Compulsory digital ID plan axed as Labour performs another U-turn

Sir Keir Starmer has reportedly scrapped plans for a compulsory digital identity scheme for workers following opposition to the idea from across the political divide.

The prime minister last year said Labour would introduce a digital ID system that would be voluntary in most cases but mandatory for right-to-work checks.

But the plans were thrown into confusion on Tuesday night after The Times reported ministers were rowing back on the compulsory element, allowing other digital documents to be used for right-to-work check.

It brings to at least nine – and by some counts as many as 13 – the number of U-turns Labour has performed since the 2024 general election.

Civil-rights groups as well as Reform UK and the Conservatives had slated the idea of an obligatory ID scheme, which the government announced only four months ago to crack down on illegal migration.

In September, the prime minister announced the introduction of the “Brit card” to make it harder for people without the right to work to find employment.

But now a government source says the compulsory element of the scheme had been “stopping conversation about what digital IDs could be used for generally”.

The government has been under pressure to empty migrant hotels and reduce the number of small-boat crossings.

The source told The Times: “Stepping back from mandatory-use cases will deflate one of the main points of contention. We do not want to risk there being cases of some 65-year-old in a rural area being barred from working because he hasn’t installed the ID.”

The digital Brit card, downloaded onto a smartphone, was designed to verify an individual’s right to live and work in the UK, similar to a system in Estonia, where citizens are given unique identification numbers.

Employers would be required to check the card of anyone they wanted to employ, and in doing so would create a record shared with the Home Office. This would enable the department to check that all employers are complying with the rules.

Now, right-to-work checks will still be mandatory, and it’s expected other forms of documentation, such as electronic visas or passports, will be valid.

A consultation due to start within weeks is expected to explore which verification checks could be used.

A government spokesperson said: “We are committed to mandatory digital right-to-work checks. We have always been clear that details on the digital ID scheme will be set out following a full public consultation which will launch shortly.

“Digital ID will make everyday life easier for people, ensuring public services are more personal, joined-up and effective, while also remaining inclusive.”

Conservative shadow Cabinet Office minister Mike Wood said: “While we welcome the scrapping of any mandatory identification, this is yet another humiliating U-turn from the government.

“Keir Starmer’s spinelessness is becoming a pattern, not an exception.”

Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office spokesperson Lisa Smart MP said: “No 10 must be bulk-ordering motion-sickness tablets at this rate to cope with all their U-turns.

“It was clear right from the start this was a proposal doomed to failure, that would have cost obscene amounts of taxpayers’ money to deliver absolutely nothing.”

Antoine Semenyo’s flying start proves he is Man City’s big game player

Knocked out of the Carabao Cup in August, Antoine Semenyo may be taking Manchester City to the final of it. And if that made little sense, the rule change that allowed players to represent two clubs in the competition this season had irritated Eddie Howe even before Manchester City’s latest signing threated to end Newcastle’s defence of their first major trophy since the 1960s.

In previous years, he would have been cup-tied. Not now. “The rules are the rules,” said Howe, but a rewrite to them came at a bad time for Newcastle. Semenyo’s part in Bournemouth’s summer defeat to Brentford might be no impediment to claiming a winner’s medal. His first-leg strike, coupled with Rayan Cherki’s 99th-minute second, means City can envisage a March date with Arsenal or Chelsea at Wembley. “First step to reach the final,” said Pep Guardiola. Newcastle need a turnaround at the Etihad next month and it is a bogey ground. “We haven’t got a good record there, I haven’t good a good record there but records are there to be broken,” said Howe. “We are still alive, still fighting.”

But they are likely to face a stronger City team in Manchester. Guardiola had a £62.5m addition to their attack but a makeshift look to the back half of his team. City won anyway. But it helps to have the financial muscle to sign a player coveted by Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United.

If a debut goal against Exeter was scarcely proof Semenyo is worth his sizeable fee, this was a bigger indication City’s money has been well spent. This was an indication the biggest signing of the winter window so far is a big-game player.

Not since Emmanuel Adebayor in 2009 had a player scored in his first two games for City, though Semenyo may not want to emulate some other elements of the Togolese’s time in Manchester. But this has been a flying start. He already has a song the supporters chorused.

