Sir Keir Starmer has been told to distance himself from controversial Labour donor Lord Alli "immediately" over his links to Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad.
In 2013, just as the Cameron Government was blocked from bombing Putin ally Assad's Syria, Lord Alli said in the Lords that not only had he been to the civil war-torn country on multiple occasions, he had "held talks" with its leader on several.
He said: "I have visited Syria on a number of occasions and held talks with President Assad on several."
As Assad used chemical weapons on his own population, Lord Alli urged the West to avoid a military intervention against the regime whose leader he had met.
He said at the time: "What happens when and if the Assad Government are removed? What is left behind? From my experience, it is soldiers with guns but no paymaster.
"I have listened to the list of things that this action is not intended to do - the same list that the Prime Minister gave in the other place.
"But that has not been the mood music being played by this Government over recent months. It is that mood music that frightens us all and it should be turned down."
Assad's government ended up regaining control over the majority of Syria following the civil war. Today, the country enjoys strategic links to Russia and Iran.
After political blog Guido Fawkes brought Lord Alli's comments to light, the Conservative Party have issued a scathing response taking aim at the Prime Minister's judgement.
A Tory statement read: "Not only does this revelation raise some serious questions about Lord Alli's relationship with President Assad's regime, it puts Keir Starmer's judgement even further in doubt.
"Starmer should disown Lord Alli's position on the Assad government immediately."
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Boris Johnson 'considered invading Holland' to retrieve 'stolen vaccines' - but stepped back over military advice against 'invading a long-standing Nato ally'
Boris Johnson considered invading the Netherlands during the pandemic in order to retrieve millions of "stolen" AstraZeneca vaccines in a fit of "desperation", the former PM has said.
In an excerpt from his forthcoming memoir, Unleashed, Johnson pointed to the EU's refusal to let the pharmaceutical firm export 5 million doses of the vaccine to the UK as a driving factor behind his plan.
He said: "I believed it was my paramount duty to secure those doses, which belonged to the UK, and use them to save UK lives."
The Prime Minister's solution? An amphibious landing in the dead of night from across the North Sea.
Lieutenant General Doug Chalmers said: "Well, PM... It's certainly feasible," before explaining "how we could do it", Johnson wrote.
"We would send one team on a commercial flight to Amsterdam, while another team would use the cover of darkness to cross the Channel in ribs (rigid inflatable boats) and navigate up the canals," a serialised portion of Unleashed, in the Mail, says.
The excerpt continues: "They would then rendezvous at the target; enter; secure the hostage goods, exfiltrate using an articulated lorry, and make their way to the Channel ports.
"'But I have to warn you, PM' - and they all looked at me meaningfully - 'that it will not be possible to do this undetected.'
"He pointed out that there were lockdowns in place in Belgium and the Netherlands, and the local authorities might observe our movements.
"I considered this. It did not seem an insuperable objection.
"OK, I said: so what if our movements are detected?
"'Well, PM,' he said, 'if we are detected we will have to explain why we are effectively invading a long-standing Nato ally.'
"Of course, I knew he was right, and I secretly agreed with what they all thought but did not want to say aloud: that the whole thing was nuts."
TUNE INTO GB NEWS AT 9.30AM ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6 TO SEE BORIS JOHNSON UNLEASHED ON THE PEOPLE'S CHANNEL
Labour's support unchanged in latest poll despite 'donorgate' scandal
This morning, GB News covered how Labour's popularity has remained unchanged - despite a slurry of scandals and controversial policy decisions, according to fresh polling.
The weekly Techne UK tracker poll reveals that, after a rocky Labour conference overshadowed by infighting and questions about the Prime Minister’s integrity, the party is still at 32 per cent, down just one point from the General Election.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives - who head into their own conference this weekend in the midst of a leadership battle and with by the resignation of former co-chairwoman Baroness Warsi fresh in their mind - have failed to capitalise on Labour's woes, going up just one point to 22 per cent.
But it's the relative new boys Reform UK still hot on the Tories' heels at 18 per cent, while the Lib Dems sit at 13 per cent and the Greens remain at seven per cent - all unchanged since the July 4 vote.
Techne UK's chief executive Michela Morizzo told The Independent: "With the Labour Party conference now behind us, and as we look towards the Conservative Party conference this coming weekend, we notice some small changes in voting intention when compared to last week's tracker poll.
"This small drop in Labour's support is perhaps not unsurprising given the many problems the government is already facing.
"People pay great attention to what they expect from the new elected government and they expect to see the campaign's promises become true very soon. Therefore the honeymoon is always shorter!"
'Destroyed our country!' Warsi rages at Cleverly in fresh twist to Tory 'coconut' row after resigning whip last night
Baroness Warsi, the Tory Peer who celebrated the ruling that a placard of Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman surrounded by coconuts was not a racially aggravated public order offence, has hit out at James Cleverly in a fresh twist in a party row following her resignation of the whip last night.
This morning, Cleverly wrote on social media: "'You're not properly black if you're a Tory' is a particularly pernicious attack.
"I've been called a coconut too many times to laugh it off. It hasn't held me back or brought me down, but a Conservative peer not recognising the abuse of other black colleagues is unacceptable."
Warsi then hit back, replying to Cleverly's post with a condemnation of his so-called "lack of action" on "racism and islamophobia" when he was party chairman.
The Peer said: "I'm proud of my record on anti racism both in the party and in government - much of which was subsequently dismantled by colleagues you served.
"But hey - let's not let facts get in the way of a bit of political posturing. You could have stopped this toxic lurch to the right - you chose not to.
