Education secretary defends £14k donation as 'declared properly and thoroughly'

Education Secretary unveils £500m family hub programme

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson announces a £500m plan to create 'Best Start' family hubs across England, inspired by the Sure Start model. The hubs will combine health, parenting, and early years services to give children a stronger start and support parents nationwide. Report by Etemadil. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn

PM visits school following free meal rule change

Sir Keir Starmer visited a primary school in Essex following an announcement that all pupils in England whose families claim universal credit will be eligible for free school meals. The prime minister was joined by the education secretary Bridget Phillipson who described the plans as "a game changer for families". Report by Kennedyl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn

Govt expanding free meals to families on universal credit

All pupils in England whose families claim universal credit will be eligible for free school meals under an expansion plan announced by the government on Wednesday. Hundreds of thousands more children across the country will be able to access means-tested free school meals when the provision is extended from September 2026, the Department for Education (DfE) has said. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the announcement "is a game changer for families - half a million children will benefit". Report by Kennedyl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn

Labour MP: ‘Time is running out for Palestine’

Labour MP Stella Creasy has urged Sir Keir Starmer to recognise the state of Palestine now, warning that waiting could end hopes of a two-state solution. One of over 200 MPs to sign a letter to the Prime Minister, Creasy said: “Time is running out for Palestine,” and called recognition a powerful step towards securing a ceasefire and lasting peace. Report by Covellm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn

Corbyn: Labour Party is full of control freaks

Jeremy Corbyn has promised “a new kind of political party” as he launched a new outfit with Zarah Sultana. At the moment there is no agreement on the party’s name, but Mr Corbyn denied that the launch had been “messy”. Mr Corbyn led the Labour Party from 2015 to 2020 before being suspended following a row over a report into antisemitism in the party. Report by Gluszczykm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn

Home Sec: People should support Police

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has defended Labour's record on returning asylum seekers and criticised Reform UK for ''continuously attacking'' the police. It comes as the Chief Constable of Essex Police has denied that officers drove counter-protesters to a demonstration outside a hotel housing asylum seekers after claims made by Nigel Farage. Report by Gluszczykm. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn