, a 25-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement, and has also been disqualified from driving for four years.

Sergeant Rochelle Eves, who investigated, said: “This was a horrific collision involving a young family who were simply out for an evening walk with their puppy.

“The consequences of White’s actions and how this has affected them cannot be underestimated. They were left with serious, but thankfully not life-threatening injuries.

“Incredibly bravely, the woman managed to keep her daughter safe by pushing her out the way of the car coming towards them – if she had not done so, the situation could have been so much worse.

“White’s behaviour was nothing less than shocking by fleeing the scene after causing such devastation, denying any involvement and lying to police. I hope this case shows the lengths we will go to identify drivers who flee the scene of collisions and bring them before the courts.”

LONDON (AP) — Matt Cullen’s streak of attending NFL games in London is nearing an end.

The Englishman’s run started at London’s first regular-season game in 2007, when he shrugged off steady rain to watch the New York Giants beat the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium.

But Cullen can’t bring himself to look past ticket prices and some “team fatigue.” He’s not the only one on the sidelines as London, a key international location for the NFL, gets set to host three games in October.

Most tickets historically get snapped up quickly — as they did for the Week 5 game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Jacksonville Jaguars at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. But the Jags vs. Houston Texans matchup at Wembley Stadium still had swaths of unsold seats over the weekend, and some tickets were still available for the Indianapolis Colts vs. Washington Commanders game Oct. 4 at Tottenham two months after going on sale to the public.

“It will just be really, really interesting what the future of the London games looks like because they’re not selling to the potential anymore that they used to,” Cullen said. “It’s a little bit around team fatigue … a lot of it’s around cost.”

The Jags-Texans (Week 6) is a Jacksonville-run game, meaning the Jags manage operations and ticketing themselves as they have done since 2022. The NFL runs the two Tottenham games.

The NFL is playing a record nine international games this season. The Australian city of Melbourne hosts for the first time when the Los Angeles Rams face the San Francisco 49ers in their season opener Friday morning Melbourne time (Thursday night in the U.S.).

The slate includes a game in Germany, Spain and France — giving fans more European choices and possibly impacting London demand.

Dori Dunai, a London-based Green Bay Packers fan, is on an NFL UK mailing list and said she has been receiving weekly emails about available Colts-Commanders tickets.

“All other years tickets were gone on the day of sale and heard nothing more of tickets,” Dunai said.

Price hikes from 2025 still sting

Ticket-price anger — evident even in comments on the NFL U.K.’s social media posts — gained steam last year.

After scrapping its “season tickets” program, which allowed fans to buy tickets for each year’s NFL-run London games at once, the NFL added two new ticket categories and sharply increased some prices. One former season ticket-holder, journalist Thomas Willoughby, described a price increase of nearly 48% from 2024 to ’25.

The league priced this year’s Tottenham games individually. The Philadelphia-Jacksonville game is the more expensive of the two, and its brisk sales seemingly point to the popularity of the Eagles.

Children’s discounts aside, the cheapest ticket for both Tottenham games is 79 pounds ($106). From there, the Eagles-Jags game is more expensive, topping out at 280 pounds ($378) while the highest price for Colts-Commanders is 245 pounds ($331) in standard seating. Those prices include fees.

Compared to the 2025 games at Tottenham, the categories for the Colts-Commanders game reflect slightly lower prices, though seats can also be moved into higher-priced categories.

Wembley adult prices for Jags-Texans start at 70 pounds ($95) and rise to 297 pounds ($402) — all before fees.

Cullen’s seat at Wembley for a 2016 game — when he was a season-ticket holder — cost 66 pounds ($89). This year’s price chart shows the same seat at 146 pounds ($197) for Jags-Texans on Oct. 18, also excluding fees.

He’s managed to attend at least one London game — none were played in 2020 — each season including last year. But barring a below-face-value offer, Cullen’s streak will end: “It’s priced me out.”

Strong demand for Eagles-Jags

From a market viewpoint, because the available Eagles-Jags tickets sold out, “it does suggest that they’ve got the pricing right for that fixture,” said Jonathan Fry, a lecturer in business and management at Aberystwyth University in Wales who has researched event ticketing. But if the other games feature less popular teams, he added, “they could look at reviewing the pricing.”

Indeed, there appears to have been re-categorization of some tickets.

Dunai, who posts on Instagram about American football, said on the day Tottenham tickets went on public sale — July 7 — that she was “shocked” at the prices. Her video highlighted a seat for the Colts-Commanders listed at 185 pounds ($249). The same adult-priced seat in late August was available for 115 pounds ($155).

