Tories dismiss Home Office report suggesting good weather partly to blame for rise in small boat arrivals – UK politics live

<p>Chris Philp says Labour thinks ‘praying for bad weather is a good border strategy’ and claims government should not have cancelled Rwanda scheme</p><p></p><p>Defence sources believe that Britain will be forced to sign up to a target of lifting defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035 at this month’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/nato">Nato</a> summit after a campaign by the alliance’s secretary general to keep <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/donaldtrump">Donald Trump</a> onboard, <strong>Dan Sabbagh</strong> reports.</p><p>Later today the data (use and access) bill will return to the Commons from the Lords in the third round of “ping pong” between the two houses. It is not unusual for “ping pong” to go on for a round or two, as bills which are almost ready for royal assent shuttle between the elected and unelected chamber while they try to resolve matters of dispute. But, in this case, the Lords are digging in a bit more than usual.</p><p>The government has been accused of “supporting thieves”, as it suffered a further heavy defeat at the hands of peers pressing their demand for steps to safeguard the creative industries against artificial intelligence.</p><p>The fourth and latest setback for the Labour frontbench over the issue in the House of <em>Lords</em> was inflicted despite pleas by a minister for the upper chamber to end its prolonged stand-off over the data (use and access) bill.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2025/jun/03/kemi-badenoch-keir-starmer-john-healey-blasphemy-free-speech-culture-wars-spending-uk-politics-live">Continue reading...</a>