Worklessness due to long-term sickness has risen seven-fold in parts of the country since Covid, according to startling figures laying bare the crisis Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to tackle. The Government estimates that around 2.8million people are currently off work with a continuing illness. This is up by around 700,000 on before the pandemic. Dire forecasts warn this could exceed 4million by 2030, with much of the explosion down to an increase in benefits for mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Labour’s big ‘back to work’ threat to strip unwilling teens of their benefits if they don’t try to get a job or train is just a continuation of the current system, a senior minister admitted today. Alison McGovern was grilled over the drive to ‘get Britain working again’ and achieve an ‘ambitious’ target of getting another 2 million people into jobs. As well as targeting the long-term sick, ministers have also vowed that those aged 18 to 21 who are out of work but refuse to look for a job, seek training or an apprenticeship, will get no taxpayer cash.

A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah could see the terrorist organisation leave southern Lebanon and the IDF withdraw its troops. The deal, which reportedly has the support of Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, could see the nearly two-month military incursion to come to an end. A source within the government told the Daily Telegraph that the Israeli cabinet will vote on the proposals drawn up by the United States today.

I’m A Celebrity fans discovered last night that Tulisa and Reverend Richard Coles were exempt from height trials, with the N-Dubz singer accidentally revealing hers was on ‘medical grounds’. Before the voting opened for tonight’s Bushtucker trial, the show’s longtime hosts Ant and Dec announced Tulisa, 36, and Reverend Coles, 62, would be exempt from the trial with no further explanation. Fans were left speculating as to why even when the Geordie duo told the camp Dean McCullough, 32, was going to face a trial yet again.

Brits are to get a new bank holiday next year to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War – with a bumper four-day weekend planned. The major celebration will be marking the heroics of the ‘Greatest Generation’ who fought against Hitler and the Nazis in Europe and Africa, and Imperial Japan in Asia. And as part of a big year of events, a four-day jamboree will reportedly be staged either in May or August.

Gavin Newsom is plotting to defy Donald Trump while stiffing key MAGA ally Elon Musk, as California plans an electric vehicle rebate program that intentionally leaves out Tesla. The California governor is planning to introduce a state tax rebate on purchasing electric cars if the Trump administration eliminates the federal tax cut. Newsom even bragged that his policies have made Tesla and Musk ‘so damn successful.’