The Jaguars have a taller task when it comes to ticket sales because Wembley is much bigger than Tottenham.

The Jaguars gave early access to some groups, including its local Union Jax fan club, “historic Wembley purchasers” and opposition season-ticket holders — before tickets went on sale to the general public May 29.

By the numbers: Jags lagging

Is the London lineup getting dull for neutral fans with so many Jaguars games?

“Give us six new teams each year from next season, that’s the biggest change I want,” Dunai said in an interview.

Including their two October games, the Jags will have played in London nine times since 2021. They played an annual game at Wembley from 2013-19 and have built a fan base.

But despite their longevity, U.K. viewing and popularity indicators are not in their favor.

The Jags ranked No. 28 for most-watched teams on NFL Game Pass in Britain and Ireland in 2025. Their Oct. 18 opponent, Houston, was two spots lower.

Jacksonville was also among the lesser-searched NFL teams by U.K. fans in 2025, according to analytics company Hyperset Group, based on Google search data.

It’s not just the Jaguars, said Cullen, a New York Jets fan. His team played in London in 2024 and 2025 and “no one wants to see the Jets.”

Ultimately, the stadiums fill up. Tottenham’s capacity for Premier League games is 62,850 but lower for NFL games, which regularly surpass 61,000 fans.

Attendance at three of the past four Jaguars games at Wembley exceeded 86,000.

Jaguars to ‘totally re-evaluate’ London strategy

The Jags will play most of their home games in 2027 in Orlando — with up to three international games possible — while work wraps up on their $1.4 billion stadium renovation.

Team President Mark Lamping confirmed earlier this year that the team now does rolling one-year renewals with Wembley — rather than the multiyear commitments of the past — adding that’s how the NFL prefers it.

The small-market Jaguars at one point earned about 11% of their local revenue by playing in London, but Lamping said it’s “nowhere near that high anymore” and that “the economic motivation will change even more once we move into the new stadium.”

At training camp, Lamping told the team’s flagship radio broadcaster: ”We’re going to totally reevaluate our London strategy.”

What does the NFL say?

Both the Jaguars and the NFL declined interview requests. In a statement, the NFL said the U.K. “remains one of the league’s most important international markets.

“Interest in NFL games continues to be strong. Each year, hundreds of thousands of fans register for ticket information and opportunities to attend our games, and London remains one of the premier destinations for NFL fans outside the United States,” it said.

The league added it is “incredibly grateful for the passion and loyalty” of U.K. fans.

___

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Israel hit back today after Ed Miliband unveiled controversial UK sanctions on ‘illegal’ West Bank settlements – with the US also poised to wade in.  

The Foreign Secretary lashed out at ‘ethnic cleansing’ by ‘terrorists’ in the disputed areas as he announced a package of measures banning imports.

Companies are set to be banned from helping construct or sell properties in the settlements, in a push being coordinated with France and Canada. 

The move comes after Labour formally triggered a by-election in Keir Starmer‘s Holborn & St Pancras seat, where Palestine is set to be a major issue. 

There was an immediate storm of protest, with Israel declaring it will shut the British consulate in East Jerusalem over the ‘hostile’ action. 

A string of left-wingers including Jeremy Corbyn have been banned from going to the country, and Britain will be barred from participating in the US-led Gaza coordination mission.

Netanyahu administration ministers have also pledged to back Argentina’s campaign to seize control of the Falklands in retribution.

Andy Burnham informed Donald Trump of his plans in a call last night, with the Government bracing for the president to respond publicly. 

US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee accused the UK of ‘Jew hate’ and ‘discrimination’.

In further escalation, Florida congressman Randy Fine has warned that the state has a law that would ban British imports in retaliation.

Kemi Badenoch and shadow foreign secretary Tom Tugendhat criticised the ‘performative’ nature of the restrictions, voicing concern that access to crucial intelligence could be disrupted. The Tory leader said Labour had not moved on from the Corbyn era.  

There is also disquiet in Labour ranks, with one MP raising alarm about ‘a real risk of increased chances of attacks on the British Jewish community’.

Britain is facing reprisals from the US and Israel as Andy Burnham imposes sanctions on West Bank settlements

Concern about Israeli settlements has been mounting for years. It has intensified following Israel’s recent decision to open tenders for 1,200 homes east of Jerusalem, which would divide the West Bank

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Mr Burnham has not spoken to Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu

Labour has been under intense pressure from activists to toughen its position on Israel after losing votes to the Greens and pro-Gaza independents.

