Politics latest: Fears of 'all-out war' as foreign secretary heads to Israel for talks (2024)

Key points
  • Foreign secretary heading to Israel amid fears of 'all-out war'
  • Chancellor 'fuming' at positive economic data, claim Tories
  • Analysis:A good week the government can't take credit for
  • Ukraine allowed to use British weapons in Russia|Follow war live
  • Universities told they must 'manage budgets'|Results day catch-up
  • Listen:Can universities make their sums work?
  • Analysis:Politics at heart of fundamental threat facing universities
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22:35:01

It's goodnight from the Politics Hub

With those details in our previous post of David Lammy's imminent Middle East visit, notably to Israel, we're bringing the Politics Hub to a close for the time being.

Be sure to scroll back through the Hub to catch up on what was a busy day both domestically and internationally for British ministers.

We had a significant update on how the economy's doing, A-level results day was somewhat marred by fears about the future of our universities, confirmation reached us of Ukraine using British tanks in Russia, and we had that news of the foreign secretary heading to Israel.

Thanks for joining us - and we'll see you next time.

22:30:01

Foreign secretary warns of 'dangerous moment' ahead of trip to Middle East

More details of the foreign secretary's trip to Israel have been released.

The Foreign Office has announced David Lammy will be heading to the Middle East with his French counterpart Stephane Sejourne in what is the first joint UK-France visit in more than a decade.

They will meet Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz and strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer, though there is no confirmation of whether they will also speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A diplomatic source told Sky News earlier today Mr Lammy's main objective was to try to prevent "all-out war" in the Middle East, and we understand a meeting with the Israeli leader is expected too (see 16.27 post).

It comes amid fears of an Iranian attack on Israel, possibly carried out with the help of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iran has warned of a response following the killing of Hamas's leader in Tehran last month.

Mr Lammy and Mr Sejourne will call for calm and also for a ceasefire in Gaza, with talks on that having begun in Qatar today.

Mr Lammy said it was a "dangerous moment" for the region and "all parties must engage seriously in negotiations".

21:30:01

ICYMI: High-risk flood areas face cuts to key council services as flood defence costs spike

By Alix Culbertson, political reporter

People living in areas at the highest risk of flooding face cuts to key services due to a sharp rise in flood defence costs, councils have warned.

The government is being urged to overhaul funding for the bodies overseeing flood alleviation as soaring costs have seen an average rise of 28% over the past two years, according to data from the District Councils' Network, which represents 169 English councils.

Higher energy and fuel prices - needed for pumping stations - increasingly extreme wet weather and wage increases are the main causes of the cost of flood defences being pushed up for the current 2024/25 financial year.

20:39:01

ICYMI: British tanks used inside Russia by Ukrainian troops

By Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor

Ukrainian troops have used British Challenger 2 tanks in their offensive inside Russia, Sky News understands.

It is believed to be the first time British tanks - operated byUkrainiansoldiers - have been used in combat on Russian territory.

The Ministry of Defence in London declined to comment on operational detail, but did tell Sky News there has been no change in policy.

Ukraine's armed forces did not offer a comment.

According to government policy, the UK has confirmed Ukraine is free to use British weapons on Russian territory.

A source said this included Challenger 2 tanks and signalled that they had been used during the Ukrainian incursion, which began on 6 August.

19:45:01

Politics at the heart of fundamental threat facing Britain's universities

On what was A-level results day, the education secretary was asked about the controversial prospect of raising tuition fees as many universities grapple with serious financial challenges.

Our business correspondent Paul Kelsosays the picture across the sector right now is pretty negative.

And that's because, anecdotally at least, there's been a 30% fall in how many overseas students are applying for British universities.

"That matters because overseas students underwrite the British university system," says Paul. "They may make up about 26% of the academic population, but provide 46% of the fees."

So why the drop in applications? Britain's top universities have long been extremely popular with international students.

Paul says the sector thinks it's being driven largely by visa rule changes the previous government introduced, which include preventing foreign students from bringing family members with them.

It was a bid by Rishi Sunak to bring down levels of immigration.

The change and subsequent drop in applicants "poses a fundamental threat to the financial health of the university sector", says Paul.

"Domestic fees simply do not cover the cost".

The Sky News Daily podcast looked into this further - watch a clip below and find the full episode at the top of this page.

19:00:01

Can universities make their sums work?

As students receive their A-level results, many of the universities they'llenrol in are facing their own concerns.

Academics have warned years of underfunding and a lack of lucrative international studentsat British universitiesafter visa changes risk the sector's abilityto provide top-class education and, for some institutions, whether they'llbe able to keep teaching at all.

On this episode, Niall Paterson is joined by two university vice-chancellors, Professor Jane HarringtonatGreenwichand Professor David MaguireatEast Anglia, to hear the realities and challenges faced by universities across the country.

Plus, our business correspondent Paul Kelso explains why higher education is facing the crisis it'sin now.

👉Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts👈

18:45:01

Deputy PM challenged over change to winter fuel payment

The Scottish first minster held talks with the deputy prime minister in Edinburgh today - and had a bone to pick.

John Swinney raised the UK government's decision to begin means testing the winter fuel payment, which means only those eligible for existing benefits will still receive it.

The SNP administration at Holyrood said yesterday it would have to adopt the same policy because the controversial move had left it with a £160m gap in spending power.

Mr Swinney has conceded it will impact "tens of thousands" of pensioners and "expressed concern" with Angela Rayner today.

He also reiterated his desire for an "injection of investment" in the country's public services.

But he's still hoping for a more positive relationship with the Labour government than his party had with the Tories, working together on "shared priorities" such as reaching net zero.

18:15:01

Government can't take credit for good week of economic news

By Darren McCaffrey, political correspondent

Make no two bones about it – it has been a good week on the economic news front.