His goal was a reward for Guardiola’s policy of picking out-and-out wingers. One scored a goal, set up by another. Jeremy Doku accelerated past Lewis Miley to cross, Bernardo Silva diverted it into the path of Semenyo and he had a tap in. “Every time the ball arrives to him, he always is there,” said Guardiola.

Semenyo thought he had a third goal in his first two games, courtesy of an improvised finish, with an attempted backheel, from Tijjani Reijnders’ corner. Following an interminable VAR check, Erling Haaland was adjudged offside. “It should have been 3-0,” said Silva. “Four officials and VAR were not able to take the decision,” said Guardiola. He felt his players were “angry”. They channelled it.

But it was only because of that six-minute hiatus that the game was still going when City eventually doubled their lead, thanks to a combination of summer signings and Rayans. A one-two between Cherki and Rayan Ait-Nouri began with a lovely flick from the No 10 and, after a low cross from the Algerian, ended with an adept finish.

“We had the chances to make that a very different scoreline,” said Howe. Missed opportunities included one that was wild, two that came agonisingly close. Yoane Wissa sliced a fifth-minute shot over the bar, when City were opened up by Jacob Murphy’s cross. Wissa was preferred to Nick Woltemade, but Murphy, their most creative player in the first half, went off injured seconds before the interval.

Newcastle nevertheless had more attacking intent after it. Before Semenyo struck, they hit the woodwork twice within seconds. First Anthony Gordon crossed, Wissa produced a looping header and James Trafford, forever a Newcastle target, tipped it on to the bar. Then Bruno Guimaraes thudded a shot from 20 yards against the post.

They exerted plenty of effort in their search for an equaliser, and Sven Botman had attempts blocked by Trafford and Semenyo. Sandro Tonali came off the bench to drill a shot wide.

But Newcastle were annoyed Jacob Ramsey was off the bench when Semenyo provided the breakthrough and could regret the dullness of the start. There had been a surfeit of drama at St James’ Park in the last week. Maybe fatigue got the better of them as the first half was the antidote to the 4-3 and the 3-3, the rush of 13 goals. City belatedly mustered their first shot in stoppage time, and even afterwards Nick Pope’s first save was to spare Gordon an own goal.

Meanwhile, Newcastle were frustrated by the unlikely alliance at the back for City. Abdukodir Khusanov and Max Alleyne, aged 21 and 20, the Uzbek and the son of a cricketer, excelled together.

Ahead of them, Nico O’Reilly had to do his Rodri impression at the base of the midfield. With Nico Gonzalez injured, the other Nico was the third-choice defensive midfielder. Guardiola had seemed to prioritise the Manchester derby by benching Rodri, Reijnders and Cherki. But each appeared in the second half and a strategy of bringing on class was justified by Cherki’s goal. Wembley beckons for them but not, this year, for Newcastle.

Birmingham-Manchester rail line planned two years after HS2 scrapped

Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce plans to build a new railway line between Birmingham and Manchester just over two years after the HS2 expansion was scrapped.

Rishi Sunak cancelled building the high-speed network between the two cities in October 2023 in order to save money.

But now ministers are expected to set out plans as they confirm proposals for new and improved rail links across the north of England as part of a scheme known as the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).

The move comes as Labour tries to see off the threat of Nigel Farage’s Reform, with Sir Keir at risk of losing dozens of parliamentary seats across the north of England at the next general election.

Mr Farage’s deputy Richard Tice has said that a Reform government would axe any high-speed rail schemes earmarked for the North.

With Labour trailing Reform in the polls, the party hopes that delivering on issues like public services and infrastructure can help it woo disgruntled voters in constituencies across the area.

Sir Keir has promised people across Britain will feel “positive change” this year, amid growing questions over his premiership and speculation he will face a leadership challenge if Labour fares badly in the May local elections.

Before he became prime minister Sir Keir said he could not promise a Labour government would reverse the decision to scrap HS2, despite calls for a pledge from Labour’s Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham.

His comments came after Mr Sunak was criticised by two former prime ministers, David Cameron and Boris Johnson, for cancelling the rail link north to Manchester.

