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UK PM Keir Starmer - Performance watch

Do you think Keir Starmer will be an effective Prime Minister for the UK?


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SIR Keir Starmer is officially Britain's new Prime Minister after meeting with King Charles at Buckingham Palace.

The Labour leader shook hands with the monarch before heading to Downing Street to deliver his first speech in the top job.


Let's see how the UK performs under his prime ministership
 
Labour leader Keir Starmer makes his first speech as prime minister in Downing Street

"Our work is urgent - and we begin it today," he says, to cheers from supporters

It comes after Starmer met King Charles at Buckingham Palace and was formally invited to form a government

Earlier, Rishi Sunak resigned as prime minister and said he would also step down as Conservative Party leader, but not immediately

"I have heard your anger," he said outside No 10, after a catastrophic night for his party

After 14 years of Conservative government, Labour won the general election in a landslide
 

Starmer's six cabinet appointments so far

In the last half an hour, we've seen several appointments to Sir Keir Starmer's new cabinet.

Here's who have got the top jobs so far:

Angela Rayner - deputy prime minister and secretary of state for levelling up, housing and communities

Rachel Reeves - chancellor

David Lammy - foreign secretary

Yvette Cooper - home secretary

John Healey - defence secretary

Pat McFadden- Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster

BBC
 
27 years after Tony Blair led the Labour Party to power with a majority of 179 seats, Sir Keir Starmer has won another huge majority.

Both Tony Blair and Sir Keir Starmer entered No 10 Downing Street to cheers from supporters and waving flags.

Sky News
 
New PM Starmer pledges to rebuild Britain after years of chaos

Britain's new Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged on Friday to use his massive electoral majority to rebuild the country, saying he wanted to take the heat out of politics after years of upheaval and strife.

Standing outside his new office and residence at Number 10 Downing Street, Starmer acknowledged the scale of the challenge after his party's landslide victory in a parliamentary election ended 14 years of often tumultuous Conservative government.

He warned that any improvements would take time, and he would need to first rebuild faith in politics.
"This lack of trust can only be healed by actions, not words. I know that," he said.

"Whether you voted Labour or not, in fact, especially if you did not, I say to you directly - My government will serve you. Politics can be a force for good. We will show that."

Starmer was greeted by huge cheers and took time before making his speech to shake hands with and hug aides and well-wishers who lined Downing Street - scenes that were reminiscent of Labour predecessor Tony Blair's arrival in government in 1997.


 

Keir Starmer says 'we have a huge amount of work to do' as he holds first Cabinet meeting​


Sir Keir Starmer told colleagues "we have a huge amount of work to do" as he held his first Cabinet meeting as prime minister today.

“It was the honour and privilege of my life to be invited by the King, His Majesty the King yesterday to form a government and to form the Labour Government of 2024," he told his newly appointed ministers.

The prime minister's team are expected to start working on Labour's manifesto pledges today after the party's biggest election win since Tony Blair's victory of 1997.

Sir Keir made a raft of appointments on his first day at Number 10 yesterday and spoke with international leaders, including US President Joe Biden.

on Friday the prime minister confirmed Rachel Reeves as Britain’s first woman chancellor, Yvette Cooper as home secretary and David Lammy as foreign secretary.

Angela Rayner officially became his deputy prime minister and retained the levelling up, housing and communities brief.

John Healey was named Defence Secretary; Shabana Mahmood Justice Secretary; Wes Streeting Health Secretary; Bridget Phillipson Education Secretary; and Ed Miliband Energy Secretary.

Sir Keir, the UK's first Labour prime minister since 2010, is expected to make more junior Cabinet appointments later today and to take calls from more world leaders and first ministers of the devolved nations.

Legislative priorities and the timing of any major policy announcements will also need to be worked out.

Sir Keir has signalled that at least three housing announcements could be made in the first two weeks of a Labour Government.

“The government has got to show that it’s taking charge immediately, and doing what’s necessary,” said Lord Robin Butler, who oversaw the transition as cabinet secretary when Labour swept into power in 1997.

Decisions such as allocating office space in No 10 – ill-suited to be a modern workplace with its maze-like layout – “have got to be decided on the first weekend because they’re necessary in order for people to start working”.

Sir Keir’s chief of staff, Sue Gray, who spent years at the top of the Civil Service, will likely be involved in decisions about how the prime minister will work, how the centre of government will be set up and his diary for the first few days – some of which will have been agreed in access talks.

 

Keir Starmer to visit all four nations of UK - as he says Rwanda scheme 'dead and buried'​

The new prime minister has announced he will tour all four nations of the UK arguing he had secured a nationwide mandate with his landslide election victory.

Sir Keir Starmer also insisted Rishi Sunak's Rwanda scheme is "dead and buried" after being quizzed by journalists.

The prime minister said he will travel to Scotland first before heading to Northern Ireland, Wales and back to England in a push to improve working relationships.

Giving his first news conference in Downing Street since taking office, the Labour leader also said "mission delivery boards" would be established to deliver on his party's priorities, including economic growth, which he would chair.

Follow general election fallout live

He was speaking after holding his inaugural cabinet meeting, where he warned his top team there was a huge amount of work to do and they would be "judged on actions, not on words".

Sir Keir said his election win that ended 14-years of Tory rule had given Labour a "clear mandate to govern for all four corners of the United Kingdom".

He added: "For the first time in 20-plus years we have a majority in England, in Scotland and in Wales and that is a clear mandate to govern for all four corners of the United Kingdom and therefore I shall set off tomorrow to be in all four nations."

During his tour, he would meet with first ministers and "establish a way of working across the United Kingdom that will be different and better to the way of working that we've had in recent years and to recognise the contributions of all four nations".

Sir Keir said: "At the cabinet meeting, I also discussed mission delivery, how we would put into action the plans that we had set out in our manifesto and that we will have mission delivery boards to drive through the change that we need, and that I will be chairing those boards to make sure that it's clear to everyone that they are my priority in government."

He went on: "I reminded the entire cabinet, that we will be judged on actions, not on words."

The prime minister restated the Labour government's commitment to economic growth, which his administration is relying on to deliver vital investment in public services without hiking taxes or borrowing more cash.

 
Sir Keir Starmer says work is under way for closer ties with EU and to fix UK's 'botched' Brexit deal

Labour is already working to build closer ties with the European Union, Sir Keir Starmer has said as he continues his tour of the UK.

The new prime minister has been on a visit to Scotland today where he has met with both the leader of Scottish Labour Anas Sarwar and First Minister John Swinney.

Following the meeting with Mr Swinney, Sir Keir spoke to broadcasters and talked down the likelihood of any negotiations on independence.


 
Haha yes more bureaucracy like Liberals in Canada.
Have to say though Democrats in US would actually be centre in most of Europe.
 
UK's Starmer urges NATO allies to boost defence spending

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called on other NATO allies on Thursday to do more to increase their defence spending, saying it was needed to protect the alliance's values in "a new and dangerous era".

In a speech at his first international summit since becoming Britain's prime minister last week, Starmer repeated that his government would come up with a roadmap to reach 2.5% of GDP on defence spending - a target he has yet to set out a timetable for.

He repeatedly avoided answering questions on whether U.S. President Joe Biden was fit enough to run for a new term after he mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as Russian President Vladimir Putin before correcting himself. Starmer instead praised Biden's role in organising what he called a successful NATO summit in Washington.

"This was a successful council, he led it, he deserves credit for that," Starmer told a news conference.

Starmer sought to focus more on the summit itself, saying 23 members out of the 32 in the alliance were now spending 2% of GDP on defence, "but in light of the grave threats to our security, we must go further".

"We face the generational threat of Russia, aided by the likes of North Korea and Iran. Conflicts rage across the Middle East and North Africa, the challenge of China, terrorism and international institutions, that should be at the heart of the response are being undermined."

An analysis published in April by the previous Conservative government showed NATO-qualifying British defence spending was expected to be 2.32% of GDP in the 2024-2025 financial year.

The speech capped off Starmer's first foray on the international stage, one where he received a warm welcome from several Western leaders who envy his big majority in parliament.

REUTERS
 
UK pledges £84m to stop illegal migration 'at source'

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged £84m for projects in Africa and the Middle East to stop illegal migration "at source".

The government said the new funding for education, employment opportunities and humanitarian support would help address the factors driving people to leave their homes.

Speaking at the fourth summit of the European Political Community (EPC), which the UK hosted at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, Sir Keir agreed with French President Emmanuel Macron that there was "no easy silver bullet" to stop small boats crossing the English Channel.

But the PM said he wanted to focus on "practical solutions", not "gimmicks".

The EPC, which includes the 27 members of the European Union as well as 20 non-members like the UK, is a more informal forum for cooperation.

The summit has focused on the challenge of illegal migration, as well as support for Ukraine.

Speaking at a news conference, Sir Keir said he wanted to reset the UK's approach to illegal migration and deepen cooperation with Europe on defence and border security.

The PM said illegal migration needed to be tackled "upstream" and there was a "consensus" at the summit that the focus needed to be on taking down smuggling gangs.

The UK has agreed new initiatives with Slovenia and Slovakia to tackle organised crime.

Meanwhile, the Foreign Office said £84m of funding would be rolled out over the next three years to address the factors driving people into small boats.

Projects set to get funding include programmes helping Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon to access education and jobs, as well as migrants in North and East Africa to fill local skills gaps, and humanitarian aid for displaced people in war-torn Sudan.

Stopping people crossing the Channel in small boats is one of the major challenges facing the new government.

Sir Keir has scrapped the Conservative plan to send some people who arrive in the UK illegally to Rwanda, describing it as an "expensive gimmick".

The plan was stalled by legal challenges and no migrants were sent to the east African country under the scheme before the general election.

Instead the PM has promised to set up a new Border Security Command, bringing together Border Force officials, police and intelligence agencies, and to use counter-terror powers to combat people-smuggling gangs.

Sir Keir accused the previous government of a "dereliction of duty" on migration and wasting time on the Rwanda scheme.

The PM said the new government would not be able to turn around the record number of small boat arrivals overnight, but he was pursuing a "serious response".

Sir Keir also sought to stress his "profound respect" for international law, reiterating that under his leadership the UK would not be leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, something which had been hinted at by the Conservatives.

Coming just two weeks after the election, the gathering provided an opportunity for Sir Keir to meet many of his European counterparts on the margins of the summit, including Italy's Georgia Meloni and Albania's Edi Rama.

A Downing Street spokeswoman said Sir Keir discussed "innovative solutions" to migration with the Albanian PM, including Italy's plan to send migrants to Albania for processing.

Asked if he could rule out the UK pursuing offshore processing, Sir Keir said this was not "central" to discussions at the summit as the focus was on "taking the [smuggling] gangs down in the first place".

However, he added: "I'm a pragmatist and I've always said we'll look at what works.

"And where cases can be processed closer to origin, then that is something which of course ought to be looked at."

Sir Keir has said he wants to "reset" relations with the UK's European neighbours following Brexit.

While the government is not seeking to rejoin the EU, it wants to reach a security agreement with the bloc to help cooperation on intelligence and policing, as well as address some of the trading problems under the current Brexit agreement.

French President Macron welcomed attempts to reset relations but warned the UK would not be able to "cherry pick" a new deal.

The EPC was born in the months following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the issue remained a key focus of the latest gathering.

Sir Keir pledged to stand with Ukraine "for as long as it takes" and called on European leaders to do more to support the country.

Nato's outgoing secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said the military alliance had to be prepared for the Ukraine conflict to go on for a decade or more.

"The stronger our support for Ukraine and longer we are willing to commit, the sooner this work can end," he told the BBC.

The summit also took place against the backdrop of the US presidential campaign.

Republican candidate Donald Trump has expressed scepticism over the continued US funding for Ukraine's defence, while his running mate JD Vance has been a vocal critic of aid for the country.

Asked if he was worried about their positions, Sir Keir said it was for the American people to decide their president and "we will work with whoever is elected".

He added that the government was committed to the "special relationship" between the UK and the US.

BBC
 
Starmer suspends seven MPs who rebelled over two-child benefit cap

Sir Keir Starmer has suspended seven Labour MPs from the parliamentary party after they voted against the government to call for the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap.

Richard Burgon, John McDonnell, Imran Hussain, Apsana Begum, Zarah Sultana, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Ian Byrne have all had the whip suspended for six months, at which point the decision will be reviewed.

The Labour rebels voted alongside the Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Plaid Cymru, the SDLP, the Alliance Party, and independent MPs like Jeremy Corbyn, backing an amendment to the King's Speech proposed by the SNP.

With a majority of more than 174, Sir Keir Starmer was able to see off the rebellion by 363 votes to 103.

It was reported ahead of the vote that the rebellion could number into the dozens - before rumours of threatened suspensions emerged.

Reacting to her suspension, Ms Sultana said: "I have been informed by the chief whip anthe Labour Party leadership that the whip has been withdrawn from me for voting to scrap the two-child benefit cap, which would lift 330,000 children out of poverty.

"I will always stand up for the most vulnerable in our society."

One Labour MP who had campaigned against the two-child cap - but voted with the government tonight - said she did so because she was confident "the government are very much committed to delivering for those children living in poverty".


 
Starmer suspends seven MPs who rebelled over two-child benefit cap

Sir Keir Starmer has suspended seven Labour MPs from the parliamentary party after they voted against the government to call for the scrapping of the two-child benefit cap.

Richard Burgon, John McDonnell, Imran Hussain, Apsana Begum, Zarah Sultana, Rebecca Long-Bailey and Ian Byrne have all had the whip suspended for six months, at which point the decision will be reviewed.

The Labour rebels voted alongside the Liberal Democrats, Green Party, Plaid Cymru, the SDLP, the Alliance Party, and independent MPs like Jeremy Corbyn, backing an amendment to the King's Speech proposed by the SNP.

With a majority of more than 174, Sir Keir Starmer was able to see off the rebellion by 363 votes to 103.

It was reported ahead of the vote that the rebellion could number into the dozens - before rumours of threatened suspensions emerged.

Reacting to her suspension, Ms Sultana said: "I have been informed by the chief whip anthe Labour Party leadership that the whip has been withdrawn from me for voting to scrap the two-child benefit cap, which would lift 330,000 children out of poverty.

"I will always stand up for the most vulnerable in our society."

One Labour MP who had campaigned against the two-child cap - but voted with the government tonight - said she did so because she was confident "the government are very much committed to delivering for those children living in poverty".


So the MPs are given the vote, then told how to vote. Democracy my foot.
 
So the MPs are given the vote, then told how to vote. Democracy my foot.
Those MPs are elected on a Labour manifesto and therefore if they wish to stay in the Labour Party, they must vote in line with that manifesto. If they chose to vote against the manifesto, then they are free to do so, but they can’t expect to remain in the Labour Party. I can’t see anything undemocratic about it at all.
 
Those MPs are elected on a Labour manifesto and therefore if they wish to stay in the Labour Party, they must vote in line with that manifesto. If they chose to vote against the manifesto, then they are free to do so, but they can’t expect to remain in the Labour Party. I can’t see anything undemocratic about it at all.
Then why give the vote in the first place?

Any how, the last time MPs were elected on a manifesto, was Brexit, and we all know how MPs were hell bent on reversing Brexit.

Funny when the people's voice mattered, MPs knew best, when the MP's voice mattered, the party leader knows best.

What a facade, and the sooner we accept we do not live in a democracy the better.
 
Funny Keir Starmer found the mythical money tree for scrapping the 2 child benefit cap, something he repeatedly said had no intention of scrapping and all Labour policies were "costed out".

What else is Starmer going to back out on?
 

Honest talks needed, Starmer tells Chinese leader​


Sir Keir Starmer has told China's President Xi Jinping he hopes they can have "open, frank and honest" talks about areas of disagreement, in the first official call between the two.

The call was also the first between Mr Xi and a British prime minister since he spoke to Boris Johnson in March 2022.

The two leaders discussed potential areas of co-operation, including on trade, the economy and education, a No 10 spokesperson said.

"As permanent members of the UN Security Council, the leaders agreed on the importance of close working in areas, such as climate change and global security," they added.

"The leaders also agreed on the need for a stable and consistent UK-China relationship, including dialogue between their respective foreign and domestic ministers."

China's embassy in the UK said President Xi congratulated Sir Keir on taking office, and said the two countries needed to "view their relations from a long-term and strategic perspective".

In a statement, it added: "China is committed to building a great country and achieving national rejuvenation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernisation, and follows a path of peaceful development.

"It is hoped that the UK will view China in an objective and rational manner."

Foreign Secretary David Lammy met Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of an Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathering in Laos last month.

He urged China to stop its companies supporting Russia's war effort, and stressed the UK's "ironclad" commitment to backing Ukraine.

Sir Keir's conversation with Mr Xi comes amid a period of strained relations between London and Beijing over espionage allegations and China's tightening control over former UK colony Hong Kong.

However, the two countries remain major trading partners as well as permanent members of the UN Security Council.

China was Britain's fifth largest trading partner in 2023, according to UK statistics, but diplomatic relations were icy under former PM Rishi Sunak.

Soon after taking office in October 2022, Mr Sunak declared an end to the so-called "golden era" of UK-China relations trumpeted by former Prime Minister David Cameron.

He also described China as a "systemic challenge" to UK values.

In 2021, China imposed sanctions on nine UK citizens, including five Conservative MPs.

In 2023, the UK Parliament banned TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media app, from being accessed on its wi-fi over security concerns. TikTok has denied claims it passes on users' data to the Chinese government.

In April, UK police charged two men under the Official Secrets Act with spying for China.

 
Starmer in Berlin to 'turn corner on Brexit'

The UK is set to start talks on a new co-operation treaty with Germany, as the Labour government looks to "reset" relations with Europe.

Sir Keir Starmer, who is in Berlin for meetings with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, said the deal was part of a bid to "turn a corner on Brexit".

Downing Street said the agreement would cover areas such as energy security, technology and science.

It added it would also cover access to each other's markets and trade across the North Sea.

After Berlin, Sir Keir will travel to Paris to meet French President Emmanuel Macron and attend the Paralympics opening ceremony.

No 10 said it hoped the new treaty with Germany could be agreed by early next year.

Although detailed plans have not been disclosed, discussions about improving market access are expected to focus on areas such as helping firms certificate their products, and providing more information about tenders.

Downing Street added it would build on a defence pact between the two countries already being negotiated, which is due to be finalised in the autumn.

That agreement, announced last month, saw the two countries pledge to buy more military equipment together and make it easier for each other's armies to use it, as well increase co-operation in areas such as cyber warfare.

Sir Keir has vowed to forge a closer economic relationship with Europe, including a "much better" deal on trade than the one negotiated by Boris Johnson in late 2020.

His Labour government wants to strike deals with the EU to reduce border checks on food products, lessen paperwork for touring artists, and boost recognition of work qualifications, making it easier for some professionals to work abroad.

It also wants to broker a security pact with the EU, as well as a new returns agreement for failed asylum seekers.

It remains unclear whether Brussels would entertain major changes to the UK's existing Brexit trade deal, which is due to be reviewed in 2026.

Intelligence sharing

Downing Street said the prime minister and Mr Scholz would discuss joint efforts to tackle illegal migration through further sharing of intelligence on smuggling gangs.

Ahead of the visit, Sir Keir said the UK had a "once in a generation opportunity to reset our relationship with Europe".

He said that co-operation with both Germany and France would be "crucial" on migration and boosting the UK's economic growth.

"We must turn a corner on Brexit and fix the broken relationships left behind by the previous government," he added.

As well as meeting Mr Scholz, Sir Keir will meet German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the bosses of energy engineering group Siemens Energy and defence firm Rheinmetall, which makes vehicles for the British Army.

BBC
 
Sir Keir Starmer heads to Republic of Ireland for 'reset' in relations

Sir Keir Starmer is visiting the Republic of Ireland as part of a "reset" of relations following the change of government.

The prime minister will meet with his Irish counterpart, Simon Harris, as part of the visit to Dublin.

At the same time, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn will be committing the UK government to a "new chapter" in UK-Ireland relations in a speech to the British-Irish Association Conference in Oxfordshire.

Northern Ireland's first minister Michelle O'Neill, deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly and the Republic of Ireland's deputy premier Micheal Martin will be present at the conference.

As part of his address, Mr Benn is set to acknowledge the "deep upset and anger" caused by the Conservative government's controversial Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, which stopped new cases and inquests being opened into Troubles-era killings and tried to give suspects conditional amnesty.

Labour has promised to repeal the act, although Mr Benn wants to strengthen an independent truth-finding body set up by the legislation - saying it should be able to work alongside the police in the Republic of Ireland on legacy investigations.

He will say: "While achieving full consensus on legacy issues may simply not be possible, I ask everyone to acknowledge that this is a government with a new approach, and we need a spirit of compromise."

Earlier this week, Northern Ireland veterans commissioner Danny Kinahan resigned - saying he could not "provide the independent voice that veterans require" after an "open and frank" conversation with Mr Benn.

The Northern Ireland secretary thanked Mr Kinahan for his work.

Mr Benn will also commit the UK to maintaining the implementation of the post-Brexit Windsor Framework, and tell Northern Irish politicians that further suspensions of the assembly there would be counterproductive.

Back in Dublin, trade will be top of the agenda for Sir Keir and Mr Harris - with €100bn (£84bn) of business done across the Irish Sea every year.

"Our relationship has never reached its full potential, but I want to change that," Sir Keir said ahead of the visit.

"The [Irish prime minister] and I are in lockstep about our future, and we look forward to deepening our collaboration further."

Mr Harris said the meeting in Dublin was "an important moment of reset in British-Irish relations".

As well as developing the trade relationship, Mr Harris said the pair will "also discuss, as co-guarantors of the Good Friday Agreement, how to ensure that this moment of reset benefits the totality of relations across these islands today and into the future".

In the evening, Sir Keir and Mr Harris will watch the football match between the Republic of Ireland and England.

SOURCE: https://news.sky.com/story/sir-keir...ic-of-ireland-for-reset-in-relations-13210763
 
NHS must 'reform or die', warns PM - as new report says service in 'critical condition'

Sir Keir Starmer will warn the NHS must "reform or die", as the government publishes an independent investigation into the state of the health service.

The report - ordered by Health Secretary Wes Streeting days after he took on the role - was carried out by peer and surgeon Lord Darzi.

It will conclude the NHS is in a "critical condition", with record waiting lists and too much of its budget spent in hospitals, as well as saying the nation's health had significantly deteriorated over the past 15 years.

However, Lord Darzi will also say the service's vital signs "remain strong", as the sector is filled with staff who "shared passion and determination to make the NHS better for our patients".

In a speech on Thursday, the prime minister will point to the probe's findings and lay the blame at the Conservatives' door - especially the impact of their 2012 Health and Social Care Act, which the report described as a "calamity" that had "proved disastrous", as well as claims there has been a decade of underinvestment.

But he will offer his own solutions, with a 10-year plan from Labour that promises to have "the fingerprints of NHS staff and patients all over it".


 
I get a sense of comfort and confidence when I hear Starmer talk.

Finally there is a leader who doesn't appear like a jerk.
 

Starmer hopes to learn from Italy on migrant boat crossings​


One started off in politics by joining the young socialists, the other began with the young neo-fascists.

And while today, Sir Keir Starmer and Giorgia Meloni are prime ministers on opposite political sides – a Labour government in the UK, a right-wing coalition in Italy – both are keen to build on a crucial European relationship.

The new British prime minister is set to make his first visit to Rome since taking office on Monday.

Top of the agenda will be migration and how Britain can learn from Italy - the European Union (EU) member receiving the highest number of migrant arrivals, but which has recently seen a dramatic fall.

Frontex, the EU’s border force, has calculated a 64% drop this year in those making the perilous crossing from north Africa to Italy.

Just over 43,000 have arrived so far this year, according to the United Nations, compared to a total of almost 158,000 in 2023. Some try to continue their route through France and up to Britain.

The UK is struggling to clamp down on those crossing the English Channel from France, with arrivals up on last year. Eight people died on Sunday when a boat capsised in the Channel.

Central to the fall in crossings to Italy are financial deals struck with Tunisia and Libya – migrants’ main points of departure.

The EU paid Tunisia €105m (£88m) in 2023 to boost border security and train up its coastguard. Italy supplied the country with patrol vessels and gave its government another €100m to support small companies and invest in education and renewable energy.

Giorgia Meloni also signed a major gas deal with Libya and Italy is training and equipping the Libyan coastguard.

The agreements echo the EU’s strategy with Turkey at the height of the 2016 migration crisis, when the bloc gave Ankara €6bn to boost border patrols with Greece. It led to a dramatic fall in departures.

But the deals to keep migrants in north Africa carry huge controversy.

Human Rights Watch has accused Italy and the EU of being “complicit” in crimes carried out against migrants in Libya, detailing cases of “murder, enforced disappearance, torture, enslavement, sexual violence, rape, and other inhumane acts”.

