Unions representing more than a million NHS workers have pulled out of the government's pay review process in a bid to negotiate reforms to salary bands and structure.

Almost every union that represents staff on Agenda for Change contracts is taking part in the boycott.

These contracts are for workers who aren't doctors or dentists.

This row seems to be far off from industrial action, and is more about changing what the unions view as an outdated structure for pay.

But there is still a warning for ministers - with the unions saying that  "discontent with the 2025 pay award and the broken promises on talks have heightened industrial tension and time is running out".

They want to sit down with bosses and ministers to ensure workers are in the right pay band, as well as discussing payrises - a process they believe is too complicated and nuanced for the pay review body process.

They also want to see investment into the NHS.

Pay review bodies make recommendations on public sector payrises based on evidence provided by government, unions and other stakeholders.

Helga Pile, who is chair of the NHS unions and Unison head of health, said: "The government promised talks over a year ago and they still haven't got round the table with unions with any proper plan to sort things out."

She added: "Some things need sorting urgently while others will take longer to work through. But the important thing is that we agree a plan and get the funding needed to reach a deal.

"The health secretary wants a more efficient system and that begins with getting pay right. Tackling this now will help to deliver the pay rise when it's due in April rather than kicking the can down the road leaving staff with months of delays."

 This morning, a second man was deported from the UK to France as part of the one in, one out deal.

While this was taking place, people at Gravelines beach near Calais were starting a journey the other way.

By Faye Brown, political reporter

"Diplomatic efforts" are underway to resolve the dispute between Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, Paste BN understands. 

The co-leaders of Your Party have had a bitter falling out over the paid membership system, as we reported yesterday. 

A source close to the pair is attempting to mediate behind the scenes to salvage the party's future, they told Paste BN.

The row was sparked after Corbyn told supporters to ignore an "unauthorised" email which urged them to sign up for £55 a year or £5 a week. He urged them to cancel their direct debits, and said legal advice was being taken.

Sultana admitted to launching the membership portal, but claimed she did so after being “sidelined” by a "sexist boys club".

It has led to speculation about what - if any - future is in store for Your Party, which was only launched in July and has yet to agree its official name, let alone decided on policies and select candidates. 

By Sarah Taaffe-Maguire, business and economics reporter

Government borrowing last month was the highest in five years, official figures show, exacerbating the challenge facing Chancellor Rachel Reeves

Not since 2020, in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic with the furlough scheme ongoing, was the August borrowing figure so high, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Tax and national insurance receipts were "noticeably" higher than last year, but those rises were offset by higher spending on public services, benefits and interest payments on debt, the ONS said.

It meant there was an £18bn gap between government spending and income, a figure £5.25bn higher than expected by economists polled by Reuters.

It compounds the problem for Ms Reeves as she approaches the November budget.

Her self-imposed fiscal rules say she must bring down government debt and balance the budget by 2030.

Responding to the figures, Ms Reeves's deputy, chief secretary to the Treasury, James Murray, said: "This government has a plan to bring down borrowing because taxpayer money should be spent on the country's priorities, not on debt interest.

"Our focus is on economic stability, fiscal responsibility, ripping up needless red tape, tearing out waste from our public services, driving forward reforms, and putting more money in working people's pockets."

In the coming days, the UK is set to recognise the state of Palestine.

Political correspondent Serena Barker-Singh has delved into the topic, and the changes in position that have led us to this point.

Watch her full investigation below:

Business Secretary Peter Kyle is asked whether the government will change some of its policies to keep Donald Trump happy.

The minister says the digital services tax, Online Safety Act and Employment Rights Bill will all stay the same and not be watered down.

Kyle insists that Trump's visit was a success for the government, saying that it brought $250bn worth of commercial opportunities and "thousands" of jobs around the UK.

Asked about the fact that the UK is still subject to American steel tariffs, the minister says "we will carry on having another conversation" into the future on the topic.

But he points out the UK has the best agreement in the world with the US on that part of trade.

Kyle says that it is usual for countries to disagree on parts of each other's policies - but that does not stop a functional relationship.

On the recognition of Palestine, Kyle says the government knows it's a novel situation - but says that had Israel "played its part in engaging with Britain and other nations" then they would have been more involved in the decision the UK is making.

The minister is asked about Trump's criticism of London mayor Sadiq Khan.

The trade secretary says he has been too busy to think about the invite list for the state banquet that Trump claims he stopped the mayor attending.

