Environment Secretary Steve Reed hit back as Donald Trump revealed plans to relocate Palestinians from Gaza after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Mr Reed gave Trump “credit for the role that he played” in securing the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but declined to comment further on the assertion and whether the UK Government would support the move.
He told Sky News: “It is the view of the United Kingdom Government that Palestinians should be able to return to their homes and rebuild their shattered lives.”
“They will need an awful lot of support from the international community to do that.”
He said that “lasting peace” could only be secured through a two-state solution.
Sir Keir Starmer continues to face questions over Donald Trump’s threats of aggressive trade tariffs, as the prime minister prepares for a PMQs clash with Kemi Badenoch.
Experts told The Independent this week that Sir Keir has been left “walking a tightrope” between the US and Europe, despite signs of optimism as Mr Trump claimed the UK was “out of line” on trade, “but... I think that one can be worked out”.
Key Points
- UK minister responds to Trump: ‘Palestinians should be able to return home’
- US and UK to discuss Chagos Islands deal this week
- Trump still considering Chagos Islands veto as Starmer tries to close deal
- UK denies Chagos Islands deal could cost £18 billion
Foreign Minister says 'we need to ensure future for Palestinians in their homeland'
10:45
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Bryony Gooch
Foreign Secretary David Lammy has spoken out following Donald Trump’s proposed “take over” of Gaza.
Speaking from his visit to Kyiv, the minister said: “we need to ensure future for Palestinians in their homeland.”
He added: “we want to see Palestinians prosper in Gaza and West Bank.”
Mr Lammy is the latest UK MP to shoot down the US President’s comments, as Environment Secretary Steve Reed said on Sky News: “Palestinian civilians have been through a living nightmare for the last 14 months, they need to be able to return to their homes and start to rebuild them.”
Mr Reed added: “What I won’t do is provide a running commentary on the pronouncements of the president of the United States or any other world leader… I think we should give Donald Trump credit for the role he played in securing the ceasefire in the first place.”
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said: “I genuinely believe that we have to focus on seeing the hostages being released, because that is absolutely pivotal. It is critical to bringing about a sustainable end to the conflict.”
Neither Dame Patel or Mr Reed offered a direct criticism of Trump.
Starmer voice coach travelled between lockdown tiers
10:31
,
Bryony Gooch
Sir Keir Starmer’s voice coach travelled between Covid tiers to visit the prime minister during lockdown, it has emerged.
Leonie Mellinger visited Labour’s London office on Christmas Eve in 2020, when the capital was under Tier 4 regulations, a new book has revealed. The visit came as Sir Keir, then Labour leader, gave a statement on Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal.
Archie Mitchell reports:
Two-state only solution to Middle East conflict, Labour MP says after Trump comments
10:17
,
Bryony Gooch
Kay Burley retires from Sky News after 36 years
10:06
,
Bryony Gooch
Kay Burley has announced her retirement from Sky News after 36 years working for the broadcaster.
She closed her final show on the Sky News Breakfast programme by saying: “its been an honour and privilege to work with some of the best and hardest working teams in the business.”
She reflected on the life-changing events she’d witnessed in working for Sky News, from the death of Diana to the Concorde air disaster.
"But we've also enjoyed some wonderful high notes too, haven't we - the thrill of London winning the chance to host the 2012 Olympics; a plethora of royal weddings; jubilees and who can forget days and days and days waiting for royal babies to arrive at the Lindo Wing.”
She thanked viewers for tuning in every morning: “I can't tell you how much I have appreciated your support over the last three and a half decades: You're awesome.”
Trump tariff row sees Brits demand closer ties with EU, new poll reveals
10:03
,
Bryony Gooch
Keir Starmer’s chief negotiator says the UK must be “ruthlessly pragmatic” with Brexit reset talks and strike an ambitious deal in just three months.
European affairs minister Nick Thomas-Symonds told the EU/UK Forum in Brussels on Tuesday that the prime minister will host a leader summit in May “where we hope we can deliver a balanced yet ambitious outcome to benefit all our citizens”.
The approach to the talks contrasts heavily with years taken by the Tories to negotiate Brexit after the 2016 referendum, bogged down by disputes in parliament and fractures in the Conservative party before eventually leaving in 2020.
David Maddox reports:
How the UK's £55 million support package to Ukraine will be spent
09:55
,
Bryony Gooch
The Foreign Office announced a further £55 million financial support package to Ukraine to help put the country in the “strongest position possible”.
As part of the new financial package, £17 million will go towards sustainable energy projects, as Russia continues to decimate key infrastructure.
They said that £10 million will help the recovery of Ukrainian businesses and £25 million will support family and community-based services.
The foreign office said £3 million would go towards deliveries of Ukrainian grain and other food produce to Syria, as Ukraine seeks to restore relations following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, a close ally of Russia.
In pictures: Foreign secretary David Lammy visits Kyiv
09:43
,
Bryony Gooch
Starmer’s Chagos deal ‘a betrayal of the British people’, Priti Patel warns
09:34
,
Bryony Gooch
Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is a “betrayal of the British people”, Priti Patel has claimed.
The shadow foreign secretary called on the prime minister to stop discussions over the Indian Ocean archipelago “full stop”.
And she called on Sir Keir to “go back to base camp” and re-examine a non-binding ruling from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Britain was illegally occupying the islands, home to the vital Diego Garcia military base.
Amid speculation a new version of the deal, which followed a change of government in Mauritius, could double the overall cost of the agreement, Ms Patel said it is “simply not right” to commit up to £18 billion at a time when pensioners have had their winter fuel payments scrapped and farmers are being hit with an inheritance tax raid.
Archie Mitchell and David Maddox report:
Why has Labour allowed such big increases in council tax?
09:26
,
Bryony Gooch
Millions of households are facing a council tax hike beyond normal thresholds this year, as Angela Rayner warned of further “tough decisions” to “rebuild and stabilise” local government.
Six councils, serving more than two million people in total, have been granted permission to increase council tax beyond the established annual threshold of 5%.
Sean O’Grady looks at the reasons behind the decision.
Trump tariff row sees Brits demand closer ties with EU, new poll reveals
09:14
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Bryony Gooch
Almost half of British citizens back attempts for the UK to get closer to the EU rather than Donald Trump and the US, a major new poll has revealed.
The Ipsos Mori poll of 1,092 online British adults was taken this week as the world was plunged into economic chaos with the Trump administration threatening tariffs on China, Canada, Mexico and the EU.
With Brexit reset talks beginning properly today in Brussels, the survey showed that given a choice, Brits are far more likely to choose Europe over the USA or the Commonwealth.
Full report from David Maddox:
UK denies Chagos Islands deal could cost £18 billion
09:09
,
Bryony Gooch
The UK has denied the cost of handing over the Chagos Islands could rise to £18 billion following claims made by the Mauritian Prime Minister about the renegotiated deal.
Mauritian Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam told his country’s National Assembly that he had rewritten the deal to ensure payments from the UK rose in line with inflation and to give his country an effective veto on extending the terms of the agreement beyond 99 years.
Mr Ramgoolam said the previous deal, negotiated last year by his predecessor, had allowed the UK unilaterally to extend the lease on Diego Garcia for 40 years, but the new terms would now require Mauritian consent.
And he suggested not linking payments to inflation would have halved the amount heading from UK taxpayers to Mauritian coffers.
The UK has denied reports that the deal was originally worth £90 million a year for 99 years, or almost £9 billion – which, if the cost doubled, would rise to £18 billion.
The Foreign Office also insisted there had been “no change” to the terms for the extension.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: “The figures being quoted are entirely inaccurate and misleading.
“There has been no change to the terms of extension in the treaty.
“The UK will only sign a deal that is in our national interest.”
Wes Streeting slams "failings" in care for triple killer Valdo Calocane
08:55
,
Bryony Gooch
Health Secretary Wes Streeting has called for recommendations made in the CQC report about Nottingham killer Valdo Calocane to be implemented country-wide as it came out he was not forced to take long-lasting antipsychotics due to fear of needles.
He said: “It is important that the families and the public have confidence in the system, and we have worked closely with NHS England to ensure the publication of this report in full. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
“The findings will help to support an inquiry into this attack and we’ll set out the next steps as this develops.
“It’s clear there were failings in how the care provided to Valdo Calocane was managed at every level, which is why I’ve personally called for all the recommendations made in the CQC report to be implemented across the country.
“I want to see the recommendations from this new report implemented as soon as possible and I will be keeping track of progress and performance to make sure that they are.”
Full report from Rachel Clun:
Wes Streeting calls out ‘anti-whiteness’ in NHS diversity schemes
08:46
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Bryony Gooch
Wes Streeting has defended diversity programmes within the NHS, but said “anti-whiteness” would not be tolerated.
The health secretary also hit out at what he called “ideological hobby horses” which he said had no place in the health service.
Speaking at an event to mark World Cancer Day, he said that one member of NHS staff had tweeted that “part of her practice was anti-whiteness”.
“And I just thought, ‘What the hell does that say to the bloke up in Wigan who’s more likely to die earlier than his more affluent white counterparts down in London?’” he said.
“We’ve got real issues of inequality that affect white working-class people.”
He defended diversity and inclusion programmes, emphasising their importance at a time when black women are three times more likely to die in childbirth than white women.
Full report from Rachel Clun and Kate Devlin:
Priti Patel calls to 'focus on hostages being released' following Trump Gaza comments
08:33
,
Bryony Gooch
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said “we have to focus on seeing the hostages being released, because that is absolutely pivotal. It is critical to bringing about a sustainable end to the conflict.”
When asked on Times Radio what she made of the US President’s comments on Gaza, she said: “These are remarks that he’s made overnight and obviously it’s provoked a number of comments.
“We will have to wait and see, because no one country will be able to do this on their own. Our partners, our allies, in the Gulf states and the Middle East, we’ve already heard from the Saudi government as well, they will all have a role to play.
“And, you know, there’s something else that we’ve all been discussing for many years, in fact, which is also the Abraham accords and normalising relations between […] with the Middle East and the United States.”
