Newslinks for Thursday 5th March 2026

Labour MP’s husband in China spy investigation

“Labour was plunged into a fresh China spying crisis on Wednesday after an MP’s husband was arrested. Lobbyist David Taylor, who is married to Labour MP Joani Reid, was held by Scotland Yard on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service. Police also picked up two other men, believed to have been advisers during the Tony Blair government, during a series of raids. All three suspects were being questioned on suspicion of helping Chinese intelligence amid claims of ‘foreign interference targeting UK democracy’. The shock development threatened to reignite the row over Labour’s relationship with Beijing after the collapse of an unrelated prosecution of a parliamentary researcher and his English teacher friend who were accused of passing on Whitehall secrets.” – Daily Mail

• MP not seen anything to suspect husband has ‘broken any law’ – BBC
• Tories redouble demands on Labour to axe approval for Beijing mega-embassy in London in wake of latest shock spying allegations – Daily Mail

Iran 1) Allies dismay at “weak” UK response

“Britain’s allies in the Gulf and Cyprus have accused Sir Keir Starmer of failing to do enough to protect the region and UK citizens from Iranian missile strikes. The Times has been told that Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have concerns about the UK’s response to the Middle East conflict. At the same time Cyprus’s high commissioner to the UK said the “least” his country expected was for the government to provide a robust defence of the island that is home to two British bases.” – The Times

• US did not share details with the UK before attacking Iran, sources say – The Guardian
• Stock markets and oil prices still volatile over fears Iran war may drag on – BBC
• How attacking Iran may help Netanyahu’s election chances – The Times

>Today: Bob Seely on Comment: Starmer’s standing by his principles and defending them, but he’s confused and not defending us

Iran 2) Badenoch calls for stronger action

“Sir Keir Starmer has defended the government’s approach to the conflict in Iran, saying protecting British nationals is his “number one priority”. It comes after President Trump criticised the prime minister for refusing to allow the use of UK bases in the initial US-Israel strikes on Saturday, saying he is “no Winston Churchill”. During Prime Minister’s Questions Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Sir Keir of “asking our allies to do what we should be doing ourselves” by not taking “offensive action” after British bases in Bahrain and Cyprus were attacked. But the PM said he was not prepared for the UK to join a war without “a lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan.” – BBC

• First UK government flight for Britons stuck in Middle East yet to take off – BBC
• Starmer’s slow start in the war against Iran could leave UK playing catch-up – The Guardian
• Iran war has exposed the depths to which our once all-conquering Royal Navy has been allowed to sink – Leader, The Sun
• Britain’s shrunken armed forces are an embarrassment – Leader, The Times

>Today: ToryDiary: Shadow Cabinet League Table: Badenoch may not be popular with Starmer but she’s dominant with Conservatives

>Yesterday: Video: PMQs: Badenoch “The PM is catching arrows not dealing with the archers”

Iran 3) Miliband led Cabinet revolt against war

“Ed Miliband led Cabinet opposition to US military action in Iran and the use of Britain’s bases. In a meeting on Friday ahead of the strikes, Mr Miliband, Rachel Reeves and Yvette Cooper are understood to have strongly opposed British support for pre-emptive military action, which they believed would be illegal. Sir Keir Starmer backed them, and resisted pressure from Donald Trump to allow the US to fly bombing runs to Iran from RAF bases in Gloucestershire and the Chagos Islands. The Prime Minister changed his position less than 48 hours later and American B-2 stealth bombers are due to arrive at Diego Garcia, the military base in the Chagos Islands, in the next few days to fly “limited, defensive” missions.” – Daily Telegraph

Iran 4) US submarine sinks Iranian warship off Sri Lanka

“A torpedo fired by a US submarine sank an Iranian warship off the south coast of Sri Lanka as the Trump administration followed through on its threats to destroy Tehran’s military and political leadership. At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack on the Iris Dena on Wednesday. The frigate was sailing in international waters as it returned from a naval exercise organised by India in the Bay of Bengal. The torpedo strike prompted questions from former US officials about whether Washington’s aim of eliminating all of Iran’s military breached international law.” – The Guardian

• Ground invasion launched against Iran as thousands of US-backed Kurdish fighters storm border – Daily Mail

Iran 5) Neil: Starmer has made a grave error

“International law may be an opaque, malleable, even mysterious construct with controversial rulings involving judges sometimes appointed by dictators. But when it comes to a choice between international law and the national interest, Starmer chooses international law every time. Request denied, the Americans were told. Cue the biggest crisis in Anglo-American relations of modern times. Donald Trump lashed out at Starmer from the Oval Office on Tuesday. He lumped Britain with the viscerally anti-American socialist government of Spain. He painted us as far worse even than the usually US-sceptic French. Nowhere near as good as the Germans, whose Chancellor was sitting beside him, offering no words in Starmer’s defence. So much for all that cosying up to Europe. Now you don’t have to agree with everything Trump said – far from it – to recognise Starmer had made a grave error.” – Andrew Neil, Daily Mail

