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Jeremy Corbyn has accused Sir Keir Starmer of “political cowardice” after the party said it would continue to temporarily house asylum seekers on barges if it wins the next election.

The former Labour leader described the use of vessels as “morally indefensible”.

It comes as the first asylum seekers arrived on the controversial Bibby Stockholm vessel in Dorset this morning, with more arrivals expected throughout the day.

The barge is one of a number of alternative sites the Home Office is using to end reliance on expensive hotels for asylum seekers, which the government says is costing the taxpayer £6m a day.

On Sunday, Shadow Immigration Minister Stephen Kinnock admitted Labour would have “no choice” but to continue to use the alternative sites owing to the “mess” it would inherit from the Conservatives – but said the party would try to move asylum seekers out of hotels, barges and military camps as “quickly as possible”.

International Trade Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds reiterated Labour’s position this morning, telling Sky News: “We have to address the situation that we inherit, but our policy is to drive the backlog down so we don’t have to use the barges, we don’t have to use the bases, we don’t have to use the hotels.

“It’s not a question of lowering expectations – it’s a question of being open and upfront with the British public about the chaos that we are going to inherit, but also the direction that we then want to go in, which is best for those people trapped in the system but also best value for the taxpayer too.”

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Inside the Bibby Stockholm barge

But Mr Corbyn told Sky News: “Forcing human beings who have escaped war and persecution to live on unsafe and overcrowded prison ships is morally indefensible.

“So too is the failure to offer a more humane alternative.

“These are human beings who are legally and legitimately exercising their right to asylum. We should be defending, not denigrating, that right.

“Political cowardice has consequences – and vulnerable people will pay the highest price.”

He added: “That’s why I’m proud to stand alongside people in my constituency campaigning for an immigration system based on dignity and care.”

So far no backbench Labour MPs have spoken out publicly in line with Mr Corbyn, who had the party whip removed in 2020.

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Labour ‘unhappy’ to inherit asylum barges

There has been considerable local opposition to the Bibby Stockholm due to concerns about the asylum seekers’ welfare and the impact on local services.

Charities have also raised concerns about whether such sites are suitable for those seeking asylum.

Natasha Tsangarides, associate director of advocacy at Freedom from Torture, said: “Cruel accommodation schemes like barges and tents are wholly inappropriate for people who have fled torture and war.”

Sky News has approached the Labour Party for comment on Mr Corbyn’s remarks.

Mr Corbyn spoke as questions remain over his political future and whether he intends to stay on as the MP for Islington North, a constituency he has represented since 1983.

The former leader was suspended from the parliamentary party in October 2020 over his reaction to a damning report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission into how antisemitism complaints were handled under his leadership.

Should Mr Corbyn wish to remain as the MP for Islington North he would have to run for another party or as an independent. While he has dropped suggestions that he may do the latter, he has not been explicit about his intentions.

Immediately after the publication of the antisemitism report, Mr Corbyn claimed “the scale of the problem” in Labour was “dramatically overstated for political reasons by our opponents”.

On becoming party leader, Sir Keir promised to “tear out antisemitism” from Labour.

In March he barred Mr Corbyn from standing for Labour at the next election after proposing a successful motion to the party’s ruling body, the National Executive Committee, that it should not endorse his predecessor to fight for his Islington North seat.

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‘Shameful’ that black boys in London more likely to die than white boys, says Met Police chief

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'Shameful' that black boys in London more likely to die than white boys, says Met Police chief

It is “shameful” that black boys growing up in London are “far more likely” to die than white boys, Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley has told Sky News.

The commissioner told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that relations with minority communities “is difficult for us”.

Sir Mark, who came out of retirement to become head of the UK’s largest police force in 2022, said: “We can’t pretend otherwise that we’ve got a history between policing and black communities where policing has got a lot wrong.

“And we get a lot more right today, but we do still make mistakes. That’s not in doubt. I’m being as relentless in that as it can be.”

He said the “vast majority” of the force are “good people”.

However, he added: “But that legacy, combined with the tragedy that some of this crime falls most heavily in black communities, that creates a real problem because the legacy creates concern.”

Sir Mark, who also leads the UK’s counter-terrorism policing, said it is “not right” that black boys growing up in London “are far more likely to be dead by the time they’re 18” than white boys.

