{"id":11575,"date":"2026-01-12T10:34:36","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T10:34:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=11575"},"modified":"2026-01-12T10:34:36","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T10:34:36","slug":"tech-secretary-to-make-statement-over-xs-sexualised-ai-images-uk-politics-live-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=11575","title":{"rendered":"Tech secretary to make statement over X\u2019s sexualised AI images \u2013 UK politics live | Politics"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"liveblog-body\"><span class=\"dcr-90inr0\"><gu-island name=\"KeyEventsCarousel\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;keyEvents&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;6964c3ee8f0816b5c3d0a0f2&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, is holding another press conference today. Last week he held one that was largely devoted to the crime late in London, which he depicted as a ghastly hellhole where &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/jan\/07\/pmqs-live-uk-politics-latest-news-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-nigel-farage?page=with%3Ablock-695e31768f082f208bb5a5cd#block-695e31768f082f208bb5a5cd\\&quot;&gt;it wasn\u2019t safe to walk the streets&lt;\/a&gt;. He and Laila Cunningham, his candidate for mayor in London, claimed the capital used to be safer in the past.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;33534b60-8f8e-4eef-b4d4-1122736a154b&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Today &lt;strong&gt;Sadiq Khan&lt;\/strong&gt;, the &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/labour\\&quot; data-component=\\&quot;auto-linked-tag\\&quot;&gt;Labour&lt;\/a&gt; mayor of London, is highlighting postive crime figures for London. As &lt;strong&gt;Vikram Dodd&lt;\/strong&gt; reports, the murder rate is at its lowest level for a decade.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;bb795df5-1670-41ef-b3c4-43797e8b3e64&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;London\u2019s homicide rate drops to lowest in more than a decade&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;3476d39c-2def-4dd2-b4db-91647ab67a7c&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;thumbnail&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2026\/jan\/12\/london-homicide-rate-drops-to-lowest-in-more-than-a-decade&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Khan&lt;\/strong&gt; has written about this in an article for the Guardian. He says:&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;8453d266-405b-4820-8cfb-5efd8e61fc79&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;blockquote class=\\&quot;quoted\\&quot;&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;London\u2019s homicide rate is lower than rates in New York, Berlin, Brussels, Milan, Toronto and Paris, five times lower than the rate in LA, and almost 12 times lower than the rate in Chicago. Last year, the capital recorded the fewest number of homicides of victims aged under 25 this century. Our homicide rate for under-25s is now three times lower than it was when I set the VRU up in 2019, and hospital admissions of young people for knife assault have fallen by 43% in the same period.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;The success of our crackdown on violent crime means Londoners are safer in their homes and on our streets.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n&lt;\/blockquote&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;71c9b886-62cc-4733-b02a-3e4df8658c4e&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Sorry, Trump and Farage \u2013 London is no lawless \u2018warzone\u2019. Violent crime is lower than ever | Sadiq Khan&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;ca2ba1fc-ff97-4716-84aa-c1c55ed6787b&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;thumbnail&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2026\/jan\/12\/donald-trump-nigel-farage-london-crime-sadiq-khan&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Khan and &lt;strong&gt;Sir Mark Rowley&lt;\/strong&gt;, the Metropolitan police commissioner, have both been giving interviews this morning. Cunningham says Rowley&lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/jan\/07\/pmqs-live-uk-politics-latest-news-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-nigel-farage?page=with%3Ablock-695e3e458f08630ffdfbe686#block-695e3e458f08630ffdfbe686\\&quot;&gt; should be sacked&lt;\/a&gt;. Speaking to Times Radio, Rowley did not criticise Reform UK directly, but he said that surveys show that people who live in London feel safe. He said it was people who don\u2019t live in London who think that it isn\u2019t safe, because of the \u201crhetoric\u201d they hear, he said.