Sir Keir Starmer is visiting the White House where he will meet US President Joe Biden to discuss conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
During the trip, he admitted there had been no impact assessment of how the decision to cut winter fuel payments will affect millions of pensioners.
However, the new measures have cost him points in favourability ratings as a new Ipsos poll found 46 per cent of people see him unfavourably, an eight-point increase in three months.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who has also been pressured over the upcoming October Budget, has seen her favourability fall by four points to 23 per cent.
The prime minister and Mr Biden are expected to consider Kyiv’s request to be able to use Western Storm Shadow long-range missiles in Russian territory.
Speaking to reporters during a flight to Washington DC, Sir Keir said Russia started the conflict in Ukraine and it can end the war “straight away”.
Key Points
- Sharp dip in public backing for Starmer after winter fuel payments row
- No winter fuel payments cut assessment was done, Starmer admits
- Starmer and Biden to discuss decision on use of Ukraine missiles
- Putin warns West about allowing Storm Shadow missiles
- Government to use Online Safety Act to crackdown on revenge porn
Pictured: Starmer and Lammy arrive at the British ambassador’s residence in Washington
13:21
Salma Ouaguira
Jenrick urges Tories to stop ‘making and breaking promises’ to win voters
13:15
Salma Ouaguira
Robert Jenrick has urged the Conservatives to stop “making and breaking promises” it it wants to win back voters.
The Tory leadership hopeful, who is one of four contenders left in the race, said failures to deliver on promises was behind the party’s bruising election loss.
He resigned as immigration minister in 2023 in protest against Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation scheme as he believed it did not go far enough.
Mr Jenrick told GB News: “I believe politics is a team effort. I had loyally defended prime minister after prime minister and had served in their governments.
“But I did feel that it was not in the national interest for me to go out as the minister responsible for immigration and to say things I didn’t believe were true, to perpetuate the cycle of broken promises.
“I didn’t want to be just another minister who made and broke promises on immigration and today I don’t want the Conservative Party to keep on making and breaking promises because that is why we lost.”
Bank of England set to pause interest rate cuts as ‘cautious tone’ sticks
13:07
Salma Ouaguira
The Bank of England could hit the pause button on interest rate cuts after warning it needs to be “careful” not to rush the decision as pressures on inflation linger.
Experts think that the Bank’s rate-setting committee will likely keep UK interest rates at five per cent on Thursday.
The central bank had cut rates from 5.25 per cent in August, pushing through the first reduction since 2020.
Governor Andrew Bailey said it was able to do so because inflationary pressures had “eased enough”, but stressed that policymakers “need to be careful not to cut interest rates too quickly or by too much”.
UK Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation returned to the Bank’s two per cent target level in May and June, but then crept up to 2.2 per cent in July.
A group of economists for ING said some of the caution can be explained by inflation in the services sector, things like hospitality and culture, which the Bank’s policymakers watch closely when trying to work out how much domestic prices are rising.
Services-only inflation hit 5.2 per cent in July, down from 5.7 per cent the previous month, but still above the levels seen in the US and Eurozone.
They expect the majority of the committee to vote to keep rates on hold this month, before the pace of cuts picks up again in November.
Sanjay Raja, senior economist for Deutsche Bank, said that “despite cutting rates in August, the MPC struck a more cautious tone around inflation risks – something that will likely stick in September”.
He also thinks the Bank will keep rates the same on Thursday but then reduce them again in November.
Ed Balls claims NHS needs ‘big injection of resources’ to cope with reform
13:00
Salma Ouaguira
Former Labour chancellor Ed Balls has said the NHS needs a “big injection of resources” urgently to cope with Sir Keir Starmer’s planned reform.
Mr Balls said the government will not deliver a “marked improvement” on the service unless there is “substantially bigger increase in health resources”.
He told his Political Currency podcast: “The reforms are important, but the thing which will make the biggest difference, if you get the right reforms with value for money, is a big injection of resources.
“If Labour wants to have delivered change by the next election, that injection of resources has to happen now.”
He added: “There is no way on earth there will be a marked improvement in health outcomes or perception of the health service without a substantially bigger increase in health resources over this Parliament than we’ve seen on average in the last 15 years.”
