Khan greets Roman Polanski in Urdu at London assembly; Griffith concedes flaws in 'making tax digital' and diplomats say Labour was advised to delay Israel sanctions

Sadiq Khan addressed Roman Polanski in Urdu during a London assembly event and mocked the Green leader’s byelection video, while in Westminster Andrew Griffith acknowledged problems with the government’s Making Tax Digital programme and diplomats say Labour was warned by Israel not to impose sanctions before the 27 October election.

Khan and Polanski exchange

Sadiq Khan addressed director Roman Polanski in Urdu at a London assembly session and was reported to have mocked the Green party leader’s byelection campaign video, according to live coverage of the event. The remarks were among a series of spirited interventions as the assembly session wound down and the live blog covering the proceedings closed.

Parliamentary questioning on Making Tax Digital

In Westminster, Treasury Minister Andrew Griffith delivered a speech and then took questions from MPs. Asked whether a call for the government to pause the Making Tax Digital programme amounted to an admission that the previous government had been wrong to introduce it, Griffith said the criticism reflected failings in execution rather than intent. "It is an admission that despite [good] intentions, the execution of that has left a lot to be desired," he said, adding from his business background that "the law that we pass the most often is the law of unintended consequences. And I think making tax digital is a good example of that."

Diplomatic warnings on timing of Israel sanctions

Separately, diplomatic sources told the live coverage that Labour figures Andy Burnham and David Miliband were said to have ignored advice that any sanctions against Israel should not be imposed before the country’s election on 27 October. The Israeli foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, is reported to have told Miliband on 11 August to "postpone it until after the elections," a diplomatic source confirmed. The message was also reportedly conveyed to the UK Foreign Office by the Israeli embassy in London and its chargé d’affaires Chris Cantor.

What was reported and what remains unclear

The coverage brought together developments from different forums — a City Hall assembly, parliamentary questions and diplomatic exchanges — reflecting the varied political debate taking place in London. Several items were reported in live updates; some accounts, including the exchanges involving Khan and the full context of the embassy communications, were summarised as the live blog concluded.