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Rishi Sunak has refused to say whether he was personally warned about potential health risks for asylum seekers on the Bibby Stockholm after bacteria was discovered on the barge.

All 39 asylum seekers were removed from the vessel, which is currently docked in Portland, Dorset, on Friday after Legionella bacteria was found in the vessel’s water system.

Legionella bacteria can cause a potentially deadly lung infection known as Legionnaires’ disease. It is contracted by people breathing in droplets of water containing the bacteria.

While the Home Office says none of the migrants on the barge have shown any symptoms of the disease, concerns have been raised over the fact that people spent four days on board the barge after the bacteria was discovered and before they were removed by the Home Office as a “precautionary measure”.

Politics hub: ‘Light at the end of the tunnel’ on cost of living, PM says

The discovery has prompted a blame game among officials about who knew what and when.

Dorset Council has said Home Office contractors were notified about the results last Monday – four days before people were moved off the barge – and that a Home Office staff member was informed about the bacteria on Tuesday.

More on Bibby Stockholm

However, a government source previously told Sky News there is no record of this conversation, and claimed the Home Office only received a written notification about the Legionella on Wednesday evening.

Mr Sunak was informed about the presence of Legionella on Thursday.

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Asylum seekers ‘not valued’ as humans

Asked whether he was personally warned about any health risks, Mr Sunak avoided the question and said: “What has happened here is it is right that we go through all the checks and procedures to ensure the wellbeing and health of the people being housed on the barge.”

The government believes the existence of the barge will serve as a deterrent to those arriving in England via small boats in the Channel.

It is also 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.

However, in recent days the scale of the small boats crisis was laid bare after 755 people made the dangerous crossing in one day, taking the cumulative total since records began in 2018 to 100,000.

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‘Lives endangered’ on migrant barge

It was followed by further tragedy in the Channel after at least six people died after a small boat making its way from France capsized and sank.

A further 11 people made the same crossing again on Monday, the Home Office said today.

Mr Sunak argued that the government was taking a fair approach when it came to tackling the issue, saying: “Taking a step back, what is this about? This is about fairness.

“It is about the unfairness, in fact, of British taxpayers forking out £5m or £6m a day to house illegal migrants in hotels up and down the country, with all the pressure that puts on local communities.

“We’ve got to find alternatives to that, that is what the barge is about and that is why we are committed to it.”

Read more:
Asylum seeker removed from vessel on which Legionella was found says it is ‘endangering’ lives
Bibby Stockholm fiasco shows how far Rishi Sunak has to go to deliver on boats promise

He went on to argue that the government was taking a fair approach when it came to tackling the small boats crisis, adding: “But taking a step back, what is this about? This is about fairness.

“It is about the unfairness, in fact, of British taxpayers forking out £5m or £6m a day to house illegal migrants in hotels up and down the country, with all the pressure that puts on local communities.

“We’ve got to find alternatives to that, that is what the barge is about and that is why we are committed to it.”

He added: “I know there is a long way to go on this but I’m determined to fix this problem and we are making progress and people can be reassured we will keep at it.”

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Sir Keir Starmer set for Donald Trump trade talks as PM walks diplomatic line between EU allies and US on Gaza

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Sir Keir Starmer set for Donald Trump trade talks as PM walks diplomatic line between EU allies and US on Gaza

Gaza and transatlantic trade are set to dominate talks between Donald Trump and Sir Keir Starmer when the pair meet in Scotland on Monday.

Downing Street said the prime minister would discuss “what more can be done to secure the ceasefire [in the Middle East] urgently”, during the meeting at the president’s Turnberry golf course in Ayrshire.

Talks in Qatar over a ceasefire ended on Thursday after the US and Israel withdrew their negotiating teams.

Mr Trump blamed Hamas for the collapse of negotiations as he left the US for Scotland, saying the militant group “didn’t want to make a deal… they want to die”.

Sir Keir has tried to forge close personal ties with the president, frequently praising his actions on the world stage despite clear foreign policy differences between the US and UK.

The approach seemed to pay off in May when Mr Trump announced the agreement of a trade deal with the UK that would see several tariffs lowered.

The two leaders are expected to discuss this agreement when they meet, with the prime minister likely to press the president for a lowering of outstanding tariffs on imports such as steel.

Prior to the visit, the White House said the talks would allow them to “refine the historic US-UK trade deal”.

Extracting promises from the president on the Middle East may be harder though.

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Should aid be dropped into Gaza?

Despite some reports that Mr Trump is growing frustrated with Israel, there is a clear difference in tone between the US and its Western allies.

As he did over the Ukraine war, Sir Keir will have to walk a diplomatic line between the UK’s European allies and the White House.