The EU’s outgoing Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell reportedly wrote of the “incomprehension” of some member states over the deal struck by the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen with Tunisia, due to a sharp deterioration in its democracy.

The Tunisian President, Kais Saled, has suspended parliament, while opposition MPs, journalists and lawyers have been arrested.

Some members of the European Parliament have complained of “bankrolling dictators across the region.”

In Rome, the British Prime Minister is likely to hear about the range of measures Italy is taking to counter irregular migration, including reception centres it is building in neighbouring Albania, which are due to open later this year after some delays.

The two structures, funded and managed by Italy, could hold up to 36,000 migrants per year. While there, they will be able to apply for asylum in Italy. If refused, they will face deportation.

While the Albanian government has suggested that such a deal is only with Italy, its closest ally in Europe, Sir Keir has shown interest in the outsourcing model, holding talks with his Italian and Albanian counterparts at the European Political Community summit at Blenheim Palace in July.

“Britain is exposed to the consequences of decisions in the EU, without having a say – and that weakens its capacity to manage migration flows”, says Alberto-Horst Neidhardt, a migration specialist at the European Policy Centre thinktank.

“It was quite difficult for the previous British government to seek effective solutions with France – and so it makes sense to turn to Italy for this new Prime Minister.”

Giorgia Meloni was probably Rishi Sunak’s closest ally in Europe. Both right-wingers, their political chemistry was clear, with Mr Sunak calling her “a lovely person” after their last meeting at the G7 summit.

His successor may not be such a natural political fit for Ms Meloni – but she is arguably the EU’s strongest right-wing leader and Mr Starmer knows that to solve the migration challenge, all roads lead to Rome.

 

Starmer repays more than £6k in gifts since becoming PM​


Sir Keir Starmer has paid back more than £6,000 worth of gifts received since becoming prime minister, following a backlash over clothing donations.

The prime minister is covering the cost of six Taylor Swift tickets, four tickets to the races and a clothing rental agreement with a high-end designer favoured by his wife, Lady Victoria Starmer.

It comes after Sir Keir and other cabinet ministers have faced weeks of criticism for accepting freebies from wealthy donors.

 
PM says he's faced 'choppy days' since getting the job

Sir Keir Starmer has admitted he has faced “choppy days” in his first three months as prime minister.

Speaking to the BBC’s Newscast, the prime minister said his new job had been “much tougher than anything I've done before, but much better”.

He pointed to what he saw as the government’s early achievements – such as settling pay disputes in the health service and what he described as “the biggest shake up of workers rights in a generation,” but did admit to “bumps and side winds, which, you know, I'd prefer we hadn't bumped into and been pushed by".

Asked what he was referring to, Starmer said “stuff on donations, staffing issues, that sort of thing".

Last weekend his former chief of staff Sue Gray resigned, after weeks of infighting and rows in Starmer’s senior team.

The PM also repaid thousands of pounds he had received in gifts and hospitality after a row lasting weeks about ministers accepting freebies.

But he added: “When I look at what it was I wanted to achieve in the first 100 days and ask myself, have we done what I wanted us to do, what I planned for us to do, the answer is yes.”

He also hinted at a focus on dealing with NHS waiting lists in England in the Budget later this month.

The Conservative Party said: "From defence to pensions, health to education, Labour have let the country down. The next 100 days are set to be even worse."

Speaking to Newscast to mark his first 100 days in office, Starmer publicly rebuked his Transport Secretary Louise Haigh after she described P&O ferries as “cowboy operators” who she has been boycotting in recent years.

Her criticism of the firm stems from its decision in 2022 to sack 800 seafarers and replace them with cheaper workers. It insisted this was necessary for the ferry operator's survival.

Crucially, Haigh also encouraged others to boycott the firm.

It has been reported by Bloomberg that P&O’s parent company, DP World, postponed announcing a major £1bn port investment in the UK in the light of the remarks.

The company's boss is now thought to no longer be attending an investment summit organised by the government next week - where DP World was expected to unveil the expansion.

The BBC understands discussions between the government and the company are ongoing to try to tempt them to turn up on Monday, with the investment hanging in the balance.

When asked if his transport secretary had been wrong to describe the company as cowboys and suggest a boycott, Starmer said: "Well, look, that's not the view of the government."

It is the first time since Labour came to power that the prime minister has publicly taken issue with remarks from one of his cabinet ministers.

Senior figures were incensed at the suggestion from a senior minister of a boycott – at just the point they are trying to claim they lead a “pro business” government.

Starmer added that he believed the investment summit was evidence of a growing confidence from companies in the UK’s economy.

Asked what might seal the deal for firms in choosing the UK, he said: “I think what will convince them is that we have listened to what they've told us about economic stability.”

He claimed they had been put off in recent years because of “a lack of confidence in the last government".

"Prime ministers were changing frequently. Ministers were changing frequently. There was no clarity of strategy and those sticking to the strategy."

Starmer also reflected on how his life has changed since he moved into No10.

“We're living in a flat in Downing Street above the shop, and that's not very normal. Everybody who wants to come and see you has to come through an armed guard. This is odd.”

He said the job meant he saw less of his family than he would like and that he “didn't have kids to sort of visit them when they're grown up and find out what they're really like. I had kids because I want to be with them, enjoy their company.”

Starmer said, though, there had been one unforeseen benefit of living in Downing Street: “When our children come back from school about four-ish, they pop down to my office in Downing Street, and if I'm around, I can see them for 5 or 10 minutes.

"That would never have happened before because they would have gone back home in Kentish Town, I'd have been in Westminster or wherever.”

BBC
 

Sir Keir Starmer rejects calls for reparations to avoid 'long and endless discussions about the past'​


Sir Keir Starmer has rejected calls for reparations for slavery, saying it would lead to "very long, endless discussions" about the past.

The prime minister said while the transatlantic slave trade was "abhorrent", he believes the countries affected by it would rather the UK help them with contemporary challenges, such as the impact of climate change.

Speaking to reporters on the plane to Samoa, where he will attend the Commonwealth heads of government meeting (Chogm), Sir Keir said: "On the question of which way we're facing, I think we should be facing forward.

"I've talked to a lot of our Commonwealth colleagues in the Commonwealth family and they're facing real challenges on things like climate in the here and now.

"And in all the conversations I've had with them, what they're most interested in is can we help them working with international institutions, financial institutions on the sorts of packages they need right now in relation to the challenges they're facing right now."

He added: "That's where I'm going to put my focus rather than what will end up being very long, endless discussions about reparations on the past."

There has been mounting pressure from leaders of Caribbean nations for the UK to consider paying reparations for the impact of the transatlantic slave trade.

The call has also been echoed by some Labour backbenchers, with Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill, arguing that the UK has both a "moral and legal duty to address the injustices of the past".

She wrote on X: "Refusing to address our country's role in enslavement and colonialism speaks volumes about the regard in which we hold people who still live with their impact."

Earlier this week the prime minister's official spokesman said reparations were "not on the agenda" at the Commonwealth summit and the government would not offer an apology for the slave trade.

"The government's position on this has not changed - we do not pay reparations," the spokesman said.

"The prime minister is attending this week's summit to discuss shared challenges and opportunities faced by the Commonwealth, including driving growth across our economies."

Pressed about an apology, the spokesman added: "The position on apology remains the same, we won't be offering an apology at Chogm, but we will continue to engage with partners on the issues as we work with them to tackle the pressing challenges of today and indeed for the future generations."

Earlier this week, the King was heckled by Australian senator Lidia Thorpe during his address to the Australian parliament on Monday.

She shouted: "Give us our land back. Give us what you stole from us! Our bones, our skulls, our babies, our people. You destroyed our land. Give us a treaty!

"You are not our King, you are not sovereign... you have committed genocide against our people."

Sir Keir will meet the King and Queen who received a ceremonial welcome when they arrived in Samoa for their four-day state visit following their tour of Australia.

 

Apology for slave trade 'not on the agenda', says No 10 as Commonwealth leaders set to defy Sir Keir Starmer​


Apologising for the UK's role in the slave trade is "not on the agenda," Downing Street has said amid the row engulfing the Commonwealth summit.

The prime minister has called the transatlantic slave trade "abhorrent" but ruled out reparations as he said countries affected would rather the UK help them with current issues, such as the impact of climate change.

However, as the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) begins in Samoa tomorrow, Sky News has learned that Commonwealth leaders will agree plans to look at reparations for the slave trade, in defiance of Sir Keir Starmer.