Motoring organisation urges Home Secretary to appoint 1,000 new ‘cops in cars’
12:45
Salma Ouaguira
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is being urged to appoint 1,000 new roads police officers amid fears that many drivers are “getting away” with motoring offences.
The AA issued the plea after its analysis of Home Office figures found the number of traffic officers in England and Wales has fallen by 1,022 from 5,237 in 2016 to 4,215 in March this year.
A survey of its members conducted last month indicated 57% believe people can get away with careless driving due to a lack of police presence on the roads.
Many respondents also said other offences were going unpunished due to the reduction in the number of roads police officers, including using a handheld phone behind the wheel (44 per cent), drug driving (42 per cent), not wearing a seatbelt (46 per cent) and using a dangerous vehicle (43 per cent).
The AA said it welcomed the increased use of AI cameras which can detect more offences beyond speeding, but warned roads policing cannot be carried out by cameras alone.
About nine out of 10 (91 per cent) of its members surveyed said more traffic police would make communities safer.
Labour’s general election manifesto included a pledge to recruit “thousands” of new police officers to tackle neighbourhood crime.
UK Government to buy ESO from National Grid in £630m deal
12:30
Salma Ouaguira
The government is to buy the Electricity System Operator (ESO) from National Grid after striking a deal worth £630 million.
It will pave the way for the ESO – the operation which oversees balancing supply and demand in the UK’s electricity grid – to be taken into public hands.
The move is part of the launch of the new National Energy System Operator (NESO) – a public body designed to aid the UK’s clean energy transition and support energy security.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the new body will launch on 1 October following the deal with National Grid.
National Grid said the “final cash consideration” for the sale is still subject to potential adjustments before the deal closes.
The new state-owned body will bring together planning for the UK’s electricity and gas networks under one roof, following the passage of the Energy Act in October last year.
The NESO will be chaired by former E.ON chief executive Paul Golby, with Fintan Slye as its chief executive.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “Today marks a milestone for Britain’s energy system as we bring the system operator into public ownership to provide impartial, whole-system expertise on building a network that is fit for the future.
“The new National Energy System Operator has a huge role to play in delivering our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.
“This is another step forward by a Government in a hurry to deliver for the British people.”
Labour support drops in first poll since general election
12:15
Salma Ouaguira
Our first voting intention since the GE is in today’s Politico Playbook. Labour’s lead sits at 4 points.
— Luke Tryl (@LukeTryl) September 13, 2024
LAB 29% (-6)
CON 25% (-)
LIB DEM 14% (+2)
➡️ REF UK 18% (+3)
GREEN 8% (+2)
SNP 3% (-)
Changes with GE 2024 (GB only)
10-12 September, N = 2,018
Starmer refuses to rule out axing single-person council tax discount
12:10
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer has refused to rule out scrapping the 25 per cent single-person council tax discount, saying decisions on the public finances had to be looked at “in the round”.
The prime minister said he would not be drawn on the future of the tax break for people who live alone ahead of chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget on October 30.
Scrapping the discount could further hit some pensioners living alone who have already suffered the loss of winter fuel payments, but Sir Keir insisted he was not punishing elderly Britons.
The Local Government Association, which represents councils, has argued that cash-strapped authorities should be given the power to vary the single person discount, which is worth about £3 billion a year.
Sir Keir was challenged about the potential impact of scrapping the discount for elderly people who live alone and denied the assertion it was a “punishment beating” for pensioners.
“No, absolutely not,” he told reporters accompanying him on his trip to Washington.
“And let’s just try to quash this now. The Budget is on October 30. So, between now and then, you are all going to ask me questions, as you did before the election, ‘will you rule out X, Y, Z?’
“And knowing that I’m not going to say before the Budget what we’re going to do, you will then write a story saying, ‘refused to rule out X, Y, Z’.
“I’m not going to say before the Budget what we’re going to do.
“That does not mean that I’m ruling in anything that you might be putting to me, it simply means, like every Prime Minister, we’re not going to reveal what’s in the Budget before we get to it.”
But when it was put to him that Ms Reeves had ruled out other potential cash-saving options such as scrapping free bus passes, TV licences and prescriptions, he said: “We’ve got to look at everything in the round.”
Report reveals slower and cheaper alternative to scrapped HS2 route
12:00
Salma Ouaguira
A slower and cheaper 50-mile railway line could be built in place of a scrapped section of HS2, a new report has revealed.
