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The government sanctioning Israel's finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over their comments and conduct during the war in Gaza has been a long time coming.

Last October, former foreign secretary David Cameron told Sky News he'd planned to sanction them while in government but "ran out of time" when the surprise election was called.

'Abhorrent'

Cameron, who returned to frontline politics under Rishi Sunak, said Smotrich and Ben-Gvir had made "abhorrent" comments.

Smotrich has suggested it might be "just and moral" to withhold food aid from Gaza. Ben-Gvir has backed the expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.

Lord Cameron said: "I was looking at the things we could do to say to the Israelis we back your right to self-defence� but at the same time, we do want you to try and obey� humanitarian law.

"And these two ministers are people who have tried, they've encouraged you, to stop aid getting into Gaza and encouraged the extreme settlers in the West Bank to carry out illegal acts.

"So it seemed to me it was worth looking at whether we could sanction these two individual ministers."

The Speaker has just said there will be a statement in parliament later about the situation in the Middle East.

It comes after the Israeli foreign minister said two government ministers had been sanctioned by the UK.

PA news agency reports they are Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

It comes after Keir Starmer told our political editor Beth Rigby earlier the government was considering sanctions over the war in Gaza.

The prime minister said: "My strong belief is when we make a move, if we're able to do that in the company of other countries, that's a stronger move than doing it on our own.

"So that's the basic approach that we're taking. But we are working on what more we could do in the pretty short term now."

The UK's decision to sanction two Israeli government ministers is "significant", says our international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn.

Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, he says, have a history "littered with controversial comments and allegedly racist anti-Arab rhetoric".

It's a break from how the US has been dealing with Israel over the war in Gaza, Dominic says, and "highlights the growing ostracisation of Israel" amid allegations of genocide and war crimes - something it should be stressed the UK government has not levied at its traditional ally.

Who are the two ministers?

Ben-Gvir is the security minister. 

Dominic describes him as a "notorious far right extremist, regarded as a Jewish terrorist by some and an anti-Arab racist".

Smotrich is the finance minister, also on the far right.

Dominic notes his remarks about Gaza have been particularly controversial. He's talked about Gaza "not being allowed a grain of wheat", and "being entirely destroyed", with people forced to move out.

Two Israeli ministers have been sanctioned by the UK government, the country's foreign affairs minister has said.

Gideon Sa'ar just gave a statement in which he condemned the "outrageous" decision - but didn't name them.

PA news agency reports they are Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

Sa'ar said he had discussed the move with Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli's prime minister, earlier today.

"We will hold a special government meeting early next week to decide on our response to this unacceptable decision," he added.

What would happen if Russia attacked the UK? 

Released today, The Wargame podcast pits a fictional British government against an imagined Kremlin. 

To coincide with the launch we're holding a Q&A with the Wargame team, which you can check out below:

The UK is one step closer to a new nuclear power plant after the government announced a further £14.2bn in funding.

Sizewell C, near the town of Leiston on the Suffolk coast, is due to be up and running by the mid-2030s.

What is Sizewell C?

The new site will house two nuclear reactors - generating up to 3.2 gigawatts of electricity, which is enough to power six million homes.

The government says it could meet 7% of the country's total energy needs for up to 60 years.

It was initially proposed by the French energy company EDF and China's General Nuclear Power Group, but the previous government bought the Chinese company out of its 20% stake in 2022.

Together, the UK government and EDF now own 83.5% of the site.

Where is it, and what's it costing?

It is located near Sizewell beach. It's next to Sizewell A, a decommissioned nuclear site that opened in 1967, and Sizewell B, still running and the last nuclear site to open in the UK in 1995.

Previous funding announcements mean the state has now invested £17.8bn, with a final funding model due to be released this summer after private investors are secured to bridge the gap to the total £20bn cost.

Taxpayer money is expected to contribute £700m.

How long has it been in the making?

The project dates back to 2008, when then Labour prime minister Gordon Brown declared the UK needed to boost its nuclear capacity from four sites at Heysham, Hartlepool, Torness, and Sizewell B.

In 2010, the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition earmarked Sizewell as a potential new site.

EDF began consulting with locals in the area in 2012, finally submitted its development consent order in May 2020, and had it granted in 2022 despite environmental concerns.

Construction by EDF is due to start in the next year - and is set to take between nine and 12 years.

Why are people against it?

Two campaign groups - Together Against Sizewell C and Stop Sizewell C - have spearheaded efforts to block the site.

They cite potential damage to wildlife habitats, nature reserves, and local water supplies, and budgetary concerns.

More generally, nuclear power is very controversial.

