
Michelle Donelan’s parliamentary private secretary is sacked as fallout from equalities letter continues
Events surrounding the secretary of state for science’s letter to UK Research and Innovation will dominate the day’s water cooler discussions in universities as the rest of the country prepares for Halloween. In a related twist, the MP Paul Bristow has been dismissed as a ministerial aide in the science department after urging Rishi Sunak to back a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Sunak, like Labour leader Keir Starmer and President Joe Biden, has backed a “humanitarian pause” in the fighting to allow aid to reach the war zone. However, the prime minister has stopped short of supporting a permanent end to hostilities.