The alternative route between Staffordshire and Cheshire, which would connect with the east-west Northern Powerhouse Rail, was described as a “golden opportunity” by former HS2 chairman Sir David Higgins.
The report commissioned by mayors of Greater Manchester and the West Midlands said the route would be critical for movements of passengers and freight between the two regions.
Read the full story below:
Jenrick vows to lift the ban on new grammar schools and VAT on private schools
11:45
Salma Ouaguira
Robert Jenrick has promised to lift the ban on opening new grammar schools if he wins the Tory leadership race.
The last Labour government banned the opening of new grammar schools but existing ones are allowed to expand.
Asked if he would scrap Labour’s ban on new grammar schools, Mr Jenrick told Chopper’s Political Podcast: “Yes. My constituents enjoy grammar schools in Lincolnshire. I am a strong supporter of grammar schools.”
He also said he would reverse Labour’s decision to impose VAT on private school fees.
Jenrick warns still ‘long road’ ahead in Tory leadership contest
11:30
Salma Ouaguira
Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick has warned there is still a “long road” ahead in the contest after tipped as a possible winner.
Asked if he had already won the contest, Mr Jenrick told GB News: “It is a long road, as you know, but I am absolutely delighted to have won so much support from parliamentary colleagues across the party, all wings of the parliamentary Conservative Party.
“And I think the message is resonating with MPs and above all with the members and the general public that the Conservative Party needs to change.”
MPs could face crackdown on paid media roles in blow to Farage
11:20
Salma Ouaguira
MPs such as Nigel Farage and Lee Anderson’s presenting roles at GB News could be at risk under potential reforms from a new parliamentary body set up to restore trust in politics.
In its election manifesto, the Labour Party committed to establishing a modernisation committee of crossparty MPs tasked with reforming House of Commons procedures and drive up standards.
Following the newly-formed committee’s first meeting this week, chair Lucy Powell – who also serves as Commons leader – set out the body’s key priorities on Thursday, including addressing “cultural issues of bullying and harassment” and giving MPs more opportunity to scrutinise government legislation.
You can read the full story below:
POLITICS EXPLAINED | Can the Labour government fix the broken private rental market?
11:15
Salma Ouaguira
The Renters (Reform) Bill has the potential to radically improve the lives of tenants – but will it work? Sean O’Grady looks at the pros and cons of a landmark piece of legislation:
Sir David Lidington backs Tom Tugendhat for Tory leader
11:05
Salma Ouaguira
Former Theresa May’s deputy prime minister has endorsed Tom Tugendhat in the Tory leadership race.
Sir David Lidington said he is convinced Mr Tugendhat “has what it takes” to bring the Conservatives back into power.
I don't want the new generation of @Conservatives to endure 13 years of Opposition as I did. I believe @TomTugendhat has what it takes to win back public trust & lead us back into government pic.twitter.com/c3K9Vc4VmC
— David Lidington (@DLidington) September 13, 2024
High court overturns Tory government’s decision to approve new coal mine in Cumbria
11:00
Salma Ouaguira
The decision to grant planning permission for what would have been the UK’s first coal mine in 30 years has been quashed by a High Court judge.
Mr Justice Holgate said in a ruling this morning that giving the go-ahead for the development at Whitehaven in Cumbria was “legally flawed”.
Climate campaign group Friends of the Earth (FoE) and South Lakes Action on Climate Change (SLACC) took legal action over the Department for Housing, Communities and Local government’s decision to grant planning permission in 2022.
While the government withdrew its defence in July, the developer of the proposed site, West Cumbria Mining (WCM), continued to oppose the claim.
In his judgment, Mr Justice Holgate said: “The assumption that the proposed mine would not produce a net increase in greenhouse gas emissions, or would be a net zero mine, is legally flawed.”
The court heard the mine was dubbed as being net-zero and would extract what is known as metallurgical coal, which is used in steel-making.
It was also told the government had previously accepted that approximately 15 per cent of the coal would be used domestically.
Osborne: Starmer channeling his inner Tony Blair with NHS ‘reform or die’ message
10:50
Salma Ouaguira
George Osborne has said Sir Keir Starmer has channeled his “inner Tony Blair” with his warning that he would prioritise reform over more public funding for the NHS.
During a major speech yesterday, the prime minister said he will not boost funding until it tackles its failings.
Reacting to The former Tory chancellor told his Political Currency podcast: “What Keir Starmer is saying is his solution is not more money. That is quite a thing for a new Labour prime minister to say.
“He says the NHS has reached a fork in the road, and we can either increase taxes on working people to pay for more of the healthcare required by an ageing society, or we can reform – and then he says it’s a case of ‘reform or die.’
“It felt to me that that’s the first time I’ve heard Starmer summon up his inner Tony Blair. He’s now talking about radical healthcare reform… that’s quite a different message than you have had from the Labour Party in recent years, which is ‘there’s not enough money going into the NHS’.”
Keir Starmer thinks it's make-or-break time for the NHS. But what's the solution?
— Political Currency (@polcurrency) September 12, 2024
Ed Balls thinks an injection of resources is the only way to go, but George Osborne thinks it's about more than just money.
Listen to Political Currency: https://t.co/9qA6ffqmXP pic.twitter.com/h32lZqeLNh
Foreign Office: Russia’s accusations against six British diplomats ‘completely baseless”
10:45
Salma Ouaguira
The Foreign Office has said Russia’s accusations against six British diplomats in Moscow are “completely baseless”
Russia revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow, accusing them of spying. But the Uk has denied the claims.
A spokesperson said: “The accusations made today by the FSB against our staff are completely baseless.
“The Russian authorities revoked the diplomatic accreditation of six UK diplomats in Russia last month, following action taken by the UK government in response to Russian state-directed activity across Europe and in the UK.
“We are unapologetic about protecting our national interests.”
The six diplomats left Russia weeks ago and are already being replaced, PA understands.
Russian state television named the six UK diplomats whose accreditation has been revoked.
Rossiya 24 news channel said the embassy employees are Jessica Davenport, Grace Elvin, Callum Andrew Duff, Katharine Mcdonnell, Thomas John Hickson and Blake Patel, Russian news agency Interfax reported.
Dame Rantzen urges Starmer to consider assisted dying vote in parliament
10:40
Salma Ouaguira
Dame Esther Rantzen has made direct a plea to Sir Keir Starmer to remember a conversation the pair had about allowing time for a debate in Parliament on assisted dying.
She said the issue “really is a matter of life and death”.
Dame Esther told Sky News: “He did say to me, rather sweetly – I had a phone call conversation with him – that he hoped I’d be alive to see the debate. So, I just want to remind him, just gently, you know, nothing bossy, just quietly. Dear Sir Keir, whom I’ve met and have worked with, could you possibly recall your kind words to me and make it come true?”
Without a change in the law, the broadcaster said she and others who are terminally ill could face “a bad death” or their families could face police questioning should she decide to go to Dignitas.
She said: “What we’re hoping for is proper time to discuss the issues, have the free vote and change this cruel law.
“I call it cruel, because not only at the moment does it mean that I’ve got to have a bad death, if that’s what the cancer creates for me, but my family can’t be with me if I decide to go to Dignitas. Because otherwise they are liable to being accused of killing me and they get investigated by the police, so that’s just messy and wrong and not what we want.
“So, please Sir Keir, remember our conversation and let’s make time for this. It really is a matter of life and death.”
Dame Esther Rantzen welcomes citizens’ jury verdict on assisted dying
10:35
Salma Ouaguira
Dame Esther Rantzen has welcomed the verdict of a citizens’ jury on assisted dying, after a majority said it should be permitted in England.
The broadcaster and Childline founder, who is living with terminal cancer, described the current law as a “cruel mess”.
She told Sky News: “It didn’t surprise me, of course, because every public survey has come out showing a vast majority in favour of change, because the law at the moment is a cruel mess.
“But I was grateful for this (vote) because we have to keep it at the top of the agenda. Because, you know, events happen, politicians forget. They take other things as their priority.
“We who really care about this, need it, and for whom time is running out – particularly people like me with a terminal diagnosis – really want the law to permit us to have the choice over our own lives.
“Indeed, this is not to shorten life, it is to shorten death.”
Citizens’ jury support of assisted dying provides ‘missing piece of evidence’
10:23
Salma Ouaguira
A public panel’s decision that assisted dying should be permitted in England provides “the missing piece of evidence” in the debate, the director of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics said.