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;20816043-33ff-4995-a7d9-c5a05fb89ea3&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;He went on:&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;00bbdd73-cb21-4eea-b6f9-2b2d7522d5cc&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;blockquote class=\\&quot;quoted\\&quot;&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;London is getting safer. And don\u2019t just judge it on what I say. Casualty departments are seeing far fewer people coming in with assault based injuries. The footfall in the West End in December was up on last year. And I saw some recent YouGov survey data that said well over 80% of Londoners feel safe in London.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;So this isn\u2019t just about my data, this is how people feel. These are the facts. The fact that so much public debate is now more on sort of rhetoric than it is on facts is not my responsibility.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n&lt;\/blockquote&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;f03f8f04-ec76-4b56-99a0-80a286b6c65c&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Rowley accepted that shoplifting was a problem in London. But he said shoplifting prosecutions were doubling.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;4bd1cf49-0db8-49c3-9bfb-e21727b4be53&quot;}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1768211438000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;09.50\u00a0GMT&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1768212783000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;10.13\u00a0GMT&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1768212783000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;10.13\u00a0GMT&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;10.13&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Met chief Mark Rowley dismisses Reform UK claim that London getting less safe&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Mon 12 Jan 2026 10.26 GMT&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Mon 12 Jan 2026 09.48 GMT&quot;},{&quot;id&quot;:&quot;6964ab718f087f91878dfe2e&quot;,&quot;elements&quot;:[{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Good morning. We are expecting developments this week in relation to Grok AI sexualised deepfakes scandal, which meant users of Elon Musk\u2019s X social media platform have been able to digitally undress women and children. An announcement on Friday that this service would &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2026\/jan\/09\/grok-image-generator-outcry-sexualised-ai-imagery\\&quot;&gt;only be available to paid subscribers &lt;\/a&gt;was &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/jan\/09\/labour-pubs-disability-benefits-assisted-dying-defence-spending-farage-reform-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-6960eafb8f082ca1183f40da#block-6960eafb8f082ca1183f40da\\&quot;&gt;taken by No 10&lt;\/a&gt; as evidence the platform had yet to grasp why this was so objectionable, and Liz Kendall, the tech secretary, said that Ofcom must act &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/jan\/09\/labour-pubs-disability-benefits-assisted-dying-defence-spending-farage-reform-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-6961242f8f08417d2e69d8dc#block-6961242f8f08417d2e69d8dc\\&quot;&gt;\u201cin days, not weeks\u201d&lt;\/a&gt;. That was three days ago.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;ece4e7a5-fcce-4b7b-a373-55e1e6e44b97&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Kendall is expected to make a statement on this to MPs today.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;cb696af2-5f66-4f0c-8c91-8a1ca4549586&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Peter Kyle&lt;\/strong&gt;, the business secretary, and Kendall\u2019s predecessor as business secretary, has been giving interviews this morning (mostly about other matters \u2013 more on those later) and, when asked on LBC why the government was waiting for Ofcom to take a decision, he replied:&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;a8c14a23-e34d-4bd7-b882-dc672256889a&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.BlockquoteBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;blockquote class=\\&quot;quoted\\&quot;&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;Because the law requires us to.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;The law requires Ofcom as an independent enforcer and regulator to enforce the law. Now, Ofcom has requested information from X. I believe X has given Ofcom that information and Ofcom is now expediting an inquiry into the behaviour and decisions of X when it comes to operating in the UK market.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n &lt;p&gt;Now, at these points in time, Ofcom acts as an enforcer, as an enforcement agency, and it must use those powers to the full extent of the law to keep people safe in this country.