Politics latest: Cracks emerging in Russian support for war - foreign secretary; Labour compares hospital to 'Dad's Army site' (2023)

It is clear that Vladimir Putin has been "significantly weakened in Russia", Liz Truss says.

The former prime minister tells the House of Commons the UK "must not use this time to let up in all support for Ukraine".

"So first of all, we need to make sure that Ukrainian membership of NATO is fast-tracked at the Vilnius NATO summit," she says.

"Secondly, we need to make sure there is no talk of deals or concessions or lifting of sanctions on Russia in any circumstances until the war criminals are held to account.

"And finally, we and our allies, including the Ukrainians, Polish and Baltic states, need to make sure that we have a plan in the case of the implosion of Russia."

The UK's "greatest strength" in support for Ukraine is its "unity", shadow foreign secretary David Lammy says.

He tells MPs: "With this in mind, we are reassured to hear that the government has been working closely with our allies and partners around the world."

Mr Lammy says the events that unfolded "shine a light on serious problems in Russia".

"Prigozhin has been a long time and close ally of Putin." he says.

The Labour MP continues that it is "staggering" the Wagner chief publicly challenged Vladimir Putin's leadership and the "false narrative Putin used to justify his invasion".

He adds: "We all know Putin's full-scale invasion is failing on its own terms."

James Cleverly is issuing a statement in the House of Commons after the armed mutiny in Russia over the weekend that saw Wagner group mercenaries march on Moscow.

He says last Friday Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin denounced Russia's military leadership and his troops advanced towards the Russian capital before the move was called off.

In his address he also states the following:

• The government considers this an internal Russian affair and the leadership of Russia is a matter for the Russian people;
• However, everybody should note that one of Vladimir Putin's allies has "publicly destroyed" the case for the war in Ukraine now - and driven a "coach and horses" through it;
• The Russian government's lies have been exposed by "one of Putin's henchman";
• Prigozhin's rebellion is an "unprecedented challenge" to Putin's authority and cracks are emerging in the Russian support for the war - this echoes comments made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday;
• The events of this weekend are a challenge to Putin's authority;
• Ukraine is mounting a "determined counteroffensive" and the UK will continue to help the country's self defence;
• Now Russia's leadership "cannot justify this war, even to each other";
• The only right course for Putin is to "end this bloodshed";
• The Kremlin launched its invasion of Ukraine to create "an imperial Russia".

James Cleverly will give a statement at 4.30pm following events involving the Wagner group and the Russian military this weekend.

We will be bringing you all the latest here.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves is now speaking to MPs and says millions face an average increase of £2,900 in mortgage costs this year.

"Now, the prime minister told the country yesterday to hold its nerve," she says.

"But where are people supposed to find the money in the meantime to pay for the Tory mortgage bombshell?

"The chancellor and the prime minister have not yet said."

She says the "Tory mortgage bombshell" will mean holidays cancelled, family savings drained away and people missing out on days spent with family and friends.

"The chancellor doesn't need to take my word about how many people will be facing the Tory mortgage bombshell," she adds.

"He could speak to of the 11,600 families in his own constituency who will be paying £450 more every month in mortgage costs alone as a result of this Conservative government."

Jeremy Hunt is making a statement in the House of Commons on help for mortgage holders.

He says as interest rates rise he will not take action that undermines the Bank of England's monetary objectives.

But where there are non-inflationary measures the government can take to relieve the anxiety faced by families "it will do so".

He says on Friday he met UK mortgage lenders to agree new support for people struggling with their mortgage.

"At that meeting, I secured agreement from lenders to a new Mortgage Charter which we are publishing today that sets out what support we will receive," he says.

"It's been signed by lenders covering 85% of the UK market."

Mr Hunt says the charter will support two groups - thefirst group are those who are worried about their mortgage repayments.

The second group are those who are at "real risk" of losing their homes because they have fallen behind with their mortgage payments.

"We want to do all we can to support people who find themselves in such a challenging financial position," he says.

The chancellor goes on to say in the "extreme situation" in which a lender is seeking to reposes a home there will be a minimum 12 month period from the first missed payment before there is a repossession without consent.