On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced his country would formally recognise a Palestinian state in September, the first member of the G7 to do so.

That move was dismissed by Mr Trump, who said it “doesn’t carry any weight”.

Read more from Sky News:
US and EU agree trade deal – with bloc facing 15% tariffs
Geldof accuses Israel of ‘lying’ about Gaza starvation

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Trump: ‘It doesn’t matter what Macron says’

The UK, French and German leaders spoke over the weekend and agreed to work together on the “next phase” in Gaza that would see transitional governance and security arrangements put in place, alongside the large-scale delivery of aid.

Under pressure from members of his own party and cabinet to follow France and signal formal recognition of Palestine, Sir Keir has gradually become more critical of Israel in recent months.

On Friday, the prime minister said “the starvation and denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, the increasing violence from extremist settler groups, and Israel’s disproportionate military escalation in Gaza are all indefensible”.

Government sources say UK recognition is a matter of “when, not if”, however, it’s thought Downing Street wants to ensure any announcement is made at a time when it can have the greatest diplomatic impact.

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Baby Zainab starved to death in Gaza

Cabinet ministers will be convened in the coming days, during the summer recess, to discuss the situation in Gaza.

The UK has also been working with Jordan to air drop supplies, after Israel said it would allow foreign countries to provide aid to the territory.

President Trump’s trip to Scotland comes ahead of his second state visit to the UK in September.

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Downing Street says Ukraine will also likely be discussed in the meeting with both men reflecting on what can be done to force Russia back to the negotiating table.

After the meeting at Turnberry, the prime minister will travel with the president to Aberdeen for a private engagement.

Mr Trump is also expected to meet Scottish First Minister John Swinney while in the country.

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Crypto isn’t crashing the American dream; it’s renovating it

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Crypto isn’t crashing the American dream; it’s renovating it

Crypto isn’t crashing the American dream; it’s renovating it

The US housing regulator’s decision to recognize crypto assets in mortgage applications marks a historic shift from exclusion to integration, opening new pathways to homeownership.

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Govt vows to protect ‘pavement pints’ and make it easier for pubs to extend their opening hours

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Govt vows to protect 'pavement pints' and make it easier for pubs to extend their opening hours

“A wave of new cafes, bars, music venues and outdoor dining” could come to the UK – as the government unveils plans to overhaul planning rules and “breathe new life into the high street”.

Under the proposals, ministers also want to reform licensing rules to make it easier for disused shops to be converted into hospitality venues.

In a statement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she planned to scrap “clunky, outdated rules… to protect pavement pints, al fresco dining and street parties”.

The reforms also aim to prevent existing pubs, clubs, and music venues from suffering noise complaints when new properties hit the market.

Developers who decide to build near those sites will be required to soundproof their buildings.

Customers drink in an outdoor seating area of a pub in London during pandemic in December 2021
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Reuters file pic

As part of dedicated “hospitality zones”, permission for al fresco dining, street parties and extended opening hours will be fast-tracked.

The government says the reforms aim to modernise outdated planning and licensing rules as part of its Plan for Change, to help small businesses and improve local communities.

More on Hospitality

The rough plans will be subject to a “call for evidence” which could further shape policy.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the proposals will “put the buzz back into our town centres”.

“Red tape has stood in the way of people’s business ideas for too long. Today we’re slashing those barriers to giving small business owners the freedom to flourish,” he said.

The hospitality industry has broadly welcomed the changes but argued tax reform was also essential.

Kate Nicholls, chairwoman of UKHospitality, described the proposals as “positive and encouraging”.

However, she added: “They can’t on their own offset the immediate and mounting cost pressures facing hospitality businesses which threaten to tax out of existence the businesses and jobs that today’s announcement seeks to support.”

Read more from Sky News:
Licensing reforms for London venues
Pubs forced to adapt to survive

While supporting the reforms, Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), had a similar message.

“These changes must go hand in hand with meaningful business rates reform, mitigating staggering employment costs, and a cut in beer duty so that pubs can thrive at the heart of the community,” she said.

In July, BBPA estimated that 378 pubs will shut this year across England, Wales and Scotland, compared with 350 closures in 2024, which it said would amount to more than 5,600 direct job losses.

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Pubs closing at a rate of one a day

Bar chain Brewdog announced this week that it would close 10 sites, partly blaming “rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures”.

Andrew Griffith MP, shadow business secretary, said: “Though any cutting of red tape for hospitality businesses is welcome, this is pure hypocrisy and inconsistency from Labour.”

He said the government was “crippling the hospitality industry by doubling business rates, imposing a jobs tax and a full-on strangulation of employment red tape”.

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