{"id":1890,"date":"2026-02-11T12:44:28","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T12:44:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=1890"},"modified":"2026-02-11T12:44:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T12:44:28","slug":"pm-says-aide-linked-to-sex-offender-did-not-give-full-account-of-his-actions-before-he-was-made-peer-uk-politics-live-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/?p=1890","title":{"rendered":"PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live | Politics"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"liveblog-body\"><gu-island name=\"EnhancePinnedPost\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{}\"\/><\/p>\n<div id=\"pinned-post\" data-gu-marker=\"pinned-post\" data-component=\"pinned-post\" class=\"dcr-r5tmyr\"><input type=\"checkbox\" id=\"pinned-post-checkbox\" name=\"pinned-post-checkbox\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"dcr-11n52fl\"\/><\/p>\n<div id=\"collapsible-body\" class=\"dcr-1axsptg\">\n<article class=\"block dcr-1xlsn8h\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\">\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Starmer says Matthew Doyle &#8216;did not give full account of his actions&#8217; before he was made peer<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Badenoch<\/strong> says Starmer is deluded if he thinks it is the Tory party that is in trouble.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">She asks why Matthew Doyle got a peerage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says Doyle \u201cdid not give a full account of his actions\u201d. He had the whip withdrawn yesterday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">And he changes the subject, and mentions government policies protecting women.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><em>UPDATE:<\/em> <strong>Starmer<\/strong> said:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 14\" style=\"fill:var(--block-quote-fill)\" class=\"dcr-scql1j\"><path d=\"M5.255 0h4.75c-.572 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941H0C.792 9.104 2.44 4.53 5.255 0Zm11.061 0H21c-.506 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941h-8.686c.902-4.837 2.485-9.411 5.3-13.941Z\"\/><\/svg>Matthew Doyle did not give a full account of his actions. I promised my party and my country there will be change, and yesterday I removed the whip from Matthew Doyle.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll tell you what other actions we\u2019ve taken. Along with the safeguarding minister, I and this government have introduced the most far-reaching violence against women and girls strategy, and I\u2019ll tell you what else we\u2019ve done, this government has introduced a pay rise for millions of working class women. What did the leader of the opposition do? She opposed it.<\/p>\n<p>This government is introducing greater protection for women at work. What did the leader of the opposition do? She opposed it, and I\u2019ll tell you what else she opposes, this government removing the disgusting rape clause that they put in place.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c70d08f088ff7c10a3eb2&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c70d08f088ff7c10a3eb2&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c70d08f088ff7c10a3eb2#block-698c70d08f088ff7c10a3eb2\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-11T12:35:50.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-us\" title=\"Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 07:35 AM Eastern Standard Time\">07.35 EST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<p><label for=\"pinned-post-checkbox\" id=\"pinned-post-button\" class=\"dcr-zw7tgl\"><span id=\"svgminus\" class=\"dcr-yhdhkr\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M1 10.75v2.5h22v-2.5z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><span id=\"svgplus\" class=\"dcr-yhdhkr\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"m10.8 13.2.425 9.8h1.525l.45-9.8 9.8-.45v-1.525l-9.8-.425-.45-9.8h-1.525l-.425 9.8-9.8.425v1.525z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-90inr0\"><gu-island name=\"KeyEventsCarousel\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;keyEvents&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;698c74b18f088da521cfb763&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Munira Wilson&lt;\/strong&gt; (Lib Dem) asks if the government will back mandatory CCTV in nurseries, and mandatory registers for staff.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;0a394b89-28ba-4c3a-8e86-c72b2c181a81&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Starmer&lt;\/strong&gt; says the government is considering whether CCTV should be mandatory in nursery settings.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;d41a247a-a276-422b-aee2-87a6d5c15d61&quot;}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1770812593000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;07.23\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1770812671000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;07.24\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1770812672000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;07.24\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;07.24&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Starmer says government considering making CCTV mandatory for nurseries&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Wed 11 Feb 2026 07.38 EST&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Wed 11 Feb 2026 03.43 EST&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;698c70d08f088ff7c10a3eb2&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Badenoch&lt;\/strong&gt; says Starmer is deluded if he thinks it is the Tory party that is in trouble.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;c0e98071-42df-4173-97bf-dfaa3dcf17c9&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;She asks why Matthew Doyle got a peerage.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;4397dc7e-5a8e-4b43-80ab-78028688e7fd&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Starmer&lt;\/strong&gt; says Doyle \u201cdid not give a full account of his actions\u201d. He had the whip withdrawn yesterday.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;3725d4a2-b883-47a9-9522-6e0d8954c966&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;And he changes the subject, and mentions government policies protecting women.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;9aa428cd-dadf-4593-98c8-a524dba2f705&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;UPDATE:&lt;\/em&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Starmer&lt;\/strong&gt; said:&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;dc4ace61-59b9-44c1-a6c8-06abc506cb43&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;blockquote class=\\&quot;quoted\\&quot;&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;Matthew Doyle did not give a full account of his actions. I promised my party and my country there will be change, and yesterday I removed the whip from Matthew Doyle.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;I\u2019ll tell you what other actions we\u2019ve taken. Along with the safeguarding minister, I and this government have introduced the most far-reaching violence against women and girls strategy, and I\u2019ll tell you what else we\u2019ve done, this government has introduced a pay rise for millions of working class women. What did the leader of the opposition do? She opposed it.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;This government is introducing greater protection for women at work. What did the leader of the opposition do? She opposed it, and I\u2019ll tell you what else she opposes, this government removing the disgusting rape clause that they put in place.