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Former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab has confirmed he is standing down at the next election.

It is a story about his personal circumstances, but also Conservative prospects.

He was forced to quit the cabinet after a long-running inquiry into bullying allegations against him by officials at three government departments upheld some of the claims.

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Given the adverse circumstances, and the difficulty of contesting an election in which his opponents will brand him a bully – although Raab has made clear he thinks the verdict unfair – it would probably be more surprising if he decided to dig in and stand again.

The decision is likely to be a relief to his staunch ally Rishi Sunak, who would otherwise be asked to continually defend an MP whose behaviour has been branded unacceptable.

The prime minister’s gratitude for his support during last year’s leadership contest means some suspect he’ll eventually end up in the House of Lords.

But the departure, while linked to his specific circumstances, also tells us something about the growing exodus in the Tory party.

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Raab takes aim at ‘activist civil servants’

At the time of writing, there are 51 current MPs who have decided not to stand at the next election – of which 38 were elected as Conservatives in 2019.

They span many tribes – those throwing in the towel after a long innings; embroiled in scandal and suspended from the party; those certain to lose their seats. But also, crucially, the young and ambitious.

Yes, life in politics can take a heavy toll on individuals and families, with social media abuse, threats, and time away from family all driving MPs out. Raab said in his resignation letter that he was concerned about the impact on his two young sons.

But speaking to MPs across all parties, there is a clear sense of despondency among Tories about their prospects of keeping their seats.

Read more:
Which MPs are stepping down the next election?

The list goes on…

Raab’s once-safe constituency of Esher and Walton in leafy Surrey – which he won by 28,000 votes in 2015 – is now marginal, with a majority of just 2,743. The Liberal Democrats, celebrating a round of local elections showing they are back in business, will be targeting it very hard.

Other Tories who are off include young Red Wall MP Nicola Richards, aged 27 in West Bromwich; Dehenna Davison, rising star of the 2019 election, who has an 8,000 majority in Bishop Auckland; select committee chair Robin Walker, 45, with a 6,000 majority in Worcester. The list of those ending their political careers early goes on.

Matt Hancock, star of I’m a Celebrity, is leaving politics. Former chancellor Sajid Javid, still in his early 50s, declared he would pursue interests outside Westminster on the day Labour won the Chester by-election.

If the Tories were on course to triumph at the next election, you can’t help but think some of them would stick around.

As one senior Tory put it to me: “People are not happy and are weighing up will I win, and is it worth slugging it out in opposition? For some MPs, they’re at the age where they can have a second career. Some are looking to move to safer seats, which doesn’t bode well.”

The Tory exodus is only likely to escalate as MPs are slowly selected for new seats created by the latest boundary changes. There have already been fierce selection battles among serving MPs as some have seen their seats abolished altogether.

Safe berths elsewhere are few and far between, and there is some resentment about who is getting on the candidates list.

Labour are far ahead of the Conservatives in selections, having already chosen more than 200 candidates. The Conservatives say they will have done 100 by the party conference in October, but as that process rolls on, those deciding it’s not worth waiting for the verdict of the voters looks set to continue.

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Kristi Noem: Top Trump official’s handbag – containing $3,000 in cash and security pass – stolen in burger restaurant

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Kristi Noem: Top Trump official's handbag - containing ,000 in cash and security pass - stolen in burger restaurant

A bag belonging to the US Homeland Security Secretary was stolen on Sunday night – containing thousands of dollars in cash and an ID card that gives access to secure agency buildings.

Kristi Noem was eating at a Washington DC burger restaurant with family when a man in a face covering sat near her table and stole her purse, according to two people familiar with the theft.

Officials confirmed the theft to Sky News’ US partner NBC News on Monday.

The cabinet secretary was carrying $3,000 (£2,243) in cash because “her entire family was in town including her children and grandchildren”, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told NBC.

“She was using the withdrawal to treat her family to dinner, activities and Easter gifts.”

US Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem visited CECOT in March. Pic: Reuters
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The purse contained her ID card. Reuters file pic

Just before 8pm, a man wearing an N-95 mask walked into the restaurant and up a few stairs to where Ms Noem was eating dinner.

He sat near her table and moved his chair close to hers before sliding her purse toward him with his foot, according to surveillance footage viewed by law enforcement, the sources said.

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Within minutes, the man had Ms Noem’s purse under his jacket and walked out of the restaurant.

At least two on-duty members of the US Secret Service were in the restaurant – between Ms Noem and the front doors – according to a source who witnessed the meal.

They said the restaurant wasn’t very busy at the time.

The purse also contained credit cards, blank cheques, her passport, driver’s licence and a set of keys.

It’s unclear whether Ms Noem was specifically targeted – and investigators are looking into whether the man knew who the purse belonged to.

When asked about the incident, Ms Noem said: “I don’t think I can comment on it yet. It’s not resolved yet.”

She said the Secret Service was aware but said she hadn’t spoken to agency personnel about what happened.

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Ms Noem is a vocal supporter of Donald Trump’s policies of deporting undocumented immigrants and fortifying the US-Mexico border to slow illegal migration.

