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Labour’s MP for Mid & South Pembrokeshire, Henry Tufnell, has just issued a long statement saying he has been “deeply saddened” by what he called “misleading and inflammatory claims” about his participation in the parliamentary vote on Wednesday.

Conservatives attempted to kill the government’s child wellbeing and schools bill by tabling an amendment that would force a national grooming and rape gangs inquiry, blocking the bill at the same time. The amendment was defeated by 364 votes to 111, a majority of 253.

Tufnell, in a series of posts to social media, said:

Let me be absolutely clear: the safety of children and ensuring justice for victims of these appalling crimes is a cause I hold incredibly close to my heart.

The recent vote was not about turning a blind eye or denying justice to victims of grooming gangs. It was about ensuring that our efforts to tackle these heinous crimes are focused and effective.

Over the past 10 years, several thorough investigations – including the Alexis Jay Report into child exploitation in Rotherham and the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse – have highlighted systemic failings and led to significant reforms in the justice system.

If there is consensus from victims or survivors calling for a new inquiry, we must listen carefully. Any decision on further investigations should be informed by their voices and needs, ensuring that it adds value to the work already done and delivers meaningful outcomes.

What matters most is action. Many recommendations from existing inquiries remain unfulfilled, and it is critical that we prioritise implementing these changes to protect vulnerable children and bring perpetrators to justice. We cannot allow delays or rhetoric to stand in the way.

This is not about scoring points; it is about standing up for victims, holding institutions accountable, and ensuring the weight of the law is applied to those who commit such horrific crimes. I remain committed to these principles and will continue to work for justice for all.

Let’s remain focused on what truly matters: delivering justice for victims and survivors, and ensuring that children and women in our communities are safe from harm.

Earlier this morning a new YouGov poll, commissioned by the Women’s Policy Centre, reported that 76% of British people would like to see a new national inquiry. That has been picked up on social media by the Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as well as shadow home secretary Chris Philp.

Philp, who endured a torrid time when being interviewed by Cathy Newman on Channel 4 on Wednesday over his previous silence on the issue in parliament, posted to social media to say “Victims, independent-minded Labour figures such as Andy Burnham, and now the public. All are saying the same thing. Starmer and the Labour government should listen and hold the proper national Inquiry we need.”

Downing Street has issued read-outs of two diplomatic calls that prime minister Keir Starmer has had today, with Kristen Michal the prime minister of Estonia and with president Alexander Stubb of Finland.

Both read-outs are broadly similar, stating that Starmer discussed with them the issues of undersea cable security and support for Nato and Ukraine.

The read-outs also explicitly mentioned Starmer’s desire for a “reset” of relations with the EU, stating that with Stubb “the leaders discussed the UK’s EU reset, and talked about ambitions for closer economic and security ties between the UK and the EU,” while with Michal the focus was “on ambitions for an even stronger relationship through the UK’s reset with the EU.”

Plaid Cymru is continuing its campaign today for money it claims is owed to the Welsh budget over the HS2 railway.

Leader Rhun ap Iorwerth said “Wales’ wait for HS2 cash epitomises how Westminster ignores our needs. Labour used to agree that £4b is owed to us, but now in power, they’re only asking for £350m! The uplift must contain every £ we’re owed, otherwise it’s further proof that only Plaid Cymru stands up for Wales.”

Despite none of the planned HS2 route or work being in Wales, it was designated as an England and Wales project, meaning the Welsh government was excluded from extra transport investment that was made available to Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Earlier today Sky News reported that first minister of Wales, Eluned Morgan, was expecting to see “some uplift in terms of rail infrastructure and financing” for Wales from the government in Westminster.

Sky quoted a government source saying Labour is making efforts to “fix” the “historic underinvestment in rail in Wales, exacerbated by HS2”.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson has said No 10 would not “mandate” postponement of local elections in England, but would work “collaboratively” with councils.

PA Media quotes them saying:

We have set out before that any postponed elections will only be considered at the request of the local authorities involved, so this will not be mandated by the government. Instead we will work collaboratively with them to ensure any postponement is aligned to ensuring that it fits with reorganisation and devolution in the most ambitious timeframe.

Ministers announced a major redesign of local government in December, where smaller district councils and larger county councils could be merged to create unitary authorities that handle all services.

Deputy prime minister and local government minister Angela Rayner told a select committee hearing this week that it would be “ludicrous” for councils to hold elections if they were planning mergers.

The Liberal Democrats have accused Conservative-held areas in the south of England thought to be considering election delays of running scared after the Lib Dems made significant gains in those areas in last year’s general election. [See 10.45]

Green Party of England and Wales co-leader Carla Denyer has posted on social media to send birthday greeting to climate activist Gaie Delap.

In the message Denyer said:

Sending solidarity and birthday wishes to Gaie Delap, a peaceful climate protester who is spending her 78th birthday behind bars – all because the private company responsible for fitting electronic tags couldn’t find one the right size for her. Will keep pushing for her release.

Delap, a retired teacher and a Quaker from Bristol, was jailed in August, along with four co-defendants, for her part in a campaign of disruptive Just Stop Oil protests on the M25 in November 2022.

She was released in November to serve the rest of her sentence under a home detention curfew. But the private company contracted to fit the tag to Delap was unable to attach one to her ankle because of a health condition and did not have a tag available small enough to fit wrists her size.

Davey: UK economy is ‘flying blind’ with chancellor and BoE governor abroad

Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union general secretary Fran Heathcote has responded the reports that chancellor Rachel Reeves is contemplating further public spending cuts.

Heathcote said:

If the Chancellor comes for our members’ jobs, and the services they provide, we’ll fight her every step of the way. She will be committing an unforgivable mistake by forcing civil servants to pay for a financial situation not of their making.