Other comment

• What does victory in Iran look like? Here are three possible answers – Tobias Ellwood, Daily Telegraph
• By betraying our allies, Starmer is demonstrating he is our Neville Chamberlain – Dan Hodges, Daily Mail
• As the liberal order dies, Starmer’s Britain is doubling down on its stupidity – Allister Heath, Daily Telegraph
• The Iran war may be lawful, but not for the reasons Trump gives – Geoffrey Robertson, Daily Telegraph
• The cynical opportunities of ‘Epic Fury’ – Martin Wolf, Financial Times
• The terrifying gap in Britain’s defences that means Iran could launch drones at our towns and cities – Jake Wallis Simons, Daily Mail
• The PM must publish the Iran legal advice – Leader, Daily Telegraph
• Women’s celebration of tyrant Khamenei’s death was joy to behold – Janice Turner, The Times
• I am sick of the US bossing us about – Peter Hitchens, Daily Mail
• Trump is pushing Britain closer to Europe – Leader, The Guardian

Ex-Labour mayor and councillor join Reform UK

“Former Labour mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales and ex-councillor Clive Furness have joined Reform UK. Furness has been selected as the Reform’s candidate for mayor of Newham, while Sir Robin will act as the party’s London director of local government. Announcing the move at a press conference alongside Reform leader Nigel Farage, Sir Robin, who was the UK’s longest serving mayor when he was deselected by Labour in 2018, said the party had “a lot of rough edges” but represented a chance to “transform our society”. Furness said the “balkanisation of Britain”, with people voting along religious and racial lines, was among the reasons he was joining Reform.” – BBC

• Reform pledges to give Wales lowest income tax in UK – Daily Telegraph
• Reform would prioritise Welsh people for social housing, party says – BBC

Mahmood warns Labour MPs to back laws to stop illegal migration or lose trust

“Failing to stop illegal migration will ­demolish trust in the state, the home secretary will warn on Thursday as new legislation to scale back asylum support is introduced in parliament. In a call on ­Labour MPs to back her, Shabana Mahmood says that without changes there would be a rise of “ethno-nationalism” on the “far right”. Despite calls from some backbenchers for a tack to the left after last week’s by-election loss to the Greens, she rejects pandering to “student politics”. Mahmood is expected to acknowledge voters’ frustration with levels of illegal migration after last year became the second-highest on record for small-boat arrivals, at 41,472.” – The Times

• Foreign criminals will be thrown out of taxpayer-funded hotels – Daily Telegraph
• Restoring order at the border speaks to Labour values. Without that, we won’t be able to do anything else at all – Shabana Mahmood, The Guardian

OBR warns Government will struggle to cushion energy price surge

“The UK government is poorly positioned to cushion the blow to households from surging energy prices given the mountain of public debt it is trying to manage, a top economist has warned.  David Miles, a senior official at the Office for Budget Responsibility, said this week’s jump in oil and gas prices driven by the war in Iran was “unambiguously bad” for a major energy importer such as the UK and that it would be “understandable” if there was public pressure for the government to intervene if energy costs continued to spiral upwards. But he added that it came at a “particularly difficult time” given that the government had been attempting to bring borrowing down and stop the debt-to-GDP ratio from continuing to rise.” – Financial Times

• Another gas shock and Europe’s still not ready – Juliet Samuel, The Times

Labour waters down ‘Islamophobia’ definition to head off a free speech backlash

“Labour has watered down its controversial “Islamophobia” definition to head off a free speech backlash. Ministers have struck out references to the “racialisation” of Muslims amid concern it is a vacuous term that could be weaponised to silence critics of the religion. The phrase was included in the original definition drafted by a working group but is not expected to make the final version when it is published as soon as next week. Despite pressure from community leaders, Labour has also refused to use the word “Islamophobia”, opting instead to define “anti-Muslim hatred”. Wrangling over the wording has dragged on for more than a year, despite Labour pledging an Islamophobia definition in its election manifesto.” – The Sun

Other political news

• Phillipson launches review into surging anti-Semitism in schools – Daily Telegraph
• Burnham drops new leadership hint – Daily Express
• Lobbyists send legal threats to councils over anti-wood burner campaigns – The Guardian
• Describing workplaces as ‘competitive’ is too masculine, says Labour – Daily Telegraph
• Green Party faces gender-critical group lawsuit over trans ‘witch-hunt’ – The Times
• BBC to call for permanent charter and end of political appointments to board – The Guardian
• Reeves’s claim of £1,000-a-year boost ‘may be as little as £40’ – The Times
• Councillors scrap 2050 carbon neutral target – BBC
• Police Federation boss is arrested for corruption – Daily Mail
• Asylum seekers waiting over a year for claim in UK may be allowed to work under new measures – The Guardian
• Migrants will have to speak English to A-level standard before they can settle permanently in Britain – The Sun
• 60% of Welsh voters unaware of how new system will work in May elections – The Guardian
• Minister fails to say if Labour will bring down benefits bill – The Times
• Revealed: the student loan reforms backed by Labour MPs – Daily Telegraph

News in brief

• ‘Whose side are you on?’: How Keir Starmer alienated Britain’s allies over Iran – Tim Shipman, The Spectator
• Free trade among free nations – Pierre Poilievre, CapX
• Who is Keir Starmer without Morgan McSweeney? – Ailbhe Rea, New Statesman
• Reform is making a mistake on Iran – Ben Sixsmith, The Critic
• Is this the end of Hezbollah? – Michal Kranz, Unherd