### Early evening summary

**Mike Amesbury** is standing down as an MP following his conviction for assault, 

This means there will definitely be an election in his constituency, Runcorn and Helsby.

This will be a challenge for Labour, which won the seat at the least election with a majority of 14,696. Reform UK came second on 18% of the vote, compared to Labour’s 53%. Nigel Farage’s party is seen as having a good chance of winning but, given that he regularly claims he is going to win the next general election (despite only winning five seats in 2024), failing to win would be a huge setback.

But the contest will also be perilous for Kemi Badenoch. The Tories were third in the constituency at the general election, with 16% of the vote, and a bad result would revive speculation about Badenoch facing a leadership challenge.

But the contest will also be perilous for Kemi Badenoch. The Tories were third in the constituency at the general election, with 16% of the vote, and a bad result would revive speculation about Badenoch facing a leadership challenge.

### Foreign states including repressive regimes pay peers over £3m in two years

Members of the  have been paid more than £3m in the last two years by foreign governments including repressive Middle Eastern regimes, . It says the RIO was set up “to cut red tape which unnecessarily impedes on new technologies coming to market and stunts growth, instead pivoting to a streamlined and pro-innovation environment which allows people across the UK to reap the real, positive impact of new tech safely and sooner”.

To mark his appointment, Willetts went to Guy’s hospital in London with Patrick Vallance, the science minister, to see how drones are transforming healthcare. The  :

> Drones are already cutting blood delivery times from 30 minutes to just 2 minutes, speeding up testing turnaround times to improve NHS productivity. British start-up Apian, founded by NHS doctors, works with global drone company Wing to fly blood samples from Guy’s to Synnovis’ lab at St Thomas’ Hospital for urgent testing. This rapid turnaround service supports some of their most vulnerable patients, ensuring they have the best possible care.

**Sharma** also showed the inquiry an extract from the witness statement from **Sir John Manzoni**, permanent secretary at the Cabinet Office at the time. Manzoni said he was concerned that “indirect pressure was being placed on the MHRA to approve the supplier’s design at the stage of selecting suppliers to progess to the ventilator challenge”. Manzoni had to intervene “to protect the integrity of the process”, he said.



### No 10 'deeply concerned' about Israel cutting electricity supply to Gaza

Downing Street has urged  to restore Gaza’s electricity supply, warning that failing to do so risked breaching international law.

Israel announced it had cut off Gaza’s electricity supply on Sunday evening, a week after it suspended delivery of humanitarian supplies to the territory.

At the lobby briefing this morning the PM’s spokesperson said No 10 was “deeply concerned” by these reports. He said:

> Our position is humanitarian aid should never be contingent on a ceasefire or used as a political tool.

Asked whether the move was against international law, he said this was “a matter for an international court” but added:

> A halt on goods and supplies entering Gaza, including basic needs such as electricity, risks breaching Israel’s obligations under international humanitarian law.

### David Willetts appointed chair of new Regulatory Innovation Office

**David Willetts**, the Tory former minister for universities and science, has been appointed as the first chair of the Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), . It says the RIO was set up “to cut red tape which unnecessarily impedes on new technologies coming to market and stunts growth, instead pivoting to a streamlined and pro-innovation environment which allows people across the UK to reap the real, positive impact of new tech safely and sooner”.

To mark his appointment, Willetts went to Guy’s hospital in London with Patrick Vallance, the science minister, to see how drones are transforming healthcare. The  :

> Drones are already cutting blood delivery times from 30 minutes to just 2 minutes, speeding up testing turnaround times to improve NHS productivity. British start-up Apian, founded by NHS doctors, works with global drone company Wing to fly blood samples from Guy’s to Synnovis’ lab at St Thomas’ Hospital for urgent testing. This rapid turnaround service supports some of their most vulnerable patients, ensuring they have the best possible care.

**Sharma** also showed the inquiry an extract from the witness statement from **Sir John Manzoni**, permanent secretary at the Cabinet Office at the time. Manzoni said he was concerned that “indirect pressure was being placed on the MHRA to approve the supplier’s design at the stage of selecting suppliers to progess to the ventilator challenge”. Manzoni had to intervene “to protect the integrity of the process”, he said.



### Starmer to host second, virtual 'coalition of willing' meeting for countries willing to protect Ukraine

Keir Starmer is to host another summit of countries willing to contribute to Ukraine’s defence in the event of a peace deal, No 10 has said.

The PM’s spokesperson said that the next “coalition of the willing” meeting would take place virtually, probably on Saturday. It will build on what was discussed at the in-person meeting Starmer chaired .

Around 20 countries are taking part, No 10 said, mostly from Europe and the Commonwealth.

And tomorrow Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the chief of the defence staff, will also attend a meeting in Paris with fellow military leaders about the proposal.

Starmer and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, have been leading efforts to ensure that, in the event of Ukraine and Russia agreeing a ceasefire, a Europe-led force could be dispatched to Ukraine to help protect it from further Russian aggression. But Starmer says such a force would also need US backup support.

### Russia expels British diplomat, and spouse of another, over what No 10 says are 'baseless' spying claims

Vladimir Putin’s Russia has expelled one British diplomat and the spouse of another, accusing them of spying, PA Media reports. PA says:

> The pair were accused of engaging in intelligence activity under cover of the embassy in Moscow.
> 
> They have been ordered to leave the country within two weeks, the Russian news agency Tass said, citing the country’s FSB security agency.
> 
> “The Federal Security Service’s counter-intelligence operations exposed the unreported intelligence presence of the United Kingdom under the cover of the country’s embassy in Moscow,” an **FSB** statement cited by Tass reads.
> 
> It is the latest in a series of tit-for-tat expulsions involving the UK’s embassy in Moscow and the Russian mission in London.

**Sharma** also showed the inquiry an extract from the witness statement from **Rhys Williams**, describing Gove’s attitude in this matter as “unreasonable”.



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