The council put the so-called “citizens’ jury” together, with a final vote cast by 28 jury members, with 20 agreeing that the law should change after eight weeks of deliberation.
The council’s director Danielle Hamm told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “This is the missing piece of evidence and it’s the missing piece because it provides that really deep nuance around people’s judgments and why people have reached that decision, and it gives policymakers the information they need to really fully understand where the British public’s attitudes lies.
“It’s not just what people think, it’s why, and their nuanced views, their reasoning and how they’ve reached this decision.
“We’re publishing this interim report now because we know this is a live policy debate across England and the UK more widely, and we hope that this information will be used by decision makers to inform the debate and the conversation on assisted dying.”
Breaking: Prison population falls by more than 2,000 in one week after overcrowding plan
10:18
Salma Ouaguira
The prion population in England and Wales has dropped by more than 2,000 people in just one week, days after Labour’s plan to reduce overcrowding kicked off.
The temporary early release scheme, which started on 10 September, would see around 1,750 prisoners released after serving 40 per sent of their sentence.
On Friday the prison population was 88, 521, but the figure has today been reduced by 2,188, to 86,333.
Starmer ducks Trump cats and dogs row but promises photo of new kitten
10:13
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer has promised to publish a picture of the new Siberian kitten in Downing Street as he tried to avoid commenting on the “cats and dogs” row inspired by Donald Trump during the recent presidential debate.
The prime minister is heading to the White House for a key bilateral summit with Joe Biden on Ukraine and the Middle East but his trip was already overshadowed by the fallout from the US election.
The debate earlier this week saw the former president claim that migrants in Springfield, Ohio “are eating dogs, they’re eating cats, they’re eating the pets of the people who live there. This is happening in America”.
Our political editor David Maddox has the full story:
Lib Dems criticise Labour over failure to carry out winter fuel assessment on pensioners
10:00
Salma Ouaguira
The Liberal Democrats have slammed the government for failing to assess the impact of the winter fuel payments cut.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that a full impact assessment on the new measures had not been done.
Lib Dem’s work and pensions spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain said: “It is absolutely unthinkable that this new Government would push through a cut to winter fuel payments without an impact assessment.
“We know this will have massive knock-on effects for pensioners and potentially our NHS this winter as people are forced to choose between heating and eating.
“It’s not too late for ministers to change course. Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to tax the big banks rather than punish pensioners to make up for the years of Conservative Party failure.”
Ex-BoE economist brands Labour’s black hole claim ‘unnecessary and unhelpful’
09:50
Salma Ouaguira
A former Bank of England economist has slammed the chancellor’s claim of a £22 billion “black hole” in government finances left by the Tories.
Anfy Haldane said the accusation is “unnecessary and probably unhelpful economically”.
He said Rachel Reeves’ statement was a “bad idea” as it caused a feeling of “fear and foreboding” just when the UK market found confidence among investors.
Mr Haldane told Sky News: “It’s one thing to reveal a black hole, if that indeed is what it is. But just leaving that to sit for three months I think was a bad idea.
“That’s generated a fear and foreboding and uncertainty among consumers, among businesses, among investors which is unfortunate because just after the election, there was a sense of refresh, a sense of renewal, a confidence about the UK both domestically and internationally.
“That [speech] just set it back on its heels a bit, which I felt was unnecessary alongside the partial measures that were taken which I think have also aroused some concerns about what might come next.”
Farage says Labour doesn’t have ‘the guts’ to deliver major NHS reform
09:45
Salma Ouaguira
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has accused the Labour Party of being unable to deliver a major overhaul of the NHS.
Sir Keir Starmer claimed the health service had to “reform or die” following the damning Lord Darzi report.
Criticising the government’s intentions to improve the servive, Mr Farage told GB News: “But I wonder, just how radical is the Labour Party going to be? Now Wes Streeting the health secretary wrote a piece in The Times last year that I found really very, very encouraging.
“But will his boss really let him put in place the reforms that are needed? Well, I don’t think so. And here’s why, here’s Starmer from again this morning: ‘So the problem isn’t that the NHS is the wrong model. It’s the right model. It’s just not taking advantage of the opportunities in front of it, and that’s what we need to change.’
“Well, I don’t agree with that. I think the model is wrong. I think the funding model is wrong. The principle of healthcare being free at the point of delivery, that’s all anybody cares about. I don’t think the Labour Party actually has got the guts to do it.”
Government to use Online Safety Act to crackdown on revenge porn
09:32
Salma Ouaguira
The sharing of revenge porn is to be classified as the most serious type of online offence under the Online Safety Act, meaning social media platforms will now have to take steps proactively to remove it, the government has said.
The change to the law will see the sharing of intimate images without consent upgraded to be made a priority offence under the new online safety rules, which are due to come into force from spring next year.
Under the laws, material considered a priority offence – which also includes public order offences and the sale of weapons and drugs online – must not only be removed when it is found online, but platforms must also proactively remove it and take steps to prevent it from appearing in the first place – with large fines for those who fail to do so.
The government said it hoped the crackdown would help drive the development of new and existing technologies to help keep people safer online, while also helping to tackle sexual offending and the normalisation of misogynistic material being shared online.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said he hoped requiring social media platforms to take more proactive action would “drive behaviour change”.
He said: “What I’m trying to do is, rather than just see action once an offence had been committed and the damage has been done to a victim, is to try and change behaviour that will prevent it happening in the first place.”
Russia expels six British diplomats it accuses of spying and sabotage
09:30
Salma Ouaguira
Russia has revoked the accreditation of six British diplomats in Moscow, accusing them of spying and sabotage.
As president Vladimir Putin warned that Nato will be at war with Moscow if Western nations allow Ukraine to use their long-range missiles to strike deep inside Russian territory, Russia’s FSB security service accused British diplomats of working to ensure Moscow’s defeat in the 30-month conflict.
Read the full story below:
COMMENT | Will letting Ukraine use long-range missiles push Putin over edge?
09:15
Salma Ouaguira
Granting permission to Kyiv to fire Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russia could result in a token nuclear strike in retaliation – but history suggests it unlikely, says Mark Almond:
Cleverly: Conservatives need to change perception they are ‘negative'
09:03
Salma Ouaguira
James Cleverly has said he wants to tacjle the perception that the Tories are “angry” or “grumpy”.
The Tory leadership contender urged members of the Conservative party to shift the they way they are perceived by voters to win new ones.
He told the BBC Radio 4 Political Thinking podcast: “I want to break this artificial perception that being conservative means you are angry or negative or moany or grumpy.
“Because it just turns people off. It is running contrary to the mood of a lot of people that we need to win over, particularly younger voters.”
Poll: Sharp dip in public backing for Starmer after winter fuel payments row
08:56
Salma Ouaguira
A new poll has revealed public opinion for Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves has fallen sharply.
It comes as Labour faced criticism for slashing winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.
The Ipsos survey found 32 per cent of people saw the prime minister favourably, which represents a six per cent point drop since August.
Thos who view Sir Keir unfavourably increased by eight points to 46 per cent over the same time perios, leaving a score of minus 14 compared with a net score of zero in August.
The chancellor, who has also been pressured over the upcoming October Budget, has seen her favourability fall by four points to 23 per cent.
The number of poeple who view the Labour party in a positive light has also fallen by four points to 36 per cent.
Cleverly says he outperformed Tory leadership contenders ‘by a country mile'
08:55
Salma Ouaguira
James Cleverly has said he “outperformed” his rivals during his time in Westminster.
He suggested his political career surpasses that of Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat in terms of acheivements and experience.
The former home secretary told the BBC Radio 4 Political Thinking podcast: “I have outperformed everyone else on this leadership ticket not just the jobs I have held but what I have achieved in those jobs.
“I’ve outperformed all the other runners and riders by a country mile. I have outperformed almost everyone else in my parliamentary intake.
“If you Tipp-Exed the words ‘James Cleverly’ off my political CV and slid it across the desk, you’d look at it and go, ‘bloody hell’.”
COMMENT | What Starmer’s Washington visit could mean for Ukraine
08:45
Salma Ouaguira
The prime minister’s trip to the White House could provide an answer to President Zelensky’s prayers to use Western-made long-range missiles, writes Mary Dejevsky:
For once, a UK prime minister’s visit to Washington could offer more than the usual formulaic courtesies and obligatory references to the “special relationship”. Sir Keir Starmer’s meeting with President Biden at the White House could provide the opportunity for the US to announce that it is acceding to Ukraine’s long-standing pleas to use US- and UK-supplied missiles to strike targets deep inside Russia.
It is a perilous moment, and those with longer memories might sense the ghosts of another fateful UK-US encounter haunting the scene: the meeting between Tony Blair and George W Bush at Camp David in September 2002, where Blair gave Bush a degree of international cover, in the form of his unconditional support, for the invasion of Iraq.
Read Mary Dejevsky’s full opinion piece below:
Independent readers divided over Keir Starmer’s decision to suspend some arm sales to Israel
08:30
Salma Ouaguira
While some viewed the arms suspension as a mere ‘token gesture’ that doesn’t go far enough, others argued Israel has a right to defend itself.
Here’s what you had to say:
VOICES | The one glaring omission from the devastating report into the NHS? Brexit
08:20
Salma Ouaguira
The latest review of the health service is a substantial, thoroughgoing and even radical piece of work, writes Sean O’Grady. But it doesn’t mention the 2016 referendum once – despite its enormous impact.
Putin issues warning about Storm Shadow missiles
08:17
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer and Joe Biden are set to agree on a deal to allow Ukraine to open up a new front in the war with Russia by using Western Storm Shadow long-range missiles.
But President Putin said such a move would mean that Russia would be “at war with Nato”.
“So this is not a question of allowing the Ukrainian regime to strike Russia with these weapons or not. It is a question of deciding whether or not Nato countries are directly involved in a military conflict,” Mr Putin told Russian state TV.
In response, Sir Keir told journalists on the flight to Washington DC: “First, to reiterate, it was Russia who started this in the first place. They caused the conflict, they’re the ones who are acting unlawfully. And Ukraine obviously has the right to self-defence.
“That is why we have been providing training and capability. And, you know, there are obviously further discussions to be had about the nature of that capability.
“What I want to do is make sure that those discussions, tactical discussions, are set in the proper strategic context of the situation in Ukraine. And there are, equally, tactical issues in relation to the Middle East, which need to be set in a context which is strategic, not just tactical.”
Where is Keir Starmer today?
08:13
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer is in Washington DC to meet the US President Joe Biden to discuss conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine.
The prime minister has a packed agenda at the White House today where he will meet Mr Biden with Kyiv’s request to open up a new front in the war with Russia by using Western Storm Shadow long-range missiles.
The bilateral summit has been carefully choreographed with foreign secretary David Lammy and US secretary of state Antony Blinken making a joint visit to Kyiv this week.
It is understood that the prime minister and the president want to thrash out a long-term victory plan for Ukraine.
Starmer stares down Putin as he and Biden prepare missiles decision
08:10
Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer defiantly stared down a threat of retaliation by Vladimir Putin as he flew out to Washington DC for talks with Joe Biden on the Ukraine war.
The prime minister and the US president are believed to be on the cusp of allowing Kyiv to open up a new front in the war with Russia by using Western Storm Shadow long-range missiles.
But in a message apparently timed for when Sir Keir and his entourage were over the Atlantic on their way to the US, President Putin said such a move would mean that Russia would be “at war with Nato”.
Our political editor David Maddox reports from Washington DC:
Ed Miliband says new energy grid ‘marks a milestone’
08:04
Salma Ouaguira
The energy secretary has praised the move to bring the National Energy System Operator into public ownership.
He said: “Today marks a milestone for Britain’s energy system as we bring the system operator into public ownership to provide impartial, whole-system expertise on building a network that is fit for the future.
“The new National Energy System Operator has a huge role to play in delivering our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower.
“This is another step forward by a government in a hurry to deliver for the British people.”
John Pettigrew, chief executive of National Grid, said: “We look forward to working together with NESO to continue to drive the UK’s energy transition forward at pace; accelerating the decarbonisation of the energy system for the digital, electrified economies of the future.”
Labour to nationalise National Grid’s Electricity System Operator
08:00
Salma Ouaguira
The government is to bring National Grid’s Electricity System Operator arm into public ownership after striking a deal worth £630 million.
The move is part of the launch of the new National Energy System Operator (NESO) – a public body designed to aid the UK’s clean energy transition and support energy security.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the new body will launch on 1 October following the deal with National Grid.
National Grid said the “final cash consideration” for the sale is still subject to potential adjustments before the deal closes.
Pictured: Keir Starmer arrives to Washington DC
07:50
Salma Ouaguira