Around 160 settlements have been built by Israel since its occupation of the West Bank during the Six-Day War in 1967. 

Around 770,000 live in them, up from an estimated 270,000 in 1993. 

Concerns have intensified following Israel’s recent decision to open tenders for 1,200 homes east of Jerusalem, which would divide the West Bank.

Mr Miliband told MPs he is a ‘proud British Jew’, but insisted he had a ‘deep sense of shame’ about what had unfolded in Palestine.

He said the two-state solution is the ‘North Star’ of the Government’s policy. 

Mr Miliband said the UK is ‘no longer prepared to be bystanders to further suffering and to the destruction of the two-state solution’.

In a statement to MPs, he accused Israeli settlers of ‘terrorism’ – and suggested Mr Netanyahu’s government was guilty of ‘war crimes’ in Gaza.

Announcing plans for new sanctions coordinated with France and Canada, he said: ‘Britain is not silent in the face of deep injustice and nor is it powerless.’

He said Labour would ban goods produced in the settlements. And he said firms providing services for ‘settlement expansion’ would face sanctions. This could include services covering construction, infrastructure, financing or real estate.

Advertising property in settlements will be banned in the UK.

The sale of arms to Israel that ‘materially contribute to the occupation’ will also be banned.

‘I do not believe that the British people want us supporting the occupation by accepting products from settlements in our shops and supermarkets,’ he said.

The sanctions will not be applied to other aspects of trade with Israel.

Mr Miliband said the sanctions plan was designed to ‘salvage the only course for peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians- the two-state solution’.

He accused Israeli settlers of ‘rampant terrorism’, saying Labour believes there is now ‘ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank, perpetrated by settler terrorists’.

‘All too often the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this and worse, members of it have made statements and taken actions to support the forced displacement of Palestinians,’ the Cabinet minister said.  

He said Israeli occupation of areas of the West Bank was ‘unlawful’

Mr Miliband condemned the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel – and said the country had the right ‘not to live in fear of vile terrorism’.

But he said Israel’s right to self-defence ‘cannot justify what has happened in Gaza’.

He said independent reports of Israel’s actions, such as blocking aid, ‘represent increasing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed’.

Mr Miliband, whose parents fled the Nazis, said he was ‘proud of my Jewishness and unwavering in my support for the state of Israel’.

He insisted there was ‘absolutely no contradiction’ between that and his backing for a Palestinian state.

He said he felt a ‘deep sense of shame about what has unfolded in Palestine under the eyes of the international community’.

Mr Miliband said Israel’s actions in Gaza were ‘a stain on the conscience of the world and this country too’.

He acknowledged that Britain is experiencing ‘rising antisemitism’, with the life of ordinary British Jews ‘deeply affected by the climate such hate creates’.

He insisted the government was committed to tackling antisemitism, despite warnings his latest action will make it worse.

Israeli foreign minister Gideon Saar said the UK move is ‘morally distorted’ and has ‘echoes of the antisemitic words’.

‘The British move is morally distorted and constitutes blatant interference in the affairs of a sovereign state and in its electoral process,’ he said.

‘The attempt by the British Labour Government to impose measures in the style of the ”White Paper” carries echoes of the antisemitic words of British Lieutenant-General Barker, commander of British forces in the Land of Israel during the Mandate, who said: ”punish the Jews by striking at their pockets.”

‘The Jewish people have the right to live throughout the Land of Israel. The connection and right of the Jewish people to this land are documented more extensively than those of any other people in human history.’

Mr Burnham has said the Israeli proposals could ‘imperil or end’ the dream of a two-state solution, which successive British governments have supported for years. In a call with Mr Trump last night he reiterated his commitment to a two-state solution.

But Itamar Ben-Gvir, the hardline Minister of National Security of Israel, used the disputed Argentinian name for the Falklands as he wrote on X: ‘It’s time for the State of Israel to publicly recognize that the Malvinas Islands are Argentine territory under occupation, which the British violently steal from the Argentine people.

‘The British are not content with merely occupying the territory; they also carry out oil drilling there and steal the money from the Argentine people.

‘I call upon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to recognize Argentina’s sovereignty over the Malvinas Islands and to impose sanctions on Great Britain as long as the occupation continues.’

Last week Argentine president Javier Milei reiterated the country’s ‘sacred’ claim to the territory, which it failed to seize in the 1982 Falklands War. 

Mr Milei has announced sanctions on oil exploration around the islands, encouraged by his ally Donald Trump pledging to ‘review’ US neutrality on the dispute. 

Britain has been adamant that sovereignty of the Falklands is not in doubt. 

