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Politics latest: G7 leaders describe Iran as 'principal source of instability' in Middle East

The conflict between Israel and Iran has been top of the agenda at the leaders' summit, taking place in Canada this week.

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Five-year steel deal 'secures the jobs and livelihoods of thousands', says minister

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is now joining Wilfred Frost on Sky News Breakfast.

She is in Scunthorpe, after the government announced a 拢500m deal for Network Rail and British Steel.

Alexander says this five-year contract - for the supply of steel rails - will "secures the jobs and livelihoods of thousands of people" at the Scunthorpe steelworks.

She said: "It was only two months ago that the government passed emergency legislation to make sure that we could step in and ensure that the blast furnaces were still operating here. 

"We passed that emergency legislation, so that we could continue to audit the raw materials that were necessary for the blast furnaces, continue to pay staff here. 

"And so I think this really transforms the outlook for British Steel securing those jobs. It's also really important for investment in our railways."

The minister says the contract is "about supporting our industrial heartlands" - and "making sure that we've got a railway fit for the future".

But Wilfred asks how the government can say jobs are secure when it is unclear who owns British Steel.

"This is a really important step to ensuring that British Steel has got a strong order book going forwards," she says.

Alexander admits there is "more to do", saying the UK is "working at pace" to address the issue of US tariffs on steel.

In pictures: G7 leaders gather for family photo in Canada

Before US President Donald Trump made a swift exit on Monday night, members of the G7 gathered for a family photograph in Alberta, Canada.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Trump were joined by European Council President Antonio Costa, Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, French President Emmanuel Macron, Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Starmer and Macron agree to 'pursue high-ambition outcomes' around migration

Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron have agreed to focus on migration at a July summit given the "deteriorating situation in the Channel" during a meeting at the G7 in Canada.

Both leaders agreed to "pursue high-ambition outcomes that deliver for the British and French people", a Downing Street spokesperson said.

They added: "Migration should be a key focus given the deteriorating situation in the Channel, they confirmed 鈥� adding that they should continue to work closely with other partners to find innovative ways to drive forward progress.

"They also agreed that the summit presents an opportune moment to further enhance our existing defence and security co-operation.

"Both leaders looked ahead to discussing Ukraine at the G7 tomorrow and underscored their enduring support for securing a just and lasting peace and keeping up the pressure on [Vladimir] Putin."

Baroness Casey to appear before MPs after major review of child grooming failures

The author of the major review into grooming gangs which found authorities have "shied away" from the ethnicity of sex offenders will face questions from MPs.

Baroness Louise Casey will appear before the Commons Home Affairs Committee this morning, after the government set out plans to launch a new nationwide inquiry into grooming gangs following her rapid review of the scandal.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper claimed officials have dodged the issue of ethnicity among the groups of sex offenders for fear of being called racist, even though available data showed suspects were disproportionately likely to be Asian men.

Speaking in the Commons on Monday, Cooper said "much more robust national data is needed" on the ethnicity of offenders, adding that the authorities "cannot and must not shy away from these findings".

Baroness Casey鈥檚 report found that: "The appalling lack of data on ethnicity in crime recording alone is a major failing over the last decade or more. Questions about ethnicity have been asked but dodged for years."

It added: "We found that the ethnicity of perpetrators is shied away from and is still not recorded for two-thirds of perpetrators, so we are unable to provide any accurate assessment from the nationally collected data."

G7 leaders say Iran is 'principal source of instability' in Middle East

G7 leaders have described Iran as "the principal source of regional instability and terror" as conflict rages in the Middle East.

The conflict between Israel and Iran has been top of the agenda at the leaders' summit, taking place in Canada.

In a statement agreed at the summit, leaders of the world's major economies, including Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said they "affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself".

The statement, agreed before Donald Trump left the conference early on Monday evening, also includes a call for a "ceasefire in Gaza".

It said: "We, the leaders of the G7, reiterate our commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East.

"In this context, we affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself. We reiterate our support for the security of Israel.

"We also affirm the importance of the protection of civilians.

"Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror.

"We have been consistently clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.

"We urge that the resolution of the Iranian crisis leads to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza.