He says these measures "should offer comfort" to those who enter financial difficulty.

Labour's shadow health secretary has called on the prime minister to get round the table with junior doctors and other healthcare staff to resolve ongoing strikes over pay.

Wes Streeting said: "Labour has a fully costed, fully funded plan to deliver the biggest expansion of NHS staff in history, double the number of medical school places, more nurses, more midwives, more district nurses, more health visitors.

"The government needs to finally resolve the junior doctors dispute, which is causing untold misery for patients."

He said the "big risk" is that staff don't just "walk out for another few days of industrial action", but actually "walk out of the NHS altogether".

"That's why the prime minister should pull his finger out, frankly, get staff around the table and negotiate an end to this dispute," he said.

However, Mr Streeting also said that he would not be able to meet the demands of junior doctors immediately. They are campaigning for pay restoration, but that would mean a 35% pay rise.

Mr Streeting said: "I don't think that can be delivered overnight, and I welcome the fact that junior doctors have admitted it can't be delivered overnight.

"I think the important thing is that the prime minister's now got to grip this and get around the negotiating table to negotiate an end to this strike action."

He added: "If Rishi Sunak can sit there for an hour negotiating gongs and peerages for Conservative Party donors and supporters and MPs, he can sit around the table for an hour with junior doctors and put patients out of their misery."

The RMT will "vigorously oppose any moves to close ticket offices", the union's general secretary Mick Lynch has said.

Addressing reports circulating online that the Department for Transport was planning to announce mass ticket office closures next week, Mr Lynch said: "We will not meekly sit by and allow thousands of jobs to be sacrificed or see disabled and vulnerable passengers left unable to use the railways as a result."

The comments come after the RMT said 20,000 railway workers nationwide would take three days of strike action next month in a long-running dispute over pay.

Members of the union working across 14 train operating companies will walk out on 20, 22 and 29 July.

Labour's shadow health secretary has blasted the Conservative government for leaving Hillingdon hospital - which is in former prime minister Boris Johnson's old constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip - in an "intolerable" state.

After visiting the hospital this morning, Wes Streeting said: "This is by far the worst hospital I have ever seen as shadow health secretary - indeed, as a member of parliament.

"Staff are working in intolerable conditions, patients are sweltering in intolerable conditions on such a hot day.

"I think it's outrageous, actually, that the Conservatives have lumbered the people of Hillingdon with such an unacceptable building for so long. I mean, it resembles a sort of Dad's Army site."

He added: "A Labour government will deliver the state of the art hospital that the people of Hillingdon need."

It comes just weeks after Boris Johnson stood up in the House of Commons to ask Health Secretary Steve Barclay to confirm that he will soon be allocating funding to "deliver a superb, new, state of the art hospital", adding that he was "proud" that "enabling works" had already started.

Mr Barclay confirmed the plans to upgrade the hospital will be "fully funded".

Earlier today, Prime Minister Rishi Sunakhinted he will ignore recommendations for public sector pay rises, saying workers "need to recognise the economic context we are in".

The move has sparked outrage on social media, and unions are now also condemning the plans.

The general secretary of the TUC, Paul Nowak, said in a statement that inflation "is not driven by public servants", and that household budgets are so squeezed that nurses and doctors are having to use food banks.

"Playing politics with working people's incomes is not only deeply cynical but it puts all of our futures at stake," he said.

He claimed the move "risks permanent economic harm" and would hurt the ability of public services to recruit and retain staff.

Mr Nowak called on ministers to publish the recommendations from the pay review bodies "urgently", and added: "Instead of blaming workers who can't afford to put food on the table or petrol in their cars to get to work, ministers should focus on a credible plan for sustainable growth and rising living standards."

And the joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said ministers are "laying the groundwork" to cut real-terms pay which "flies in the face of the recommendations of the pay review body".

He accused Education Secretary Gillian Keegan of "running out the clock" for schools to plan their budgets by not publishing the pay review recommendations for teachers, and noted that they are currently re-balloting the extent of strike action over pay.

"If it is true that the prime minister intends to renege on his position that review body advice must be adhered to, then this will simply embolden teachers to vote for further strike action," Mr Nowak said.