Politics live: Starmer ‘determined’ to see through Chagos Islands deal despite Trump’s latest tirade

The planned deletion of a courts data archive - which was ordered by the Ministry of Justice over data protection concerns, has been paused.

Courtsdesk said it had been asked by the MoJ "to pause deletion of our archive and engage in dialogue about a new licence".

It was previously told to wipe its records after it shared address and date of birth details of defendants and victims with an artificial intelligence company.

Justice minister Sarah Sackman said details of around 700 cases were shared, and warned MPs of a potential "wild west" of firms breaching agreements.

Other businesses were expected to bid for licences to process courts data, if the deletion went ahead.

However on Tuesday, a spokesman for the MoJ told the Times it contacted Courtsdesk "with a view to potentially reestablishing their service provided they can demonstrate they will comply with our data protection requirements".

In a post on X, Courtsdesk said: "UK Gov Legal Dept has written to us on behalf of HMCTS/MOJ asking us to pause deletion of our archive and engage in dialogue about a new licence.

"We are grateful for the opportunity to resolve it and have replied to confirm retention. More soon."

The government will continue with the Chagos Islands deal, a minister has said, despite Donald Trump's latest U-turn on his previous support for the agreement.

Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones said the Bill will return to Parliament as soon as the timetable allows, although reports on Thursday suggested it could be delayed.

She told Times Radio: “We will continue to work with our allies, including the Americans, on this but first and foremost the priority must be national security and that is what this government is determined to deliver.

“Just two weeks ago they backed the deal, and this week the US backed the deal. Conversations will continue to be had with the Americans and other allies, but as I’ve said, the priority is our base and national security.”

The offence involves serious, wilful abuse or neglect of the powers and responsibilities of a public office, requiring a direct link between the misconduct and the abuse of those powers.

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is “not above the law” and should speak to the authorities in the UK and US about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The former prince is under renewed scrutiny after the latest tranche of released materials from the so-called Epstein files shed further light on his relationship to the late paedophile.

The prime minister became the latest high profile figure to pile more pressure onto Andrew on Thursday, as he joined calls for him to officially testify about his links.

Politics reporter Athena Stavrou has more:

Rachel Reeves has to signalled that Labour will push further and harder on reversing the worst aspects of Brexit, claiming that closer integration with the EU is the “big prize”.

The chancellor, who was part of the campaign for a second referendum to stop Brexit, told an audience at the LSE on Wednesday that the UK needs to be more closely integrated with one of the bigger blocs in a turbulent world.

Read more here:

Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:

Karen Ward, the managing director at JPMorgan Asset Management, warned the UK economy cannot afford another year of speculation around taxes rising.

She told an event in London: “If we go through yet another year where we are speculating on which taxes are going to go up through the course of the year, we're going to have another year of economically debilitating paralysis”.

Political editor David Maddox was in the Oval Office when Trump gave his blessing for the Chagos deal, but now the US president has changed his mind as the row over Greenland spirals out of control.

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Police have arrived at the home of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor on the Sandringham Estate.

Pictures circulating online appear to show unmarked police cars attending Wood Farm in Norfolk on Thursday, with plain-clothed officers appearing to gather outside the property.

Thames Valley Police previously said the force is reviewing allegations that a woman was trafficked to the UK by Jeffrey Epstein to have a sexual encounter with Andrew, and claims he shared sensitive information with the paedophile while serving as the UK's trade envoy.

Norfolk Constabulary has been contacted for comment.

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Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:

James Smith, the chief economist at the Resolution Foundation, said that recent statistics have pointed to a “much sharper fall” in net migration than forecasted.

He told an event in London looking ahead to Rachel Reeves spring statement at the start of next month that the fall will add around £3bn to borrowing.

The interim first minister of the Chagos Islands has made a plea to the British government over its deal on the sovereignty of the islands, saying "don't give my island away to Mauritius".

Chagossian Misley Mandarin said he has got "a right to be on those islands".

He told Nick Ferrari on LBC that he was given a letter of eviction on Wednesday, but stressed he is prepared to stay on the islands "forever".

"The first thing what we want, as a British Overseas Territory citizen... stop that deal," he said.

"Don't give my island away to Mauritius."

Mr Mandarin was elected as the interim first minister in an independent poll of more than 1,000 Chagossians in December.

He added: "My message of British government, and especially to prime minister Keir Starmer: Think again. The US just said by President Trump: The deal is no good.

"They have to stop that treaty and bring British Chagossians back on British territory, soon as possible."