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Starmer and Zelenskyy discuss ending Russia’s ‘brutal war’ – as Putin says says he is open to bilateral talks on longer ceasefire

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Starmer and Zelenskyy discuss ending Russia's 'brutal war' - as Putin says says he is open to bilateral talks on longer ceasefire

Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke about ending Russia’s “brutal war” on Ukraine in their latest phone call on Easter Monday, as Vladimir Putin said he was open to bilateral talks.

The prime minister and Ukrainian president spoke on Monday afternoon, when Sir Keir “reiterated his iron-clad support for Ukraine“.

A Downing Street spokesperson added that the prime minister “said that the UK supports Ukraine’s calls for Russia to commit to a full ceasefire and that now is the time for Putin to show he is serious about ending his brutal war”.

“They discussed the latest developments on the Coalition of the Willing, and looked forward to further progress towards a just and lasting peace,” the spokesperson added.

Mr Zelenskyy later said on social media that he had a “good and detailed conversation” with the prime minister, and added Ukrainian officials will be in London for talks on ending the war with Russia on Wednesday.

“We are ready to move forward as constructively as possible, just as we have done before, to achieve an unconditional ceasefire, followed by the establishment of a real and lasting peace,” he added.

The Ukrainian president added that the 30-hour Easter truce, which both Kyiv and Moscow accuse the other of violating, showed that Russia “are prolonging the war”.

It comes as Mr Putin proposed bilateral talks with Ukraine on a longer ceasefire, which would mark the first time Russia held such talks since a failed peace deal soon after the invasion in 2022.

Speaking to a state TV reporter, the Russian president said: “We always have a positive attitude towards a truce, which is why we came up with such an initiative (the Easter truce), especially since we are talking about the bright Easter days.”

When asked about Mr Zelenskyy’s calls to extend the 30-hour ceasefire into a 30-day pause on civilian targets, he added: “This is all a subject for careful study, perhaps even bilaterally. We do not rule this out.”

The Ukrainian president said on Sunday evening that the Russian army had “violated Putin’s ceasefire more than 2,000 times” during the day, and accused Russia of “failing” to “uphold its own promise of a ceasefire”.

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From Saturday: Why Putin offered an Easter truce?

It also comes after Donald Trump has said he hopes Russia and Ukraine “will make a deal this week,” after he and his secretary of state Marco Rubio warned that the US will walk away from efforts to broker a peace deal unless there are clear signs of progress soon.

The US president said on his Truth Social platform that both countries would “start to do big business” with the US after ending the war.

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Last month, Ukraine accepted Mr Trump’s proposal for a 30-day truce, but Mr Putin refused to back a full 30-day ceasefire, saying crucial issues of verification had not been sorted out.

He then said he would agree not to target Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. However, both sides have accused each other of breaking the moratorium on attacks on energy targets and at sea.

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Royal Navy’s flagship HMS Prince of Wales begins eight-month deployment

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Royal Navy's flagship HMS Prince of Wales begins eight-month deployment

The Royal Navy’s flagship HMS Prince of Wales is to begin an eight-month deployment to send a “powerful message” of the UK’s naval and air power.

Operation Highmast will take in joint exercises and visits with 40 countries across the Mediterranean, Middle East, southeast Asia, Japan and Australia.

The £3bn aircraft carrier is scheduled to sail from Portsmouth on Tuesday, accompanied from the navy base by Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless, to join a formation of warships, supply ships and aircraft off the coast of Cornwall.

HMS Prince of Wales, as the biggest class of ship in the Royal Navy, is leading Carrier Strike Group 25 (CSG25) with the involvement of around 2,500 personnel from the Royal Navy, 592 from the Royal Air Force and 900 from the Army.

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King Charles visited the aircraft carrier in March

Later during the deployment, as many as 4,500 military personnel will be involved in exercises in the Indo-Pacific region. Forces from Norway, Canada and Spain are among 12 other nations taking part in operations.

The CSG’s first task will be to join a NATO exercise off France testing aerial defences before the ships move on to the Mediterranean to work with an Italian-led carrier force and then head east via the Red Sea.

HMS Prince of Wales sails from Portsmouth Naval Base for preparations before a planned deployment of a carrier strike group to the Indo-Pacific region later this year. Picture date: Monday February 24, 2025.
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HMS Prince of Wales pictured at Portsmouth Naval Base in February. Pic: PA

Other military assets include a contingent of up to 24 Royal Air Force F-35B Lightning fighter jets, Merlin Mk2 anti-submarine helicopters, Merlin Mk4 Commando and Wildcat helicopters along with T-150 Malloy and Puma drones.

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Royal Navy exercises on HMS Dauntless

Commodore James Blackmore, CSG commander, said the deployment would send a “powerful message” of the UK’s naval and air power.

He said: “It’s about supporting key trade routes that exist from the Indo-Pacific region to the UK, and supporting partners and allies in the region, showing that we are there as a capable and credible force should it be required.

“Operation Highmast will demonstrate credible deterrence and our support to NATO and the rules-based international order.”

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, called it an “immensely complex operation” which sends “a powerful message of deterrence to any adversary”.

“This is a unique opportunity for the UK to operate in close coordination with our partners and allies in a deployment that not only shows our commitment to security and stability, but also provides an opportunity to bolster our own economy and boost British trade and exports,” he added.

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