All eyes were on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood this week as she took to the floor of the House of Commons to announce new plans to overhaul the UK’s asylum system. Aimed squarely at tackling the ever-increasing number of small boat arrivals to the UK – and the rise in support for Reform UK that has gone with it – the Home Secretary noted that 400,000 people have sought asylum in the UK over the past four years, 100,000 live in asylum accommodation and more than half of refugees remain on benefits eight years after they’ve arrived. She announced a series of changes to reduce the UK’s attractiveness for those attempting to enter the country illegally, including making refugee status temporary, with permanent settlement status only achieved after 20 years; the creation of a new ‘work and study’ visa solely for refugees; proposals to remove benefits for those who are able to work but choose not to; and making family reunion only possible to those who joined a ‘work and study’ route. She also confirmed a number of large military sites were being considered as an alternative to asylum hotels; announced that “those with income or assets will have to contribute to the cost of their stay” (more on that below…); threatened Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Co
After a gruelling two and a half hours in front of MPs on Monday, the Home Secretary popped back for a second time on Thursday to announce further details on the pathway to settlement for migrants to the UK. Under the changes, default indefinite leave to remain will lengthen from 5 to 10 years, with new criteria to be used to set the specific length in each case. These include criminal records, standard of spoken English, debt, National Insurance contributions, Income Tax bracket and profession. Doctors, teachers and nurses would qualify after 5 years, those who claim benefits could have to wait up to 20 years for settlement, and those who arrive illegally could face a 30-year wait.
It's safe to say the Home Secretary received a mixed welcome in the Commons, with support from those loyal to the Government, muted support of some sort by the Conservatives and Reform UK (who cheekily suggested she may want to apply to join the party)… and an absolute hammering from Liberal Democrats and those to the left of her party, including in response to speculation asylum seekers could have their jewellery confiscated at the border (something she denied). Whether the Home Secretary’s attempts to fight Reform on their own turf will make the slightest bit of difference to Labour’s dismal standing in the polls 3.5 years out from an election is yet to be seen. But it is fair to say, amid a Labour briefing war and dire poll ratings, far more people have heard of Shabana Mahmood this week than before…
20% – UK net migration last year was 20% lower than previously thought, according to revised figures from the ONS. This puts net migration at 345,000 in 2024.
3.6% – fall in inflation in October, the first drop since March.
40,000 – members of the Young Greens of England and Wales, making them the largest youth and student wing of any British political party.
£400m – worth of export deals unveiled ahead of the Prime Minister’s attendance at the G20 leaders’ summit in South Africa.
5,000% – the number of people (5,000) live streaming Nigel Farage’s press conference on YouTube this week compared to Kemi Badenoch’s (100)… after they took place at the same time.
0.2% – rise in the energy price cap from January 2026, marking a 28p monthly increase for the average household.
£15.8m – Congestion Charge debate racked up by the US Embassy since its introduction in 2003.
£528,051 – Outstanding Business Rates owed by the Chinese Embassy in the UK.
£289,285 – Outstanding Parking Fines owed by the Saudi Embassy in the UK
0 – speeches from Zarah Sultana P at the upcoming Your Party conference allegedly, with reports suggesting she isn’t on speaking terms with the organisers.
A Russian spy ship aimed a laser at an RAF aircraft earlier this month, in what the Defence Secretary called a “deeply dangerous” move. The Yantar, currently sitting on the edge of UK waters north of Scotland, is gathering intelligence and mapping undersea cables. In a speech in Downing Street on the current threats faced by the UK, John Healey revealed that whilst being monitored by a Royal Navy frigate and RAF P-8 aircraft, it aimed a laser on its port side at the P-8 pilots.
Introducing a lockdown a week earlier in February 2020 could have saved 23,000 lives according to the 800-page report from the Covid Inquiry published this week. February 2020 is described as a “lost month” in the report, and a lot of media reporting has focused on criticisms of the “culture of fear” within Downing Street. Multiple key figures from the time including Michael Gove, Rishi Sunak and Dominic Cummings have called for the findings to be viewed in the context of the “highly unprecedented” and “highly uncertain” situation the Government found themselves in, during which scientific understanding of the virus was limited.