And the National Audit Office warned that the scrapping of HS2 would cost £100m and take up to three years.

At the time, Mr Sunak said he had been forced to act when costs “doubled”, but insisted that the money saved would be spent improving rail and road links in England and Wales instead.

NPR was originally suggested by the then Conservative chancellor George Osborne in 2014.

At that stage he said that he wanted to create high-speed rail links between the major cities across the North.

The plans have suffered from the chaos that affected the Tory governments in the later years of that decade and into the 2020s.

Sir Keir said: “Over and over again, people in northern communities, from Liverpool and Manchester to York and Newcastle have been let down by broken promises.

“This cycle has to end. No more paying lip service to the potential of the North, but backing it to the hilt.

“That’s why this Government is rolling up its sleeves to deliver real, lasting change for millions of people through Northern Powerhouse Rail: a major new rail network across the North that will deliver faster, more frequent services.”

NPR is the focus of the Government’s wider Northern Growth Strategy, which will be published in spring and aims to provide better jobs, more homes and increased investment in the region.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “If economic growth is the challenge, investment and renewal is the solution.

“That’s why we’re reversing years of chronic underinvestment in the North.

“Our transformative plans will create jobs, build homes and unlock opportunities for businesses to invest.”

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “Finally, we have a Government with an ambitious vision for the North, firm commitment to Northern Powerhouse Rail and an openness to an underground station in Manchester city centre.”

He added: “Today marks a significant step forward for Greater Manchester.

“We’ll now work at pace to prove the case for an underground station and work up detailed designs for the route between Liverpool and Manchester.”

Shadow rail minister Jerome Mayhew said: “Labour lurch from review to review, deadline to deadline, with no grip on costs, no clarity on scope and no courage to make decisions, exemplified nowhere clearer than the hatchet job of Great British Railways.

“Northern Powerhouse Rail could have been transformational, empowering regional growth and regeneration. Under Labour it risks becoming a permanent mirage that is endlessly redesigned, downgraded and never delivered.”

Fifth NHS trust declares critical incident as demand surges

A fifth NHS hospital trust has declared a critical incident in the last 24 hours because it is overwhelmed by demand for its services.

Nottingham University Hospitals Trust said it was facing “severe and sustained pressure” caused by rising patient numbers, winter infections and staff sickness.

The combination has led to “significant and unacceptable” delays in A&E and on hospital wards, trust chiefs say.

Earlier, three trusts in Surrey and one in Kent declared critical incidents as they struggled to cope with a surge in admissions due to flu and norovirus.

They were the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, as well as the Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital in Margate.

A critical incident is the highest alert level used by the NHS, and when one is declared, hospitals may redirect resources, postpone non-urgent treatments and seek external support.

Bosses at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust pleaded with the public to go to A&E only in emergencies or serious accidents, and to use other services instead.

Patients were facing what they said were “unacceptable and lengthy” waits in corridors.

A&E staff at the Queen’s Medical Centre Campus, designed to treat 350 patients a day, are regularly seeing more than 500 a day. On the busiest day of the year so far, last Wednesday, 550 patients went to A&E.

“Demand on our hospital beds has exceeded all of our forecasted modelling,” the trust said. “Staff are working under extreme pressure.”

Rising flu cases last month stoked fears that the NHS could face the worst flu season in decades. In the first week of December, 1,717 patients were admitted to hospitals in England with the infection, up 56 per cent on the same week in 2024, according to NHS England.

The surge in admissions for flu also led health chiefs to worry that overcrowded hospitals would be unable to control the spread of infections, leaving patients being treated for serious illnesses such as cancer at extra risk of catching it.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting this month urged people to use A&E only for genuine emergencies, as sub-zero temperatures gripped the UK.

Nottingham University Hospitals Trust medical director Manjeet Shehmar said: “We have been using every available space within the hospital. This includes beds on our inpatient wards and in our ED [emergency department].

“We have many patients currently on our corridors who are having to wait for long periods of time. This is not care that we accept, and we are doing everything that we possibly can to make sure that we move our patients into a more suitable place where they can get the care that they need.”