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n&lt;\/blockquote&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;8c9d9904-19d0-4fe1-9385-3decf80fd90a&quot;}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:true,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1770811600000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;07.06\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1770813350000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;07.35\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1770811697000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;07.08\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;07.08&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Starmer says Matthew Doyle 'did not give full account of his actions' before he was made peer&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Wed 11 Feb 2026 07.38 EST&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First 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HoC&quot;}}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1770810403000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;06.46\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1770810804000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;06.53\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1770810804000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;06.53\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;06.53&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Starmer faces Badenoch at PMQs&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Wed 11 Feb 2026 07.38 EST&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Wed 11 Feb 2026 03.43 EST&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;698c64d48f088ff7c10a3dc7&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;In her interviews this morning &lt;strong&gt;Georgia 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I have been completely shocked by what has come out. &lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;I know that my dad, who\u2019s no longer alive, would have been too. &lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;He is someone who I thought of as a public servant. And I could not believe when I read some of the things that have come out. When the whole government needed to be focussed at that time on the huge challenge that you face, to be passing information in that way, it is deeply painful to see what has emerged.&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;\\n&lt;\/blockquote&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;18c54dbb-33ef-40a4-8d26-438ba5d3190d&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Gould was referring to emails showing Mandleson leaking confidential government documents to Jeffrey Epstein. 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Gould&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Georgia Gould&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Photograph: Anna Gordon\/The Guardian&quot;}}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1770808532000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;06.15\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1770809138000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;06.25\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1770809138000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;06.25\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;06.25&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Georgia Gould says she was 'shocked' by latest revelations about family friend Peter Mandelson&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Wed 11 Feb 2026 07.38 EST&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Wed 11 Feb 2026 03.43 EST&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;698c60378f08327a59cb1df5&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bridget Phillipson&lt;\/strong&gt;, the education secretary, has announced&lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/government\/news\/10-year-plan-to-revitalise-schools-and-colleges-for-every-child\\&quot;&gt; a 10-year strategy to modernise and improve school buildings in England&lt;\/a&gt;. The &lt;strong&gt;Department for Education&lt;\/strong&gt; says:&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;8034784f-fd51-4ab7-a30a-ab3198388d3c&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;blockquote class=\\&quot;quoted\\&quot;&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;For too long, millions have been poured into sticking-plaster repairs to deteriorating classrooms that fail to meet the needs of pupils learning inside them.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;The government will put an end to this cycle of patching and mending buildings that have already deteriorated, as the education secretary unveils today a 10-year plan to transform the education estate so that children and young people across the country have the high-quality classrooms that are fit for purpose and resilient to climate change from flooding and overheating.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;As part of the drive to make schools more inclusive by design, the government expects that every secondary school will, in time, have an inclusion base \u2013 a dedicated safe space away from busy classrooms where pupils can access targeted support that bridges the gap between mainstream and specialist provision.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n&lt;\/blockquote&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;f7789638-fbfe-4a70-9ff5-ad46616a570e&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;The full 52-page educational estates strategy paper is &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/assets.publishing.service.gov.uk\/media\/6989dbcdc106cc5501b6e50a\/Education_Estates_Strategy_print_ready_version.pdf\\&quot;&gt;here&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;2b2bc6e8-34d2-400d-944a-c0f2aaab07fe&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;As &lt;strong&gt;Alexandra Topping&lt;\/strong&gt; reports, all secondary schools should have specially designed areas for neurodiverse children and pupils with special educational needs under the plans.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;764bb481-06ac-47ea-b883-e263e5531bbd&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;English secondary schools must offer inclusion areas for neurodiverse and Send pupils&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;6587c51b-ed5a-4246-8739-f584a70442ec&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;thumbnail&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/education\/2026\/feb\/11\/english-secondary-schools-must-offer-inclusion-areas-for-neurodiverse-and-send-pupils&quot;}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1770807351000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;05.55\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1770807880000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;06.04\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1770807880000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;06.04\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;06.04&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Phillipson announces 10-year plan to modernise and improve school buildings in England&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Wed 11 Feb 2026 07.38 EST&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Wed 11 Feb 2026 03.43 EST&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;698c55fa8f08674a81001b3f&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/liberaldemocrats\\&quot; data-component=\\&quot;auto-linked-tag\\&quot;&gt;Liberal Democrats&lt;\/a&gt; have announced a new idea; it\u2019s a rehash of one that has been kicking around for at least 60 years.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;3b91edc0-2bcd-4e1f-9cc6-9e35c92934b6&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;As &lt;strong&gt;Daisy Cooper&lt;\/strong&gt;, the Lib Dem deputy leader, acknowledged in her speech this morning (see &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-698c4cc48f08674a81001af7#block-698c4cc48f08674a81001af7\\&quot;&gt;9.37am&lt;\/a&gt;), people in British politics have been complaining for years about the Treasury having too much power. One prime minister who actually did something about this was Harold Wilson, who created the Department of Economic Affairs in the 1960s as a counterweight to the Treasury. It was supposed to deal with long-term economic planning, leaving the Treasury as more of a simple tax-raising department. It did not last. But prime ministers \u2013 particulary those with difficult relationships with their chancellors \u2013 have been toying with the same idea ever since.