UK politics live: David Cameron becomes first former PM to back assisted dying bill in major U-turn

There’s been a 21 per cent drop year-on-year in the number of small boat arrivals, new Home Office data shows. New data shows that there were 29,851 small boat arrivals in the year up to September 2024.

However when comparing annual years, more migrants have crossed the Channel so far in 2024 than in the whole of 2023.

In January to September 2024, Afghans and Vietnamese were the two most common nationalities amongst small boat arrivals. While the number of Afghan arrivals has decreased year-on-year by 14 per cent, the number of Vietnamese arrivals has increased by a staggering 117 per cent.

In the year up to September, only 28 per cent of the total number of people claiming asylum in the UK had arrived on a small boat.

ONS director Mary Gregory explained the drop saying: “Since 2021, long-term international migration to the UK has been at unprecedented levels. This has been driven by a variety of factors, including the war in Ukraine and the effects of the post-Brexit immigration system.

“While remaining high by historic standards, net migration is now beginning to fall and is provisionally down 20% in the 12 months to June 2024.Over that period we have seen a fall in immigration, driven by declining numbers of dependants on study visas coming from outside thee EU.”

She added that in the first months of 2024 there has also been a drop in the number of people coming to the UK for work.

Net migration to the UK dropped 20 per cent in the year to June 2024, down from a record high the year previous.

Estimated net migration to the UK stood at a provisional 728,000 in the year to June 2024, down from 906,000 for the year to June 2023, according to provisional figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) released on Thursday.

The total for the 12 months to June 2023 has been revised upwards by 166,000 from the initial estimate of 740,000.

As a doctor who became a politician, I believe that some of the so-called safeguards around the assisted dying legislation are completely false, writes former trade and defence secretary Liam Fox – who believes the bill is ‘rushed’ and will increase risks to vulnerable people

9.30am: Latest estimates of net migration to the UK, from the Office for National Statistics. At the same time the Home Office is also publishing its latest figures relating to asylum applications.

11am: Reform UK press conference on party growth, professionalisation and special announcement

11.30am Government holds lobby briefing

Decisions about assisted dying should be made on a “secular basis”, a government minister said ahead of MPs voting on the issue on Friday.

Home Office minister Seema Malhotra acknowledged that “people have their faiths” but decisions in Parliament should be “based on the evidence”.

Her comments came after Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she would not support a change in the law on assisted dying because of her Muslim faith.

Ms Malhotra said she would vote against the legislation on Friday, telling Sky News she was “concerned about the challenges, the pressures that could be put on vulnerable people” if there was a change in the law.

She said: “People have their faiths but I think what is important is that when we are making decisions as members of Parliament we are making them on a secular basis because that’s the way our Parliament is designed in terms of making decisions based on the evidence and arguing the case for law, the advantages, the disadvantages, the concerns in Parliament.

“And I think that is an important principle to me.

“I want to see that we have a debate that is in a way that everybody feels that their voice can be heard, that they can be respected for the views that they hold, that Parliament is able to make a decision on this on Friday and then that we know the government will abide by the will of Parliament.”

Justice Secretary Ms Mahmood has previously stated she will oppose the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, telling the Times: “As a Muslim, I have an unshakeable belief in the sanctity and value of human life.”

Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that he faces “total humiliation” on the world stage with his plans to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius on the brink of collapse in the next 48 hours.

With Sir Keir’s national security adviser Jonathan Powell heading to the US in a late bid to dissuade Donald Trump from vetoing the controversial deal, doubts have now also been raised by the new prime minister of Mauritius, Navinchandra Ramgoolam, who has expressed doubts about the deal struck with his predecessor.

After a meeting with Mr Powell earlier this week, Mr Ramgoolam said: “I informed them that I wished to have more time to study the details with a panel of legal advisers.”

David Maddox and Millie Cooke report

Dame Esther Rantzen has defended Sir Keir Starmer for staying silent on how he plans to vote on the assisted dying bill on Friday.

With the vote teetering on a knife edge, the prime minister has faced criticism for refusing to reveal his stance – despite high profile interventions from ministers including Wes Streeting and Shabana Mahmood.

Sir Keir has confirmed he will vote, but not yet whether he will support Kim Leadbeater’s bill.

But Dame Esther Rantzen, who is terminally ill and has argued strongly for a change in the law, has defended the prime minister;s decision not to reveal how he will vote.

Dame Esther Rantzen has reiterated her disappointment in health secretary Wes Streeting after his intervention in the assisted dying bill.

Mr Streeting – who plans to vote against the assisted dying bill – has suggested there may need to be cuts to other NHS services if the policy was brought in.

Cabinet ministers were told not to campaign for a change in either direction. Ms Rantzen hit out at the health secretary and said “he has been very vocal in his opposition”.

Ahead of Friday’s Commons debate, Dame Esther has written to MPs urging them all to take part and vote.