The Prime Minister is in South Africa ahead of the G20 summit due to take place this weekend; although the summit is already off to a poor start before it’s even begun… Donald Trump, Xi Jingping and Vladimir Putin are all no-shows at the annual meeting, with Argentina’s President Javier Milei also due to skip it.
New houses near well-connected train stations will receive a default “yes” in the planning process, after plans were announced this week to remove ‘planning blockages and fast-track large-scale applications’. Under the new reforms, councils will be required to inform the Government when they’re inclined to block applications of 150 homes or more, allowing ministers to decide whether to step in and make the decision instead.
Kemi Badenoch and Mel Stride addressed a press conference ahead of the Budget, in which they criticised the Government for planning to increase taxes in order to pay for welfare, and scrap the two-child benefit cap. The Conservative Party leader also used the platform to confirm a Conservative Government would reintroduce the two-child benefit cap, will support “sensible measures” on asylum (but warned that the Government’s proposals will not work whilst the UK remains in the ECHR), confirmed the Conservatives would reverse the ‘family farm tax’, will abolish stamp duty and take 250,000 high street businesses out of business rates.
At exactly the same time… Nigel Farage and Reform UK Head of Policy Zia Yusuf also addressed a press conference, at which Yusuf outlined five proposals he argued would save £25bn – removing Universal Credit from foreign nationals, introducing a hard cap of £1bn on foreign aid, reforming the Immigration Health Surcharge, taking action on foreign aid and visas for nations that refuse to take back their prisoners, and reforming Personal Independence Payments. Farage warned that the Budget would be an “attack on aspiration” and have nothing to support small business owners or sole traders, argued entrepreneurs were leaving the country, spoke of the “sheer catastrophe” of attempts to reach net zero, and criticised the Government for “most astonishing level” of overreach with regards to sin taxes.
Construction will begin on 13 new munitions factories next year. The factories, in Monmouthshire; Cumbria; Dumfriesshire; Ayrshire; Shropshire; Cheshire; Derbyshire; Essex; Worcestershire; Hampshire; Pembrokeshire; and Stirlingshire, are funded through £1.5bn of new defence investment and will produce munitions and energetics to bolster the UK’s weapons arsenal, including propellants, explosives and pyrotechnics.
The Government will act as the ‘first customer’ for UK AI start-ups building high quality AI hardware products, the Treasury announced this week. Under the new plans, venture capitalist James Wise will chair the Sovereign AI Unit, new AI Ambassadors will be appointed to maximise the benefits of AI for Britain, and it has published an AI for Science Strategy setting out '15 actions government will take to cement the UK’s position as a global leader in AI-enabled science breakthroughs.'
MI5 issued an eye-catching warning about Chinese espionage to Peers and Parliamentary staff, after finding that Chinese intelligence officers are attempting to recruit people with access to sensitive information about the British state. In a statement to Parliament, Security Minister Dan Jarvis announced he will coordinate a new Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan to disrupt and deter spying from states like China, which will see the intelligence services deliver security briefings for political parties and issue new guidance to election candidates.
The Government will publish an Energy Resilience Strategy next year, ‘future-proofing the energy system to address the evolving risks the sector faces, including climate change impacts, cyber threats, and geopolitical tensions’. The strategy comes in response to the 12 recommendations made from NESO's report on the fire at the National Grid's North Hyde substation earlier this year.
The supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic will officially be banned in England from Spring 2027. The Government introduced the change following a campaign led by Fleur Anderson MP which highlighted the vast numbers of plastic wet wipes that end up on beaches and in the sea having been flushed down the toilet.
The Department of Health launched its first Men's Health Strategy, setting out 'comprehensive action to tackle the physical and mental health challenges men and boys face every day.' The strategy comes off the back of research showing men are 'less likely to seek help' and have a ‘higher propensity to smoke, drink, gamble and use drugs. Health Select Committee Chair Layla Moran welcomed the strategy but urged the Government to go further on problem gambling through greater regulations on advertising and planning regulations.