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;27b6c7d1-f6aa-4761-8ead-dbe1f825ce22&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;In &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.newstatesman.com\/spotlight\/economic-growth\/regional-development\/2022\/02\/why-we-need-to-break-up-the-treasury\\&quot;&gt;an article &lt;\/a&gt;about this four years ago, &lt;strong&gt;George Dibb&lt;\/strong&gt;, at the time a researcher at the IPPR thinktank, now on secondment to the civil service, said:&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;7c9c4beb-e9d6-4fc3-afc0-9dfb2582154e&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;blockquote class=\\&quot;quoted\\&quot;&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;Ultimately, Harold Wilson, Gordon Brown and Theresa May are not all wrong. A short-termist Treasury with absolute control in Whitehall will always skew policy in a damaging way. Tony Danker, director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), made a similar point this month on the role of the Treasury in economic growth: \u201cNo CEO would put the finance department in charge of sales.\u201d The Treasury has to be broken up, with long-term economic strategy the responsibility of a new ministry. That way it would be matched by an equal and opposite force with long-term vision and powers to direct the economy towards socially important goals. Whether that goal is decarbonisation or addressing regional inequality, the Treasury\u2019s instinct to pull tight the purse strings will always be a barrier.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n&lt;\/blockquote&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;5f8c3589-43fc-4b6a-bf9f-390e2a713d25&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Today, as well as adopting these arguments, Cooper was making an argument about growth, claiming that a stand-alone growth department would do better than the Treasury at boosting GDP. Perhaps. But Rachel Reeves claimed she was turning the Treasury into a growth department when she became chancellor. Since then growth has been disappointing, but in large part that is not because of Whitehall machinery; it\u2019s because there are political objections to the pulling the most effective growth levers (joining the customs union or the single market, increasing immigration) that would apply regardless of which department was in charge.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;c93e6eea-e78c-4a61-ae73-951f316702be&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Still, Cooper is likely to find a lot of people agreeing with her central argument. Those who have suggested breaking up the Treasury in the past have included figures as diverse as Will Hutton, Maurice Glasman and Dominic Cummings. If a left-leaning coalition is in power after the next election, the Lib Dems could have considerable clout when this debate is being thrashed out again.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;bb262cab-982a-4ffa-af7e-2956bcbca9bb&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Still, dismantling the Treasuy won\u2019t be easy. In &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.newstatesman.com\/politics\/labour\/2025\/04\/labour-is-at-war-over-the-treasury\\&quot;&gt;a good New Statesman article&lt;\/a&gt; on this topic last year, George Eaton quoted &lt;strong&gt;Harold Macmillan,&lt;\/strong&gt; the former Tory PM. Macmillan summed it up like this:&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;e44ae77d-1f04-4aac-8c0c-f6a616c4a834&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;blockquote class=\\&quot;quoted\\&quot;&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;To reform the Treasury is like trying to reform the Kremlin or the Vatican. These institutions are apt to have the last laugh.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n&lt;\/blockquote&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;77aa28b9-a737-4bbd-8fa3-d2b12a04807d&quot;}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1770804730000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;05.12\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1770809824000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;06.37\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1770806303000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;05.38\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;05.38&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Lib Dem plan to break up Treasury - snap verdict&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Wed 11 Feb 2026 07.38 EST&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Wed 11 Feb 2026 03.43 EST&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;698c55258f08327a59cb1d8e&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Families of nurses and carers have said they fear being torn apart under an immigration crackdown condemned as \u201can act of economic vandalism\u201d, &lt;strong&gt;Josh Halliday&lt;\/strong&gt; reports.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;77d55df4-584b-48ce-a086-ec503e28e5ec&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Nurses\u2019 families fear being torn apart in UK immigration crackdown, survey says&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;8a0216e4-19fd-4de7-9cd3-83383ec44aa4&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;thumbnail&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2026\/feb\/11\/nurses-families-fear-being-torn-apart-in-uk-immigration-crackdown-survey-says&quot;}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1770804517000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;05.08\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1770805797000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;05.29\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1770804678000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;05.11\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;05.11&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Nurses\u2019 families fear being torn apart in UK immigration crackdown, survey says&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Wed 11 Feb 2026 07.38 EST&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Wed 11 Feb 2026 03.43 EST&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;698c508f8f0829198944a3b2&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Q: You are here being hosted by UK Finance. But the financial services sector does not like your plans for&lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.libdems.org.uk\/press\/release\/lib-dems-call-for-windfall-tax-on-big-banks-to-fund-public-services-and-create-energy-security-bank-that-cuts-bills\\&quot;&gt; a windfall tax on banks&lt;\/a&gt;. Have you dropped your support for that?&lt;\/em&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;c7237d7e-3a4d-4179-a1bf-347722371108&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cooper&lt;\/strong&gt; says the Lib Dems are still committed to that. She says it is justified because banks have made unexpected profits relating to the QE system. She accepts that banks are not happy about the plans. But the party is talking to them about that, she says. And, although the banks don\u2019t like the plan, they \u201cdo like what we\u2019re trying to do with it\u201d (measures to promote growth).&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;f2d26337-8be3-4bbc-8d66-e19eb7ece9d9&quot;}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1770803343000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.49\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1770803598000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.53\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1770803598000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.53\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;04.53&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Cooper defends Lib Dem plans for windfall tax on banks&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Wed 11 Feb 2026 07.38 EST&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Wed 11 Feb 2026 03.43 EST&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;698c4f5c8f08674a81001b10&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cooper&lt;\/strong&gt; said the Lib Dems would locate their new growth department in Birmingham.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;50b28499-a556-4b0c-98e8-64df94e4cc88&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;She said this reflected the fact that the Lib Dems were a party representing seats all over the country.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;0827395b-7dd3-4a63-adab-6836ee9c3c97&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;blockquote class=\\&quot;quoted\\&quot;&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;We Liberal Democrats are the only political party with MPs that span from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland down to the tip of the southwest. So we know we see the differences in economic growth between the southeast and everywhere else.