"We will remain vigilant to the implications for international energy markets and stand ready to coordinate, including with like-minded partners, to safeguard market stability."

US-UK trade deal 'done', says Trump as he meets Starmer at G7

The UK-US trade deal has been signed and is "done", US President Donald Trump has said as he met Sir Keir Starmer at the G7 summit.

The US president told reporters in Canada: "We signed it, and it's done. It's a fair deal for both. It'll produce a lot of jobs, a lot of income."

Starmer said the document "implements" the deal to cut tariffs on cars and aerospace, describing it as a "really important agreement".

"So this is a very good day for both of our countries - a real sign of strength," the prime minister added.

Trump added that the UK was "very well protected" against any future tariffs, saying: "You know why? Because I like them".

However, he did not say whether levies on British steel exports to the US would be set to 0%, saying "we're gonna let you have that information in a little while".

Welcome back to the Politics Hub on Tuesday, 17 June.

The UK-US trade deal has been signed and is "done", US President Donald Trump has said as he met Sir Keir Starmer at this week's G7 summit.

The US president told reporters in Canada: "We signed it, and it's done. It's a fair deal for both. It'll produce a lot of jobs, a lot of income."

The summit is set to conclude later today, but Trump was spotted departing early in the last few hours.

Leaders issued a joint statement overnight warning that Iran is "the principal source of regional instability and terror" in the Middle East, as a conflict with Israel escalates.

They said that "Israel has a right to defend itself", and again called for a "ceasefire in Gaza".

Also today, pro-choice campaigners are urging MPs to vote to decriminalise abortion, but those against a change in the law have warned "unborn babies will have any remaining protection stripped away".

The issue looks likely to be debated and voted on on Tuesday, as part of amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill.

And there's a busy day of committee appearances ahead.

Notably, Baroness Casey will appear before the Home Affairs Committee at 10.30am, after the findings of her report into grooming gangs were published on Monday.

Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips will appear before the same committee in the afternoon, to discuss violence against women and girls.

Joining us to discuss all this and more will be: 

  • Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander at 7.15am

We'll bring you updates throughout the day in the Politics Hub.

That's all for today

Thank you for joining us for live coverage of today's events in British politics.

It was not a quiet day - scroll down for full coverage, and use the key points above for the main moments.

We'll be back again from 6am with the very latest.

UK to announce fresh sanctions on Russia

Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce fresh sanctions on Russia as allies try to get Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table.

The PM will "launch continued action to hit Putin where it hurts and make it clear that we will continue to ratchet up pressure until Russia is ready to commit to a full and unconditional ceasefire, and show they are serious about working towards a just and sustainable peace", Downing Street says.

Starmer is expected to deliver a speech, in which he will argue that "Russia doesn't hold all the cards", and will call on allies to "take this moment to increase economic pressure and show President Putin it is in his - and Russia's interests - to demonstrate he is serious about peace".

It is understood that this is just a UK announcement for now, but the government expects other allies to follow suit.

US slashes tariffs on cars and aerospace - but still work to do on steel

We've just had details on exactly what the UK-US deal being "done" means in practice.

The government says the US "has committed" to removing tariffs (taxes on imported goods) on UK aerospace goods, such as engines and aircraft parts, which currently stands at 10%.

That is "expected to come into force by the end of the month".

Tariffs on car imports will drop from 27.5% to 10%, the government says, which "saves car manufacturers hundreds of millions a year, and protects tens of thousands of jobs".

The White House says there will be a quote of 100,000 cars eligible for import at that level each year.

But on steel, the story is a little more complicated.

The UK is the only country exempted from the global 50% tariff rate on steel - which means the UK rate remains at the original level of 25%.

That tariff was expected to be lifted entirely, but the government now says they will "continue to go further and make progress towards 0% tariffs on core steel products as agreed".

The White House says the US will "promptly construct a quota at most-favoured-nation rates for steel and aluminium articles".

Other key parts of the deal include import and export quotas for beef - and the government is keen to emphasise that "any US imports will need to meet UK food safety standards".

There is no change to tariffs on pharmaceuticals for the moment, and the government says "work will continue to protect industry from any further tariffs imposed".

The White House says they "committed to negotiate significantly preferential treatment outcomes".