Politics latest: Commons backs proposal to ban first cousin marriage - but MP speaks out against it (2025)

By Alix Culbertson, political reporter

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has warned she will take "further action" if the creative industry fails to get a grip on scandals like the Gregg Wallace allegations.

She is answering questions from MPs at the culture, media and sport committee in parliament.

Ms Nandy spoke about her concern for the high numbers of freelancers in the creative industries, which she says creates an "enormous power imbalance" between bosses and their employees.

She said she has spoken to the BBC over the past few weeks about the Gregg Wallace allegations.

'Too much is swept under the rug'

He is facing claims of inappropriate behaviour from more than a dozen people across a range of shows over a 17-year period. His lawyers have previously strongly denied "he engages in behaviour of a sexually harassing nature", according to BBC News.

Ms Nandy said: "I am clear we're seeing too many of these, a culture of silence and issues swept under the rug."

She said she is meeting the new creative industry body CIISA tomorrow and warned: "They think, and I instinctively think, the industry should grip this but if they don't, I will be prepared to take further action."

Ms Nandy also said she was "quite astonished" when she saw the list of organisations supporting CIISA, which is aimed at improving standards of behaviour and preventing bullying, as Banijay UK, the production company that makes MasterChef, was not on it.

"I take quite a dim view of executives who don't take this seriously," she said.

And she said she was also surprised the head of the BBC did not know about CIISA, despite the corporation being signed up to it.

A proposal to ban people from marrying their first cousin has moved one step closer to potentially becoming law.

MPs have voted to give the Marriage (Prohibited Degrees of Relationship) Bill a second reading in the new year.

It was put forward by former Tory minister Richard Holden, who said most people "already think it's illegal and then are surprised when you mention it isn't".

At the moment, it is only illegal to marry a sibling, parent, or child, but he says first cousin marriage leads to higher rates of birth defects.

Independent MP Iqbal Mohamed spoke out against the proposal in the Commons today.

First cousin marriage 'very positive' in other places

The member for Dewsbury and Batley, who beat Labour at the general election after running on a pro-Palestine ticket, acknowledged the "documented health risks with first cousin marriage", but said the state shouldn't have the power to "ban adults from marrying each other".

He said the matter should instead be "approached as a health awareness issue" regarding children born from such relationships, and also as a "cultural issue" where women are forced to marry against their will.

But he said first cousin marriage was "widespread" in places like the Middle East, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, because it's seen as "something that is very positive".

"It is important to recognise for many people this is a highly sensitive issue and in discussing it we should try to step into the shoes of those who perhaps are not from the same culture as ours," he added.

Every government seems to place the civil service in its crosshairs at some point, and now it's Labour's turn.

Sir Keir Starmer and his ministers have said it needs to reform, chiefly becoming more efficient to help deliver the change they want to achieve.

But what exactly is the civil service, and what role does it have in delivering the government's agenda?

What is the civil service?

Unlike departments like the Home Office or the Foreign Office, the civil service stands independent of government.

It's also politically impartial, so it doesn't change when a different party becomes the party of government.

Free of the uncertainty and drama that Westminster often provides, it means the service can crack on with essential day-to-day tasks like paying pensions, issuing passports and driving licences, and running the nation's prisons.

What do civil servants do?

There are more than 500,000 civil servants, spread across each government department.

There are a bunch of different roles, but some of the most important involve analysing policy options to help ministers make informed decisions about what they want to do.

They're all overseen by the cabinet secretary, who is appointed by the prime minister.

Unlike, for example, the foreign secretary, who could end up in that role without any relevant experience (MPs can be just about anyone, after all), civil service recruitment is a more like you'd expect in the private sector.

Regardless of the department, you'll find roles like economist, project manager and HR.

According to the Institute for Government, most work in "operational delivery", which covers public-facing services like pensions and tax.

Most of these jobs are in a relatively small number of very large departments like the Home Office and HMRC.

Why all this talk of reform?

Cynics might suggest ministers who struggle to deliver will look for a scapegoat and find one in the civil service, which becomes a byword for the bureaucracy politicians often blame for their failures.

We've seen it in the US recently with Donald Trump and his team, with Elon Musk championing the idea of cutting tens of thousands of government jobs that he thinks just get in the way of delivery.

Nigel Farage is a big believer in doing the same sort of thing here, and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has previously accused civil servants of "undermining" ministers and "leaking official secrets".

Such rhetoric doesn't do much for civil service morale, it's fair to say, and there have been reports of growing tensions between ministers and civil servants who are meant to give them independent advice.

But there have been genuine concerns expressed by the likes of the Institute for Government, which says the civil service suffers from "damaging levels of staff turnover" and doesn't do enough to allow challenge and scrutiny from outside Whitehall.

Essentially, it's become a bit of an echo chamber.

Sir Keir Starmer was criticised last week for saying "too many people in Whitehall are comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline".

That was in reference to civil servants, and the boss of one of their unions described the comments as "astonishing" and "really damaging".

