Win for bereaved partners

THE human rights of children and partners are more important than the institution of marriage, the UK’S highest court decided yesterday.

In a landmark ruling that is set to extend the rights of cohabiting parents and their children, the Supreme Court ruled that the Government is unlawfully discriminating against them by denying them bereavement payments.

Lady Hale, the Supreme Court president, ruled in favour of an unmarried woman who argued she should be entitled to Widowed Parent’s Allowance after her partner of 23 years died, leaving her to support their four children.

The Government’s decision to deny Siobhan Mclaughlin, 46, the support payments was incompatible with human rights laws, Lady Hale concluded.

She added: “Where means-tested benefits are concerned, it is difficult indeed to see the justification for denying people and their children benefits, or paying them a lower rate of benefit, simply because the adults are not

constituency, where he lost a motion of no confidence last month after voting with the Government on Brexit. A Labour source said: “Frank has been looking for an excuse to resign for some time”.

Richard Burgon, the shadow justice secretary, said MPS who left the party “should do the right and respectful thing and call a by-election”.

Mr Field insisted in his letter that he would remain a member of the party despite having resigned the whip. However, the party made clear he will be expelled within two weeks.

Wes Streeting, a Labour MP who has been one of Mr Corbyn’s strongest critics over anti-semitism, said: “I fear the political crisis facing the Labour Party now is the greatest we have faced since 1981.” Mike Gapes, another Labour MP, has said he is “agonising every day” over whether to quit the party over the anti-semitism row.

Mr Field’s resignation comes as Labour’s ruling body is next week poised to accept the full definition of antisemitism after a row between Mr Corbyn and his MPS.

It is likely to include a series of “caveats”, including a ban on investigating historic allegations of anti-semitism. Such a provision would effectively protect Mr Corbyn from investigation.