&lt;\/p&gt;\\n&lt;\/blockquote&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;545a3344-e5c9-456c-b3e5-5835b164318a&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom has sweeping powers to fine companies like &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/twitter\\&quot; data-component=\\&quot;auto-linked-tag\\&quot;&gt;X&lt;\/a&gt; for breaches of online safety rules. In extremis, it could even go to court to to have X blocked from the UK. But the main provisions of the act only came into force relatively recently and they have not been used in a big dispute with one of the global tech giants before. This is uncharted territory.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;25a54824-b45e-4ec4-b9a5-57b5444e0086&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;And it is also politically hazardous. Although Musk left his job in Donald Trump\u2019s administration last year after a row with Trump (mostly about Trump\u2019s budget plans), Musk remains a leading figure in the Maga movement, and the pair&lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/x.com\/michaelsolakie\/status\/2007844210528129476\\&quot;&gt; had dinner very recently&lt;\/a&gt;. In Magaworld, it is regarded as axiomatic that European attempts to regulate social media companies are an attack on US free speech. &lt;strong&gt;JD Vance&lt;\/strong&gt;, the vice president, told David Lammy last week that allowing an AI app to sexually undress children&lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jan\/10\/ai-generated-sexualised-images-x-jd-vance-grok\\&quot;&gt; wasn\u2019t really acceptable.&lt;\/a&gt; But a day or so later, a more junior figure in the administration, &lt;strong&gt;Sarah Rogers&lt;\/strong&gt;, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy, was&lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/x.com\/UnderSecPD\/status\/2010328211365023823\\&quot;&gt; on social media&lt;\/a&gt; attacking the UK for \u201ccontemplating a Russia-style X ban to protect them from bikini images\u201d.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;7dcbbb0d-f81a-4275-b594-f0db32b86905&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;We have more on this in our First Edition briefing.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;49e307df-fabf-4718-9a77-4338e83c2fdf&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Monday briefing: How Elon Musk\u2019s Grok is being used as a tool for digital sexual abuse&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;76a65740-7a55-405d-bf1e-b99f2c3a320a&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;thumbnail&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jan\/12\/monday-briefing-how-elon-musks-grok-is-being-used-as-a-tool-for-digital-sexual-abuse&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;Here is the agenda for the day.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;570c523b-7223-415e-8d02-59686e6b82e6&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Morning:&lt;\/em&gt; &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/keir-starmer\\&quot; data-component=\\&quot;auto-linked-tag\\&quot;&gt;Keir Starmer&lt;\/a&gt; and Peter Kyle, the business secretary, are on a visit in London where they will be speaking to the media.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;0ebec007-2e55-4ec0-b653-d73ac0e1b3d3&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Morning:&lt;\/em&gt; And Kemi Badenoch and Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, are on also doing a London visit, where they will be recording a clip for broadcasters.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;ebcde30b-3d7a-441b-a2a5-8f0c04831ebb&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;11am:&lt;\/em&gt; Nigel Farage, the &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/brexit-party\\&quot; data-component=\\&quot;auto-linked-tag\\&quot;&gt;Reform UK&lt;\/a&gt; leader, holds a press conference.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;93fe2505-2e24-4dfb-9fed-c984a6926dfe&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;11.30am:&lt;\/em&gt; Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;59669794-13c2-4622-8869-375db08ea525&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;2pm:&lt;\/em&gt; Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, chief of the defence staff, gives evidence to the Commons defence committee. Last week it was reported that he has warned the PM of &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/jan\/09\/labour-pubs-disability-benefits-assisted-dying-defence-spending-farage-reform-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-6960cb418f08e0dc61f23525#block-6960cb418f08e0dc61f23525\\&quot;&gt;a \u00a328bn shortfall in the defence budget.&lt;\/a&gt;&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;63b485ae-e6dd-42a3-ae3a-65c4ee8da1d9&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Afternoon:&lt;\/em&gt; Starmer is due to give a speech to staff at No 10. Later, at 6pm, he will speak to &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/labour\\&quot; data-component=\\&quot;auto-linked-tag\\&quot;&gt;Labour&lt;\/a&gt; MPs in private at a meeting of the parliamentary Labour party (PLP).