She appealed to people thinking of going to A&E instead to contact NHS 111.

At least 17 other trusts have declared critical incidents this month.

Who is attending Davos? Trump to lead largest US delegation ever

President Donald Trump is set to return to the World Economic Forum‘s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, next week, leading a record-sized US delegation, organisers announced on Tuesday.

The Geneva-based think tank, which organises the prestigious gathering, noted that Mr Trump’s assertive foreign policy, particularly on issues such as Venezuela and Greenland in recent months, has stirred concerns among both allies and adversaries. He will be joined by five Cabinet secretaries and other senior officials for the event, running from Monday until 23 January.

The Alpine resort is preparing to host 3,000 participants from 130 countries, including 850 chief executives and chairs of the world’s top companies, the forum confirmed.

Forum President Borge Brende stated that six leaders from the Group of Seven nations, including Mr Trump, are expected to attend. They will be joined by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Syria’s Ahmad al-Sharaa, among other prominent global figures.

A total of 64 heads of state or government are expected so far — also a record — though that number could increase before the start of the event, he said.

China’s delegation will be headed by Vice Premier He Lifeng, Beijing’s top trade official, Brende said.

Among the scores of other high-profile attendees expected are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as well as tech industry titans Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

Brende said the U.S. delegation will include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, along with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff.

The forum, which held its first annual meeting in 1971, has long been a hub of dialogue, debate and deal-making. Trump has already attended twice while president, and was beamed in by video last year just days after being inaugurated for his second term.

Critics call it a venue for the world’s elites to hobnob and do business that sometimes comes at the expense of workers, the impoverished or people on the margins of society. The forum counters that its stated goal is “improving the state of the world” and insists many advocacy groups, academics and cultural leaders have an important role too.

This year’s edition will be the first annual meeting not headed by forum founder Klaus Schwab, who resigned last year. He’s been succeeded by interim co-chairs Larry Fink, chairman and CEO of New York-based investment management company BlackRock, and Andre Hoffmann, the vice chairman of Swiss pharmaceuticals company Roche Holdings.

Trading 212 Cash ISA: Earn 4.33 per cent tax-free interest today

Looking for the best cash ISA rates in 2025? Trading 212 is offering The Independent readers an exclusive 4.33 per cent interest rate for the first 12 months (applicable only to contributions made in the current tax year) – one of the highest available. Find out how to secure this tax-free savings opportunity before it’s gone.

“A cash ISA provides a tax-free fixed rate of return on your savings. It can be a great place to hold your short-term savings such as money for emergencies or to put towards holidays as you can usually access it when you need it. Plus, you will earn better interest than leaving it in your current account and don’t have to give any of the returns to the taxman.

“The returns won’t be as high as investing through a stocks and shares ISA but it is still a good way to save if you are cautious about putting too much money at risk,” says Marc Shoffman, The Independent‘s money writer.

If you’re new to investing or saving, he’s put together a comprehensive guide on ISAs and below you can read more about the new Trading 212 offer for our readers.

By registering through this exclusive link – new clients will get an interest rate of 4.33% AER (excluding transfers in, applicable only to contributions made in the current tax year). The account offers unlimited withdrawals, is a flexible ISA, and accepts transfers in.

To make it even easier, you can use the promo code “TI” when registering, to manually apply for this offer. Whether you choose to use the link below or the code, securing your 4.33% per cent rate couldn’t be simpler.

Trading 212 has built a reputation for providing accessible, user-friendly financial products and services that cater to seasoned investors and newcomers. Here’s why their Cash ISA stands out in 2025:

This exclusive promotion is only available to a very small group of partners, which means it’s a limited-time opportunity you don’t want to miss. Whether you’re a new client eager to get started or an existing client looking to enjoy better rates, now is the time to act.

Sign up today using the exclusive link or use promo code “TI” to claim your 4.33 per cent interest rate and enjoy the benefits of a Cash ISA that lets your money grow, tax-free. Start your savings journey with Trading 212 today.

When investing, your capital is at risk and you may get back less than invested. Past performance doesn’t guarantee future results.

Medical tourism costs the NHS up to £20,000 per patient, study says

Complications from traveling abroad for weight-loss surgery and cosmetic surgery could be costing the NHS up to £20,000 per patient.

