Sir Keir Starmer has concluded a two-hour dinner meeting with Donald Trump in New York, according to reports.
The PM and Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with the former president on Thursday night before flying back to the UK.
Topics discussed included the importance of retaining the close partnership between the UK & US, according to Downing Street.
Starmer was in the US to deliver a speech to world leaders at the UN General Assembly.
As part of a raft of bilateral meetings, he will discuss ongoing conflicts between Israel, Lebanon and Palestine with world leaders and US presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
The prime minister will use tonight’s address to say that the UK is returning to “responsible global leadership” because it is in British interests to address problems around the world.
The 79th UN summit comes as the Middle East teeters on the brink of all-out conflict and the bloody war in Ukraine grinds on.
It follows an intervention at the UN Security Council where he tore into Russia over its actions in Ukraine, saying Vladimir Putin was treating his own citizens as “bits of meat to fling into the grinder” in the conflict.
Sir Keir has been embroiled in a donations row after borrowing an £18m penthouse flat from Labour donor Lord Waheed Alli during the general election and to film a Covid video. But Downing Street claims he did not break the rules.
Key Points
- Keir Starmer to meet Donald Trump in New York
- Starmer to promise ‘global leadership’ in UN General Assembly speech
- Starmer to hold post-Brexit ‘reset’ talks with EU chiefs
- Pensioners start legal battle against government over winter fuel payment cuts
- PM Covid video urging work from home shot in Lord Alli’s penthouse
Watch: Kemi Badenoch explains why she feels ‘sympathy’ for Labour MPs
05:30
Salma Ouaguira
COMMENT | What does the future of The Spectator look like with ‘arch schemer’ Gove at the helm?
05:00
Salma Ouaguira
If he resists the temptation to simply preach the gospel of his friend and proprietor Sir Paul Marshall, the former Tory minister may find that he thrives in the role, writes Alan Rusbridger:
Watch: Who will be the next leader of the Conservatives?
04:30
Salma Ouaguira
Starmer and Palestinian president urge immediate ceasefire in Middle East
04:00
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer has been busy meeting world leaders at the annual United Nations General Assembly ahead of his keynote speech today.
He held bilateral talks last night with Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas as Israel’s war on Gaza continues.
Both leaders have condemned the attacks of 7 October and agreed on the need of an immediate ceasefire across the Middle East.
In a read out, No 10 said: “He also highlighted the civilian death toll in Gaza since then, with 41,000 killed and 100,000 injured, plus 70 per cent of infrastructure devastated.
“The prime minister agreed that the loss of civilian life had been intolerable.”
Downing Street added: “The president and prime minister also condemned the increase in settler violence and settlement activity there has been on the West Bank.”
What was announced in Starmer’s Labour conference speech?
03:30
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer’s address to the 2024 Labour Party Conference saw him promise to rebuild Britain “brick by brick” after fourteen years of Tory government, telling conference delegates his government will create a “Britain that belongs to you”.
But what exactly was announced? We look at the key developments from the prime minister’s speech below.
Starmer wraps up 2-hour dinner with Donald Trump
03:00
Graeme Massie
Sir Keir Starmer has finished a two-hour dinner meeting with Donald Trump in New York, according to reports.
The PM and Foreign Secretary David Lammy met with the former president before flying back to the UK.
Topics discussed included the importance of retaining the close partnership between the UK & US, according to Downing Street.
Sir Keir Starmer says he wants to “reset” the UK’s relationship with the EU.
03:00
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer will visit Brussels as he steps up efforts to “reset” the UK’s relationship with the European Union.
The Prime Minister wants to repair the damage caused by years of Brexit wrangling in an effort to boost trade and security co-operation.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen revealed that Sir Keir would visit Brussels next week after the pair met in New York.
Sir Keir has met a string of EU leaders since taking office and has spoken about his “ambitious” plans for a new relationship.
Sir Keir said: “I want to reset our relationship with the EU and make Brexit work for the British people.”
He said he was “looking forward to visiting Brussels next week to start discussions” with the commission president.
I want to reset our relationship with the EU and make Brexit work for the British people.
— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) September 25, 2024
Looking forward to visiting Brussels next week to start discussions with @vonderleyen. pic.twitter.com/WZ2TQWZato
Tory leadership candidate Labour most fears revealed
02:30
Salma Ouaguira
Senior aids have revealed that Labour wants to “avoid” James Cleverly as future Tory leader.
According to the i newspaper, Downing Street officials said it was the former home secretary who they would least like to win the contest.
A Labour party figure said: “I think Cleverly could be a problem. He sounds quite reasonable,” a No 10 aide added: “James Cleverly – that’s who we want to avoid.”
Another government aide said Kemi Badenoch does not represent a threat as the party is “not sure she’d take our votes”.
£10bn data centre investment shows UK ‘open for business’, says Starmer
02:00
Salma Ouaguira
A £10 billion US investment in a new artificial intelligence data centre will create 4,000 jobs in the UK, the government has announced.
The deal with private equity giant Blackstone will create Europe’s biggest AI data centre in Blyth, Northumberland.
You can read the full story below:
POLITICS EXPLAINED | Can Starmer ignore his Labour conference defeat on fuel payments?
01:30
Salma Ouaguira
Rank-and-file members at conference – Labour’s supreme policy-making body – have voted against the government’s decision to means-test pensioners’ winter fuel payments.
John Rentoul explains why the cuts will go ahead regardless:
Starmer’s Covid broadcast urging work from home recorded in donor’s £18m penthouse
01:00
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer recorded a Covid-era broadcast urging the public to work from home from a Labour donor’s £18 million penthouse.
The Christmas message, broadcast in December 2021, was reportedly filmed at a flat belonging to Lord Waheed Alli - a donor who has handed hundreds of thousands of pounds to the Labour Party over the last two decades.
It came five days after the previous Conservative government presided over new guidance to limit the spread of a new Covid-19 variant, including recommendations to work from home when possible.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has the full story:
Fewer pupils out of school at start of academic year as absence fines rise
Friday 27 September 2024 00:30
Salma Ouaguira
The number of pupils in England off school without permission at the start of the academic year has fallen slightly compared with last year, figures suggest.
Data from the Department for Education (DfE) shows the unauthorised absence rate across all schools in England was 2.0% in the week ending September 13, compared with 2.1% in the equivalent week in 2023.
It comes as parents in England face higher fines if they take their children out of class without permission this academic year as part of a government drive to boost attendance since the Covid-19 pandemic.
School absence fines have increased from £60 to £80 under the changes, and a parent who receives a second fine for the same child within a three-year period will automatically receive a £160 fine.
The DfE has said other actions, such as a parenting order or prosecution, will be considered if a parent exceeds two fines per child within a three-year period, and those who are prosecuted could receive a fine of up to £2,500.
In the last week of the summer term – the week ending July 19 – the unauthorised absence rate was 5.0%, which was lower than at the end of the academic year in 2023 when the rate was 5.6%.
Pensioners in legal action against governments over winter fuel payment cut
Friday 27 September 2024 00:00
Salma Ouaguira
Two pensioners are seeking to take the Scottish and UK governments to court over the cut to the winter fuel payment.
Peter and Florence Fanning, of Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire, have raised proceedings with the help of the Govan Law Centre against the Scottish government and the UK Work and Pensions Secretary over the policy.
Following Labour’s election win, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the winter fuel payment – which had previously been universal – will only be available to those on pension credit or other means-tested benefits this year due to financial woes.
The decision led to the Scottish government – which was due to take control over a similar payment through the devolved Social Security Scotland but has since announced a delay – to follow suit.
The judicial review – which has been raised at the Court of Session – now requires a judge’s approval to move to a hearing on the merits, with the Govan Law Centre seeking to expedite both the case and its application for legal aid to ensure a decision can be handed down before the winter.
The case asks the court to rule on whether the decision was unlawful, which would then allow the petitioners to ask the court to, in effect, set aside the policy and restore the winter fuel payment to all.
Speaking at a press conference in Edinburgh on Thursday, Mr Fanning, 73, said: “We intend to sue both the London and Scottish governments, since both are guilty through action and inaction, of damaging the welfare of pensioners.
“We are hoping to be successful, given the manifest injustice involved, however, my work as a trade unionist and shop steward has taught me that some battles are worth fighting regardless of the outcome – I believe this is one such battle.”
‘I have to be nice’ Donald Trump ahead of New York meeting with Sir Keir
Thursday 26 September 2024 23:46
Barney Davis
Asked by GB News what he thought of Sir Keir Starmer, Trump replied: “Well I’m going to see him in about an hour so I have to be nice.”
“I actually think he’s very nice. He ran a great race, he did very well, it’s very early he’s very popular.”
Ahead of the meeting, Sir Keir told reporters: “I think it really matters that you know who your counterpart is in any given country, and know them personally, get to know them face to face.”
‘Gaza shames us all' Sir Keir tells world leaders
Thursday 26 September 2024 22:52
Barney Davis
The Prime Minister used his UN address to call for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East.
He said: “We need to see an immediate ceasefire to provide space for a diplomatic settlement, and we are working with all partners to that end.
“Further escalation serves no one. It offers nothing but more suffering of innocent people on all sides and the prospect of a wider war that no-one can control and consequences none of us can foresee.
“It shames us all the suffering in Gaza continues to grow. The answer is diplomacy, the release of all the hostages and the unfettered flow of aid to those in need - it is the only way to break the devastating cycle of violence.
He called for a two state solution as well as peace in Sudan calling it the “worst humanitarian crisis in the world today”.
He adds: “The world cannot look away”
Sir Keir will meet Trump but not Kamala Harris
Thursday 26 September 2024 22:44
Barney Davis
Ahead of his meeting with the Republican presidential candidate at Trump Tower, Sir Keir told reporters: “I’ve said a number of times, I want to meet both candidates.
“We’ve now got the opportunity to meet Trump, which is good.
“Obviously, I still want to speak to Harris as well.
“But you know, the usual diary challenges, but it’s good that this one now has been fixed.
“I think it really matters that you know who your counterpart is in any given country, and know them personally, get to know them face to face.”
He said the UK embassy team, led by ambassador Dame Karen Pierce, “has got good relations with both camps and has had for a long time”.
Asked whether he would be prepared to stand up to Mr Trump on issues such as support for Ukraine, Sir Keir said: “The first thing I think is important to say in relation to this is we’ve obviously had a special relationship with”
Sir Keir Starmer says UN must move fast to tackle global conflict
Thursday 26 September 2024 22:41
Barney Davis
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, the PM told world leaders: “Conflict touches more countries now than ever in UN history.
“War is one of the main reasons that progress has stalled. That is a catastrophe made by human hands.
“We are returning the UK to responsible global leadership. I think the international system can be better, we need it to be better.
“People talk about instability and a fear of fatalism has taken hold. We won’t accept this slide into greater conflict
“This is the moment to reassert fundamental principles to recommit to the UN and rule of law.
“So we are ready to step up.”
Sir Keir Starmer looking forward to getting to know Donald Trump ‘face-to-face’
Thursday 26 September 2024 22:04
Barney Davis
The Prime Minister is visiting the Republican presidential candidate’s Trump Tower for talks ahead of November’s US election.
Sir Keir said he wanted to meet Mr Trump face to face because “I’m a great believer in personal relationships on the world stage”.
Ahead of the meeting, Sir Keir told reporters: “I’ve said a number of times, I want to meet both candidates.
“We’ve now got the opportunity to meet Trump, which is good.
“Obviously, I still want to speak to Harris as well.
“But you know, the usual diary challenges, but it’s good that this one now has been fixed.
“It’ll be really to establish a relationship between the two of us.
“I’m a great believer in personal relations on the international stage.
“I think it really matters that you know who your counterpart is in any given country, and know them personally, get to know them face to face.”
Baroness Warsi quits Tories claiming party attempting to gag her
Thursday 26 September 2024 21:38
Barney Davis
Former Tory chair Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has quit the Conservatives in a furious row just as the party is preparing to gather for a crucial conference on its future in Birmingham.
The Muslim peer was brought in as chair by David Cameron in 2010 to help detoxify the party’s brand and bring it into the 21st century.
But since leaving government in 2014 Warsi has had a difficult relationship with the Tory leadership consistently calling out racism and islamophobia in the Conservative Party.
David Maddox reports:
COMMENT | What does the future of The Spectator look like with ‘arch schemer’ Gove at the helm?
Thursday 26 September 2024 21:30
Salma Ouaguira
If he resists the temptation to simply preach the gospel of his friend and proprietor Sir Paul Marshall, the former Tory minister may find that he thrives in the role, writes Alan Rusbridger:
£10 billion earmarked for spending on UK nuclear infrastructure
Thursday 26 September 2024 21:00
Salma Ouaguira
Nearly £10 billion has been earmarked for spending on UK nuclear infrastructure and the nuclear industry since the formation of the Aukus partnership with Australia and the United States in 2021, the defence secretary said.
John Healey said the agreement helped the three countries’ economies as well as their security.
He also announced that the UK has agreed to add UK-made Stingray torpedoes to the P8 submarine hunting aircraft. He said it would counter deep diving and conventional submarines.
Mr Healey said: “Our investment in this partnership helps our industries to prosper and breaks down barriers to trade. Secondly, the skills and experience that we share boosts jobs and boosts growth across our nations.
“And third the investment in our future technologies helps drive innovation and will help develop new warfighting capabilities.”
Chancellor could be willing to alter non-dom plans, report suggests
Thursday 26 September 2024 20:45
Barney Davis
Chancellor Rachel Reeves could be willing to change the plans for Labour’s crackdown on non-doms, according to reports.
The Financial Times reported on Thursday evening that Government officials had said Ms Reeves could change the policy if the numbers are not satisfactory.
A Treasury spokesperson called the report “speculation, not Government policy” and pledged to remove “the outdated non-dom tax regime”.
It comes after a report in the Guardian suggested Treasury officials fear estimates due to be issued by the Office for Budget Responsibility will forecast that the policy will raise no money because of the risk of people who are super-rich leaving the UK.
UK unveils £5m aid package for Lebanon amid deadly air strikes and rocket fire
Thursday 26 September 2024 20:30
Salma Ouaguira
Development minister Anneliese Dodds has unveiled a £5 million aid package for Unicef in Lebanon.
The announcement late on Wednesday follows deadly air strikes and rocket fire which Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged since the start of the week.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has confirmed the aid will go towards medical supplies, hygiene kits, fuel for water stations, and emergency teams working in the health and nutrition fields.
The government department also confirmed that Royal Air Force aircraft and helicopters are on standby, with a UK presence at RAF Akrotiri near Limassol in Cyprus, and in the eastern Mediterranean with two ships – RFA Mounts Bay and HMS Duncan.
Border Force and Foreign Office officials, and 700 troops, were deployed to Cyprus on Tuesday.
“The situation in Lebanon is deeply concerning,” Ms Dodds said.
ICYMI: John Healey announces new AUKUS bilateral treaty
Thursday 26 September 2024 20:00
Salma Ouaguira
The UK and Australia will begin negotiations on a bilateral treaty to “bind” their Aukus military alliance into law.
The announcement follows their AUKUS Defence Ministers Meeting at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.
During a press conference, Mr Healey said the partnership between the three countries “helps our industries to prosper and breaks barriers”.
He said £10 million spending has been allocated to UK nuclear infrastructure since the partnership was established.
The minister added: “In today’s trilateral meeting between the three nations, we agreed to add new torpedoes to our aircraft.
“The UK has today agreed to train hundreds more Australians to operate and regulate modern nuclear powered submarines.”
Announcing a new deal, Mr Healey said: “As part of that work I can announce that deputy prime minister (Richard) Marles and I have agreed that negotiations will soon be under way for a new bilateral treaty to bind our Aukus collaboration into law.
“So this not only reflects our commitment to secure a secure Indo-Pacific region where international rules are respected, it also sends a very strong message that our defence alliance is one that will endure for many decades to come.”
Cleverly accuses Lammy of making ‘self-indulgent speeches about himself’
Thursday 26 September 2024 19:30
Salma Ouaguira
James Cleverly has accused David Lammy of making “self-indulgent speeches about himself” instead of addressing ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The former foreign minister attacked Mr Lammy after he compared his African ancestry to the fight against Russia during his speech at the UN on Wednesday.
The foreign secretary told the UN: “I say to the Russian representative, on his phone as I speak, that I stand here also as a black man whose ancestors were taken in chains from Africa, at the barrel of a gun to be enslaved. Imperialism. I know it when I see it, and I will call it out for what it is.”
Reacting to the speech, Mr Cleverly told Times Radio: “David Lammy needs to stop making self-indulgent speeches about himself at the UN, talking about himself when he should be talking about Ukraine and he should be getting the Middle East, as I did, talking to the people who can reach out.”
Sir Keir Sarmer meets with United Nations Secretary-General
Thursday 26 September 2024 19:26
Barney Davis
Keir Starmer was pictured signing a guest book before his meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The pair were then photographed shaking hands ahead of a speech later this evening.
The 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly addresses the urgent need for enhanced international cooperation to deal with pressing global challenges such as climate change, poverty and inequality while tackling the impacts of ongoing conflicts and global health crises.
Labour chair defends Starmer for using flat of donor during pandemic
Thursday 26 September 2024 19:00
Salma Ouaguira
Labour’s Tan Dhesi has appeared on the morning media round to defend Sir Keir Starmer after claims emerged he took £20,000 in donations from Lord Alli.
Sir Keir reportedly used a flat from the donor during his son’s GCSE’s and to record a video urging people to work from home during Covid.
Asked whether this was acceptable, the defence select committee chair told Sky News Sir Keir was “fearing for the safety of his family” and worried about his son failing his exams.
But when put to him that the prime minister also stayed during the pandemic, he said: “For me the key thing around the accommodation it is a fact that outside the prime minister’s home there were people camped out.”
Mr Dhesi added: “We do need to bear in mind that the hoome of leader of the opposition at the time was constantly being deluged by protesters, journalists, investigators.
“As the prime minister said, nothing illegal happened and all the rules were followed. I will take him by his word. He is a man of integrity.”
Transport Secretary looks to new repair technology to tackle pothole ‘plague’
Thursday 26 September 2024 18:30
Salma Ouaguira
Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has declared war on potholes, vowing to use cutting-edge repair technology to battle the “plague”.
Potholes delay journeys, put the lives of drivers and cyclists at risk, and damages vehicles, the government said.
During the general election campaign, Labour pledged to fix an additional one million potholes across England in each year of the next parliament.
Ms Haigh said the state of the nation’s roads had become a “constant and visible reminder of the decline in our country’s infrastructure”.
Last month, new research revealed that concern about the state of local roads had reached record levels.
Some 27 per cent of those questioned in a survey commissioned by the RAC said their vehicle had suffered damage as a result of potholes in the previous 12 months.
During a visit to Blackpool today, the Transport Secretary met road workers and councillors to learn about high-definition imagery technology.
The town’s Project Amber scheme uses an advanced imagery system that takes high-definition pictures of roads to detect potholes and compile data on areas most in need of repair.
It is hoped similar systems can be replicated across the country.
Tory peer and vocal critic of Islamaphobia in the party quits
Thursday 26 September 2024 18:30
Barney Davis
Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has said she is quitting the Conservative Party in which she was a vocal critic of Islamaphobia.
She posted on X: “It is with a heavy heart that I have today informed my whip and decided for now to no longer take the @Conservatives whip.
“This is a sad day for me. I am a Conservative and remain so but sadly the current Party are far removed from the Party I joined and served in Cabinet.
“My decision is a reflection of how far right my Party has moved and the hypocrisy and double standards in its treatment of different communities. A timely reminder of the issues that I raise in my book Muslims Don’t Matter.”
The Conservative peer had previously criticised Tory leader frontrunner Robert Jenrick after he suggested people who say “Allahu Akbar” should be “immediately arrested”.
She previously wrote on X: “Every day before we start parliamentary business in the Commons and Lords we say a prayer and praise God – we say our parliamentary version of Allah hu Akbars at the heart of democracy – a process Robert Jenrick is a part of.
“This language from Jenrick is more of his usual nasty divisive rhetoric – he is such a tool.”
Sir Keir Starmer appears on CNBC programme
Thursday 26 September 2024 18:22
Barney Davis
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is pictured being interviewed by Andrew Ross Sorkin during CNBC “Squawk Box” financial program on Thursday in New York.
Sir Keir is in New York to attend the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
He had already visited Wall Street standing with Adena Friedman, Chief Executive Officer of Nasdaq as he meets the team and family behind BioAge as it starts trading on the Nasdaq
ICYMI: Starmer’s Covid broadcast urging work from home filmed in donor’s flat
Thursday 26 September 2024 18:00
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer recorded a Covid-era broadcast urging the public to work from home from a Labour donor’s £18 million penthouse.
The Christmas message, broadcast in December 2021, was reportedly filmed at a flat belonging to Lord Waheed Alli - a donor who has handed hundreds of thousands of pounds to the Labour Party over the last two decades.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has the full story:
Police issue arrest warning to protesters showing support for Hezbollah
Thursday 26 September 2024 17:47
Barney Davis
ICYMI: Rayner and Reeves lead cabinet turnout for Labour Friends of Israel
Thursday 26 September 2024 17:30
Salma Ouaguira
Chancellor Rachel Reeves and deputy prime minister Angela Rayner were among five cabinet ministers to attend a Labour Party conference fringe event to show solidarity with Israel and the remaining 101 hostages held by Hamas.
Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) on Tuesday evening had one of the most significant and largest turnouts by senior ministers for the entire event, as Palestinian flag-waving protesters remained outside the conference in Liverpool all week.
Our political editor David Maddox has the full story:
Watch: Starmer refuses 4 times to apologise for cutting winter fuel payments
Thursday 26 September 2024 17:00
Salma Ouaguira
Jacob Rees-Mogg to respond in free speech debate at Conservative conference
Thursday 26 September 2024 16:40
Salma Ouaguira
Ex-Conservative MP Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has been handpicked by the chair of the party to respond to a debate on free speech at its conference next week.
The Conservative Party conference, which starts in Birmingham on Sunday, is bringing back member debates for the first time in two decades, being trialled out by interim party chair Richard Fuller.
Sir Jacob, who lost the election for the newly created seat of North East Somerset and Hanham in July, said he was “delighted” Mr Fuller was bringing the debates back, and they are about members “taking back control” of the conference.
Members will get the opportunity to take part in the four debates, which will all take place on the conference’s main stage on Monday.
As well as the one on free speech, being responded to by Sir Jacob, there will be a debate on immigration and border control, responded to by shadow foreign minister Paul Holmes; one on building homes and protecting green spaces, which will be responded to by David Simmonds – the shadow minister for housing; and another on growing the economy, which will be responded to by Laura Trott – the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury.
Asked how the respondents had been selected, Mr Fuller said: “These are people that I have chosen.”
“I think these are the right people to respond to members on this debate,” he added.
COMMENT | The NHS saved my life twice. Now it feels like it’s trying to kill me
Thursday 26 September 2024 16:20
Salma Ouaguira
When it comes to seeking advice for my chronic health condition, writes James Moore, I’d rather turn to X/Twitter than my local GP. Wes Streeting is right – things have to change:
Labour MP explains £1.2million donation was for sister dying from brain tumour
Thursday 26 September 2024 16:00
Salma Ouaguira
Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh has explained that a £1.2 million donation from top party donor Waheed Alli was for her dying sister.
Replying to a post accusing Mr Alli of wanting MPs in his debt, she posted on X: “Waheed Alli was my sister’s best friend for 25years. Tragically she was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma Brain Tumour in Nov 2021 & died on June 24th 2023.
“He took every step of her last terrible journey with her. Lending me money to buy a house with ground floor bed and bathroom.
“The loan will be repaid on gaining probate on Margaret’s Estate. It has been properly registered and Waheed wanted nothing other than his best friend being comfortable in the last months of her life.”
In the first controversy to hit Sir Keir Starmer’s new government, questions have been raised over Lord Alli – the business executive who has donated some £700,000 to the party over the past two decades – being handed a Downing Street pass.
In a row dubbed “passes for glasses”, it has emerged that Lord Alli had gifted the Sir Keir eyewear and work clothing worth £18,000, clothes for his wife Lady Victoria Starmer, and a £10,000 donation to the PM’s chief of staff Sue Gray’s son Liam Conlon’s campaign to become a Labour MP.
Healey: UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Australia and the US
Thursday 26 September 2024 15:45
Salma Ouaguira
The UK stands “shoulder to shoulder” with Australia and the United States amid conflicts around the world, the defence secretary has said.
John Healey acknowledged the global tensions that provided the backdrop to discussions with the Australian deputy prime minister Richard Marles and United States secretary of defence at the Aukus military alliance today.
Mr Healey said: “We have held these discussions under a cloud of growing global insecurity.
“So in our trilateral and in our bilateral meetings, we’ve reinforced the need to stand together against Russian aggression, towards peace in the Middle East and steadfast behind Ukraine for as long as it takes.
“In serious times you need serious partners. So Richard (Marles), Lloyd (Austin), we in the UK stand shoulder to shoulder with you and we will drive the Aukus partnership from strength to strength.
John Healey announces new AUKUS bilateral treaty
Thursday 26 September 2024 15:36
Salma Ouaguira
The UK and Australia will begin negotiations on a bilateral treaty to “bind” their Aukus military alliance into law.
The announcement follows their AUKUS Defence Ministers Meeting at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.
During a press conference, Mr Healey said the partnership between the three countries “helps our industries to prosper and breaks barriers”.
He said £10 million spending has been allocated to UK nuclear infrastructure since the partnership was established.
The minister added: “In today’s trilateral meeting between the three nations, we agreed to add new torpedoes to our aircraft.
“The UK has today agreed to train hundreds more Australians to operate and regulate modern nuclear powered submarines.”
Announcing a new deal, Mr Healey said: “As part of that work I can announce that deputy prime minister (Richard) Marles and I have agreed that negotiations will soon be under way for a new bilateral treaty to bind our Aukus collaboration into law.
“So this not only reflects our commitment to secure a secure Indo-Pacific region where international rules are respected, it also sends a very strong message that our defence alliance is one that will endure for many decades to come.”
How are the winter fuel payments changing?
Thursday 26 September 2024 15:35
Salma Ouaguira
The annual tax-free winter fuel payment of between £100 and £300 was introduced in 1997 to help eligible pensioners meet the costs of heating their homes in winter. It was then expanded to all pensioners in 2000.
The government is facing opposition to its decision to means-test the payment, stripping it from millions of pensioners. It means those in receipt of pension credit or other certain benefits will continue to receive them but others won’t.
Some make the point that rich pensioners wrongly get the payment too, but the unions argue that a universal payment to all pensioners ensures nobody falls through the gaps.
Pictured: Starmer meets Pakistani prime minister Shahbaz Sharif
Thursday 26 September 2024 15:20
Salma Ouaguira
Tory leadership candidate Labour most fears revealed
Thursday 26 September 2024 15:06
Salma Ouaguira
Senior aids have revealed that Labour wants to “avoid” James Cleverly as future Tory leader.
According to the i newspaper, Downing Street officials said it was the former home secretary who they would least like to win the contest.
A Labour party figure said: “I think Cleverly could be a problem. He sounds quite reasonable,” a No 10 aide added: “James Cleverly – that’s who we want to avoid.”
Another government aide said Kemi Badenoch does not represent a threat as the party is “not sure she’d take our votes”.
Hunt warns Reeves against changing fiscal rules to increase borrowing
Thursday 26 September 2024 15:05
Salma Ouaguira
Former chancellor Jeremy Hunt has claimed that Treasury officials told him higher borrowing could lead to high interest rates.
He was responding to claims that Rachel Reeves is considering to change fiscal rules in an effort to allow more capital spending.
But Mr Hunt warned that “more borrowing means interest rates stay higher for longer”.
With all the discussion about Labour changing the fiscal rules to borrow billions more money (so much for 'fully funded' commitments), it's worth noting that the Chancellor explicitly ruled out doing so last year. My advice from HMT officials was always very clear on this: more… https://t.co/7iO53ZlTMy
— Jeremy Hunt (@Jeremy_Hunt) September 26, 2024