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n&lt;\/blockquote&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;1c1d1c4c-10bf-48c2-ace9-59eedd3e9509&quot;}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1770803036000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.43\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1770803103000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.45\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1770803103000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.45\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;04.45&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Lib Dems say they would locate new growth deparment in Birmingham&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Wed 11 Feb 2026 07.38 EST&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Wed 11 Feb 2026 03.43 EST&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;698c4dff8f08674a81001b07&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cooper&lt;\/strong&gt; says that some people wanted the Treasury\u2019s powers to be tweaked, and others said the PM should have more power over economic policy.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;f71ec49a-1f88-4876-b6ec-d7571d91c68c&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;But the Lib Dems were proposing a different plan, she said.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;4b599844-99a5-481c-bff2-9d4675cdb9c6&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;blockquote class=\\&quot;quoted\\&quot;&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;Today I can announce that we Liberal Democrats don\u2019t just want to get rid of this anti-growth chancellor. We want to get rid of this anti-growth Treasury.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;And as part of our plan for government, we would break up the Treasury and replace it with a new, powerful, full Department for Growth, with a mandate to boost long-term prosperity, improve living standards and end the cost of living crisis.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;The Department for Business and Trade would be merged into this new Growth Department, recognising the central role of British business in driving growth.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;And a smaller Department for Public Expenditure would be set up to oversee department spending and ensure value for money.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;This new Department for Growth would focus minds on what growth could help us achieve stronger economic growth.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n&lt;\/blockquote&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;8c73091b-61fa-4c8b-ad73-a84604ef584f&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Cooper said having a Department for Growth would force the government to focus properly on growth policies. 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Cooper speaking at her Lib Dem press conference.&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Daisy Cooper speaking at her Lib Dem press conference.&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Photograph: Jonathan Brady\/PA&quot;}}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1770802687000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.38\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1770803015000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.43\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1770803015000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.43\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;04.43&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Lib Dems call for 'anti-growth Treasury' to be split up, and replaced with big growth department, and smaller spending department&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Wed 11 Feb 2026 07.38 EST&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Wed 11 Feb 2026 03.43 EST&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;698c4cc48f08674a81001af7&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cooper&lt;\/strong&gt; said one of Labour\u2019s problems was that it had been led by \u201cTreasury brain\u201d.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;e5f43994-8598-49a4-a702-7f9de90ebd3d&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;blockquote class=\\&quot;quoted\\&quot;&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;The winter fuel payment fiasco \u2013 a short-term Treasury tax grab driven by the desire for immediate bankable cuts.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;The jobs tax \u2013 a short-term Treasury tax grab with no regard for the crushing impact on jobs, on growth or investment.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;The family farm tax and the attack on family businesses \u2013 short-term Treasury tax grabs by the chancellor that could lead to some of the most resilient, long standing British businesses being broken up and sold off.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;The list goes on.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;But this isn\u2019t a new problem. For too long political parties without a vision for growth have allowed the Treasury tail to wag the political dog. And it must stop.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;For decades, everyone has identified this as a problem. The Treasury does too much.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n&lt;\/blockquote&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;c2c97b07-1c9a-4ac5-b040-89f88db2ff54&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Cooper said parties had recognised this as a problem for decades.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;96ca2b0c-fe51-4dc7-b9ad-6ca0cc08b140&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;blockquote class=\\&quot;quoted\\&quot;&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;The Treasury does too much: fiscal policy, economic policy, and controlling government spending.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;In most other countries, these roles are split up. The Treasury enables governments to go for short-term tax grabs that suit political cycles over the need for long-term growth.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;And the Treasury is disconnected from the real economy. Despite holding all the economic power, the Treasury isn\u2019t responsible for policies on business or trade. This leaves British businesses jumping through hoops.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n&lt;\/blockquote&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;a7c892b3-092a-404d-8d5a-591c80944c16&quot;}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1770802372000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.32\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1770802665000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.37\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1770802665000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.37\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;04.37&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Treasury has too much power, Cooper says&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Wed 11 Feb 2026 07.38 EST&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Wed 11 Feb 2026 03.43 EST&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;698c4baa8f08674a81001aee&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Daisy Cooper&lt;\/strong&gt;, the Lib Dem deputy leader and Treasury spokesperson, is holding a press conference now. There is a live feed here.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;957e588b-108c-41d2-a58a-a5a6e47aa81b&quot;},{&quot;expired&quot;:false,&quot;assetId&quot;:&quot;Esyqh4Wy464&quot;,&quot;posterImage&quot;:[{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/media.guim.co.uk\/fc6c4179cff0d84f234fef9684528fa0fb32ebbd\/440_0_2560_1440\/2000.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:2000},{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/media.guim.co.uk\/fc6c4179cff0d84f234fef9684528fa0fb32ebbd\/440_0_2560_1440\/1000.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:1000},{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/media.guim.co.uk\/fc6c4179cff0d84f234fef9684528fa0fb32ebbd\/440_0_2560_1440\/500.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:500},{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/media.guim.co.uk\/fc6c4179cff0d84f234fef9684528fa0fb32ebbd\/440_0_2560_1440\/140.