David Lammy is in the US to meet with his American counterpart Mark Rubio. He is on Friday scheduled to meet with his French, German and EU counterparts in a summit with Iranian representatives in Switzerland. Kim Leadbeater is giving a news conference on assisted dying..
Thursday 19 June 2025 09:02, UK
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Tomorrow, the assisted dying bill returns to the House of Commons.
The bill’s proposer, Kim Leadbeater, is giving a news conference on the legislation.
Follow along at the top of the page.
Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel spoke to ITV earlier this morning.
She was asked for her party’s stance on potential UK action being taken against Iran.
Patel said: “While we want peace in the region, we’re crystal clear that Iran should not be able to obtain nuclear weapons.
“And if the government judges that such action is necessary to avoid that then we would absolutely support the government if it deemed it necessary to ensure that we can defend our country, our citizens and effectively a lot of our strategic equities in the Middle East region.”
The shadow minister said the opposition could hold the government to account – even without a vote in parliament.
She also called on the government to step up its evacuation of British people from Israel.
Sky News deputy political editor Sam Coates has, as ever, given his insight on the day’s news in this morning’s episode of Politics at Sam and Anne’s.
He highlighted just how important it is that Foreign Secretary David Lammy is meeting both the Americans and the Iranians in the next two days.
“That is just a really important moment tomorrow,” he says of the meeting with Iran and European allies in Geneva on Friday.
“And David Lammy at the helm of these discussions directly with Iran, having flown directly from the US means that he is an utterly pivotal figure in what’s going to happen in the next 48 hours.
“I suppose the fact that that meeting tomorrow is taking place means the whole world is being given some breathing space because surely nothing will now happen before that meeting has concluded.
“And the consequences of that meeting have been digested. So we’ve got 24, 36 hours for everyone to draw breath, plan and debate what happens next.”
Listen to the full episode at the top of the page, or tap here to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.
Energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh was asked by Wilf Frost if MPs would get a vote on any potential military action against Iran if it were to take place.
Fahnbulleh says she can’t comment on operational matters.
She adds that “candidly”, such decisions are above her pay grade.
The MP adds: “That is for the prime minister.”
She adds that the prime minister and foreign secretary are “monitoring the situation and calibrating our response”.
Legal advice won’t be disclosed
Sky News US correspondent Mark Stone earlier reported that the UK’s attorney general, Richard Hermer, had concerns over the Israel-Iran conflict.
Fahnbulleh says that legal advice provided to the prime minister is “not something we… disclose publicly”.
She adds that the priority of the government is to “keep a cool, calm head” and try to de-escalate the situation.
Asked about the possibility of UK bases in Cyprus or the Indian Ocean assisting potential US strikes on Iran, the minister says Starmer is in regular contact with Donald Trump and the US.
She says again that “candidly”, she is not across such details.
Fanhbulleh adds that no minister would comment on operational matters as it is “far too important” and “far too sensitive” for them to do so.
Miatta Fahnbulleh, the energy minister, is speaking to Sky News this morning.
The first question is what way she will be voting on tomorrow’s assisted dying legislation.
Fahnbulleh says she will be voting in favour of the bill.
She says it has been a “really hard” decision – adding that the process has “brought the best out in parliament” with MPs engaging “in the spirit” of the legislation.
The minister says it is a matter for each MP to make on conscience.
From her perspective, she says it is “right” that people are “able to choose” how they die.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy looks set to travel more than 7,000 miles in 48 hours as the UK engages in whirlwind diplomacy as tensions in the Middle East continue to ratchet up.
Last night, he flew from London to Washington DC to meet with the United States secretary of state Marco Rubio – the American equivalent of the foreign secretary.
According to Rubio’s published itinerary, this will be taking place at 2pm local time today – 7pm UK time – and unusually will be at the White House.
There is no press access.
Lammy only arrived in the US just before 4am UK time, having left from the UK at around 7pm.
Meeting with the Iranians
Yesterday, it was reported that the E3 countries will be meeting with Iranian representatives in Geneva on Friday.
This includes Germany, France and the UK, with the group set up to engage in nuclear negotiations with Iran.