&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;b060ebfb-4a8f-4762-b4b8-8330d13f591b&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Afternoon:&lt;\/em&gt; The House of Lords will announce the result of&lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.parliament.uk\/business\/lords\/lord-speaker\/the-role-of-lord-speaker\/election-of-the-lord-speaker-2026\/\\&quot;&gt; its election for the next Lords Speaker&lt;\/a&gt;. The two candidates are Michael Forsyth, a former Tory cabinet minister, and Deborah Bull, a crossbencher and former artistic director of the Royal Opera House.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;17804a2c-7e43-4121-9a7c-2c270b7b9f1a&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;After 3.30pm:&lt;\/em&gt; Liz Kendall, the tech secretary, is expected to make a statement to MPs about the Grok AI sexualised deepfake imagery scandal on Elon Musk\u2019s X.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;bd9eab03-d4ee-4aa6-a295-429db44aed1f&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line when comments are open (normally between 10am and 3pm at the moment), or message me on social media. I can\u2019t read all the messages BTL, but if you put \u201cAndrew\u201d in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;fbbbf2e7-8df7-422f-9869-ffe03274deb3&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian has &lt;a href=\\&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/media\/2024\/nov\/13\/the-guardian-no-longer-post-on-x-twitter-elon-musk\\&quot;&gt;given up posting from its official accounts on X&lt;\/a&gt;, but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;66ca2c01-b90e-49a7-83be-237b7bde9867&quot;},{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement&quot;,&quot;html&quot;:&quot;&lt;p&gt;I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can\u2019t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.&lt;\/p&gt;&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;6f2c0f18-f24d-4b63-978c-f3d28422caab&quot;}],&quot;attributes&quot;:{&quot;pinned&quot;:false,&quot;keyEvent&quot;:true,&quot;summary&quot;:false},&quot;blockCreatedOn&quot;:1768211332000,&quot;blockCreatedOnDisplay&quot;:&quot;09.48\u00a0GMT&quot;,&quot;blockLastUpdated&quot;:1768213133000,&quot;blockLastUpdatedDisplay&quot;:&quot;10.18\u00a0GMT&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublished&quot;:1768211332000,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplay&quot;:&quot;09.48\u00a0GMT&quot;,&quot;blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone&quot;:&quot;09.48&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;Peter Kyle says Ofcom should use powers 'to full extent of law' on X's sexualised AI images ahead of Commons statement&quot;,&quot;contributors&quot;:[],&quot;primaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;Mon 12 Jan 2026 10.26 GMT&quot;,&quot;secondaryDateLine&quot;:&quot;First published on Mon 12 Jan 2026 09.48 GMT&quot;}],&quot;filterKeyEvents&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;key-events-carousel-mobile&quot;,&quot;renderingTarget&quot;:&quot;Web&quot;,&quot;serverTime&quot;:1768214075741}\"><span id=\"key-events-carousel-mobile\"\/><span class=\"dcr-90inr0\"><\/p>\n<p>Key events<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/gu-island><gu-island name=\"FilterKeyEventsToggle\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;filterKeyEvents&quot;:false,&quot;id&quot;:&quot;filter-toggle-mobile&quot;}\"><span id=\"filter-toggle-mobile\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-alru3r\"><label id=\"src-component-1025_description\" data-component=\"filter-key-events\" data-link-name=\"filter-key-events-on\" class=\"dcr-rrspei\"><button id=\"src-component-1025\" role=\"switch\" aria-checked=\"false\" aria-labelledby=\"src-component-1025_description\" class=\"dcr-dh5oqp\"\/>Show key events only<\/p>\n<p><span>Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/label><\/div>\n<p><\/gu-island><\/span><\/p>\n<article id=\"block-6964cb268f088556bc3afcc4\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The government \u201chas identified a legal basis which it believes can be used to allow UK military to board and detain vessels in so-called shadow fleets\u201d, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/cy8pn7jgy3no\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">the BBC is reporting<\/a>. The BBC said this could the British military action against some of these tankers, in line with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jan\/07\/russia-submarine-escort-shadow-fleet-tanker-us-sanctions\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">the operatation launched by the US<\/a>, with UK assistance, against the Russian-flagged the Marinera tanker in the north Atlantic last week.