Officials from some countries are drawing up an agreement to conduct further research and begin a "meaningful conversation".

It could leave the UK owing billions of pounds in reparations, which are usually defined as payments paid by a country for damage or losses caused to other countries or their people.

But asked again about reparations in light of the mounting pressure, Sir Keir Starmer's official spokesperson said: "Our position on reparations is clear and remains unchanged.

"We should be facing forward and should be focusing on working with the Commonwealth on the shared issues at the current time. Likewise, suggestions forms of reparatory justice is not something I recognise."

Pressed again on whether an apology could be offered, the spokesperson repeated it was "not on the agenda".

At the end of the Commonwealth summit, the 55 leaders will agree a "communique", which explains what was discussed and summarises decisions on specific issues.

Some leaders are understood to want to include slavery reparations in the communique, with a draft version saying leaders "agreed that the time has come for a meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation towards forging a common future based on equity", according to the BBC.

Other leaders want a separate declaration demanding reparatory justice, which the UK and some countries are unlikely to sign.

This would be the worst-case scenario for the UK as leaders would have to vote on it, risking a split in the Commonwealth.

As well as payments, reparatory justice could also take the form of debt relief, an official apology, educational programmes, economic support, public health assistance and building museums.

A source told Sky News' political editor Beth Rigby Sir Keir's refusal to put reparations on the agenda has agitated some leaders and it looks like no matter what he wants, the issue will be in the final communique.

Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis has said he wants reparatory justice mentioned in the communique and will try to have a "frank" conversation with Sir Keir.

"It's not just about an apology," he told Politico.

"It's not about money, it's about an appreciation and embracing and understanding of what our ancestors went through, that has left a scourge on our race, culturally, mentally and physically."

 

Budget will embrace 'harsh light of fiscal reality', Sir Keir Starmer to say​


The Labour government's first budget will embrace the "harsh light of fiscal reality" but "better days are ahead", Sir Keir Starmer will say in a speech today.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will deliver the budget on Wednesday and setting the tone for the announcement, the prime minister will warn of "unprecedented" economic circumstances and the need to face "the long-term challenges ignored for fourteen years".

Sir Keir is expected to tell the country: "This is an economic plan that will change the long-term trajectory of British growth for the better."

Changes expected in the budget include a rise in employer national insurance, of at least one percentage point, and the scrapping of tax exemptions for private schools.

Labour pledged in its manifesto it would not increase taxes on "working people" and has explicitly ruled out rises in VAT, national insurance and income tax.

But, the party has been accused of hypocrisy over an expected decision to extend a freeze on income tax thresholds.

Ministers have also come under pressure to spell out who falls within the term "working people" after Sir Keir suggested those who make money from assets such as property would not fall within the definition.

Later, the prime minister is expected to say he will not offer the UK's problems as "an excuse", adding: "I expect to be judged on my ability to deal with this.

"We have to be realistic about where we are as a country. This is not 1997, when the economy was decent, but public services were on their knees.

"And it's not 2010, where public services were strong, but the public finances were weak. These are unprecedented circumstances.

"And that's before we even get to the long-term challenges ignored for fourteen years.

"An economy riddled with weakness on productivity and investment. A state that needs urgent modernisation to face down the challenge of a volatile world."

Pre-empting criticism, Sir Keir is expected to tell the public: "It's time we ran towards the tough decisions, because ignoring them set us on the path of decline. It's time we ignored the populist chorus of easy answers… we're never going back to that.

"If people want to criticise the path we choose, that's their prerogative. But let them then spell out a different direction."

"Everyone can wake up on Thursday and understand that a new future is being built, a better future," he is expected to say.

Ms Reeves is looking to fill what's thought to be a £40bn "black hole" to fix public services and shore up the economy.

Some spending plans have already been confirmed, including £1.4bn to rebuild crumbling schools and a £10bn cash injection for the NHS to tackle ballooning waiting lists.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson repeatedly said she could not speculate on how the chancellor intends to fill the black hole in the nation's finances during an interview on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.

But, she said: "We set out in our manifesto that we would not be increasing VAT, national insurance or income tax on working people. We will hold to that. And in the payslips that they see after the budget, they will not face higher taxes."

 

Budget 2024: Employers' national insurance rise is bigger than predicted as chancellor seeks to raise £40bn in taxes​


The budget will increase taxes by £40bn, with the lion's share coming from a £25bn rise in employers' national insurance contributions, the chancellor has announced at the budget.

The rise is bigger than predicted but Rachel Reeves added there would be measures to protect small businesses from the change.

Ms Reeves, who said she was "deeply proud" to be the country's first female chancellor, insisted the Labour government would "invest, invest, invest" and put "more pounds in people's pockets".

The £40bn rise in taxes is thought to be the largest increase at a budget since 1993 and John Major's government.

An increase in employers' national insurance contributions to 15% will raise £25bn per year from April 2025, Ms Reeves announced - in what she said had been a "difficult choice" to make. Businesses previously paid a rate of 13.8% on employees' earnings above a threshold of £9,100 a year - a threshold the chancellor dropped to £5,000.

The chancellor stressed the tax hikes - along with two per cent cuts to spending at all government departments - were needed to fill a £22bn "black hole" in the public finances, which the government says it inherited from the Tories.

The chancellor said a "line-by-line breakdown" of the black hole will be published, which she said shows there were "hundreds of unfunded pressures on the public finances" under the Conservatives.

Fuel duty will also stay frozen next year, the chancellor said.

The chancellor started her budget speech by saying the country "voted for change" and "responsible leadership" on 4 July at the general election - and went on to attack the "irresponsibility" of the previous Conservative government.

"We must restore economic stability and turn the page on the last 14 years," she said.

Ms Reeves added: "The party opposite failed our country. Their austerity broke our National Health Service. The British people have inherited their failure."

"They called an election to avoid making difficult choices," she continued.

The chancellor outlined her priorities as economic growth and the NHS, and pledged an end to "short-termism".

By keeping the triple lock on pensions, the chancellor said 12 million pensioners will gain up to £470 next year.

She also set aside £11.8bn for compensation for victims of the infected blood scandal, and £1.8bn for victims of the Post Office IT scandal.

Ahead of the first Labour budget since Alistair Darling's in 2010, Labour committed in its election manifesto to not increase income tax, national insurance or VAT on "working people".

Various ministers got into a tangle over who exactly qualified as a working person in the weeks before the budget.

That was compounded when it was revealed the government was planning to increase employers' national insurance contributions, as Labour argued it would not be breaking its manifesto promise by doing so.

A few other plans were leaked or announced ahead of the budget, including:

• A change to the fiscal rules - the way in which the government borrows and pays back money - in order to allow for greater investment spending

• An increase to the bus fare cap by 50% to £3

• A boost to the national living wage, with the minimum someone aged 21 and over can be paid increasing by 6.7% to £12.21 an hour

• The national minimum wage, for 16 to 20-year-olds, will also increase - by 16.3% to £10 an hour

• Nearly £3bn in new funding for the Armed Forces.

 
My eyes are in tears watching this speech from Suank. He was such a soft and docile leader of opposition. But looks like someone asked him to be more aggressive and todays speech was just awesome. Starmer is humiliated....woohoo

As a British tax payer, I am so mad at this labour govt. Get them out ASAP pls
 
Looks like an excellent budget given the mess the conservatives dumped them with, lots of positives in it for the working class.
 
My eyes are in tears watching this speech from Suank. He was such a soft and docile leader of opposition. But looks like someone asked him to be more aggressive and todays speech was just awesome.

The fact it took the announcement of a budget that primarily negatively impacts him and the other highest earners in the country but benefits the majority to get him so animated kind of says it all about him and his party.
 

Sir Keir Starmer vows to defend budget decisions 'all day long' as farmers slam 'disrespectful' PM​


Sir Keir Starmer has said he will defend the decisions made in the budget "all day long" amid anger from farmers over inheritance tax changes.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced last month in her key speech that from April 2026, farms worth more than £1m will face an inheritance tax rate of 20%, rather than the standard 40% applied to other land and property.

The announcement has sparked anger among farmers who argue this will mean higher food prices, lower food production and having to sell off land to pay for the tax.

Sir Keir defended the budget as he gave his first speech as prime minister at the Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno, North Wales, where farmers have been holding a tractor protest outside.

Sir Keir admitted: "We've taken some extremely tough decisions on tax."

