Andy Burnham flies to Turkey to deliver climate warning to half empty hall at Cop31

Andy Burnham has jetted off to Turkey and addressed Cop31, where he has warned European leaders that "climate change is national security issue" and reaffirmed Labour's commitment to Net Zero.

The Prime Minister joined Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, who landed in Antalya on Tuesday, and insisted climate change is "not a distant threat", adding: "It is upon us all now, devastating lives and livelihoods everywhere.

"Meanwhile, two wars across two continents have sent fuel prices and gas bills soaring for families and businesses across the world. The common thread running through all of this: our dependence on fossil fuels.

"The message I carry here at my Cop as UK Prime Minister is this, we’re committed to meeting our 2050 net zero target, and committed to working with all of our partners to reach theirs."

He continued: "We should all recognise the summer was not normal.

"The climate crisis is upon all of us now. The world has changed. The consensus we once enjoyed on science and climate action has broken down.

"We will not stand by and that’s why I’ve pledged a new era of British leadership over the next decade."

Mr Burnham is the sole leader of a G7 country present in Turkey today, with President Donald Trump refusing to send any delegations for the second year running.

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​Labour: We're building plenty of houses

A Labour MP has insisted they are building "plenty" of houses - despite being set to miss their 1.5million five-year target.

Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook joined GB News this morning and was quizzed over the Government's apparent failure to achieve the target set out in their 2024 manifesto.

Mr Pennycook admitted it was an "incredibly stretching target" at the time, something they have "always been honest about", but it is "right to have such an ambitious target".

He said the Government is building "plenty of houses" and is "pulling every lever at our disposal" to build more, but headwinds from the conflict in the Middle East are hindering that.

He also said further plans for housing starts will be laid out in Andy Burnham's highly anticipated 10-year plan.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner admitted in September there was a "slim chance" the Government would achieve its housing targets, but said yesterday: "I'm not giving up on that target, and I refuse to admit defeat on it."

More than 300,000 homes must be built each year to meet Labour's 2024 manifesto target. However, numbers have barely risen above 200,000 - in fact, 437,000 have been built since Labour assumed power more than two years ago.

EXCLUSIVE: Andy Burnham's £15billion Brexit 'surrender deal' will help just 2% of British businesses

Andy Burnham's £15billion Brexit "surrender" deal could tie 98 per cent of British companies to rules and regulations imposed by the European Union despite them not exporting any goods to the bloc, GB News can reveal.

The Prime Minister has touted next week's UK-EU summit as an "opportunity to add to UK growth", claiming an agreement could add up to 0.4 per cent to the country's GDP.

Ahead of the meeting, he said: “I think people in Britain would expect me to take that with both hands... if that can get growth, if that can help our farmers, if that can remove red tape from British businesses, I think most people would expect me to go to that summit and negotiate the best deal that I can.”

But Chairman of the London-based Growth Commission, Shanker Singham, warned the cost of any deal that forces through regulatory alignment with the EU’s Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) rules would be "staggering".

READ THE FULL STORY HERE.

​Reform: Cop31 is a complete waste of time

Reform UK have said they would "absolutely" boycott the Cop summit, adding that it is a "complete waste of time".

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice spoke to GB News this morning, where he vowed to undo Labour's current Net Zero promises.

Andy Burnham spoke at Cop31 in Turkey earlier today, where he reaffirmed the UK's pledge to be Net Zero by 2050.

Mr Tice noted how the Prime Minister was the sole G7 leader at the event today, with the US failing to send a delegation for the second year running.

"They notice how Reform is right," he said. "The only person that is going to satisfy his backbenchers is Andy Burnham, and he's going to blather a load of hot air into a bunch of waffling delegates.

"No one is interested, no one is listening - it's done!"

The Business, Trade and Energy spokesman said he "certainly wouldn't be going to any Cop summits" if Reform were to get into No10, declaring them a "complete waste of time".

He added that scrapping Net Zero would save "tens and tens and tens of billions of pounds every year".

​Economy grows 0.7 per cent in third quarter - fastest rate in more than two years

The UK's economy has grown at the fastest quarterly rate in more than two years, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The 0.7 per cent growth has been attributed to a boost in tech services and AI investment.

The ONS said the growth was "almost entirely" down to the UK's service sector. Computer programming has grown at the fastest rate in three years.

It comes despite just a 0.2 per cent growth in September.

Last quarter, between July and September, the UK recorded a 0.5 per cent growth in GDP.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham welcomed the news, saying: "Despite a year where events around the world have pushed up costs here at home, our economy is growing, bringing hope for the future."

Young people to lose disability benefits as welfare system is 'rebuilt from scratch'

Young people are set to lose access to disability benefits under the Milburn Review.

Alan Milburn, a former Labour Health Secretary, has revealed what the long-awaited second part of his review into the welfare system will say.

Adults under 25 would no longer be able to claim two disability benefits, the health element of Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments (Pip), under his proposals.

He told The Times that after hundreds of interviews and dozens of visits, he concluded the "whole system needs to be changed".

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