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/jan\/12\/grok-x-nudification-technology-online-safety-labour-reform-tories-lib-dems-uk-politics-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-6964cb268f088556bc3afcc4&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-6964cb268f088556bc3afcc4&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;Tech secretary to make statement over X\u2019s sexualised AI images \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Tech secretary to make statement over X\u2019s sexualised AI images \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/jan\/12\/grok-x-nudification-technology-online-safety-labour-reform-tories-lib-dems-uk-politics-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6964cb268f088556bc3afcc4#block-6964cb268f088556bc3afcc4\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container ad-slot-desktop dcr-jko40v\"\/>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\"\/>\n<article id=\"block-6964c3ee8f0816b5c3d0a0f2\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\">\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Met chief Mark Rowley dismisses Reform UK claim that London getting less safe<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, is holding another press conference today. Last week he held one that was largely devoted to the crime late in London, which he depicted as a ghastly hellhole where <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/jan\/07\/pmqs-live-uk-politics-latest-news-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-nigel-farage?page=with%3Ablock-695e31768f082f208bb5a5cd#block-695e31768f082f208bb5a5cd\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">it wasn\u2019t safe to walk the streets<\/a>. He and Laila Cunningham, his candidate for mayor in London, claimed the capital used to be safer in the past.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Today <strong>Sadiq Khan<\/strong>, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/labour\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Labour<\/a> mayor of London, is highlighting postive crime figures for London. As <strong>Vikram Dodd<\/strong> reports, the murder rate is at its lowest level for a decade.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"3029d134-f5d7-45cf-95ac-62227ba2863d\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\"><gu-island name=\"RichLinkComponent\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{&quot;richLinkIndex&quot;:2,&quot;element&quot;:{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;London\u2019s homicide rate drops to lowest in more than a decade&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;3029d134-f5d7-45cf-95ac-62227ba2863d&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;inline&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/uk-news\/2026\/jan\/12\/london-homicide-rate-drops-to-lowest-in-more-than-a-decade&quot;},&quot;ajaxUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;isInStarRatingVariant&quot;:false}\"\/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Khan<\/strong> has written about this in an article for the Guardian. He says:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 14\" style=\"fill:var(--block-quote-fill)\" class=\"dcr-scql1j\"><path d=\"M5.255 0h4.75c-.572 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941H0C.792 9.104 2.44 4.53 5.255 0Zm11.061 0H21c-.506 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941h-8.686c.902-4.837 2.485-9.411 5.3-13.941Z\"\/><\/svg>London\u2019s homicide rate is lower than rates in New York, Berlin, Brussels, Milan, Toronto and Paris, five times lower than the rate in LA, and almost 12 times lower than the rate in Chicago. Last year, the capital recorded the fewest number of homicides of victims aged under 25 this century. Our homicide rate for under-25s is now three times lower than it was when I set the VRU up in 2019, and hospital admissions of young people for knife assault have fallen by 43% in the same period.<\/p>\n<p>The success of our crackdown on violent crime means Londoners are safer in their homes and on our streets.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<figure id=\"3e89a78f-47e1-48dc-b62d-2fcf300f712d\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\"><gu-island name=\"RichLinkComponent\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{&quot;richLinkIndex&quot;:5,&quot;element&quot;:{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Sorry, Trump and Farage \u2013 London is no lawless \u2018warzone\u2019. Violent crime is lower than ever | Sadiq Khan&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;3e89a78f-47e1-48dc-b62d-2fcf300f712d&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;inline&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2026\/jan\/12\/donald-trump-nigel-farage-london-crime-sadiq-khan&quot;},&quot;ajaxUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;isInStarRatingVariant&quot;:false}\"\/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Khan