“That’s, I think, shameful for the city,” he admitted.

The Met Police chief’s admission comes two years after an official report found the force is institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic.

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Police chase suspected phone thief

Baroness Casey was commissioned in 2021 to look into the Met Police after serving police officer Wayne Couzens abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard.

She pinned the primary blame for the Met’s culture on its past leadership and found that stop and search and the use of force against black people was excessive.

At the time, Sir Mark, who had been commissioner for six months when the report was published, said he would not use the labels of institutionally racist, institutionally misogynistic and institutionally homophobic, which Casey insisted the Met deserved.

However, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who helped hire Sir Mark – and could fire him – made it clear the commissioner agreed with Baroness Casey’s verdict.

After the report was released, Sir Mark said “institutional” was political language so he was not going to use it, but he accepted “we have racists, misogynists…systematic failings, management failings, cultural failings”.

A few months after the report, Sir Mark launched a two-year £366m plan to overhaul the Met, including increased emphasis on neighbourhood policing to rebuild public trust and plans to recruit 500 more community support officers and an extra 565 people to work with teams investigating domestic violence, sexual offences and child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Watch the full interview on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips from 8.30am on Sunday.

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Unite votes to suspend Angela Rayner over Birmingham bin strike

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Unite votes to suspend Angela Rayner over Birmingham bin strike

Labour’s largest union donor, Unite, has voted to suspend Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner over her role in the Birmingham bin strike row.

Members of the trade union, one of the UK’s largest, also “overwhelmingly” voted to “re-examine its relationship” with Labour over the issue.

They said Ms Rayner, who is also housing, communities and local government secretary, Birmingham Council’s leader, John Cotton, and other Labour councillors had been suspended for “bringing the union into disrepute”.

There was confusion over Ms Rayner’s membership of Unite, with her office having said she was no longer a member and resigned months ago and therefore could not be suspended.

But Unite said she was registered as a member. Parliament’s latest register of interests had her down as a member in May.

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The union said an emergency motion was put to members at its policy conference in Brighton on Friday.

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Unite is one of the Labour Party’s largest union donors, donating £414,610 in the first quarter of 2025 – the highest amount in that period by a union, company or individual.

The union condemned Birmingham’s Labour council and the government for “attacking the bin workers”.

Mountains of rubbish have been piling up in the city since January after workers first went on strike over changes to their pay, with all-out strike action starting in March. An agreement has still not been made.

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Rat catcher tackling Birmingham’s bins problem

Ms Rayner and the councillors had their membership suspended for “effectively firing and rehiring the workers, who are striking over pay cuts of up to £8,000”, the union added.

‘Missing in action’

General secretary Sharon Graham told Sky News on Saturday morning: “Angela Rayner, who has the power to solve this dispute, has been missing in action, has not been involved, is refusing to come to the table.”

She had earlier said: “Unite is crystal clear, it will call out bad employers regardless of the colour of their rosette.

“Angela Rayner has had every opportunity to intervene and resolve this dispute but has instead backed a rogue council that has peddled lies and smeared its workers fighting huge pay cuts.

“The disgraceful actions of the government and a so-called Labour council, is essentially fire and rehire and makes a joke of the Employment Relations Act promises.

“People up and down the country are asking whose side is the Labour government on and coming up with the answer not workers.”

SN pics from 10/04/25 Tyseley Lane, Tyseley, Birmingham showing some rubbish piling up because of bin strikes
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Piles of rubbish built up around Birmingham because of the strike over pay

Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesman said the government’s “priority is and always has been the residents of Birmingham”.

He said the decision by Unite workers to go on strike had “caused disruption” to the city.

“We’ve worked to clean up streets and remain in close contact with the council […] as we support its recovery,” he added.

A total of 800 Unite delegates voted on the motion.

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Binance’s CZ threatens to sue Bloomberg over Trump stablecoin report

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Binance’s CZ threatens to sue Bloomberg over Trump stablecoin report

Binance’s CZ threatens to sue Bloomberg over Trump stablecoin report

Binance co-founder CZ has dismissed a Bloomberg report linking him to the Trump-backed USD1 stablecoin, threatening legal action over alleged defamation.

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