He said: "I will defend facing up to the harsh light of fiscal reality. I will defend the tough decisions that were necessary to stabilise our economy.

"And I will defend protecting the payslips of working people, fixing the foundations of our economy, and investing in the future of Britain and the future of Wales. Finally, turning the page on austerity once and for all."

He also said the budget allocation for Wales was a "record figure" - some £21bn for next year - an extra £1.7bn through the Barnett Formula, as he hailed a "path of change" with Labour governments in Wales and Westminster.

And he confirmed a £160m investment zone in Wrexham and Flintshire will be going live in 2025.

Among the hundreds of farmers demonstrating was Gareth Wyn Jones, who told Sky News it was "disrespectful" that the prime minister did not mention farmers in his speech.

He said "so many people have come here to air their frustrations. He (Starmer) had an opportunity to address the crowd. Even if he was booed he should have been man enough to come out and talk to the people".

He said farmers planned to deliver Sir Keir a letter which begins with "'don't bite the hand that feeds you".

Mr Wyn Jones told Sky News the government was "destroying" an industry that was already struggling.

"They're destroying an industry that's already on its knees and struggling, absolutely struggling, mentally, emotionally and physically. We need government support not more hindrance so we can produce food to feed the nation."

He said inheritance tax changes will result in farmers increasing the price of food: "The poorer people in society aren't going to be able to afford good, healthy, nutritious British food, so we have to push this to government for them to understand that enough is enough, the farmers can't take any more of what they're throwing at us."

Mr Wyn Jones disputed the government's estimation that only 500 farming estates in the UK will be affected by the inheritance tax changes.

"Look, a lot of farmers in this country are in their 70s and 80s, they haven't handed their farms down because that's the way it's always been, they've always known there was never going to be inheritance tax."

On Friday, Sir Keir addressed farmers' concerns, saying: "I know some farmers are anxious about the inheritance tax rules that we brought in two weeks ago.

"What I would say about that is, once you add the £1m for the farmland to the £1m that is exempt for your spouse, for most couples with a farm wanting to hand on to their children, it's £3m before anybody pays a penny in inheritance tax."

 

Starmer 'determined' to keep Calais border checks​


Sir Keir Starmer has said he is "determined" British border checks in Calais will continue.

A coalition of French mayors has called for an end to a deal that allows UK immigration checks to be carried out before crossing the English Channel.

The prime minister said he would be "taking this up with the French authorities".

Sir Keir told BBC Radio Kent: "We need those checks to be carried out there.

"I'm taking this up with the French authorities because it's a very important provision. I am concerned about that and determined to make sure that we get the checks where we need them."

The prime minister also tackled the issue of small boat crossings.

With crossings close to exceeding 20,000 since Labour took power in the July elections, he said: "We need to break the gangs.

"Before I was a politician I was the chief prosecutor... and we took down gangs that were involved in terrorism, guns and drugs, and do not accept that the only gangs that can't be broken are these gangs."

 
Starmer: UK does not need to choose between US and EU

The prime minister has rejected any suggestion that the UK must choose between closer ties with the US or the European Union, when Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Sir Keir Starmer said his government would "never turn away" from its partnership with the US, and also promised to build stronger bonds with Europe.

He also stressed the world faced "dangerous times", saying stability was essential for growth, so the UK must continue to back Ukraine against Russia "as an erratic, increasingly desperate aggressor".

He added: "There is no growth without security – and no security without alliances."

Speaking at the Lord Mayor's Banquet in London's Guildhall, an annual event held by the City of London Corporation and where the PM traditionally speaks on international issues, Sir Keir set out how the UK would now "stand tall on the world stage".

"Against the backdrop of these dangerous times, the idea that we must choose between our allies, that somehow we’re with either America or Europe, is plain wrong," he said.

"I reject it utterly. Attlee did not choose between allies. Churchill did not choose.

"The national interest demands that we work with both."

There’s long been speculation US president-elect Donald Trump may launch a trade war against Europe and reduce support for Ukraine, even Nato.

In such circumstances, analysts suggest Britain would come under pressure from the US and Europe to take sides.

Sir Keir praised the incoming US leader as gracious, adding that he told him during their meeting in New York in September that the UK "will invest more deeply than ever in this transatlantic bond with our American friends in the years to come".

The PM also repeated his promise to rebuild and renew ties with Europe, which he said were vital to Britain’s security and prosperity.

Sir Keir insisted it is "deeply in our self-interest" to support Ukraine against Russian president Vladimir Putin because "the future of freedom in Europe is being decided today".

The UK is now "determined to fight harder on the world stage for our national interests and ready to dig deeper to defend them", he said, because a win for Putin would damage "our own security, stability and prosperity".

"So we must continue to back Ukraine and do what it takes to support their self-defence for as long as it takes," he said.

Supporting allies was what former prime ministers Clement Attlee and Winston Churchill had done, he said, adding that he thought of the Attlee government of 1945 and its ambition to build "a country fit for heroes".

"And they saw that maintaining our strength abroad gave us the foundation to succeed at home. That is as true today as it was then," he said.

Now was the time, Sir Keir said, to "strengthen our security as the bedrock on which the economy rests – and the ultimate guarantor of everything we hold dear".

Such words may be tested come January if the US imposes tariffs on European goods and demands the continent trades less with China, all while forcing Ukraine to cede territory.

However, Conservative Party co-chair Nigel Huddlestone said it was Sir Keir's government that had "set our country back" since Labour took power five months ago.

He said: "From driving business confidence to near-record lows, working people punished with a jobs tax, growth projections slashed, and a dash to surrender British interests overseas - it’s no wonder he’s been forced into a desperate reset."

BBC
 

Truss legal threat to PM over claim she crashed economy​


Former Prime Minister Liz Truss has sent a legal "cease and desist" letter to Sir Keir Starmer demanding he stop saying she "crashed the economy".

Her lawyers argue the claim made repeatedly by Sir Keir is "false and defamatory", and harmed her politically in the run-up to losing her South West Norfolk seat in the general election.

Truss was the UK's shortest-serving PM, forced to resign after just 49 days in office when borrowing costs soared in the aftermath of her government's mini-budget.

The prime minister's spokesman suggested Truss should also write to "millions of people up and down the country" who, he said, had seen their mortgage bills pushed up by her economic policies.

Sir Keir "absolutely stands by" his language about the previous government's record, the spokesman told reporters.

Responding on X, Truss said: "I know Keir Starmer won't repeat his allegations that I crashed the economy because he knows it's a lie."

Earlier, Commons leader Lucy Powell told MPs "we won't cease and desist from telling the truth that they [the Conservatives] crashed the economy".

Also speaking in the Commons, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said the previous Conservative government had "ruined the lives of people across this country" through their "hubris" and "recklessness".

It comes as the pound fell to its lowest level in over a year and government borrowing costs have surged to their highest level in 16 years.

Economists have warned these rising costs could force further tax rises or cuts in spending as the government tries to meet its self-imposed rule not to borrow to fund day-to-day spending.

Responding to an urgent question in the Commons, Jones insisted there was "no need for an emergency intervention" in financial markets.

Movements in borrowing costs were being driven by "a wide range of international and domestic factors," he said.

Tory shadow chancellor Mel Stride said Labour's tax rises would be "swallowed up by the higher borrowing costs at no benefit to the British people".

A "cease and desist" letter usually represents a warning that the recipient will face legal action if they continue the allegedly unlawful activity.

In the letter sent to Sir Keir on Thursday, Truss's lawyers say his statements about their client are "false and misleading".

"Their publication is not only extremely damaging but also grossly defamatory and indefensible... It would be hard to avoid a conclusion that they were made maliciously," the letter adds.

Truss's lawyers say they are seeking "an amicable basis on which you will agree to cease repetition of what is clearly a factually incorrect and defamatory statement about our client.

"This request is made in the context of the basic levels of civility which is due between senior politicians, and we trust that you will respond accordingly."

The letter argues that the movements in financial markets during Truss's tenure in No 10 should not be classified as an economic crash.

The weeks following the mini-budget delivered by Truss's chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng in September 2022, which included wide-ranging tax cuts, saw sharply adverse market reaction, and mortgage costs soared.

But in a video posted on X after Downing Street's comments, Truss said Labour, the Bank of England and "the media establishment smeared my budget and forced a reversal".

"Now, they've plunged the country into economic crisis," she added.