and <strong>Sir Mark Rowley<\/strong>, the Metropolitan police commissioner, have both been giving interviews this morning. Cunningham says Rowley<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/jan\/07\/pmqs-live-uk-politics-latest-news-keir-starmer-kemi-badenoch-labour-nigel-farage?page=with%3Ablock-695e3e458f08630ffdfbe686#block-695e3e458f08630ffdfbe686\" data-link-name=\"in body link\"> should be sacked<\/a>. Speaking to Times Radio, Rowley did not criticise Reform UK directly, but he said that surveys show that people who live in London feel safe. He said it was people who don\u2019t live in London who think that it isn\u2019t safe, because of the \u201crhetoric\u201d they hear, he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">He went on:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 14\" style=\"fill:var(--block-quote-fill)\" class=\"dcr-scql1j\"><path d=\"M5.255 0h4.75c-.572 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941H0C.792 9.104 2.44 4.53 5.255 0Zm11.061 0H21c-.506 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941h-8.686c.902-4.837 2.485-9.411 5.3-13.941Z\"\/><\/svg>London is getting safer. And don\u2019t just judge it on what I say. Casualty departments are seeing far fewer people coming in with assault based injuries. The footfall in the West End in December was up on last year. And I saw some recent YouGov survey data that said well over 80% of Londoners feel safe in London.<\/p>\n<p>So this isn\u2019t just about my data, this is how people feel. These are the facts. The fact that so much public debate is now more on sort of rhetoric than it is on facts is not my responsibility.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Rowley accepted that shoplifting was a problem in London. But he said shoplifting prosecutions were doubling.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/jan\/12\/grok-x-nudification-technology-online-safety-labour-reform-tories-lib-dems-uk-politics-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-6964c3ee8f0816b5c3d0a0f2&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-6964c3ee8f0816b5c3d0a0f2&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;Tech secretary to make statement over X\u2019s sexualised AI images \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Tech secretary to make statement over X\u2019s sexualised AI images \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/jan\/12\/grok-x-nudification-technology-online-safety-labour-reform-tories-lib-dems-uk-politics-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6964c3ee8f0816b5c3d0a0f2#block-6964c3ee8f0816b5c3d0a0f2\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<aside data-ad-slot=\"true\" class=\"ad-slot-container dcr-jko40v\"\/>\n<article id=\"block-6964ab718f087f91878dfe2e\" class=\"block dcr-1os4bxs\">\n<header class=\"dcr-88va8u\">\n<h2 class=\"dcr-1wl2b6o\">Peter Kyle says Ofcom should use powers &#8216;to full extent of law&#8217; on X&#8217;s sexualised AI images ahead of Commons statement<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Good morning. We are expecting developments this week in relation to Grok AI sexualised deepfakes scandal, which meant users of Elon Musk\u2019s X social media platform have been able to digitally undress women and children. An announcement on Friday that this service would <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2026\/jan\/09\/grok-image-generator-outcry-sexualised-ai-imagery\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">only be available to paid subscribers <\/a>was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/jan\/09\/labour-pubs-disability-benefits-assisted-dying-defence-spending-farage-reform-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-6960eafb8f082ca1183f40da#block-6960eafb8f082ca1183f40da\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">taken by No 10<\/a> as evidence the platform had yet to grasp why this was so objectionable, and Liz Kendall, the tech secretary, said that Ofcom must act <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/jan\/09\/labour-pubs-disability-benefits-assisted-dying-defence-spending-farage-reform-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-6961242f8f08417d2e69d8dc#block-6961242f8f08417d2e69d8dc\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">\u201cin days, not weeks\u201d<\/a>. That was three days ago.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Kendall is expected to make a statement on this to MPs today.