The popularity of medical tourism is only increasing with hundreds of thousands of Britons traveling abroad for cut-price surgery. Experts have warned the industry is putting patients’ lives at risk and is in urgent need of regulation.

But if there are complications following the surgery patients can face difficulty accessing follow up support. As a result, the responsibility usually falls on the home country’s health service to “pick up the pieces”.

“Too often people are drawn in by cut-price deals and glossy online marketing, only to return with serious, sometimes life-changing complications,” Professor Vivien Lees, Vice President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (RCS England) told the Independent.

“While many overseas providers offer high-quality care, gaps in regulation, aftercare and accountability make this a significant patient-safety issue,” she added.

For the study published in the open access journal BMJ Open, 90 relevant studies as well as conference proceedings, discussion papers, editorials, and government, industry, and institutional reports, published between 2012 and December 2024, were reviewed.

Studies that described cases of emergency and urgent surgery abroad; treatment for cancer, infertility, and dentistry; and transplant surgery were excluded from the analysis.

More than half of the 655 patients treated by the NHS between 2022 and 2024 revealed in the case reports received surgery for complications arising from bariatric, also known as weight-loss surgery. The rest (265) were for cosmetic surgeries such as breast surgery enlargement, and ‘tummy tuck’ and just five were for eye surgery.

Countries from every continent were mentioned as destinations for medical tourism, but Turkey was the most common destination with 61 per cent of studies citing it as the destination.

While no deaths were reported in the reviews studied, more than half of patients experienced moderate to severe complications.

Treatment for these was not clearly reported in most of the studies, however, and only 14 studies reported on the associated costs, which ranged from £1058 to £19,549 per patient in 2024 prices.

Medical tourism industry is worth more than $400 billion (£300 billion) annually, with anticipated year-on-year growth of 25 per cent.

Patients seeking weight loss surgery, for example, are often lured abroad by cut price deals and before and after weight loss images posted on social media. The out-of-pocket cost for this type of surgery done privately in the UK is around £10, 000 to £15,000, but costs approximately £2,500 to £4,500 in countries, such as Turkey.

“We still do not know how many people resident in the UK go abroad for elective surgery or how many people subsequently experience complications. Without these data, we cannot fully understand the levels of risk that people seeking surgery abroad are taking,” study authors emphasise.

“Awareness-raising campaigns and interventions are warranted to inform members of the public in the UK considering going abroad for surgery about the potential for complications.” they add.

“Those seeking medical treatment abroad should be made aware of which complications the NHS is responsible for treating, and costs for which the patient may be potentially personally liable, including non-emergency treatment,” they suggest.

Professor Lees said the findings of the study highlight the need for reliable national data on how many people this affects.

“When things go wrong, the NHS is left to pick up the pieces, often in emergencies and without full information about what surgery was done or by whom. That puts patients at risk and adds avoidable pressure to already stretched services,” she said.

“It should not be the role of the NHS to routinely mop up the mistakes of private providers overseas, and we would encourage the government to continue bringing pressure to bear on foreign providers and other governments including to cover the costs of complications that happen in their countries.”

“Better public information, including building on the UK government’s partnership with TikTok, and improved data collection are essential to protect patients and the NHS.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Too many people are also being lured overseas for cheap cosmetic procedures, only to come home with life-changing complications that – as this report shows – end up costing the NHS thousands of pounds.

“We have launched a major drive to crack down on dangerous medical tourism and raise awareness of the risks medical tourism brings.

“The UK government has been actively engaging with governments overseas on how to support the safety of patients who decide they wish to travel for medical treatment, and will be updating its guidance in due course.”

Full list of former Tories who have defected to Nigel Farage’s Reform

Former Conservative chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has become the latest Tory to defect to Reform UK.

Mr Zahawi, who served under Boris Johnson in 2022, joins a growing list of Tory politicians choosing to join Nigel Farage’s political group. His defection comes over a decade after he told Farage on X, then-known as Twitter, that he had “been a Conservative all my life and will die a Conservative.”

