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Natalie Elphicke: Labour defends welcoming rightwing Tory MP into
party - UK politics live
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Starmer welcomes Natalie Elphicke after Labour MP defects from
Conservatives
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Ms Elphicke has defected hitting out at the "broken promises of Rishi
Sunak's tired and chaotic Government".
The Dover MP astonishingly crossed the floor in the Commons just
moments before Prime Minister's Questions.
She said in a statement: "I have carefully considered this decision.
The change has been dramatic and cannot be ignored.
"For me key deciding factors have been housing and the safety and
security of our borders."
The move has been hit at from all sides, with MPs slamming Sir Keir
Starmer for welcoming the right wing politician with open arms and
Tory members branding the decision "idiotic".
Despite ferocious criticism, Labour has defended Ms Elphicke and said
it is "happy" to have the Tory MP on board.
In a new humiliating blow for Rishi, Ms Elphickle joins Dr Dan Poulter
and Christian Wakeford in joining the opposition.
The walk-out was took place during the first face off since last
week's local election results, where Sir Keir Starmer hit out at the
Conservatives for losing nearly 500 council seats in last week's
elections.
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Watch live as defence secretary Grant Shapps MP is expected to comment
on a massive hack affecting armed forces in the Ministry of
Defence.Watch more on Inde...
Maryam Zakir-Hussain7 May 2024 16:10
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### Britain 'implores' Israel to reopen border crossings into Gaza
Britain is "imploring" Israel to reopen border crossings into Gaza,
including Rafah, to ensure humanitarian aid can get though, a foreign
minister has told Parliament.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon also echoed concerns over the threat of a
military offensive on the southern city, where around half the
population are children.
The Tory frontbencher said: "We are imploring Israel to ensure that
the crossings that were shut are opened immediately, including in
Rafah."
He revealed the Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron had spoken to the
president of Israel on Monday morning.
Lord Ahmad said: "We do believe this is an escalation which needs to
be immediately resolved. Because there are now 600,000 children in
Rafah, almost 50% of Rafah is children. We need to ensure their safety
and security and at the moment we have not been reassured at all in
terms of any detail of plans as to where these people would move."
He added the suggested place of evacuation was "pretty barren land".
Maryam Zakir-Hussain7 May 2024 16:14
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### Holyrood votes for SNP leader John Swinney to be Scotland's next
first minister
Members of the Scottish Parliament have voted for new SNP leader John
Swinney to be Scotland's next first minister, succeeding Humza Yousaf
who formally resigned from the post earlier on Tuesday.
Mr Swinney won the backing of 64 MSPs, with his nearest rival Scottish
Conservatives leader Douglas Ross picking up 31.
It comes just eight days after predecessor Humza Yousaf announced he
was stepping down, after his decision to terminate the powersharing
agreement the SNP had with the Scottish Greens at Holyrood left him
facing a vote of no confidence in his leadership.
John Swinney won the backing of 64 MSPs (EPA)
Andy Gregory7 May 2024 16:19
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###
The Government has been pressed over the use of British troops to
distribute aid in Gaza once a maritime supply route had been
established.
Tory former Cabinet minister Lord Clarke of Nottingham said: "We are
very near to the prospect of aid being delivered by sea once the
Americans have finished the construction of a quay that they are
undertaking.
"Has the Government made any progress in reassuring us about the
orderly distribution and safe distribution of aid by that route when
the quay is ready?
"And what is the Government's present position on direct British
involvement including the use of British troops if necessary to try to
work to get proper distribution of that aid to the people we hope will
be able to receive it?
Responding, foreign minister Lord Ahmad said: "On the issue of safe
distribution within Gaza that is a key component of this."
He stressed the need to ensure the safety of aid workers who had "the
expertise".
Lord Ahmad added: "We are looking at all of the dynamics on the best
way to support a British operation in support of this international
effort."
Maryam Zakir-Hussain7 May 2024 16:41
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### Shapps apologises to armed forces personnel
Defence secretary Grant Shapps apologised to the armed forces
personnel affected by the Ministry of Defence cyberattack.
Speaking in the Commons on Tuesday afternoon, he said: "I want to
apologise for the men and women affected - it should not happen."
He added that the plan to fix the system means it will not happen
again.