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><strong>Peter Kyle<\/strong>, the business secretary, and Kendall\u2019s predecessor as business secretary, has been giving interviews this morning (mostly about other matters \u2013 more on those later) and, when asked on LBC why the government was waiting for Ofcom to take a decision, he replied:<\/p>\n<blockquote data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-154zxly\">\n<p><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 14\" style=\"fill:var(--block-quote-fill)\" class=\"dcr-scql1j\"><path d=\"M5.255 0h4.75c-.572 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941H0C.792 9.104 2.44 4.53 5.255 0Zm11.061 0H21c-.506 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941h-8.686c.902-4.837 2.485-9.411 5.3-13.941Z\"\/><\/svg>Because the law requires us to.<\/p>\n<p>The law requires Ofcom as an independent enforcer and regulator to enforce the law. Now, Ofcom has requested information from X. I believe X has given Ofcom that information and Ofcom is now expediting an inquiry into the behaviour and decisions of X when it comes to operating in the UK market.<\/p>\n<p>Now, at these points in time, Ofcom acts as an enforcer, as an enforcement agency, and it must use those powers to the full extent of the law to keep people safe in this country.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom has sweeping powers to fine companies like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/twitter\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">X<\/a> for breaches of online safety rules. In extremis, it could even go to court to to have X blocked from the UK. But the main provisions of the act only came into force relatively recently and they have not been used in a big dispute with one of the global tech giants before. This is uncharted territory.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">And it is also politically hazardous. Although Musk left his job in Donald Trump\u2019s administration last year after a row with Trump (mostly about Trump\u2019s budget plans), Musk remains a leading figure in the Maga movement, and the pair<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/michaelsolakie\/status\/2007844210528129476\" data-link-name=\"in body link\"> had dinner very recently<\/a>. In Magaworld, it is regarded as axiomatic that European attempts to regulate social media companies are an attack on US free speech. <strong>JD Vance<\/strong>, the vice president, told David Lammy last week that allowing an AI app to sexually undress children<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/us-news\/2026\/jan\/10\/ai-generated-sexualised-images-x-jd-vance-grok\" data-link-name=\"in body link\"> wasn\u2019t really acceptable.<\/a> But a day or so later, a more junior figure in the administration, <strong>Sarah Rogers<\/strong>, the under secretary of state for public diplomacy, was<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/UnderSecPD\/status\/2010328211365023823\" data-link-name=\"in body link\"> on social media<\/a> attacking the UK for \u201ccontemplating a Russia-style X ban to protect them from bikini images\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">We have more on this in our First Edition briefing.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"5f32f78c-96ed-439d-a510-c61ad0ca39bf\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\"><gu-island name=\"RichLinkComponent\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{&quot;richLinkIndex&quot;:7,&quot;element&quot;:{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Monday briefing: How Elon Musk\u2019s Grok is being used as a tool for digital sexual abuse&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;5f32f78c-96ed-439d-a510-c61ad0ca39bf&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;inline&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2026\/jan\/12\/monday-briefing-how-elon-musks-grok-is-being-used-as-a-tool-for-digital-sexual-abuse&quot;},&quot;ajaxUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;isInStarRatingVariant&quot;:false}\"\/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Here is the agenda for the day.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><em>Morning:<\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/keir-starmer\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Keir Starmer<\/a> and Peter Kyle, the business secretary, are on a visit in London where they will be speaking to the media.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><em>Morning:<\/em> And Kemi Badenoch and Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, are on also doing a London visit, where they will be recording a clip for broadcasters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><em>11am:<\/em> Nigel Farage, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/brexit-party\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Reform UK<\/a> leader, holds a press conference.