Today, the PM has doubled down on his comments in a letter to all civil servants, saying, although he recognises how "fortunate this country is to have a civil service that is admired across the world", change is needed.

Despite their "dedication and professionalism", he said there are "needless bureaucratic impediments, silos, processes about processes" that get in the way of delivery of policy.

PM vows to provide 'clear direction'

Sir Keir went on to say they need to be "bold in pressing through reform and delivering government in a better way", which could require "determined and decisive action".

In return for their efforts, the PM pledged his government will provide "clear direction" and "put an end to the chopping and changing of political priorities".

To implement this new culture, he encouraged civil servants to "feel emboldened to challenge" things like "outdated processes, room for improvement, sluggishness, or wrongheadedness".

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is looking to make "efficiency savings" of 5% from government department spending - and in that spirit, this bulletin will aim to be around 5% shorter than usual.

Here are the main things you need to know:

• Ministers are being told to stop non-priority spending - i.e., anything that doesn't contribute to achieving the government's core missions;
• Rachel Reeves has vowed to wield an "iron fist against waste", and will be "totally rewiring the way the government spends money".

• It will all become clear in June, so some way to go, but expect this to mean tough decisions for ministers in departments like justice, while health and police budgets are prioritised;
• Our deputy political editor Sam Coates says "things are very, very tight".

• Elsewhere, the prime minister is in Cyprus to meet British troops and the country's president;
• And the home secretary is hosting her European counterparts to discuss tackling small boat crossings.

That's all for now - stay with us for more updates and analysis through the afternoon.

Rachel Reeves has started the countdown to her first spending review as chancellor, due in June, when she'll set out how much cash each government department has to play with in the years ahead.

After a budget of big borrowing, tax rises, and spending commitments, she's now vowing to wield "an iron fist against waste" and demanding ministers stop spending money on things that don't contribute to Labour's priorities like cutting NHS waiting lists and hiring more police.

What's the difference to a budget?

Spending reviews normally happen around the time of a budget, but Reeves went without one to coincide October's big fiscal event.

Budgets tend to be a bit more short-term, focusing on immediate priorities, and Reeves was at pains to point out that she hopes her first one was a one-off in terms of its scale.

These annual events are typically where the biggest, most politically impactful, economic decisions happen - like tax rises.

Spending reviews are more about planning for multiple years ahead and are more for ministers to take notice of than the public, but they can of course crystallise for us all what the government's priorities are.

What should we expect?

Based on the government's priorities as outlined by the prime minister, expect this spending review to prioritise departments like health, while the likes of justice may suffer.

It will also likely prove crucial to how the government looks to boost defence spending to 2.5% of GDP.

Anything else not related to the PM's milestones is probably in for a tough time, and our deputy political editor Sam Coates says things are looking "very, very tight".

Today will see letters from the chief secretary to the Treasury arrive "with a thud" on the desks of cabinet ministers across Whitehall, as Rachel Reeves begins counting down to her spending review.

Speaking on Sky'sPolitics At Jack And Sam's podcast, ourdeputy political editor Sam Coatessays between now and that review in June, Reeves and her team will be "combing through their books" to work out how much money to give to each department.

It'll be the first one under Reeves, and - like her budget - will arrive a little later than expected.

'Things are very, very tight'

Sam says departments will "need to justify every single line of spending, right down to individual projects costing millions".

It's a reminder that the Treasury "maintains a near unparalleled grip on the political process", to an extent not seen in any other Western democracy like Britain.

Be in no doubt, Rachel Reeves "is the most powerful figure in government" and all her cabinet colleagues "have to kneel before her, present their plans, and be told 'yes' or more likely 'no'.

"Because in this spending review," Sam says, "things are very, very tight."

Following his speech to British troops at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, Sir Keir Starmer spoke to some personnel individually.

That includes one of the RAF personnel who was involved in shooting down Iranian drones launched at Israel back in April.

The PM then rolled up his sleeves and donned an apron to serve lunch to soldiers at the junior ranks canteen, before joining military personnel and their families for lunch.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves and her number two at the Treasury, Darren Jones, have had a tour of Maidstone Hospital and spoken to NHS staff about the spending review.

In a Q&A with NHS staff, the pair explained that the aim is to ensure taxpayers' money is well spent, and a big part of that is ensuring that the NHS runs as efficiently as possible, with the right investments in place.

Cuts are on the agenda as the chancellor launches the government's spending review, with departments told they "will be expected to find savings and efficiencies in their budgets".

Rachel Reeves has been speaking to broadcasters this morning, and asked if this is a return to austerity, which she pledged never to do, she insisted that "budgets in this parliament will increase".

But she went on: "It is absolutely vital that we get value for money for every pound of taxpayers money is spent, especially when taxes are so high, and we're asking people to pay so much.

"And that's why we're really going to be driving productivity and efficiency and cracking down on wasteful spending in public services to make sure that every pound of taxpayers' money is spent well."

She added: "I have no doubt that we can find efficiency savings within government spending of 5%, and I'm determined to do so because it's through finding those efficiency savings that we'll have the money to spend on the priorities of the British people."