Today's stellar GDP growth figures at 0.6% are in line with expectation but are also a reflection of a strong year of growth, with the UK the fastest growing in the G7 this year - although it has lagged slightly behind the US in Q2.

This - coupled with falling unemployment, wage growth and pretty stable inflation (listen to the podcast on this in the previous post) - means the macroeconomic situation has not looked this good in years.

Normally the government would be crowing from the rooftops about such good news.

Instead, the Treasury this morning continues to talk about the "scale of challenges" and being determined "to fix the foundations".

Why? Because they want to stop the Conservatives - who are unsurprisingly very frustrated - from being able to claim the last government left the country in a good state.

Politically, this is important for Labour – part of a wider strategy to thrash the Tory record, while cementing future credit for economic good news.

Despite the attempt to shape narratives, in the end voters will only really thank Labour if this stellar economic growth continues.

17:45:01

Inflation nudges up – what can we expect from the economy this autumn?

Inflation is up for the first time this year.

Prices went up by 2.2% in the year to July – moving the rate above the Bank of England target of 2%.

Experts had expected an up tick as energy prices are falling by less than they did a year ago, and the increase doesn'tseem to change hope forfurther interest rate cuts in the months to come.

But what else can we expect from the economy this autumn as the new government continues to warn about the "challenges" it'sinherited, and as the chancellor prepares her first budget in October?

Joining Niall Patersonis our business correspondent Paul Kelso and political correspondent Darren McCaffrey.

👉 Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts 👈

17:15:01

It's time for your evening bulletin from the Politics Hub - summing up the main things you need to know today:

  • The foreign secretary, David Lammy, is heading to Israel for talks with the country's prime minister;
  • A source described the meeting with Benjamin Netanyahu as "an attempt to prevent all-out war" in the Middle East, amid fears of an Iranian attack on Israel and talks over a ceasefire in Gaza;
  • Mr Lammy described it as a "crucial moment for global security".
  • Sticking with foreign policy, and the Ministry of Defence has said it'shappy for Ukraine to be using British weapons inside Russia;
  • Sky News understands tanks supplied by the UK are also being deployed across the borderduring Kyiv's surprise incursion.
  • On the domestic front,the Tories claim the chancellor will be "fuming"after new figures showedBritain's economy grew during the previous quarter;
  • Rachel Reeves has repeatedly bemoaned the government's economic inheritance from Rishi Sunak's administration, butGDP is up 0.6% - higher than other major European countries;
  • And on A-level results day, the education secretary told Sky News it would be"unpalatable" to raise tuition feesdespite the financial challenges facing Britain's universities.

That's all for now - we'll bring you any further political news and analysis over the next few hours.

Politics latest: Fears of 'all-out war' as foreign secretary heads to Israel for talks (2024)

FAQs

What are the political issues in Israel? ›

Political issues
  • The Israeli–Palestinian conflict and Arab–Israeli conflict.
  • The relationships between Jewish religious movements.
  • The nature of the state of Israel; (e.g., in what ways should it represent Judaism and in what ways should it represent secular democracy?) (see Jewish State and Religion in Israel)

What is the political ideology of Israel? ›

The Israeli system of government is based on parliamentary democracy. The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of government and leader of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government (also known as the cabinet). Legislative power is vested in the Knesset.

What is the political culture of Israel? ›

Political structure. ​Israel is a parliamentary democracy, consisting of legislative, executive and judicial branches. Its institutions are the Presidency, the Knesset (parliament), the Government (cabinet), the Judiciary and the State Comptroller.

Is there political instability in Israel? ›

The 2018–2022 Israeli political crisis was a period of political instability in Israel, in which five Knesset snap elections were held in a span of less than four years: in April 2019, September 2019, March 2020, March 2021 and November 2022.

What problems are going on in Israel? ›

Key aspects of the conflict include the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the status of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, borders, security, water rights, the permit regime, Palestinian freedom of movement, and the Palestinian right of return.

Who is more powerful in Israel, president or prime minister? ›

The prime minister's position is greatly enhanced compared to his counterparts in other parliamentary republics because he is both de jure and de facto chief executive. This is because Basic Law: The Government explicitly vests executive power in the Government, of which the prime minister is the leader.

What religion is Netanyahu? ›

Born to secular Jewish parents, Netanyahu was raised in West Jerusalem and the United States. He returned to Israel in 1967 to join the Israel Defense Forces and served in the Sayeret Matkal special forces as a captain before being honorably discharged.

Does the president of Israel have any power? ›

The president is mostly, though not entirely, ceremonial; actual executive power vested in the cabinet led by the prime minister. The incumbent president is Isaac Herzog, who took office on 7 July 2021. Presidents are elected by the Knesset for a single seven-year term.

What is the social issue in Israel? ›

Israel still faces high inequality relative to other OECD countries. As of 2020, Israel ranked 10 out of 35 OECD countries on the basis of inequality as measured by the Gini coefficient. It also has the second-highest relative-income poverty rate within the OECD (16.9%).

Does Israel have political freedom? ›

Freedom House has described Israel as more politically free and democratic than neighboring countries in the Middle East.

What is the political relationship between US and Israel? ›

The United States of America was the first country to recognize the nascent State of Israel. Since the 1960s, the American Israeli relationship has grown into a mutually beneficial alliance in economic, strategic and military aspects. The United States has provided strong support for Israel.

What economic struggles does Israel have? ›

Moreover, persistent and fairly high living costs, the mobilisation of army reservists, the decline in employment, poor growth in the main export markets and weakening confidence in the government's political and security agenda will weigh on domestic demand (around 50% of GDP) and exports (around 30% of GDP).

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