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><em>11.30am:<\/em> Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><em>2pm:<\/em> Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, chief of the defence staff, gives evidence to the Commons defence committee. Last week it was reported that he has warned the PM of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/jan\/09\/labour-pubs-disability-benefits-assisted-dying-defence-spending-farage-reform-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-6960cb418f08e0dc61f23525#block-6960cb418f08e0dc61f23525\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">a \u00a328bn shortfall in the defence budget.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><em>Afternoon:<\/em> Starmer is due to give a speech to staff at No 10. Later, at 6pm, he will speak to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/labour\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Labour<\/a> MPs in private at a meeting of the parliamentary Labour party (PLP).<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><em>Afternoon:<\/em> The House of Lords will announce the result of<a href=\"https:\/\/www.parliament.uk\/business\/lords\/lord-speaker\/the-role-of-lord-speaker\/election-of-the-lord-speaker-2026\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\"> its election for the next Lords Speaker<\/a>. The two candidates are Michael Forsyth, a former Tory cabinet minister, and Deborah Bull, a crossbencher and former artistic director of the Royal Opera House.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\"><em>After 3.30pm:<\/em> Liz Kendall, the tech secretary, is expected to make a statement to MPs about the Grok AI sexualised deepfake imagery scandal on Elon Musk\u2019s X.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line when comments are open (normally between 10am and 3pm at the moment), or message me on social media. I can\u2019t read all the messages BTL, but if you put \u201cAndrew\u201d in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/media\/2024\/nov\/13\/the-guardian-no-longer-post-on-x-twitter-elon-musk\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">given up posting from its official accounts on X<\/a>, but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can\u2019t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.<\/p>\n<footer class=\"dcr-3i7iba\"><gu-island name=\"ShareButton\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;size&quot;:&quot;xsmall&quot;,&quot;pageId&quot;:&quot;politics\/live\/2026\/jan\/12\/grok-x-nudification-technology-online-safety-labour-reform-tories-lib-dems-uk-politics-latest-news-updates&quot;,&quot;hash&quot;:&quot;block-6964ab718f087f91878dfe2e&quot;,&quot;queryParams&quot;:{&quot;page&quot;:&quot;with:block-6964ab718f087f91878dfe2e&quot;},&quot;webTitle&quot;:&quot;Tech secretary to make statement over X\u2019s sexualised AI images \u2013 UK politics live&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:11,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0},&quot;context&quot;:&quot;LiveBlock&quot;}\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Tech secretary to make statement over X\u2019s sexualised AI images \u2013 UK politics live&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/politics\/live\/2026\/jan\/12\/grok-x-nudification-technology-online-safety-labour-reform-tories-lib-dems-uk-politics-latest-news-updates?CMP=share_btn_url&amp;page=with%3Ablock-6964ab718f087f91878dfe2e#block-6964ab718f087f91878dfe2e\" type=\"button\" class=\"dcr-1mulgdf\">Share<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewbox=\"-3 -3 30 30\" focusable=\"false\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M19 16c1.675 0 3 1.35 3 3 0 1.675-1.325 3-3 3a2.97 2.97 0 0 1-2.975-3c0-.125 0-.275.025-.375L7.1 14.15a2.9 2.9 0 0 1-2.075.825C3.325 14.975 2 13.65 2 12a3.004 3.004 0 0 1 3.025-3.025c.775 0 1.5.35 2.075.875l8.95-4.475c-.025-.1-.025-.225-.025-.4A2.966 2.966 0 0 1 19 2c1.675 0 3 1.325 3 2.975C22 6.65 20.675 8 19 8c-.8 0-1.475-.325-2.05-.825l-8.975 4.45C8 11.7 8 11.825 8 12s0 .3-.025.375l8.975 4.45c.575-.5 1.25-.825 2.05-.825m0-12.8c-.975 0-1.8.775-1.8 1.775S18.025 6.8 19 6.8c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.825S20 3.2 19 3.2m0 17.6c1 0 1.825-.825 1.825-1.8 0-1-.825-1.8-1.825-1.8-.975 0-1.8.8-1.8 1.8 0 .975.825 1.8 1.8 1.8\"\/><\/svg><\/a><\/gu-island><\/p>\n<p>Updated at\u00a0<time datetime=\"2026-01-12T10:18:53.000Z\" data-locale=\"en-gb\" title=\"Monday, 12 January 2026 at 10:18 Greenwich Mean Time\">10.18 GMT<\/time><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<p>#Tech #secretary #statement #sexualised #images #politics #live #Politics<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key events Show key events onl&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11576,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11575"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=11575"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11575\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/11576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=11575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=11575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=11575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}