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Sir Keir Starmer has called footage of a Labour MP punching someone "shocking" - but declined to say if he should resign.In a video from the weekend Mike Amesbury, the MP for Runcorn and Helsby, was seen punching a man, who fell to the floor, before then hitting him repeatedly. After the footage came to light, the Labour Party said it had administratively suspended his membership "pending an investigation".Follow live: PM teases budget announcement to help people back into work…

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been sacked after a string of bad results.The Dutchman, 54, was informed on Monday morning after two and a half years in charge. The team lost 2-1 away at the weekend against West Ham. A statement from the club said: "We are grateful to Erik for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future."Ruud van Nistelrooy, the former Dutch striker who was assistant manager, will…

Far-right activist Tommy Robinson has admitted contempt of court after he repeated false allegations about a Syrian refugee schoolboy in breach of an injunction.The 41-year-old, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, admitted at Woolwich Crown Court to breaching an injunction made after he was successfully sued for libel in 2021. Those who commit contempt of court can be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both.A High Court order in 2021 had barred him from repeating libellous allegations against…

The fertility rate in England and Wales has fallen to the lowest level since records began, according to government data.The average total fertility rate (TFR) - the average number of children born to a woman over her lifetime - was 1.44 children per woman in 2023. It is the lowest value since records began in 1938, new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show.Some 591,072 live births were recorded - the lowest number since 1977.Figures for 2022 showed…

Police searching for a woman missing for almost a week have discovered a body.Joanne Jones, 49, had been missing from her home in Pontypridd since Monday.Her body was discovered on Saturday evening and she has now been formally identified.Ms Jones's next of kin and the coroner have been informed, South Wales Police said.Extensive searches were carried out, involving multiple agencies. CCTV images were also shared as part of an appeal to find Ms Jones, who was last seen wearing a…

Former chancellor Jeremy Hunt has accused the independent fiscal watchdog of "political impartiality" ahead of its review that could be critical of the Conservative government. The previous government has been accused by Rachel Reeves, the current chancellor, of leaving a £22bn financial "black hole" between income and promised spending in the public finances. Ms Reeves said she only became aware of it upon entering government as information was withheld by the Tory government from the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)…