UK politics live: Critics slam ‘Labour manifesto breach’ after Starmer hints at NI hike

Veterans’ ID cards will be a valid form of identification for upcoming elections, ministers have announced.

The government is also undertaking a wider review of the voter ID policy, which was introduced by the Tories and has been tested at local elections and this summer’s general election.

Under the rules, voters have to present an acceptable form of ID to be able to cast their ballot.

These include passports, driving licences, Proof of Age Standards Scheme (Pass) cards, Blue Badges and some concessionary travel cards.

In May’s local elections, some veterans were dismayed that their ex-forces ID cards were not included in the list of acceptable forms of identification, which led to an apology from then-veterans minister Johnny Mercer.

On Tuesday, the government brought forward changes to the law in Parliament via a statutory instrument, which will add the veterans’ card to the list of acceptable ID.

The news was welcomed by the Royal British Legion, which said veterans had “found it frustrating that they were unable to use their Armed Forces Veteran Card as voter identification”.

David Cameron has hit back at the claim he threatened to “f***” Boris Johnson up forever if he backed Brexit in the 2016 referendum, saying he finds it “hard to believe”.

Lord Cameron channelled the late Queen Elizabeth II in saying “recollections differ” after Mr Johnson had claimed those were his “exact words”.

Speaking out for the first time since Mr Johnson made the explosive claim, Lord Cameron said: “I find that hard to believe.”

Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports

The Liberal Democrats urged the chancellor to “think again” over the rumoured increase to employer national insurance contributions in the Budget

Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper said: “The burden of this budget should fall on the likes of big banks, social media giants and oil and gas firms, instead of our local community businesses. The Chancellor should be protecting these smaller businesses, who are the backbone of our economy and the heartbeat of our communities.

“Now is not the time to raise national insurance rates on our high streets, local businesses and dynamic entrepreneurs.

“The Conservative government has left our economy on life support. Now is the time to boost growth by backing small businesses and repairing our crumbling public services.”

As chancellor Rachel Reeves prepares to deliver Labour’s first Budget in 14 years, there is significant interest in the potential fiscal changes on the horizon.

Prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has highlighted that the focus will be on “making people better off,” outlining three key priorities: improving living standards, strengthening the NHS, and rebuilding the country, particularly in terms of housing.

We would like to hear your thoughts on what you would like to see introduced in Reeves’ Budget. Should she focus on measures to support homeowners, such as the Freedom to Buy scheme? Or would you prefer a focus on closing tax loopholes, such as abolishing non-dom status, to ensure a fairer tax system?

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The previous Tory government was preparing to sanction two Israeli ministers over comments encouraging blocking aid to Gaza, David Cameron has said.

Piling pressure on Labour to revive his plans, Lord Cameron said that before the general election he was “working up” sanctions on Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gevir as a way of putting “pressure on Netanyahu“ to act within international law.

Mr Smotrich was recently criticised for appearing to suggest it might be “just and moral” to withhold food aid from Gaza, while Mr Ben-Gvir has backed the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports

Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out the prospect of Britain paying slavery reparations as he prepares for a major Commonwealth summit – with the issue “not on the agenda”, according to Downing Street.

Asked for the Prime Minister’s view on paying compensation relating to Britain’s colonial past, a Downing Street spokesperson said on Monday: “We do not pay reparations.”

The question was put forward ahead of Sir Keir meeting the Commonwealth heads of government in Samoa on 21 October.

The matter of reparations has recently come into focus with Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley reiterating calls for Britain to atone for its past atrocities.

Our race correspondent Nadine White reports

Business leaders across Scotland are calling on Rachel Reeves to “back Scotch whisky” and cut alcohol duty.

Rachel Reeves has been urged to lower the duty placed on spirits after the previous government raised it by 10.1 per cent last year.

In a letter sent to the Treasury, the chancellor was told that last summer’s tax increase had a “damaging impact” on Scotland’s national drink.

It was signed by business leaders from organisations including the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, the Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scotland Food and Drink, UK Hospitality Scotland and the Institute of Directors and Prosper.

The group said a reduction on alcohol duty for Scottish whisky would “signal that Scotland is a competitive place to invest, would recognise the benefits of the sustainable employment for which the Scotch Whisky industry is renowned and would boost a central part of Labour’s ‘Brand Scotland’ vision”.

The government has been approached for comment.

Labour’s manifesto included a promise not to raise taxes on “working people”, including income tax, VAT and national insurance.

But the government has faced questions on whether the commitment not to raise national insurance covered employers’ contributions as well as those by employees.

At Monday’s investment summit chancellor Rachel Reeves refused to rule out hiking employers’ contributions in the October 30 Budget.

And today Sir Keir Starmer said Labour’s manifesto pledge only covered taxes on working people, further fueling speculation of a rise in national insurance contributions for employers.

Institute for Fiscal Studies director Paul Johnson saying a hike in employer NI contributions would be a “straightforward breach” of the Labour manifesto.

Jeremy Hunt, the shadow chancellor, posted on X: “It’s obvious to most people that raising national insurance would breach Labour’s manifesto pledge to … not raise national insurance!”

Sir Keir Starmer said £550 million of investment to build new homes would enable more people to get on the housing ladder.

Schroders, Man Group and Resonance announced new impact investment funds on Tuesday which will go into housebuilding.

“We’ve said as a government we’re going to fix the foundations, rebuild our country, and expressly saying ‘now is the time to back us’,” he told the BBC.

“Companies and investors are coming in today saying ‘here’s half a billion pounds’. We want to raise that, by the way, I want that to be up over £1 billion before too long.”

The money would fund construction across the country because “too many people”, especially the young, “want to get on the housing ladder because they know that owning your own home is sort of base camp for their aspirations in life”.

“They haven’t had that for many years because the last government failed.