Yet he said in a press conference on Monday: “I’ve made my mind that the team that will deliver for this nation will be the team that Nigel will put together, and that’s why I’ve decided that I’m joining Reform UK.”

A Conservative spokesperson offered up in counterpoint: “Reform is fast becoming the party of has-been politicians looking for their next gravy train”.

Mr Zahawi was sacked as Conservative Party chairman in 2023 after he was found to have breached the ministerial code over his tax affairs. He later confirmed he paid a nearly £5 million penalty to HMRC in order to settle the matter.

The former cabinet minister is potentially the most-significant Conservative defection to Reform UK so far. He joins the likes of Lee Anderson, Nadine Dorries and Danny Kruger as former Conservatives who have all switched to join Reform UK in the last two years.

Here are the other Conservatives who defected to Reform UK:

Lee Anderson

Mr Anderson was elected in 2019 as an MP for Ashfield for the Conservative Party; he defected to Reform UK in March 2024 and has since become Chief Whip. He retained his seat as a Reform UK MP in the 2024 general election.

Jonathan Gullis

In December last year, Mr Gullis announced he had defected to Reform UK – over a year after he confessed he’d been unable to find permanent employment since losing his seat as Tory MP for Stoke-on-Trent North in the 2024 general election. He was a Tory MP from 2019 to 2024 and briefly had a stint as party deputy chairman from March 2024.

Nadine Dorries

After 25 years as a Conservative Party member, Ms. Dorries announced she was leaving for Reform UK in September last year. The former politician was MP for Mid Bedfordshire from 2005 to 2023 and served as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, media and Sport from 2021 to 2022 under Boris Johnson.

David Jones

Last summer, the former cabinet minister and MP for Clwyd West defected to Farage’s party after over 50 years as a member of the Conservative Party. He represented the Clwyd West constituency from 2005 until 2024. In his parting statement, Mr Jones said: “Today, Reform UK is the party that best represents my views – and, I believe, those of many others who have become disillusioned with the two old major parties.”

Dame Andrea Jenkyns

After a career as Conservative MP for Morely and Outwood from 2015 to May 2024, Dame Andrew left the party for Reform UK in November that same year. She later announced her candidacy for Reform in the 2025 election for the newly created Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire last year and joined the party’s decision making board.

Danny Kruger

Mr Kruger, MP for East Wiltshire, previously Devizes, since 2019, was one of the more high profile defectors to Reform UK in September last year. He told a press conference: “This is my tragic conclusion, the Conservative Party is over, over as a national party, over as the principal opposition to the left.”

Lucy Allan

Former MP for Telford from 2015 to 2024, Ms Allan stood down in the last general election and was suspended from the Conservative Party for publicly supporting the Reform UK candidate for that same constituency she formerly represented.

Sir Jake Berry

After serving as MP for Rossendale and Darwen from 2010 to 2024, Sir Jake defected to Reform last July. As a Tory MP, he was Chairman of the Conservative Party briefly in 2022 and served as minister of state for the northern powerhouse and local growth from 2017 to 2020 under both Theresa May and Boris Johnson.

Anne Marie Morris

Last year, Ms Morris joined Reform UK to head up their social care policy. Prior to this, she was Conservative MP for Newton Abbot from 2010 to 2024. During her 14 year term in office, she twice lost the party whip for a period of nine months between July and December 2017, and then again between January and May 2022.

Marco Longhi

In January last year, Mr Longhi defected from the Conservative Party to Reform UK and is now president of Turning Point UK. The former Conservative MP for Dudley North had been a member of the Conservative Party since 1999.

Ross Thomson

Formerly MP for Aberdeen South between 2017 to 2019, Mr Thomson was a key supporter of Boris Johnson. In June last year, he announced he had defected to Reform UK, saying “only Reform have the courage and answers to the issues facing Scotland and the United Kingdom”.

Chris Green

Mr Green is one of the latest Conservatives to defect to Reform UK in December last year after he served as MP for Bolton West from 2015 until 2024.

Lia Nici

Ms Nici defected from the Tories to Reform in December after a career as MP for Great Grimsby between 2019 and 2024. She served as assistant government Whip for Liz Truss in her brief stint as prime minister in 2022.