Making up for a fairly light week for legislation this week, Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle granted seven Urgent Questions and five Ministerial Statements, covering topics including briefings to press about the content of the Budget, the development of the first small modular reactor site at Wylfa, the Government’s asylum policy, Chinese espionage, Gaza, flooding in Monmouthshire, and the use of lasers by Russian spy ships. Josh Newbury led a Backbench Business debate on Thursday to mark International Men’s Day, discussing men’s mental health issues, while adjournment and Westminster Hall debates were held on the Warm Homes Discount, support for children and families impacted by serious neurological conditions, land use and food security, and the 80th anniversary of UNESCO. The Northern Ireland Troubles Bill also passed its second reading, while the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill will return to the Lords as the Commons voted down Lords’ Amendments on Wednesday.
Meanwhile in the Lords… questions on recognising dyscalculia, consolidation of election law, serious injuries and deaths on the road, promoting hydrogen, and President Trump’s statement regarding the testing of nuclear weapons were asked this week. On Monday, Peers decided to send the Employment Rights Bill back to the Commons as they insisted on keeping amendments in the Bill regarding day one rights to protection from unfair dismissal and simplifying the process to offering guaranteed hours. The Crime and Policing Bill continued its committee stage this week, while the Diego Garcia Military Base and British Indian Ocean Territory Bill began its passage through Committee. Thursday also saw the beginning of debates on the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill, as it completed its second reading.
The British public want change, but can’t quite agree what that change should be, as polling from Ipsos found that 50% of the population wanted ‘radical change’ while another 37% thought there should be ‘moderate change’. When looking at the poll from a political party basis, Reform UK are the most trusted (23%) to deliver the change needed… but 34% think they would deliver the change that the UK doesn’t need.
With less than a week until the Budget, people are now more opposed to tax rises than at any point in the last four years, according to Opinium’s latest tracker. 26% of those asked want to ‘reduce tax and spend less on public services’, while just 19% support increasing taxes to pay for higher spending on services. What changed? Well, the Budget has led to much speculation about tax increases. Turns out people don’t like something when they think it might happen…
With many Labour MPs calling on the Government to end its use of X (the artist formerly known as Twitter), the Henry Jackson Society has published a report on how to enhance ‘disinformation resilience’ in the UK. 38% of respondents said that X was their ‘primary source of news’, as the HJS concluded that their findings were ‘deeply concerning and demonstrate that even a generation raised in the digital era struggles to identify disinformation’.
Politicians love to milk a good photo op, and this week was no different. As soon as they herd about the latest opportunity to beef up their social media, MPs couldn’t moo-ve quick enough to have a picture with Westminster veteran Vicky the cow. Having last visited Westminster a year ago, she made time in her busy dairy to return for a second time as part of protests against the Family Farm Tax. Among those to be pictured with the heifer were Conservative Party Leader Kemi Badenoch, Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge and Lib Dem Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain.
The mild weather took a nose-dive this week with radiators cranked up all over the country… except it appears in the 900 year old Westminster Hall. The creaking, drafty Houses of Parliament are notorious for turning on their heating as late as possible, with hundreds of MPs, Peers and staffers regularly forced to keep their coats on at their desks in conditions more akin to a Charles Dickins novel. This year is no different, and so it was left to Navigate-favourite Jim Shannon to highlight the issue in a way no one else could this week, raising a point of order at the start of a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday to note that he was “probably not the only Member who has noticed that this Chamber seems as cold as a butcher’s fridge”.
And finally, this isn’t really a funny one, but we don’t have a You’ve Got To Smile section so we’ll have to drop it in here as a happy note to finish on… Not only was he elected the next President of the Liberal Democrats last week, but this week Josh Babarinde MP managed quite the unique marriage proposal, getting down on one knee in the House of Commons Chamber to his partner. Suffice it to say, the answer was yes. Well, how could you say no after a proposal like that!?