In a referendum of islanders in 2013, 99.8 per cent voted to stay British, with a turnout of 92 per cent. 

Senior Labour MP Dame Emily Thornberry slapped down Mr Ben-Gvir in the Commons.

She pointed out that an Israeli oil company had just been sanctioned by Buenos Aires over a contract with the islands, and suggested he was too distracted by his ongoing effort to find ‘new ways to inflict ever more cruelty on the Palestinian people’ to do his research properly.

Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich called for the expulsion of the British ambassador.

‘We will not be a doormat trampled by an antisemitic government, in a country conquered by radical Islam, trying to save itself from economic and social decline by attacking Jews and the State of Israel,’ he said.

‘The British Mandate in the Land of Israel is over.’

Israeli president Isaac Herzog said Britain should focus on ‘dialogue’ not sanctions.

‘If this happens – and other nations may join – I believe it will prove to be a grave miscalculation, a decision that will fall on the wrong side of history,’ he said in a statement. 

Although Mr Trump has yet to comment, Republican Mr Fine posted on social media: ‘As the British government considers forcing British companies to boycott portions of Israel, it should be aware that a Florida law that I passed as a member of the Legislature would ban any British company forced to comply from doing business with any state or local government in Florida. 

‘It would also end any British business participating in that boycott from doing any business in Florida if it needed any official interaction with state or local government to operate (permits, tax collection). 

‘Florida is one of Britain’s largest trading partners. They should understand that their vanity project in support of Muslim terror could cost them billions of dollars. 

‘And for those who doubt the power of this policy, it was this same law that broke Airbnb’s misguided effort to boycott portions of Israel in 2019. 

The PM informed Donald Trump of his plans in a call last night, with the Government bracing for the president to respond publicly

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‘They realized that this law would have bankrupted their company. Florida has made it clear. Any company — or nation — that boycotts Israel is boycotted by Florida.’ 

Mr Huckabee said: ‘I feel like that it’s a discrimination against the Israeli government, it’s discrimination against the Jewish people and I don’t understand the rationale of it.’

He added: ‘I don’t know if they have thought through, it’s like throwing a stone and not having an idea of where it’s going to land.

‘And I realise, look, the UK is a sovereign country, they can do what they want, but so is the US.’

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme there would be ‘implications’ for Britain.

‘For example, 25 per cent of pharmaceuticals that are used in the UK are made in Israel. Are they willing to give those up? It looks like they are.

‘Are they willing also to do great damage to any Brits who are doing business in a number of states in the US.

‘I don’t know what all of the national sanctions or repercussions or retaliations will be from the US, hasn’t been announced yet.

‘But I do know that there are a number of states. Let me mention one, one of the largest US states, Florida, that has a law that if this action is taken, then Brits will not be able to do business with any company or business in Florida.’

Writing in the Jewish Chronicle, Mrs Badenoch said: ‘Labour has developed a strange moral confusion in which it can speak solemnly about antisemitism one day while driving to an increasingly hostile climate around Israel the next.

‘Criticism of an Israeli government is not antisemitic. No democratic government should be beyond criticism, and Conservatives have disagreed with Israeli governments before.

‘But Labour’s obsession with Israel is rooted in UK politics. It’s got less to do with peace in the Middle East, and more to do with trying to keep the peace in the Labour party.’

Mr Tugendhat told the Commons: ‘We do agree that illegal settlements are wrong.

‘We all agree that groups of settlers have been guilty of outrageous abuses of ordinary Palestinians and crimes against innocent civilians.

‘We agree that some Israeli ministers have indulged in hateful propaganda and incitement – we agree that the current path is leading Israelis and Palestinians towards a darker, more dangerous future.’

Mr Tugendhat also said: ‘This isn’t about Israel alone and it certainly isn’t about reducing the complexity of the region to a single sentence. Sadly, the Government is in the process of doing just that.’

He complained that the Government had recognised Palestine ‘in contravention of the Montevideo Convention’ and was now ‘enacting policies that the Foreign Office knows won’t work’.

The Tory frontbencher said Labour ministers had previously warned that ‘the economies of Palestine and Israel are too interconnected’ for a ban on goods for illegal settlements to work.

‘The Israeli election is in just seven weeks and many have argued, correctly, that this action will help the extreme candidates’ campaigns and not help those who are making the moderate argument for a united Israel,’ he added.

Britain and Argentina fought in 1982 over the islands after Argentina made a failed bid to take them

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Last week Argentine president Javier Milei reiterated the country’s ‘sacred’ claim to the territory