Keir Starmer issues direct message to Iran as PM warns 'there will be consequences' for inciting antisemitism in Britain

Sir Keir Starmer has made a direct warning to Iran and other hostile states that any attempts made by them to stir up antisemitism in Britain will face “consequences”.

Speaking at a Downing Street roundtable with senior figures from politics, policing, the arts, higher education and business, the Prime Minister outlined a series of security measures to protect Jewish communities before making clear that protection alone was not sufficient.

Sir Keir said: "Security is essential, but that is not enough. We must also deal with the forces that drive this hatred in the first place, so we're confronting them directly."

Sir Keir revealed that investigators are examining whether Tehran may be behind some of the recent incidents.

He continued: "Our message to Iran, or to any other country that might seek to foment violence, hatred or division in society, is that it will not be tolerated.

“That is why we passed legislation to tackle these malign threats."

The Prime Minister was also careful to stress that antisemitism cannot be traced to a single source, saying: "Antisemitism does not have one source alone - Islamists, far left, far right extremism, all target Jewish communities."

He said the Government had responded by introducing what he described as the first co-ordinated national plan to "strengthen cohesion and confront extremism in all of its forms".

The roundtable meeting comes after two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, London on Wednesday last week - the latest in a string of attacks against Jews across the country.

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Keir Starmer announces universities to be held to higher standard on antisemitism 

The Prime Minister has announced that universities will be held to a higher standard on antisemitism.

Speaking at a Downing Street roundtable, Sir Keir revealed that £7million is being invested to tackle antisemitism in schools, colleges and universities, while Holocaust education will be made mandatory in all schools.

He said: "In our schools, colleges and universities, we're investing £7million to tackle antisemitism while making sure that Holocaust education is taught in all schools."

He continued that standards must increase within universities, with the Government intending to "hold them to account".

Sir Keir said: "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."

He concluded that there will be fresh expectations on universities to "demonstrate action" against antisemitism and "publish the scale of the problem on their campuses".

Prime Minister calls on Arts Council to stop funding antisemitic bodies

Sir Keir Starmer has called upon the Arts Council to stop funding bodies who promote or platform antisemitism.

He said: "We will also expect more where public funding is being used to promote or platform antisemitism, the Arts Council must act, using its power to suspend, withdraw and claw back funding.”

Sir Keir added that the Government has triggered an independent review of how allegations of antisemitism are dealt with.

He said: We will not, and cannot, accept complacency, delays or weak enforcement, and where inconsistency is found, it will be challenged and addressed swiftly.”

The Prime Minister added the Arts Council and Home Office will be used to fund protective costs for Jewish organisations and artists as the cost of protection is "forcing them out of public life".

Keir Starmer speaks during antisemitism summit

Sir Keir Starmer is speaking now at a summit with society leaders about rising antisemitism.

The Prime Minister said: "Each one of us has a responsibility to face this challenge head on."

Keir Starmer points finger at Iran amid pledge to crackdown on antisemitism 

Sir Keir Starmer said attempts by Iran to destabilise British society “will not be tolerated”.

This comes as suspicion Tehran could be behind growing antisemitism in the UK.

The Prime Minister is speaking with senior figures from politics, policing, the arts, higher education and business at Downing Street today for a "whole of society" summit on antisemitism, following the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green last week.

He said: "Security is essential, but that is not enough. We must also deal with the forces that drive this hatred in the first place, so we’re confronting them directly.

“One of the lines of inquiry is whether a foreign state has been behind some of these incidents. We’re investigating, of course, all the possibilities and we’re clear that these actions will have consequences if that proves to be the case.

“Our message to Iran, or to any other country that might seek to foment violence, hatred or division in society, is that it will not be tolerated. That is why we passed legislation to tackle these malign threats.”

Steve Reed: Do not 'doomscroll through leaders'

Labour MPs have been warned not to "doomscroll through leaders" even if the party suffers greatly at Thursday's local elections.

This comes as backbenchers are reportedly drafting a letter placing the blame on Sir Keir Starmer if they experience the by-election defeat they are projected to face and calling for his resignation.

Communities Secretary Steve Reed, a strong ally of the Prime Minister, said he was not aware of the letter.