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:140},{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/media.guim.co.uk\/fc6c4179cff0d84f234fef9684528fa0fb32ebbd\/440_0_2560_1440\/2560.jpg&quot;,&quot;width&quot;:2560}],&quot;id&quot;:&quot;29f35bfb-2a04-4093-ac18-4390b669ec5b&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;91d9bae8-155c-4b95-8821-c351412411ab&quot;,&quot;duration&quot;:0,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.YoutubeBlockElement&quot;,&quot;mediaTitle&quot;:&quot;Liberal Democrats deputy leader Daisy Cooper makes announcement \u2013 watch live&quot;,&quot;channelId&quot;:&quot;UCIRYBXDze5krPDzAEOxFGVA&quot;}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1770802090000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.28\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1770802135000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.28\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1770802136000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.28\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;04.28&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper holds press conference&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Wed 11 Feb 2026 07.38 EST&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Wed 11 Feb 2026 03.43 EST&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;698c42a98f08327a59cb1d1d&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Georgia Gould&lt;\/strong&gt;, an education minister, has been the government voice on the airwaves this morning.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;cb58d916-b716-4a8d-9653-4f05c09bb391&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;In an interview with Sky News, she said that when No 10 announced that Matthew Doyle was being made a peer in December, it did not know that he had campaigned for someone who was subsequently convicted of paedophile offences.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;f6d7a4ef-733c-453e-bb71-96dab47ae4bc&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Referring to Labour\u2019s decision to remove the whip from Doyle in the Lords yesterday, she said:&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;00158c43-a56f-4e68-b501-1e0d0a0b3206&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;blockquote class=\\&quot;quoted\\&quot;&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;There\u2019s an investigation going on. We\u2019ll wait for that to conclude. But the prime minister said on Monday night that we want to ensure the highest standards in public life. He\u2019s gone back and looked at this appointment. He\u2019s taken action to withdraw the whip.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n&lt;\/blockquote&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;54dd1988-7450-4ae6-8dde-072616294d3e&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Asked whether the government was taking child abuse seriously enough, she replied:&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;be8a748f-0e06-4f25-b500-e16582177903&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;blockquote class=\\&quot;quoted\\&quot;&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;We\u2019re taking it incredibly seriously.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;And Keir Starmer is somebody who has spent his whole career putting people into prison, And this is his lifelong work. It is deeply important to him. And no one is harder on themselves than the prime minister. But he\u2019s clear that things need to change. Vetting has to be better.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n&lt;\/blockquote&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;3368f724-0e65-4fd5-903f-6793df42084f&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Asked if the documents submitted as part of the vetting process for Doyle\u2019s peerage would be published, she referred to the ongoing investigation and said \u201cwe\u2019ll have more to say when that\u2019s completed\u201d.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;b54f793e-7cb3-4bc6-9f15-2832088d3014&quot;}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1770799785000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;03.49\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1770801272000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.14\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1770801272000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.14\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;04.14&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Minister rejects suggestion Doyle's appointment to Lords shows No 10 doesn't take child abuse seriously&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Wed 11 Feb 2026 07.38 EST&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Wed 11 Feb 2026 03.43 EST&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;698c382b8f08327a59cb1ce8&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Good morning. At PMQs last week &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/keir-starmer\\&quot; data-component=\\&quot;auto-linked-tag\\&quot;&gt;Keir Starmer&lt;\/a&gt; had to face questions about a Labour peer with a paedophile friend. Today he seems likely to face questions about another peer in this category.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;94e9f774-3722-4ec1-82a2-06737c73f71e&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;As &lt;strong&gt;Peter Walker&lt;\/strong&gt; reports, yesterday &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/labour\\&quot; data-component=\\&quot;auto-linked-tag\\&quot;&gt;Labour&lt;\/a&gt; said it had removed the whip from Matthew Doyle, who only recently became a Labour peer, having previously served as Starmer\u2019s director of communications.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;e48bc33c-978e-4d12-baa1-1925017e8e02&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Former senior aide to Starmer loses whip over friendship with sex offender&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;1a70b21d-6853-4a7a-b2cd-d36bca7ef5e8&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;thumbnail&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2026\/feb\/10\/former-senior-aide-to-starmer-loses-whip-over-friendship-with-sex-offender&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Doyle had campaigned for a friend who had been charged with possessing indecent images of children. The friend claimed he was innocent at the time, but subsequently pleaded guilty. Yesterday Doyle issued &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/10\/keir-starmer-labour-leadership-uk-live-updates-politics-cabinet-latest-news?page=with%3Ablock-698b681a8f08291989449c8c#block-698b681a8f08291989449c8c\\&quot;&gt;a lengthy statement&lt;\/a&gt; apologising.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;7765f508-d5db-40e2-9dda-0979ac96ddd1&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Given that Doyle\u2019s peerage was announced in December, and that he took his seat in early January \u2013 after the details of his friendship with Sean Morton had been made public \u2013 Labour\u2019s decision to remove the whip yesterday looks like a move timed to minimise the dangers from this issue being raised at &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/pmqs\\&quot; data-component=\\&quot;auto-linked-tag\\&quot;&gt;PMQs&lt;\/a&gt;.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;f08790e0-2dd1-4bbd-a62f-3bce9ed4fd79&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;But Starmer still faces questions about why Doyle was allowed to take his seat in the Lords in the first place. In &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/x.com\/KemiBadenoch\/status\/2021270316505354420\\&quot;&gt;a post on social media&lt;\/a&gt; last night, &lt;strong&gt;Kemi Badenoch&lt;\/strong&gt; said she would not let the matter drop.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;0d2334b8-9445-4d58-8a37-8c50486cf1ad&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;blockquote class=\\&quot;quoted\\&quot;&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;Keir Starmer handed a peerage to Matthew Doyle despite knowing about his ongoing friendship with a man charged with child sex crimes.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;The Prime Minister has now suspended the whip, but he must come clean about what he was told before making this appointment.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;We won\u2019t let this go.