During the Conservative Party conference last October, the former prime minister said it would be "economic illiteracy" to suggest that tax rises from Labour - at that point anticipated in Rachel Reeves' upcoming first Budget - were a result of her economic inheritance.

Last July, shortly after Labour took office, civil servants changed documents describing the mini-budget as "disastrous" after she complained they showed "flagrant" political bias.

Briefing notes on the King's Speech, which sets out the government's programme of new laws - published earlier on the government website - said the former PM's approach had damaged the UK's financial credibility.

The Cabinet Office said the documents had been "corrected and updated".

 

UK to 'mainline AI in the veins' under new plans from Sir Keir Starmer​


The government will "mainline AI into the veins" of the UK, with plans being unveiled today by Sir Keir Starmer.

The prime minister is set to promise investment, jobs and economic growth due to a boom in the sector.

It comes as his government battles against allegations they are mismanaging the economy and stymied growth with the budget last autumn.

The government's announcement claims that, if AI is "fully embraced", it could bring £47bn to the economy every year.

And it says that £14bn is set to be invested by the private sector, bringing around 13,000 jobs.

The majority of those would be construction roles to build new data centres and other infrastructure, with a smaller number of technical jobs once the work is finished.

Sir Keir said: "Artificial Intelligence will drive incredible change in our country. From teachers personalising lessons, to supporting small businesses with their record-keeping, to speeding up planning applications, it has the potential to transform the lives of working people.

"But the AI industry needs a government that is on their side, one that won't sit back and let opportunities slip through its fingers. And in a world of fierce competition, we cannot stand by. We must move fast and take action to win the global race."

The prime minister added that he wants Britain to be "the world leader" in AI.

The government announcement said: "Today's plan mainlines AI into the veins of this enterprising nation."

To achieve this, the government will implement all 50 recommendations made by Matt Clifford following his review last year.

This includes creating new AI "growth zones" - the first of which is set to be in Culham, Oxfordshire, where the UK's Atomic Energy Authority is based.

These zones will get faster planning decisions and extra power infrastructure.

The government also wants to increase UK computing power 20-fold by 2030, including by building a brand-new supercomputer.

Labour cancelled a planned supercomputer when it entered office, as it claimed it wasn't funded. The new venture is expected to be a joint public-private project.

The government says its plans will have three pillars. This includes laying the foundations with new AI growth zones and the new supercomputer.

The second is to boost AI take up by the public and private sectors. New pilots for AI in the public service are set to be announced, and Sir Keir has written to all cabinet ministers, telling them to drive AI adoption and growth.

And the third pillar is keeping ahead of the pack, with the government set to establish a "team" to keep the UK "at the forefront of emerging technology".

The announcement was welcomed by a slew of technology bosses.

Chris Lehane, the chief global affairs officer at OpenAI, which released ChatGPT, said: "The government's AI action plan - led by the prime minister and [Science] Secretary Peter Kyle - recognises where AI development is headed and sets the UK on the right path to benefit from its growth.

"The UK has an enormous national resource in the talent of its people, institutions and businesses which together, can leverage AI to advance the country's national interest."

The shadow secretary for science, innovation and technology, Alan Mak, said: "Labour's plan will not support the UK to become a tech and science superpower. They're delivering analogue government in a digital age.

"Shaping a successful AI future requires investment, but in the six months leading up to this plan, Labour cut £1.3bn in funding for Britain's first next-generation supercomputer and AI research whilst imposing a national insurance jobs tax that will cost business in the digital sector £1.66bn.

"AI does have the potential to transform public services, but Labour's economic mismanagement and uninspiring plan will mean Britain is left behind."

 

UK will 'never let up' on Ukraine support, says Starmer​


Sir Keir Starmer has made his first trip to Kyiv as prime minister, vowing to put Ukraine in the "strongest possible position" in 2025.

Arriving on Thursday morning, he accompanied Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to lay flowers at a wall of remembrance for those killed in the war with Russia - telling reporters the UK will "never let up" on giving the necessary support to Ukraine.

The trip is taking place to mark what Downing Street has called a "landmark 100-year partnership" pact with Ukraine. The agreement would formalise economic and military support already pledged to the country.

His visit comes just days before Donald Trump is set to re-enter the White House.

The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is keen to firm security guarantees from key allies, wary that a new US administration could start pushing Ukraine to make peace with Russia.

Unlike other prime ministers who have rushed to Kyiv, Sir Keir has taken his time to visit, but after six months in office he has come to Ukraine pledging long-term support against what he calls Russia's "illegal and barbaric invasion".

Multiple explosions and air raid sirens could be heard in Kyiv shortly after the prime minister laid a wreath in the city's central square.

Speaking as he travelled to the country, Sir Keir said: "This is not just about the here and now, it is also about an investment in our two countries for the next century."

"[Russian President Vladimir] Putin's ambition to wrench Ukraine away from its closest partners has been a monumental strategic failure. Instead, we are closer than ever, and this partnership will take that friendship to the next level," he added.

Shortly after arriving, the prime minister visited a hospital in Kyiv specialising in treating burns.

He was given a private tour of the intensive care unit where he met wounded Ukrainians on a rehabilitating ward that is supported by the British Red Cross.

Sir Keir said the injuries he saw were "a grim reminder of the heavy price that Ukraine is paying".

"One of the consequences of this conflict has been to draw Nato more strongly together," said the prime minister.

He added support for Ukraine was "bigger and stronger than it has been, and we must stand behind Ukraine for as long as it takes".

"We must never let up on that and we've been leading the way," he said.

Trump's choice to become secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said earlier this week that both countries would have to make concessions to see an end to the war.

Thursday's announcement includes economic aid, support for healthcare, and increased military collaboration on maritime security and drone technology.

Zelensky has previously said he is looking towards the UK for help getting security guarantees to deter future attacks.

Joining Nato is towards the top of his wish list, but Ukraine also wants its allies to send peacekeepers to the country if fighting does stop, to patrol the current frontline which could become a buffer zone in any peace agreement.

Ahead of the visit, Zelensky said this was something he would discuss with the prime minister.

It builds on £12.8bn of support the UK has already given to Ukraine. The country has also already committed to giving the country £3bn in military aid every year for "as long as it takes".

Ukraine has already been using British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to attack Russian military facilities far from the border.

Their arrival late last year was welcomed by Kyiv, and slammed by Moscow.

The partnership, formed of a treaty and a political declaration, is due to be presented to Parliament in the coming weeks.

Plans for it had begun under the previous Conservative government.

Sir Keir previously visited Ukraine when he was leader of the opposition in 2023, and has hosted President Zelensky twice at Downing Street since entering office.

 
UK not choosing between US and EU, says Starmer

The UK is "not choosing between the US and the EU", Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said after President Donald Trump threatened the European Union with trade tariffs.

Over the weekend, Trump announced 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico - which have both since been paused - and said he would take similar action against the EU but suggested a deal could be "worked out" with the UK.

Asked if he would be willing to water down attempts to forge closer ties with the EU in exchange for keeping the US on side, Sir Keir said both relationships were important to the UK.

"Now, that for me isn't new, I think that's always been the case and will be the case for many, many years to come," he added.

The prime minister told a press conference in Brussels it was "early days" when it came to tariff talks with the US and that he backed "open and strong trading relations".

Sir Keir was in Belgium to meet Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte and attend talks with EU leaders - the first PM to do so since Brexit.

Asked about tensions between the US and the EU, Rutte said there were "always issues between allies" but that would "not get in the way of our collective determination to keep our deterrent strong".

On Ukraine, he said Nato - the military alliance of Western countries - had to "not only sustain but continue to step up our support" to ensure Ukraine could negotiate with Russia from "a position of strength".

He added that spending 2% of national income on defence was "not enough to keep us safe" and that there was "no time to waste" in boosting funding.

Currently Nato asks every member country to spend a least 2% of GDP on defence, however it is thought only 23 of the 32 members meet the target.

Sir Keir said the UK currently spends 2.3% and that his government would shortly be setting out "the path" towards reaching 2.5%.

Speaking at a European Council dinner, the prime minister called for more military collaboration between the UK and Europe including by improving military mobility and logistics across Europe, focusing on research and development and deepening industrial collaboration.

He also said there should be more co-operation to protect against state threats and sabotage, including on subsea infrastructure. This comes after the UK issued a warning to Russia last month after a spy ship was spotted near undersea cables.

While defence is the focus of his Brussels trip, for Sir Keir it is also part of an ongoing bid to "reset" UK-EU relations.

The UK government wants to forge stronger links with the EU - but that could anger the US and risk the UK getting caught up in a trade war.

Similarly, the EU might object to Sir Keir siding with the US rather than its European neighbours.

Earlier, No 10 said the prime minister trusted Trump and pointed to "a really constructive early set of conversations" between the two men.

"We've got a fair and balanced trading relationship which benefits both sides of the Atlantic," the spokesman added.

"It's worth around £300bn and we are each other's single largest investors, with £1.2tn invested in each other's economies."

Following Trump's tariffs announcements over the weekend, European and Asian stock markets fell, with car manufacturers particularly badly hit.

The UK was also impacted but to a lesser extent than the EU.

Analysis produced last year by the University of Sussex suggested the UK could face a £22bn hit to exports if the US imposed a blanket 20% tariff on all imports.

Trump believes imposing tariffs will help grow the US economy and protect jobs, however it could lead to consumers paying more as prices adjust to the taxes.

On Monday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the imposition of the 25% tariffs had been delayed after reaching an agreement with the US which would see her country deploy 10,000 troops to tackle drug trafficking into the US.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also confirmed that Trump's proposed tariffs of 25% on Canadian goods would be "paused for at least 30 days while we work together".

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU wanted a constructive dialogue with the US but was ready to respond firmly if it was "unfairly" targeted by the new Trump administration.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that if EU interests were attacked, the trading bloc would have to "make itself respected and thus react".

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said there were "no winners in trade wars", but if there was a trade war with the US "then the one laughing on the side is China".

Asked earlier if he would put tariffs on the UK, Tump said: "UK is out of line but I'm sure that one... I think that one can be worked out."

He added his discussions with the British prime minister had "been very nice" adding: "We've had a couple of meetings. We've had numerous phone calls. We're getting along very well."

As well as defence the UK wants to discuss easing restrictions on the trade of food and animal products and co-operation on emission trading schemes with the EU.

The mutual recognition of professional qualifications and allowing touring musicians to travel more easily are also areas of interest.

The EU is keen to set up a youth mobility scheme, which would make it easier for young EU citizens to study and work in the UK and vice versa. However, ministers have so far rejected the idea.

Downing Street has not ruled out joining the Pan-Euro-Mediterranean Convention, which would allow tariff-free trade on some goods.

The Conservatives have accused the government of "trying to reopen the divisions of the past and edge us back into the EU".

In contrast, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has been urging the government to negotiate a new UK-EU customs union, allowing tariff-free trade between the two sides.

Following the tariff announcements, Sir Ed said the US president was "acting like a playground bully" and the UK should "work with our allies in the Commonwealth and Europe to stand strong against Trump".

BBC
 
Starmer to join Macron-led European crisis summit on Trump’s Ukraine plan

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, was on Saturday night seeking to convene an emergency meeting of European leaders, including the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, as concerns grew over Donald Trump’s attempts to seize control of the Ukraine peace process.

Speaking at the Munich security conference, Poland’s foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, said he was “very glad that President Macron has called our leaders to Paris” to discuss “in a very serious fashion” the challenges posed by Trump.

“President Trump has a method of operating which the Russians call razvedka boyem – reconnaissance through battle: you push and you see what happens, and then you change your position ... and we need to respond,” the Polish minister said.

The meeting, likely to be held on Monday, is expected to discuss US efforts to exclude European leaders from the peace talks, the position Europe should adopt on Ukraine’s future membership of Nato and how Ukraine can be offered security guarantees, either through Nato or some European force.

Downing Street confirmed on Saturday it had heard about the proposed meeting and officials made clear that Starmer would attend and take messages from the meeting to Washington this week, when he will meet President Trump. UK sources said they believed those invited to Paris by Macron would be the Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, and the leaders of Germany, Italy, the UK and Poland.

Starmer said: “This is a once-in-a-generation moment for our national security where we engage with the reality of the world today and the threat we face from Russia. It’s clear Europe must take a greater role in Nato as we work with the United States to secure Ukraine’s future and face down the threat we face from Russia. The UK will work to ensure we keep the US and Europe together. We cannot allow any divisions in the alliance to distract from the external enemies we face.”

Macron’s speed in trying to unite European leaders behind a joint response shows the extent of anxiety in Europe about US efforts both to control the process and exclude European governments from any detailed negotiations between the US and Russia.

The prospect of Starmer’s involvement also highlights how the UK prime minister is becoming drawn into a European response, despite the UK having left the EU. With European leaders expected to convene in Paris, it is anticipated that Russian and US officials will meet in Saudi Arabia this week to map out what they intend to be the peace process.

The Europeans’ anxieties intensified on Saturday when Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said it was not realistic for Europe’s leaders to be involved. “It may be like chalk on the blackboard, it may grate a little bit, but I am telling you something that is really quite honest,” said Kellogg at the Munich conference.

“And to my European friends, I would say: ‘Get into the debate, not by complaining that you might, yes or no, be at the table, but by coming up with concrete proposals, ideas, ramp up [defence] spending.’”

Kellogg said he was working on “Trump time”, and an agreement was expected in weeks and months.

The US is also reported to have sent a letter to European states, asking what troops they are willing to supply to a peacekeeping force.

One European diplomat said that “it appears Europe is going to be asked to police a deal that it had no direct hand in negotiating. In the meantime, Donald Trump is seeking to take 50% control of Ukraine’s rare minerals”.

Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, said the world was experiencing a “moment of truth” as possible negotiations to end the war in Ukraine approached. “Everyone in the world has to decide whether they are on the side of the free world or on the side of those who are fighting against the free world.”.

In an assertion of Europe’s right to be present at the talks, she added that there can be “no long-term peace if there is no European peace”.

European sources said the serious concern was that Trump may negotiate the terms of the ceasefire that was intended to be a long-term deal, but that he would quickly wash US hands of any role in Ukraine’s future security.

The UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, said it was vital to guard against the possibility of future Russian breaches of any agreement. He said: “We need a guarantee that, if the agreement is violated, we can act, and this is a sufficient threat for the Russian Federation not to violate this guarantee.”

He also urged the US not to disengage from Ukraine, saying the best security guarantee for the country against future Russian aggression was binding US industry, business and defence capability into its future. “That is what will make Putin sit up and pay attention, and that is what’s attractive to a US president who knows how to get a good deal.”

Kellogg said one reason previous peace talks had failed was because too many countries were involved. “We are not going to get down that path,” he said on the margins of the Munich security conference.

Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, had earlier used his speech to the conference to warn that Europe was likely to be excluded from the negotiations. He urged Europe to step up and form a European army in which Ukraine would play a central role.

Zelenskyy told Europe to avoid being abandoned at the negotiation table by Trump. “Let’s be honest – now we can’t rule out that America might say no to Europe on issues that threaten it. Many leaders have talked about a Europe that needs its own military – an army of Europe. I believe the time has come. The armed forces of Europe must be created.

“A few days ago, President Trump told me about his conversation with Putin. Not once did he mention that America needs Europe at that table. That says a lot. The old days are over – when America supported Europe just because it always had.

“Ukraine will never accept deals made behind our backs without our involvement. And the same rule should apply to all of Europe. No decisions about Ukraine without Ukraine. No decisions about Europe without Europe.”

With many European nations facing increasingly Eurosceptic electorates, his ideas about integration are unlikely to take off, but his remarks may galvanise the continent into more detailed discussions about what military role it can play in Ukraine, including by putting troops on the ground to protect a ceasefire.

European leaders went into Saturday’s session of the Munich conference already reeling from the confrontational speech on Friday by the US vice-president, JD Vance, in which he scolded them for ignoring popular concerns over immigration and accused them of suppressing free speech.

The EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, characterised Vance as “trying to pick a fight” with Europe, home to some of the US’s closest allies.

The Polish prime minister, Donald Tusk, responded on social media, saying: “Europe urgently needs its own plan of action concerning Ukraine and our security, or else other global players will decide about our future. Not necessarily in line with our own interest … This plan must be prepared now. There’s no time to lose.”

SOURCE: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...-take-part-in-us-russia-talks-ukraine-kellogg
 

Whats the credibility of this report

@Bewal Express @emranabbas
Its all relative. The UK is the 5th biggest economy in the world. It does however have too many people on benefits and not enough working. The system is perversely incentivised to make benefits more attractive than working. But the irony that GEO is talking about poverty in the UK when GEO is the biggest welfare queen of all. It needs the boots for all its income
 
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