Starmer says universities will be expected to publish audit of antisemitism on campus, and how it's being tackled
Keir Starmer has announced that universities will be required to publish data on the extent of antisemitism on their campuses and detail the measures they are implementing to address it.
He made this declaration during a speech at the antisemitism summit held at No 10 Downing Street, addressing civic leaders present.
“We’re rolling out antisemitism training for staff and in our schools, colleges and universities. We’re investing £7m to tackle antisemitism while making sure Holocaust education is taught in all schools.
And today, we’re going further.
We already expect universities to set out clear disciplinary consequences for antisemitism and to enforce them. And so we will hold them to account on that.
But today I can announce that we will lift the bar higher when abuses take place. We’re calling on universities to demonstrate action. We will now expect them to publish the scale of the problem on their campuses, as well as the specific steps they have taken to clamp down on it. There will be zero tolerance for inaction.”
Trump's 'relentless' attacks on UK and other allies 'only benefits Russia and Iran', Badenoch says
In an interview on the Today programme, Kemi Badenoch described former US President Donald Trump as “very erratic”. Having previously been reluctant to criticize him, she has recently become more outspoken. She stated:
“The issue with Donald Trump is that he’s very erratic.
Even where you agree with him on what he is wanting to do, the way he goes about doing those things is very problematic.
A lot of his rhetoric, especially against allies, I do not like.
The relentless criticism of allies, whether it’s the UK or other European countries, only benefits Russia and Iran.”
Badenoch questions whether undisclosed £5m donation to Farage means he's been 'bought'
Kemi Badenoch raised concerns about an undisclosed £5 million donation to Nigel Farage from a cryptocurrency billionaire, questioning whether this implies Farage has been "bought".
During an interview on the Today programme, the Conservative leader linked the donation to Farage’s support for cryptocurrencies and expressed distrust toward Farage as a political figure.
Last week, revealed that shortly before the 2024 general election, Farage received £5 million from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.
While the gift was legal, Farage was required to register donations related to his political activities once he became an MP. Farage did not register this donation, claiming it was a personal gift intended to cover his lifelong security costs.
When questioned about right-wing voters potentially preferring Farage over Labour, Badenoch said:
“Let’s see, I believe that people should look at the character of an individual.
You look at Nigel Farage’s fishy £5m. I think that’s a very, very concerning story. No one gets £5m directly. This was not for his party. He kept it a secret. What was that money for? Who’s bought him?”
When reminded that Farage insists the donation was personal, Badenoch responded:
“Well, I don’t understand why somebody who works in crypto gives this sort of personal gift, as Farage calls it, and then all of a sudden Farage is promoting crypto.
He should have declared it. We’ve already made a report to the standards committee. He should have declared it because those are the rules in this country.
He is not someone who plays by the rules. I play by the rules.”
Harborne, who also donated £12 million to Reform UK in 2025 (properly declared), stated that Farage was out of politics when he gave the £5 million. At that time, Farage had not announced his candidacy for the 2024 election nor resumed leadership of Reform UK. Harborne said, “I wasn’t expecting anything in return apart from ensuring [Farage’s] safety.” Farage maintains the donation was personal and that Harborne did not request anything in return for declared political donations.
Over the weekend, Badenoch reiterated her concerns about the Harborne donation, suggesting it explained Farage’s last-minute political decisions.
Last month, published an extensive investigation by Tom Burgis examining the connections between Farage and Harborne.
FBU general secretary Steve Wright says Starmer 'sitting duck' and leadership challenge 'inevitable' after elections
Steve Wright, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), stated that Keir Starmer is now a “sitting duck” and that a leadership challenge is “inevitable” following the upcoming elections.
Wright made these comments during an interview with Simon Fletcher, a former aide to Ken Livingstone, Jeremy Corbyn, and briefly Starmer, published on Fletcher’s platform.
Wright publicly called for Starmer to resign and expressed that a leadership contest could no longer be avoided.
His union is affiliated with the Labour party. Wright said:
“If [the election results are] as bad as all the polls suggest – I’m not a betting, man, but I’m sure they’re not going to be great, are they – I think Starmer should stand down.
I think he should have stood down a couple of months ago and given me, others, Labour activists, people that are proud of the Labour party, an opportunity to try and win round some people. It would have been hard, but I think without him there, we could have probably done something.
So I think he will go. I think there will be calls for him to go. We just need to have been in a position to try and shape that. It’s inevitable now, isn’t it? I think he’s a bit of a sitting duck.”
Wright did not endorse any alternative Labour leader but emphasized the importance of establishing a set of principles for the government to follow in the next three years before the next election.
He criticized Starmer’s sidelining of unions and stressed the need for an end to austerity and meaningful change, stating:
“For us in the fire service, with our wages and also with the lack of funding and investment in public services, it’s just been austerity mark II.
I’ve no criticism of why people are looking for alternatives. They’re either turning to Reform because they’re providing an alternative narrative – the wrong one, I think – or they’re turning to the Greens as some kind of saviour of working-class people. And I certainly don’t think the Green party or Zack Polanski are the saviours of that.
I think we need to take back ownership of the Labour party and what we really know it stands for, and make sure it starts delivering for working people.
And I’m quite angry that the party’s got in this position we find ourselves in, but I’m certainly not going to walk away from that. I’m going to try and change it from within.”
Starmer orders review into whether Arts Council tough enough on dealing with organisations that platform antisemitism
In his speech, Keir Starmer also stated that if arts organisations provide platforms for antisemitism, the Arts Council must use its powers to suspend, withdraw, and reclaim funding.