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n&lt;\/blockquote&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;5c76f5d7-3da5-4958-850a-f16b297da549&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Last night &lt;strong&gt;Anna Turley&lt;\/strong&gt;, the Labour chair, said she did not think Doyle should be in the Lords at all. That was her \u201cpersonal view\u201d, she said. But Starmer is likely to be asked if he agrees.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;f893bb56-ef42-43d0-b6f5-5928a3cc62dc&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Here is the agenda for the day.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;af930a75-25f4-46b0-aa6a-834309484375&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;9am:&lt;\/em&gt; Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dem deputy leader and Treasury spokesperson holds a press conference where she is due to make \u201ca major Treasury announcement\u201d.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;d45cb2d3-46b1-4513-b3d7-51e909480cc9&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;9.45am:&lt;\/em&gt; Dan Tomlinson, a Treasury minister, gives evidence to the Commons Treasury committee on business rates.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;8dede7b9-ffba-4efa-add2-bc24e16fe7e7&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Noon:&lt;\/em&gt; Keir Starmer faces &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/kemi-badenoch\\&quot; data-component=\\&quot;auto-linked-tag\\&quot;&gt;Kemi Badenoch&lt;\/a&gt; at PMQs.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;2f1b6510-9a26-4332-afcf-1b832f7bf6ce&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;1pm:&lt;\/em&gt; Starmer speaks to the women\u2019s PLP (parliamentary Labour party).&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;723d8ecc-60c6-4103-a60d-da5aeac96e62&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;1.30pm:&lt;\/em&gt; Ed Miliband, the energy secretary, gives evidence to the Commons energy committee.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;305a0cf3-1fe8-4bc9-afa1-e5b65c16c038&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;And today Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, is publishing an education estates plan, including&lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/education\/2026\/feb\/11\/english-secondary-schools-must-offer-inclusion-areas-for-neurodiverse-and-send-pupils\\&quot;&gt; more space for classes for children with special educational needs.&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;df8c4d34-e6b8-4e73-a51c-80820093f98a&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line when comments are open (between 10am and 3pm), or message me on social media. I can\u2019t read all the messages BTL, but if you put \u201cAndrew\u201d in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;d0adc0a9-f413-4f80-949d-4dca3595846a&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian has &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/media\/2024\/nov\/13\/the-guardian-no-longer-post-on-x-twitter-elon-musk\\&quot;&gt;given up posting from its official accounts on X&lt;\/a&gt;, but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;3eb6467f-2909-471b-add2-ffd4b658c488&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can\u2019t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;ba8add7b-e736-4fa6-955d-be0bc296ad8e&quot;}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1770799415000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;03.43\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1770801296000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;04.14\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1770799415000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;03.43\u00a0EST&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;03.43&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Starmer faces PMQs amid pressure over why ex-No 10 aide friendly with sex offender was given peerage&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Wed 11 Feb 2026 07.38 EST&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Wed 11 Feb 2026 03.43 EST&quot;}],&quot;filterKeyEvents&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;key-events-carousel-mobile&quot;,&quot;renderingTarget&quot;:&quot;Web&quot;,&quot;serverTime&quot;:1770813867078}\"><span id=\"key-events-carousel-mobile\"\/><span class=\"dcr-90inr0\"><\/p>\n<p>Key events<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/gu-island><gu-island name=\"FilterKeyEventsToggle\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;filterKeyEvents&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;filter-toggle-mobile&quot;}\"><span id=\"filter-toggle-mobile\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-alru3r\"><label id=\"filter-toggle-mobile-switch_description\" data-component=\"filter-key-events\" data-link-name=\"filter-key-events-on\" class=\"dcr-rrspei\"><button id=\"filter-toggle-mobile-switch\" role=\"switch\" aria-checked=\"false\" aria-labelledby=\"filter-toggle-mobile-switch_description\" class=\"dcr-dh5oqp\"\/>Show key events only<\/p>\n<p><span>Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/label><\/div>\n<p><\/gu-island><\/span><\/p>\n<article id=\"block-698c77ae8f084760bbf2066f\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Ayoub Khan<\/strong> (ind) says rubbish is building up \u201cright beneath my very nose\u201d. He is a Birmingham MP, and he is talking about the bin strike. But he has Nigel Farage and the other Reform UK MPs sitting in the row directly in front of him. His joke prompts loud laughted. Richard Tice seems to see the funny side too, but Sarah Pochin looks horribly offended.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says he hopes the strike gets resolved.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c77ae8f084760bbf2066f&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c77ae8f084760bbf2066f&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c77ae8f084760bbf2066f#block-698c77ae8f084760bbf2066f\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container ad-slot-desktop dcr-jko40v\"\/>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\"\/>\n<article id=\"block-698c772b8f088da521cfb7ab\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Bob Blackman<\/strong> (Con) asks about the school stabbing in Brent, and asks what the government is doing to remove knife crime.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> thanks Blackman for raising this, and says the government agrees on the need to tackle this.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c772b8f088da521cfb7ab&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c772b8f088da521cfb7ab&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c772b8f088da521cfb7ab#block-698c772b8f088da521cfb7ab\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"block-698c76a88f088da521cfb7a5\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Tom Tugendhat<\/strong> (Con) says some civil servants are having to take out bridging loans to help them in their retirement.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says he will look at this.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c76a88f088da521cfb7a5&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c76a88f088da521cfb7a5&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c76a88f088da521cfb7a5#block-698c76a88f088da521cfb7a5\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"block-698c76658f084760bbf20657\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Daniel Zeichner<\/strong> (Lab) says he agrees with the ambition to make Cambridge the most livable city in Europe. He asks what more the government will do to help this.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says the government has a growth plan for Cambridge.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c76658f084760bbf20657&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c76658f084760bbf20657&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c76658f084760bbf20657#block-698c76658f084760bbf20657\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"block-698c75c08f084760bbf20644\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>James Wild<\/strong> (Con) asks about a foreign offender, sentenced to 10 years in jail for killing three people in a driving incident, who may be released after three years because he is being deported. He says it is wrong for the offender to be released this early.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says he will look into this.