"You could still rescue what was a great political party from going full Trump - focus on that, rather than this faux outrage and petty politics."
She later said: "Thank you also to the likes of James and others who are providing me with an opportunity to revisit the last ten years of inaction, acquiescence, tolerance and promotion of racism that poisoned the public discourse leading to violence on our streets.
"Damaged our country and destroyed our party."
Wes Streeting used Lord Alli's £18m penthouse for Labour fundraiser which included Sir Ian McKellen
Wes Streeting has also admitted to using Lord Alli's home as a base, saying he hosted a fundraising event there attended by Sir Ian McKellen.
The Health Secretary was joined by Labour MP for Spen Valley Kim Leadbeater at the 20-30-guest event in March 2022, which raised £20,000 in donations for the party.
The reception, hosted by Streeting at Alli's Covent Garden flat, prompted speculation in circles within the party that he was preparing for a leadership bid in case Sir Keir stood down for any reason.
Leadbeater split the money raised at the event equally with Streeting.
A spokesman for the MP told The Telegraph: "It was all declared at the time and it was perfectly legitimate."
While a spokesman for Streeting told GB News: "This was declared years ago. Wes is proud of the support that Waheed Alli has given the Labour Party.
"He has given so much, never asked anything in return, and was instrumental to Labour's victory, which is why the Tories are gunning for him."
Labour's tax raid to target wealthy pensioners as changes could see them lose over £80,000
Labour's potential tax raid on pensions could see the wealthiest pensioners lose out significantly, according to recent analysis.
The proposed changes could see higher earners' retirement pots slashed by £80,000 over their working life.
The current system allows for tax relief on pension contributions at marginal rates, with basic-rate taxpayers receiving 20 per cent, higher-rate, 40 per cent, and additional-rate, 45 per cent.
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Councils serving rural areas warn Government over planning reforms
Rural councils have warned the Labour Government that its new housing goals could be too high.
Analysis by the County Councils Network (CCN) showed plans for new mandatory local housing targets would require a "dramatic" 56 per cent annual increase in properties outside metropolitan areas.
For areas covered by CCN members, which serve 47 per cent of the population in England, this equates to an average of more than 64,769 new properties a year - an extra 1,245 homes per week.
CCN, which represents 37 county and unitary authorities, said the proposed increase in housing in mostly rural areas is triple the percentage requirement set to be placed on councils in major cities.
The analysis found councils covering county areas in the South East would be required to deliver an extra 295 homes each week, while those in the South West must deliver 194, the East of England 191 and the West Midlands 155.
A survey of CCN members found the vast majority supported the concept of nationally-set targets, but nine in 10 said they also believed the Government's targets are too high.
Scottish Tories announce Russell Findlay as new leader
Russell Findlay has been elected leader of the Scottish Conservatives after winning a majority of votes in the first round.
Findlay took home 2,565 votes, the party's returning officer Leonard Wallace announced on Friday, with Murdo Fraser coming second with 1,187 votes, and Meghan Gallacher in third with 403.
Turnout stood at 60 per cent, with Wallace announcing the party has just shy of 7,000 members, 4,155 of whom voted in the leadership contest.
Thornberry: Israeli ground invasion into Lebanon may favour Hezbollah - but Britain can 'pull people together'
Emily Thornberry, the Foreign Affairs Select Committee Chair, has warned that any Israeli ground incursion into its northern neighbour Lebanon could favour terror group Hezbollah.
Asked about escalating conflict in the Middle East, the Islington South and Finsbury MP told the BBC: "I think that we need to be aware that we have perhaps more clout than we have done recently, and I think we're in a fairly unique position, so... we are in a position to be able to pull people together.
"I think that the UN General Assembly meeting at this time means that I think that many other nations can be pulled behind the declaration that has been made, and that will make it stronger.
"We don't know whether or not Israel is bluffing about a ground war.
"We do know that in 2006 that they got very bogged down, that at the moment they may be ahead because they're using air power and surprise, but a ground war may well be different.
"And actually, the poor Lebanese, many of whom do not want Hezbollah in the bottom of their country, certainly don't want to have the Israelis.
"And Hezbollah may well end up with more legitimacy as a result of that ground invasion."
Parents of toddlers as young as THREE will be taxed under Labour's private school raids
Parents of children as young as three years old are set to be taxed under Labour's upcoming private school VAT hikes.
Despite ministers promising the raid would exempt nursery children, Labour's legislation means the parents of three- and four-year-olds will be dragged into paying 20 per cent VAT from January if their children are in "mixed-age" classes.
Labour had previously vowed all nursery provision - even if part of a private school - would be exempt from its tax raid.
But The Telegraph reports that, buried in the Government's draft legislation, a nursery class is defined as being "composed wholly of children who are under compulsory school age (five years old) and would not be expected to attain that age while in that class."
Reeves considers non-dom manifesto U-turn
Rachel Reeves is weighing up stepping back from her manifesto plan to end the "non-dom" tax status, according to reports.
Labour had included a pledge to end the tax perk for wealthy residents who are domiciled overseas in its manifesto, hoping the policy would raise £1 billion a year.
However, treasury officials are concerned that the move will force so many wealthy foreigners to leave that the measure will backfire - and may not raise as much money as initially hoped.
Government officials said they would consider changing the details of the policy to make it less punitive to non-doms, with reducing the amount of inheritance tax they would have to pay thought to be one of the options under consideration.
A Treasury spokesperson said: "These reports are speculation, not government policy. The independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will certify the costings of all measures announced at the Budget in the usual way."
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