He announced a review to assess whether these powers are being applied effectively. He said:
“And today we’re mandating an independent audit of how allegations are handled. This will be a hard-edged review of where systems are failing and where they need to be strengthened.
We will not and cannot accept complacency, delays or weak enforcement.
And where complacency is found. It will be challenged and addressed swiftly.”
Polanski hits back after Labour attacks Greens for not tackling antisemitism in party properly
Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, posted responses this morning, apparently addressing Labour’s antisemitism attack advertisement launched the previous day.
“When you see the relentless attacks from other parties on the Greens across the media remember this:
They hate our plan to end Rip Off Britain.
They don’t want public ownership & lower bills.
They’re trying everything in their power to stop us.
It’s not going to work.
We have people power and a plan to change our country.”
Steve Reed warns Labour another leadership contest 'ends in annihilation' for party
Steve Reed, the housing secretary, warned that Labour risks “annihilation” if it removes Keir Starmer and holds another leadership contest.
He made these remarks during media interviews this morning. According to Pippa Crerar, Reed’s public statements echo concerns expressed privately by several cabinet ministers about the risks of a leadership contest.
“I speak to a lot of my fellow MPs, of course I do, all the time, but also council leaders, and they’re sick and tired of all this psychodrama … The whole notion that we would copy the Conservatives and go doomscrolling through leaders in a way that means the government is completely incapable of dealing with the things that matter to most of the British public is absolute nonsense, and I’m not going to engage in it, and most of our MPs would not engage in that either.”
Jessica Elgot provides further details on that interview.
In another interview, Reed said another leadership election would be disastrous for Labour, stating:
“We can’t be like the Tories and doomscroll through leaders. It ends in annihilation. We’ve got to focus on the British public, not ourselves.”
Reed also revealed he had dinner with Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, on Saturday but said they did not discuss her potential leadership candidacy. He added that he hopes to see her return to the cabinet in due course.
Next Scottish government faces ‘really difficult’ spending choices, economists say
Senior economists have indicated that the next Scottish government will face “really difficult” spending decisions soon after taking office, including addressing the large public sector pay bill. Severin Carrell reports on this development.
Steve Reed accuses Zack Polanski of ignoring antisemitism problem in Green party
Steve Reed, environment secretary, gave interviews this morning promoting a small funding announcement for councils addressing antisemitism and renewing Labour’s criticism of the Green Party’s handling of antisemitism within their ranks.
Reed, a former leader of Lambeth council and current MP for Streatham and Croydon North, which includes parts of Lambeth, told GB News:
“We need the Green party to do what the Labour Party did and kick out members of their party who are openly antisemitic. In my borough, where my constituency is, two Green Party candidates have been arrested for allegations of stirring up racial hatred.
Instead of condemning them, the Green party has put out a letter saying that the Labour party is spreading cynical misinformation.
These people were arrested for hate crimes targeting the Jewish community. One of them was back out on the doorsteps this weekend. We have photographic evidence of knocking on doors now.
Zack Polanski, come on, these people are spreading antisemitic hatred. You cannot put them up for election.
You cannot back them, and you cannot shut your eyes and pretend this problem doesn’t exist. We only tackle racism by calling it out and stopping it. And all of us have a responsibility to do that.”
This morning’s Downing Street meeting is a government event and non-partisan. However, it coincides with Labour’s release of an attack document targeting the Greens over antisemitic comments made by some of their election candidates. The format is similar to Labour’s previous materials highlighting antisemitism in other parties.
Starmer calls antisemitism ‘crisis for all of us’, as No 10 holds summit and councils get extra funding to address problem
Keir Starmer has described antisemitism as “a crisis for all of us”. This morning, he is hosting a meeting at Downing Street aimed at uniting leaders from various sectors to address the issue. According to a briefing from No 10, he will say:
“Last week’s terrorist attack in Golders Green was utterly appalling. But it was not an isolated incident. It is part of a pattern of rising antisemitism that has left our Jewish communities feeling frightened, angry, and asking whether this country, their home, is safe for them.
These disgusting attacks are being made against British Jews. But, make no mistake, this crisis – it is a crisis for all of us. It is a test of our values. Values that are not guaranteed, but are earned. Every single day, through our actions.”
Last week, following the Golders Green attack, the government announced an additional £25 million to enhance police patrols, specialist officers, and protective security for Jewish communities, increasing total funding to £58 million, alongside £7 million dedicated to combating antisemitism in schools, colleges, and universities.
This morning, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced a further funding boost for councils coinciding with the No 10 event:
“Jewish communities across England will receive a further £1 million of government funding to tackle antisemitism and strengthen community cohesion in those places facing the greatest risk.
An immediate £500,000 will also be allocated to Barnet council, reflecting recent serious antisemitic incidents in the borough and the large number of Jewish residents there.”
There has been a concerning rise in antisemitism both nationally and internationally, including terrorist attacks in Heaton Park and Bondi Beach last year, and a series of antisemitic incidents in North West London in recent weeks.
The additional funding will expand MHCLG’s Common Ground programme, which currently provides over £4 million to communities nationwide. The funds can be used by councils for measures to counter antisemitism.
Here is the agenda for the day:
- Morning: Keir Starmer hosts a meeting in Downing Street to discuss implementation strategies.
- Morning: Conservative leader campaigns in Suffolk; afternoon in Coventry.
- Noon: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
- Noon: Paul Ovenden, Starmer’s former head of political strategy at No 10, speaks at an event on reshaping Britain.
- Afternoon: Ed Davey, Liberal Democrat leader, visits a synagogue in central London.
- 5pm: Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader, and Welsh party leader Dan Thomas speak at a rally in south Wales with a special guest.
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