Joe Middleton7 May 2024 17:06
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### Cyberattack was work of 'malign actor,' Shapps says
Grant Shapps said the hacking of the Ministry of Defence "was the
suspected work of a malign actor" but added "we cannot rule out state
involvement".
The defence secretary said the cyberattack shows the UK is facing
"rising and evolving threats" adding: "The world is becoming somewhat
more dangerous."
Maryam Zakir-Hussain7 May 2024 17:09
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### Up to 272,000 personnel affected by cyberattack
Up to 272,000 service personnel may have been hit by the data breach,
Grant Shapps told MPs.
He set out an eight-point plan to support and protect those
potentially affected.
The Cabinet minister declined to identify the culprit, telling the
Commons: "For reasons of national security, we can't release further
details of the suspected cyber activity behind this incident.
"However, I can confirm to the House that we do have indications that
this was the suspected work of a malign actor and we cannot rule out
state involvement."
He also said: "We've launched a full investigation, drawing on Cabinet
Office support and specialist external expertise to examine the
potential failings of the contractor and to minimise the risk of
similar incidents in the future."
Initial investigations have found no evidence that any data has been
removed, but affected armed forces personnel have been alerted as a
precaution.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain7 May 2024 17:33
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### John Healey flags 'serious concern' cyberattack was reported in
media before Parliament was updated
Shadow defence secretary John Healey has said there will be "serious
concern" that news of a cyberattack was reported in the media before
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps was able to update Parliament.
He told MPs: "My overriding concern is for the safety of serving
personnel and veterans affected. Worried about the risk to them and
their families, hearing first about the data being hacked from the
media and not from the MoD (Ministry of Defence)."
He added: "On the contractor, Defence Business Services say Shared
Services Connected Limited (SSCL) has the MoD contract for core
payroll and other business services. How many contracts does SSCL or
its parent company Sopra Steria have with the MoD? What action has
been taken by other government departments with similar SSCL
contracts?"
Mr Healey further stated: "The media have clearly been briefed that
China is behind the hack but the Defence Secretary only tells us about
a malign actor. Now, the Government rightly has a very rigorous system
before official accusations or attributions are made but if this deep
data breach is found to be carried out by a hostile state, it would
represent a very serious threat to our national security."
Mr Shapps replied: "The media release last night was coincidental and
unwelcome as far as we were concerned. Unfortunately, of course, a lot
of people were involved in this. (Mr Healey) asked how many; 272,000
is the number of personnel who have been affected."
He further confirmed that SSCL was the contractor involved and that a
"full review" has been ordered of their work within the MoD.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain7 May 2024 18:03
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### Tory MP wonders if he is the 'most hacked MP in Britain'
Tory MP Bob Seely (Isle of Wight) said it was "a little frustrating"
to hear his information could be compromised and wondered if he is
"the most hacked MP in Britain".
He said: "I would like to thank the minister for his call this
morning, it is a little frustrating to be told that one's bank details
and National Insurance number are winging their way to Beijing or
wherever they've gone.
"And considering I was also caught up in the Ipac breach, I'm
wondering if I'm currently in the running to be the most hacked MP in
Britain."
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps responded: "I want to thank him for his
service and I'm sorry he had to receive that phone call about what's
happened.
"I want to stress, actually, that we do not believe the data has
necessarily been stolen, so there's a danger here of just running a
couple of steps ahead.
"What we've done is to respond with the eight-point plan as if it has
been stolen, because we think that that is the best position to put
everybody, himself included, in given the seriousness of this
potential breach."
Maryam Zakir-Hussain7 May 2024 18:33
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### Labour questions continued arms exports to Israel with Rafah
humanitarian crisis
David Lammy moved Labour closer to calling for an outright ban on arms
sales to Israel as the row over the Middle East crisis exploded in the
House of Commons.
With Labour under pressure from its own MPs and activists to take a
harder line against Israel on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Mr
Lammy used an urgent question to ratchet up his party's position.
It follows concerns in the party leadership that Muslims and others
are not voting Labour because of its position on the conflict.
Our political editor **David Maddox** has more:
Labour pressed deputy foreign minister Andrew Mitchell on arms sales
to Israel as he responded to an urgent question in the Commons
Maryam Zakir-Hussain7 May 2024 19:00
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