He said, speaking to Times Radio, he was "absolute nonsense" to suggest Labour would "copy the conservatives and go doomscrolling through leaders".

He added: “I’m not going to engage in it and most of our MPs would not engage in that either.”

Andrew Griffith warns of 'toxic combination' of EU reset and Net Zero deindustrialisation 

The Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith warned that Britain faces a damaging economic future if the government continues to pursue closer EU ties alongside its Net Zero agenda, describing the combination as "toxic" for British industry.

Speaking to GB News this morning, he argued that the government's energy policies are already crippling businesses: "We would lower energy prices by removing a lot of the so-called policy costs, the cross subsidies and the extra hidden taxes that are on energy in pursuit of Net Zero."

He also weighed in on Labour's Employment Rights Act, calling it a "330-page bill for unemployment" and pledging to "repeal every one of its job-destroying measures" when the Conservatives return to power.

Tories blast Labour over 200,000 Channel crossings milestone

The Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith hit back at Labour's attempts to blame the Conservatives for the small boat crisis.

Speaking to GB News this morning, the MP for Arundel and South Downs said: "Night after night, the Labour Party in both houses of Parliament, bishops, the BBC, everybody was opposed to us."

He accused the current Government of inaction despite having a clear mandate, saying they have "presided over the fastest ever rate of people coming to this country illegally."

When pressed on the Government's claim to have deported over 7,000 people, Mr Griffith said: "The vast majority of those who've gone back have been paid to do so and done so voluntarily."

Ministers pledge £1million to tackle rising antisemitism 

The Government has announced £1 million in funding for Jewish communities across England, aimed at supporting community safety work and countering antisemitic narratives.

An additional £500,000 has also been set aside for Barnet Council following a spate of targeted attacks in the area.

The announcement comes as Sir Keir Starmer prepares to host senior figures from politics, policing, the arts, higher education and business at Downing Street today for a "whole of society" summit on antisemitism, following the stabbing of two Jewish men in Golders Green last week.

The Prime Minister is expected to warn that attacks on British Jews are "a crisis for all of us" and "a test of our values."

Communities Secretary Steve Reed said: "While we know there is more to do, we believe that quickly channelling government funding directly to the communities and places facing the greatest risks today will help local partners to take early, practical action to keep people safe, strengthen communities and stand up to hate."

'I am not going to be intimidated!' Moment Kemi Badenoch stands up to heckler on antisemitism

This is the moment Kemi Badenoch confronted a heckler while out campaigning in Essex yesterday, amid a worrying pattern of targeted incidents against Jewish people and religious sites.

The Conservative leader clashed with a member of the public who accused her of "pandering to the right" — pushing back on her stance on rising antisemitism in Britain.

WATCH THE FULL VIDEO HERE

Steve Reed: Number of small boat crossings is 'unacceptable' 

The Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Steve Reed addressed the issue of small boat crossings as the today marked the anniversary of 200,000 people making the journey since the crisis began eight years ago, calling it "unacceptable".

Speaking to GB News, he said: "It's unacceptable and it's certainly unsustainable and that's why the government is taking action to stop it."

He pointed to the removal of over 60,000 people with no right to remain in the UK and the closure of asylum seeker hotels opened under the Conservatives, as evidence of progress.

However, Ellie and Alex pushed back on Mr Reed, noting that only roughly 7,000 people who have come across on a small boat have been deported - less than four per cent in total.

Mr Reed deflected blame onto his predecessors: "Some of the conservative ministers who did that now sit in Reform UK. They opened the hotels, we are closing the hotels."

He added: "They like to pretend they're holier than thou on this issue when their MPs were in government, they got it badly wrong."

What is happening in Westminster today

Good morning, happy Tuesday from the GB News Politics team.

Thursday’s local elections are in sight, with polling looking bleak for Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour party across the capital.

Also, people in Scotland and Wales will be heading to the polls on Thursday as it is their devolved Governments’ parliamentary elections - again the picture looks gloomy for Labour.

Today on GB News, we have already heard from the Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Steve Reed and we will be joined by the Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith shortly.

Stay tuned for more politics news throughout the day.