Minister says two-state solution is key to "lasting peace" for Israel and Palestine amid Trump's relocation plan
08:22
,
Bryony Gooch
As Donald Trump states his plans for the US to “take over” Gaza, Environment Secretary Steve Reed declined to comment on the President’s plans.
Mr Reed was asked by Sky News whether the UK Government would support this and said: “I can tell you what the UK’s position on this is, and our view is that Palestinian civilians have been through a living life there for the last 14 months.
“They need to be able to return to their homes and then start to rebuild them. They will need an awful lot of support from the international community to do that.”
He said that “lasting peace” could only be secured through a two-state solution.
Pushed further, he said he would give the Government’s view but would not “provide a running commentary on the pronouncements of the President of the United States or any other world leader”.
Asked if those remarks were disparaging, Mr Reed added: “Not at all. I think we should give Donald Trump credit for the role that he played in securing this ceasefire in the first place.
“But it is the view of the United Kingdom Government that Palestinians should be able to return to their homes and rebuild their shattered lives.”
How might Trump’s tariffs affect UK companies?
08:09
,
Alex Croft
World leaders bickering, share prices dropping, companies fretting. On the other side of the Atlantic, President Trump’s vows to bring in tariffs for multiple countries exporting to the US – plus his stepping back from them at the last moment in some cases – has plenty of people wondering what it might mean on these shores.
UK companies won’t be exempt from the possible carnage, though of course who and how they will be affected will depend on their types of business: those who export to the US could face higher charges immediately, while those who buy in parts or raw materials might also be concerned if the UK takes China’s route and opts for retaliatory tariffs, too.
That’s still far from certain, of course, with the UK and the EU not the first areas in Donald Trump’s sights.
Business and money editor Karl Matchett reports:
US and UK to discuss Chagos Islands deal this week
07:56
,
Alex Croft
A proposed deal over the Chagos Islands will be the topic of discussions between UK national security adviser Jonathan Powell and his US counterpart Mike Waltz in Washington this week, the Financial Times reported.
It comes after a White House spokesperson told The Independent that President Trump has not given it his blessing despite reports that the UK and Mauritius have come to terms on a deal.
Britain wants US approval for the deal, due to the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia.
The Trump administration has reportedly been briefed on the plan by the UK - but allies of the president have been critical of it thus far.
UK minister: ‘Palestinians should be able to return home’
07:50
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Archie Mitchell, Political Correspondent
A member of Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet has hit back at Donald Trump’s suggestion Gaza should be turned into “the Riviera of the Middle East”, arguing Palestinians “need to be able to return to their homes”.
In a rebuke to the US president’s suggestion, environment secretary Steve Reed backed a two-state solution to the conflict and said Israel should exist alongside “a free and viable Palestinian state”.
“Palestinian civilians have been through a living nightmare for the last 14 months, they need to be able to return to their homes and start to rebuild them,” Mr Reed told Sky News.
He was the first member of the British government to respond to Mr Trump’s proposals, and denied being disparaging about the president.
“I think we should give Donald Trump credit for the role he played in securing the ceasefire in the first place, but it is the view of the UK government that Palestinians should be able to return to their homes,” he added.
Chagos Islands deal could 'dangerously' fracture UK-US relationship - Farage
07:40
,
Alex Croft
The Chagos Islands deal could “dangerously” damage the UK’s relationship with the Trump administration, Reform leader Nigel Farage said.
Giving up sovereignty over the Chagos Islands could prevent future trade agreements and may “considerably reduce” the UK’s value in the eyes of the White House, he added on Tuesday.
It comes after the prime minister of Mauritius, Navin Ramgoolam, said Sir Keir Starmer is “confident” that a deal can be reached on the Indian Ocean archipelago.
The deal has caused controversy due to the existence of a UK-US military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia.
Lammy commits £55 million package to Ukraine in Kyiv visit
07:32
,
Alex Croft
Foreign secretary David Lammy has announced a £55 million package support package for Ukraine as he pays a visit to Kyiv.
The UK will commit £17 million towards sustainable energy projects, and £3 million for deliveries of Ukrainian grain and other produce to Syria, among other commitments.
It comes following an 100-year partnership deal between the UK and Ukraine, setting out co-operation between the countries for the coming decades.
Trump still considering Chagos Islands veto as Starmer tries to close deal
07:27
,
Alex Croft
Donald Trump may still veto Sir Keir Starmer’s controversial plans to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, despite the PM’s plans to push ahead with the deal.
With reports that the UK and Mauritius have come to terms on a new agreement on the Indian Ocean archipelago, a White House spokesperson told The Independent that President Trump has not given it his blessing.
There are serious concerns about the top secret joint US/UK airbase on Diego Garcia and the potential for Chinese interference if the UK gives up sovereignty on the islands.
David Maddox, Andrew Feinberg and Archie Mitchell report:
06:30
,
Andy Gregory
Good morning, we’ll be using this blog to bring you the latest updates on UK politics, ahead of Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch’s clash at PMQs.