Politics LIVE: Keir Starmer's No10 exodus continues as PM's allies turn on top mandarin

Sir Keir Starmer is facing yet another departure from No10 as the Prime Minister's allies turn against Whitehall's top mandarin.

Sir Chris Wormald has been subjected to repeated negative briefings, prompting speculation that Baroness Casey could replace him by the end of the year.

A senior Whitehall figure told The Times: “Chris is a parody of every Civil Service stereotype.

“He is given clear instructions on an issue and says we will be able to deliver it only after we’ve commissioned a wide-reaching review that reports sometime in the mid-2080s.”

Dominic Cummings, who served as Boris Johnson's chief of staff in No10, also lashed out at Sir Chris over the weekend.

He added: “The old system has shot themselves in both feet, they’ve blown both feet off with Starmer and Wormald, because they’ve made it conventional wisdom now that the old system is broken and has to be succeeded by something much more radical.”

However, a Cabinet Office spokesman said: “The Cabinet Secretary continues to have the support of the Prime Minister and they are working closely together to deliver on the priorities of the British public.”

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY…

Scottish independence plan is a 'win for Vladimir Putin', Labour Minister claims

The SNP’s push to remove the UK’s nuclear deterrent from an independent Scotland would be a “gift to Putin”, a defence minister has warned.

Luke Pollard criticised the plan—announced by First Minister John Swinney earlier this month—saying it would seriously undermine national security and be welcomed in Moscow.

“This isn’t just bad policy—it’s dangerous,” said Mr Pollard. “Scrapping the nuclear deterrent tears apart our defences at a time when threats are growing. It’s exactly what Putin wants to see.”

He argued that Britain’s Trident system remains one of the few military assets the Kremlin truly fears, and warned that abandoning it was not a “credible position” in today’s volatile global climate.

Pollard also accused SNP ministers of disrespecting the “dedication and sacrifice” of Royal Navy submariners who operate the deterrent, saying their efforts had been “effectively attacked” by the Scottish Government’s stance.

Britain receives migrant crisis olive branch as ally offers to become UK return hub

Britain has been extended a migrant crisis olive branch as Kosovo's Prime Minister has said he "wants to help the UK" by offering to accept the UK's rejected asylum seekers.

Albin Kurti said he wants to help Britain combat illegal immigration in return for more support to strengthen its national security against Serbian and Russian threats.

Mr Kurti spoke before a summit of Western Balkan leaders, hosted by Sir Keir in London on Wednesday, where he said talks were ongoing between British and Kosovo officials.

The move makes Kosovo the first country to express its interest in Sir Keir's plan to establish a series of return hubs where rejected asylum seekers would be sent after they have exhausted all avenues of appeal in the UK.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Lib Dems: Rachel Reeves keeps sitting on her hands

The Liberal Democrats have told Chancellor Rachel Reeves to take more action after inflation held at 3.8 per cent.

“The Government can’t keep sitting on its hands - thoughts and prayers won’t fix this," the Liberal Democrats' Treasury spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said.

“As families look on at the ever increasing costs of food bills, energy bills, children’s school uniforms and more, the winter is looking very expensive and very bleak.

“Ministers need to roll up their sleeves and set out a proper plan to slash energy bills, tackle food prices by backing our farmers, cut red tape for business, and boost jobs by scrapping the damaging jobs tax.”

Mel Stride issues tax warning as inflation holds at 3.8 per cent

Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride has issued a tax warning after inflation held at 3.8 per cent.

Sir Mel said: “Inflation remains at almost double the Bank of England’s two per cent target because of Rachel Reeves’ decisions – pushing up the cost of living and punishing those Labour promised to protect.

“This financial year Labour have borrowed £100billion because they do not have the backbone to reduce spending.

"Combined with her £25billion Jobs Tax, Rachel Reeves is pushing inflation higher and higher.

“Starmer and Reeves do not have the backbone to sort this mess out.

"Only the Conservatives have the plan and the strong team to break the doom loop and ease the cost of living by delivering £47billion in savings and bringing inflation under control – delivering a stronger economy.’

Inflation SHOCK as CPI rate remains at 3.8% for third month is a row

Inflation for the 12 months to September 2025 remained at 3.8 per cent, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This is the same level reported for the consumer price index (CPI) rate over recent recent months and is nearly double the Bank of England's desired target for inflation.

Previous forecasts had estimated inflation would rise to four per cent, which means today's figures offer slight relief for inflation for Chancellor Rachel Reeves to deal with ahead of November 26's Autumn Budget.

In the wake of the Covidi-19 pandemic, households have been forced to content with inflation-hiked prices for goods and services amid the ongoing cost of living crisis.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE