#uk-politics

#uk-politics

Sir Gavin Williamson has announced that his pet tarantula, who once lived on his desk in the Houses of Parliament and Ministry of Defence, has died. The Conservative MP shared a series of photographs of him with his "trusty companion" set to Angels by Robbie Williams on social media to reveal the death. Cronus, who had been with the former defence secretary since he was a hatchling, achieved internet fame after reports about his life alongside his owner in Westminster emerged in 2016.

There is more that we can do, and I can announce today that we are giving our hauliers a 12-month vehicle tax holiday, helping to keep prices down, and we are backing drivers by extending the freeze in fuel duty for the rest of the year. This is possible because of the decisions taken by the chancellor, making us the fastest-growing economy in the G7. She will set out further action tomorrow.

The rival marches - the Unite the Kingdom rally organised by far-right activist Tommy Robinson, and a pro-Palestinian Nakba 78 rally - went ahead relatively peaceably, with 4,000 police officers on duty in an unprecedented policing operation preventing clashes between the rival protests. But 43 people were still arrested in the policing operation, with 20 of those detained affiliated with the Unite the Kingdom protest, and 12 with the Nakba protest. Eight further arrests were not affilliated with either rally, or it hasn't been possible to confirm an affiliation, the Met said.

The Ukrainian flag has been removed from outside Essex County Council's offices by the newly elected Reform UK administration. A second Union flag was instead put up in its place outside County Hall in Chelmsford on Friday. Council leader Peter Harris said it was a "proud moment", but in response, Tory opposition boss Lee Scott warned it could encourage "pro-Kremlin politics" locally. The Ukraine flag had flown outside the building since March 2022, weeks after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country.