Fourteen years of austerity tells us you can’t cut your way to growth. The government should be taxing those who can afford it, not taking away pay from those who cannot.

As well as making another intervention on calls for a national public inquiry on grooming and rape gangs, Kemi Badenoch has published a campaign video this morning accusing the Labour party of “an ideological assault on education” and “educational vandalism.”

In the clip Badenoch is seen visiting the old school of chancellor Rachel Reeves, Harris Girls’ Academy Bromley. The Tory leader says:

I am really worried about what Labour is going to do to our schools. Their new schools bill is going to unravel all of the good work that we did, and all of the good work that the previous Labor governments did as well.

They are going to stop new free schools. They are going to remove the freedom that good schools have to expand. They’re going to remove the freedom that academies have to pay their teachers more, and they’re going to make education worse in this country

What Labour is doing is an ideological assault on education. It is being led by union policy, not by what is good for pupils, for teachers or for parents. This is educational vandalism, and Conservatives are going to fight it every step of the way, because what we believe in is what is right for children, not what is right for politicians.

Education is a devolved policy area.

Conservative opposition leader Kemi Badenoch has again posted to social media her calls for a national public inquiry into grooming and rape gangs, picking up on Andy Burnham’s comments.

In the post, Badenoch said “The government’s line is crumbling. Even Labour Mayor, Andy Burnham knows there has to be a public inquiry into the rape gangs. It can be an inquiry that gets answers quickly. It can draw on existing work and it can also COMPEL witnesses to attend and give evidence UNDER OATH.”

Our North of England correspondent Hannah Al-Othman has just written this report on the comments by the Greater Manchester mayor: Andy Burnham joins calls for ‘limited’ national inquiry into sexual abuse gangs

On Wednesday at PMQs prime minister Keir Starmer said of Badenoch “The leader of the opposition has been an MP, I think for eight years, her party have been in government for seven and a half of those eight years. She was the children’s minister. She was the women’s equalities minister. I can’t remember her, I can’t recall her once raising this issue in the house, once calling for a national inquiry.

“It’s only in recent days she’s jumped on the bandwagon. In fairness, if I’m wrong about that and she has raised it, then I invite her to say that now, and I will happily withdraw the remark that she hasn’t raised it in this house in the eight years that she’s been here until today.”

As part of her interview round this morning, Culture secretary Lisa Nandy was asked whether her own department would be a prime target for any further spending cuts the chancellor deemed necessary. Nandy was defensive of her brief, saying on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme:

I really want to push back on this idea that this government sees arts, culture, media and sport as a nice to have.

We’ve put it at the heart of the industrial strategy, one of eight industries that we are going to put rocket boosters under, because we believe that offers the best chance for growth, jobs and living standards across the UK.

She also defended closing the National Citizen Service (NCS) for young people, saying it was a “very difficult decision” but adding:

It’s been a programme that has benefited a lot of young people, but at a time when there is a crisis afflicting the young generation, we do not believe that we can justify spending money on a four week programme over the summer for a variety of young people, rather than gripping the challenges that they face.

The NCS was launched in 2011 by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, and was heavily supported by David Cameron, who later served on the NCS Trust’s patrons’ board after leaving No 10. It has been subjected to repeated criticism of the way funding was allocated and the number of teenagers it managed to involve.

The Liberal Democrats have gone on the attack this morning against the Conservatives over suggestions that Conservative-held areas may request delays to local elections in England.

Local elections are due to take place in 21 county council areas in England in May, but at least 12 of them are poised to ask ministers for a delay.

Angela Rayner, the local government secretary, has given councils until Friday to request that their elections be delayed so that they can explore the potential for restructuring their local authority as part of devolution plans.

Liberal Democrats have accused the Conservatives of “running scared”, pointing out that councils apparently bidding for delays are in places where the party made gains against the Tories in the general election last year.

Deputy leader Daisy Cooper said:

The Liberal Democrats made sweeping gains against the Conservatives at the general election, from Devon to Surrey. Now Conservative councils are running scared and attempting to delay these local elections, to avoid voters appalled with their record of failure.

This attempt to silence the voice of millions is a scandal. Democracy delayed is democracy denied. The Liberal Democrats will keep fighting to ensure these elections go ahead in May as planned.

The party also made a dig at opposition leader Kemi Badenoch, with a Liberal Democrat source accusing her of sitting on her hands, saying “Kemi Badenoch is bottling it and trying to cancel these local elections because she’s terrified of more Lib Dem gains and a Conservative collapse that would threaten her leadership.

“She could step in and ask Conservative councils not to delay, instead she’s sat on her hands. It’s sad to see this so-called defender of free speech now refusing to give voters a voice.”

The opening of the UK’s first safer drugs consumption room will be a “significant step forward” in efforts to tackle drug problems in Scotland, John Swinney has said.

The First Minister was speaking as he toured the Thistle Centre in Glasgow’s east end, which is due to open on Monday.

PA Media reports Swinney said that while the “first of its kind” centre will not be a “silver bullet”, it will complement other action being taken to tackle the problem of deaths from drug misuse.

The SNP leader said:

Every death related to drug misuse is one too many, and drug deaths in Scotland remain far too high.

Scotland’s public health and human rights-based approach to tackling drug misuse means we’re focused on ensuring our healthcare services are not only listening to people, but also drawing on their experiences as we work to support them.

Earlier today my colleague Libby Brooks had this report on the opening of the centre, where some of the most vulnerable addicts will be able to take their own drugs in a clean and safe environment under the supervision of health professionals.

Kiran Stacey