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c75c08f084760bbf20644&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c75c08f084760bbf20644&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c75c08f084760bbf20644#block-698c75c08f084760bbf20644\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"block-698c75888f084760bbf20642\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Preet Kaur Gill<\/strong> (Lab) asks about the Pride in Place programme, and how politics can be a force for good.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says he has always thought \u201cthose with skin in the game make the best decisions about their community\u201d.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c75888f084760bbf20642&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c75888f084760bbf20642&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c75888f084760bbf20642#block-698c75888f084760bbf20642\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\"\/>\n<article id=\"block-698c75128f088ff7c10a3ef2\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Caroline Voaden<\/strong> (Lib Dem) asks if the government will help address the problem of coastal erosion in Devon.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says Voaden has a meeting with the floods minister on this. The government is investing in flood defences.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c75128f088ff7c10a3ef2&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c75128f088ff7c10a3ef2&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c75128f088ff7c10a3ef2#block-698c75128f088ff7c10a3ef2\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"block-698c74b18f088da521cfb763\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\">\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Starmer says government considering making CCTV mandatory for nurseries<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Munira Wilson<\/strong> (Lib Dem) asks if the government will back mandatory CCTV in nurseries, and mandatory registers for staff.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says the government is considering whether CCTV should be mandatory in nursery settings.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c74b18f088da521cfb763&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c74b18f088da521cfb763&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c74b18f088da521cfb763#block-698c74b18f088da521cfb763\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"block-698c745f8f088ff7c10a3edc\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Douglas McAllister<\/strong> (Lab) says the government\u2019s plans to cut child poverty will help children in Scotland and the UK generally.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says government policies will help take almost 100,000 children out of poverty in Scotland.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c745f8f088ff7c10a3edc&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c745f8f088ff7c10a3edc&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c745f8f088ff7c10a3edc#block-698c745f8f088ff7c10a3edc\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container ad-slot-desktop dcr-jko40v\"\/>\n<article id=\"block-698c73e68f084760bbf2060f\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Steve Race<\/strong> (Lab) asks if the deportation of foreign criminals will be sped up. He refers to a case in his constituency of a woman being murdered by someone whose asylum claim had been turned down, but who had not been removed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says this was an appalling case. He says he wants more removals.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c73e68f084760bbf2060f&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c73e68f084760bbf2060f&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c73e68f084760bbf2060f#block-698c73e68f084760bbf2060f\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"block-698c739d8f088ff7c10a3ed5\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Rebecca Smith<\/strong> (Con) says SME companies Plymouth working on defence contracts are having difficulty winning contracts because of procurement rules.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says he will look at this.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c739d8f088ff7c10a3ed5&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c739d8f088ff7c10a3ed5&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c739d8f088ff7c10a3ed5#block-698c739d8f088ff7c10a3ed5\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\"\/>\n<article id=\"block-698c731a8f084760bbf20606\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Stephen Flynn<\/strong>, the SNP leader at Westminster, says Starmer\u2019s line on Doyle not giving a full account of his actions was similar to his line on Mandelson. He says Starmer must be the most gullible former DPP ever. He asks if the government will publish the guidance given to the Lords appointments commission when it vetted Doyle.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Starmer says a former SNP chief executive is going on trial in nine days\u2019 time.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Lindsay Hoyle<\/strong>, the speaker, says MPs should not be discussing live cases.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c731a8f084760bbf20606&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c731a8f084760bbf20606&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c731a8f084760bbf20606#block-698c731a8f084760bbf20606\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"block-698c725a8f084760bbf205f8\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Ed Davey<\/strong>, the Lib Dem leader, says that to appoint two friends of paedophiles to the Lords shows catastrophic misjudgment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says people have been let down because of austerity, which the Lib Dems supported.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Davey<\/strong> says he \u201ctouched a raw nerve\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The Mandelson scandal shows why a duty of candour is needed. He says the Hillsborough law should be placed on the statute book. Will the PM finally pass that now, &#8216;\u201ceven if it is the last thing he does\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says he started working on Hillsborugh issues in 2012, when the Lib Dems were in power. They did not pass this legislation, he says.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c725a8f084760bbf205f8&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c725a8f084760bbf205f8&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c725a8f084760bbf205f8#block-698c725a8f084760bbf205f8\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"block-698c71f68f088da521cfb72e\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Badenoch<\/strong> says Starmer claims he has never lost a fight. But that is because he never enters the ring.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> rattles through a list of how quickly ministers were replaced under the Tories. They were all useless, he says.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c71f68f088da521cfb72e&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c71f68f088da521cfb72e&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c71f68f088da521cfb72e#block-698c71f68f088da521cfb72e\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\"\/>\n<article id=\"block-698c718d8f088da521cfb723\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Badenoch<\/strong> suggest sleaze will be Starmer\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says his legacy will be changing his party.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He kicked his former leader out of the party. But Badenoch has not done that to Liz Truss, who is now floating \u201cbonkers conspiracy theories\u201d. He says he kicked Truss out of parliament. But Badenoch won\u2019t kick her out of her party.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c718d8f088da521cfb723&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c718d8f088da521cfb723&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c718d8f088da521cfb723#block-698c718d8f088da521cfb723\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container ad-slot-desktop dcr-jko40v\"\/>\n<article id=\"block-698c71358f088ff7c10a3eb7\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Badenoch<\/strong> says the revelations about Doyle were in the Sunday Times. She says Starmer refusal to accept responsibility is what a prosecutor would call an established pattern of behaviour.