While it does not produce carbon emissions like traditional fossil fuels, any nuclear activity is exceedingly high-risk.

High-profile nuclear accidents, although incredibly rare, have leaked deadly radiation into the atmosphere, killing people and likely poisoning others for generations to come.

What are the arguments for it?

The government wants to use nuclear energy to help meet its target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The Ukraine war compromised global gas and oil supplies, much of which came from Russia, sending prices rocketing.

Some countries, like France, where EDF is based, already rely heavily on nuclear power.

Sizewell C will also create 10,000 new jobs and 1,500 apprenticeships, boosting the local and UK economy.

Around £330m has been tendered to local companies in contracts, with 70% of all those commissioned going to 3,500 British suppliers.

Sir Keir Starmer was also asked by our political editor Beth Rigby about Israel and the situation in Gaza.

The prime minister has spent weeks describing the situation as "intolerable" but was asked what the government is actually doing to change the situation there. 

He repeated his desire to see the remaining hostages freed, an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid into Gaza "in volume and at speed".

PM wants backing of allies

Addressing the question directly, Starmer said the government has been "talking to other partners about what more we could do, including the question of sanctions".

He added: "My strong belief is when we make a move, if we're able to do that in the company of other countries, that's a stronger move than doing it on our own.

"So that's the basic approach that we're taking. But we are working on what more we could do in the pretty short term now."

The prime minister has been asked to be "honest" over why the government has changed its policy on winter fuel payments.

Our political editor Beth Rigby put to him that the U-turn was not actually because of an improving economy, but because poor local election results made him realise "it was really unpopular".

"You realised it was really unpopular, and you listened to voters. That is the truth, isn't it?"

It's a similar point Sophy Ridge put to the Treasury minister last night:

PM defends initial cuts�

Sir Keir Starmer told Beth "of course we listened to voters".

He went on: "Did we make the right decision in the first place? I believe we did because we needed to stabilise the economy.

"I wanted to look to see whether we could have more pensioners eligible for this winter. I announced that some weeks ago. 

"Now we've been able to go further and say where the threshold will be to make sure that those payments are made."

…and denies taxes will have to go up

Asked if he will have to raise taxes again to pay for this reversal, Starmer said that is not his plan. 

He explained: "Every time we have a fiscal event, whether it's a spring statement or a budget, everybody understandably challenges me, saying you're going to put tax up. 

"We didn't do in the spring statement. I don't think the first lever that the government should go to is the tax lever."

Away from the speeches by the chancellor and the PM, Nigel Farage has also been speaking.

The Reform UK leader has been unveiling the party's new chairman after Zia Yusuf walked out last Thursday over a row about banning the burka, only to rejoin the party two days later in a different role. 

It's now been revealed that Dr David Bull will be the new chairman of Reform, who Yusuf said will do "an incredible job".

New chair will 'give leadership'

Reform also announced the role of chairman has now been re-imagined, after Yusuf was said to have left due to "exhaustion".

Farage explained: "David's job is not to get involved in the admin, is not to get involved with the tech.  

"It's to give leadership, and above all, it's to give leadership to that volunteer army out there, of people, of 450 branches. They're going to be seeing an awful lot of Dr David Bull over the coming years."

'Can we do it? Yes, we can'

Bull said he was "delighted" to take up the role and called Reform the "fastest growing political party this country has ever seen".

Bull previously was a member of the Brexit Party, and claimed Reform was founded in his kitchen, serving as deputy leader while Richard Tice was in charge.

He pledged Reform will "become the governing the party of the UK", will make Farage PM, and ended his speech by quoting Bob the Builder.

"Can we do it? Yes, we can," he said.

Sir Keir Starmer has just been welcomed to the college in Suffolk by engineering students Maliki and Leo.

The PM begins by praising the pair and thanking staff for giving him a tour of the school. 

Starmer links the college to Sizewell C nuclear power station and how the site is already beginning to recruit engineers to work there. 

He says: "For them, for all of you, this is a really big day because this is about good well-paid, secure jobs, skilled jobs, across a range of topics as we go down this road in relation to Sizewell."

'Good, well-paid jobs'

The prime minister then explains that the first nuclear power plant was built in the UK in 1956, and that in the following 11 years, another 20 reactors were built. 

"And then it all dropped off," he says. 

"And the ambition went, and government's dithered and delayed. The last reactor was in 1995 - 30 years ago."

Starmer says it's not just about Sizewell C, but about "creating good, well-paid jobs" more widely, while investing in nuclear power.

The PM is asked what his advice is to young people currently studying or carrying out apprenticeships.

He responds: "Don't think anything is not for you."