Business Secretary Peter Kyle is speaking to Paste BN this morning on behalf of the government.

He is asked whether the UK will take Donald Trump's advice in using the armed forces to help stop crossings.

Kyle says the Navy does help Border Force on occasion and "we do have actually military operations there that can be brought to bear when we need it" - but a "functional" solution is a better option.

He adds: "We want the military to be out there defending our country as they are doing day in, day out and keeping us safe.

"These are things we want them to be focussed on, and we want an asylum system and a migration system that is functional in its own right.

"It is not the best use of the military having them there, doing things actually, that we should have other parts of government that are there to solve those challenges.

"That is what the Home Office is doing."

The minister is also asked about the fact that small boats are crossing the Channel while the government's "deterrents" are in effect.

Kyle says: "We are just ramping it up. 

"You know, we know that these things take time. 

"We've never pretended this situation can be tackled overnight."

The minister emphasises that it's a "pilot scheme".

"This is a government that is trying everything we can to get a grip on it," he adds.

He says the Conservative government had "three pieces of legislation and so many broken promises" and didn't deport a single person "that they didn't bribe to leave the country".

A second person has been deported from the UK to France.

An Eritrean man was on board a flight back to the continent in the past hour having illegally entered the UK.

It comes after the person lost a legal challenge against his return to France.

He arrived in the UK on a small boat last month, and comes the day after the first person was sent to France.

The Home Office says the asylum seekers the UK will accept from France in return will be arriving in "the coming days".

Speaking after the first deportation yesterday, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: "This is an important first step to securing our borders. It sends a message to people crossing in small boats: if you enter the UK illegally, we will seek to remove you.

"I will continue to challenge any last-minute, vexatious attempts to frustrate a removal in the courts.

"The UK will always play its part in helping those genuinely fleeing persecution, but this must be done through safe, legal, and managed routes – not dangerous crossings."

As the man was flying across the Channel, the PA news agency reported that hundreds of others were attempting to cross the other way on small boats.

At least one dinghy full of young men made its way to sea from Gravelines Beach northeast of Calais, with a child passed aboard as it went out to sea, according to a reporter present.

The agency also reported that at around 5.30am, another inflatable vessel was launched into a canal by a group of 40 young men who suddenly appeared in from a quiet side street.

Police officers watched from the bank as those on board struggled to keep the boat straight.

A failed attempt earlier in the night ended with a group of men forming a human chain to help haul people out of the mud.

Website Flightradar24 is showing drones above the Channel currently, which is normally the case when authorities are observing crossings.

By Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor

Hundreds of Afghans who have been relocated to Britain under a multibillion-pound scheme to protect them from the Taliban have returned to Afghanistan for holidays and other trips, an Afghan source has revealed.

The source, himself a former interpreter who served with British forces in Afghanistan before also starting a new life in the UK, said the excursions were evidence that the threat some of his countrymen say they face because of past links with the British has been exaggerated.

"The only threat is unemployment," the man told Paste BN, requesting anonymity to avoid repercussions for speaking out.

The source has direct knowledge of how the previous Conservative government processed applications for resettlement to the UK in the chaos that followed the Taliban's return to power four years ago.

He alleged that the Afghanistan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) - which is under intense parliamentary scrutiny following revelations in July about a major data breach - had been open to exploitation by Afghans simply seeking a better life in Britain.

Peter Mandelson should be banned from returning to the House of Lords, as he would "damage" the upper chamber's reputation, Harriet Harman has warned.

It follows Lord Mandelson being sacked as the UK's ambassador to the US, over revelations about his friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The prime minister fired the Labour peer last week after "new information" came to light, which, he said, meant Mandelson's relationship with the Epstein was "materially different" to what was known when he was appointed.

But Sir Keir has faced criticism for his handling of the scandal, with Lord Mandelson's sacking coming less than 24 hours after he defended him in the Commons.

Now, Baroness Harman - also a Labour peer - has warned Lord Mandelson should not be allowed to sit in the Lords when he returns to the UK, despite him being a peer since 2008.

He is currently on a leave of absence from the chamber, but can apply to be readmitted in three months.

Speaking to a special episode of the Electoral Dysfunction x Trump100 podcast, the former deputy Labour leader said: "I think there should be a process, but actually, I don't think he enhances the reputation of the House of Lords."

Listen to the full episode at the top of the page.