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> hits back referring to Tory scandals, including Priti Patel\u2019s bullying in government and Robert Jenrick complaining about the absence of white faces.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c71358f088ff7c10a3eb7&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c71358f088ff7c10a3eb7&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c71358f088ff7c10a3eb7#block-698c71358f088ff7c10a3eb7\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"block-698c70d08f088ff7c10a3eb2\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\">\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Starmer says Matthew Doyle &#8216;did not give full account of his actions&#8217; before he was made peer<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Badenoch<\/strong> says Starmer is deluded if he thinks it is the Tory party that is in trouble.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">She asks why Matthew Doyle got a peerage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says Doyle \u201cdid not give a full account of his actions\u201d. He had the whip withdrawn yesterday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">And he changes the subject, and mentions government policies protecting women.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><em>UPDATE:<\/em> <strong>Starmer<\/strong> said:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 14\" style=\"fill:var(--block-quote-fill)\" class=\"dcr-scql1j\"><path d=\"M5.255 0h4.75c-.572 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941H0C.792 9.104 2.44 4.53 5.255 0Zm11.061 0H21c-.506 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941h-8.686c.902-4.837 2.485-9.411 5.3-13.941Z\"\/><\/svg>Matthew Doyle did not give a full account of his actions. I promised my party and my country there will be change, and yesterday I removed the whip from Matthew Doyle.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll tell you what other actions we\u2019ve taken. Along with the safeguarding minister, I and this government have introduced the most far-reaching violence against women and girls strategy, and I\u2019ll tell you what else we\u2019ve done, this government has introduced a pay rise for millions of working class women. What did the leader of the opposition do? She opposed it.<\/p>\n<p>This government is introducing greater protection for women at work. What did the leader of the opposition do? She opposed it, and I\u2019ll tell you what else she opposes, this government removing the disgusting rape clause that they put in place.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c70d08f088ff7c10a3eb2&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c70d08f088ff7c10a3eb2&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c70d08f088ff7c10a3eb2#block-698c70d08f088ff7c10a3eb2\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-02-11T12:35:50.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-us\" title=\"Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 07:35 AM Eastern Standard Time\">07.35 EST<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\"\/>\n<article id=\"block-698c707f8f084760bbf205e0\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Badenoch<\/strong> says Starmer said he had full confidence in McSweeney. On Sunday he sacked him, she says. And last week he defended the cabinet secretary. Now he is being sacked too, she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Starmer<\/strong> says Badenoch claimed there would be no more defections from her party, and there were. Her party is dying.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-698c707f8f084760bbf205e0&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-698c707f8f084760bbf205e0&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=PM says aide linked to sex offender \u2018did not give full account of his actions\u2019 before he was made peer \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-698c707f8f084760bbf205e0#block-698c707f8f084760bbf205e0\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<p><gu-island name=\"LiveBlogEpic\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{&quot;sectionId&quot;:&quot;politics&quot;,&quot;shouldHideReaderRevenue&quot;:false,&quot;tags&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;politics\/politics&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Politics&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;uk\/uk&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;UK news&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;politics\/series\/politics-live-with-andrew-sparrow&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Series&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Politics live with Andrew Sparrow&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;politics\/keir-starmer&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Keir Starmer&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;politics\/pmqs&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;PMQs&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;politics\/labour&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Labour&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;politics\/kemi-badenoch&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Kemi Badenoch&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;politics\/conservatives&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Conservatives&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;politics\/houseofcommons&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;House of Commons&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;politics\/liberaldemocrats&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Liberal Democrats&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;business\/economics&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Economics&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;business\/business&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Business&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;politics\/economy&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Economic policy&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;business\/economicgrowth&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Economic growth (GDP)&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;business\/banking&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Keyword&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Banking&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;type\/article&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Type&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Article&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;tone\/minutebyminute&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;Tone&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Minute by 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News&quot;}],&quot;isPaidContent&quot;:false,&quot;contributionsServiceUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/contributions.guardianapis.com&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;keywordIds&quot;:&quot;politics\/politics,uk\/uk,politics\/keir-starmer,politics\/pmqs,politics\/labour,politics\/kemi-badenoch,politics\/conservatives,politics\/houseofcommons,politics\/liberaldemocrats,business\/economics,business\/business,politics\/economy,business\/economicgrowth,business\/banking&quot;,&quot;renderingTarget&quot;:&quot;Web&quot;}\"\/><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/feb\/11\/pmqs-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-matthew-doyle-peter-mandelson-latest-news-updates\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Starmer says Matthew Doyle &#8216;did not give full account of his actions&#8217; before he was made peer Badenoch says Starmer is deluded if he thinks it&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1891,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1890","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1890","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1890"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1890\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1891"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1890"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1890"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/foreignnewstoday.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1890"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}