Sky News now understands Lammy will be attending this meeting as well – meaning he will have to return across the Atlantic on his government plane.
It seems that the European Union might also be involved in the talks.
Reuters reports – via German diplomatic sources – that the talks are taking place in coordination with the US.
The agency adds that they want assurances that Iran’s nuclear programme will only be used for civilian purposes.
By Adele Robinson, news correspondent
A damning report into the faulty Post Office IT system that preceded Horizon has been unearthed after nearly 30 years – and it could help overturn criminal convictions.
The document, known about by the Post Office in 1998, is described as “hugely significant” and a “fundamental piece of evidence” and was found in a garage by a retired computer expert.
Capture was a piece of accounting software, likely to have caused errors, used in more than 2,000 branches between 1992 and 1999.
It came before the infamous faulty Horizon software scandal, which saw hundreds of sub postmasters wrongfully convicted between 1999 and 2015.
The “lost long” Capture documents were discovered in a garage by a retired computer expert who came forward after a Sky News report into the case of Patricia Owen, a convicted sub postmistress who used the software.
Adrian Montagu was supposed to be a key witness for Pat’s defence at her trial in 1998 but her family always believed he had never turned up, despite his computer “just sitting there” in court.
Mr Montagu, however, insists he did attend.
Liam Byrne, the Labour MP and chair of the business and trade committee, will be speaking to Sky News after 8am.
By Ashish Joshi, health correspondent
On Friday, the social fabric of England and Wales might be changed forever.
MPs are set to vote on the assisted dying bill and supporters are confident that they have the numbers to win.
But the hugely controversial legislation polarises opinion. Communities remain divided, and medical colleagues can’t agree.
Three royal colleges have withdrawn support for the bill in its current form. They want more time to be given for further scrutiny of the legislation.
Frank Sutton does not have time. When we went to Frank’s home in East Dulwich, London, last November to watch the vote unfold she already had terminal liver disease and cancer.
As the vote was passed with a majority of 55, Frank broke down in tears and said: “Finally, I can die in peace.”
Frank is unlikely to live long enough to see assisted dying introduced in England and Wales. If the legislation passes, it will be introduced in four years.
By Mark Stone, US correspondent
The UK government’s top legal adviser has raised questions over whether Israel’s actions in Iran are lawful, according to a source familiar with discussions inside the government.
The source suggested to Sky News that Attorney General Richard Hermer’s thinking, which has not been published, complicates the UK’s potential involvement in the Iran-Israel conflict.
If the attorney general deems Israel’s actions in Iran to be unlawful then the UK is restricted in its ability to help to defend Israel or support the United States in any planned attacks on Iran.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the source said that the attorney general’s concerns limit UK involvement in the conflict “unless our personnel are targeted”.
US President Donald Trump is currently weighing up his options for Iran and has repeatedly suggested the US could get involved militarily.
The Attorney General’s Office has told Sky News: “By long standing convention, reflected in the ministerial code, whether the law officers have been asked to provide legal advice and the content of any advice is not routinely disclosed.
“The convention provides the fullest guarantee that government business will be conducted at all times in light of thorough and candid legal advice.”
Welcome back to the Politics Hub.
All eyes are on the Middle East as the conflict between Israel and Iran continues to unfold.
It is still not clear whether Donald Trump will wade into the conflict. Reports in American media suggest he may give the greenlight for a strike on the weekend.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy hotfooted it to Washington last night for meetings with the US government.
He is set to meet with his counterpart, US secretary of state Marco Rubio.
And he will then head to Switzerland for talks with Germany, France, the EU and Iran on Friday.
It comes after Sir Keir Starmer yesterday held a COBRA meeting on his return from the G7 summit in Canada.
On the domestic front, we’re edging closer to tomorrow’s key debate on assisted dying.
The legislation is back in the Commons on Friday.
Due to the bill being proposed through an unconventional route, there is limited time for debate which has upset some MPs.
The government last night declined to give politicians extra time to discuss it.
Speaking to Sky News this morning just after 7am will be energy minister Miatta Fahnbulleh.
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