Category Archives: POLITICS

Starmer Insists He’ll Lead Labour Into Next Election Amid Welfare Rebellion

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Keir Starmer has insisted he will lead Labour into the next general election amid mounting criticism of his performance as prime minister.

He is facing a huge backbench rebellion over plans to slash the welfare budget by £5 billion – leading to speculation that the crunch Commons vote on the measures could be pulled to avoid a humiliating defeat.

More than 120 Labour backbenchers have signed a rebel amendment to kill off the policy, which has also been criticised by Sadiq Khan and Andy Burnham.

Labour MPs are now openly discussing the possibility that Starmer may be ousted as leader, just a year after he led the party to a landslide election victory.

At a press conference at the Nato summit in The Hague, the PM was asked if he was confident of leading Labour into the next election, which is due in 2019.

He said: “I’m very confident. We were elected in absolutely clearly saying we needed 10 years of national renewal. A decade of national renewal was what we were elected into with a huge majority.

“It is really important that I lead from the front and take the long-term decisions about the future of our country.”

Starmer also denied that the scale of the rebellion suggested that he was out of touch with his own MPs.

He said: “Many people predicted before the election that we couldn’t read the room, we hadn’t got the politics right and we wouldn’t win an election after 2019 because we lost so badly.

“That was the constant charge of me at press conferences like this, and we got a landslide victory. So I’m comfortable with reading the room and delivering the change the country needs.

“We’ve got a strong Labour government with a huge majority to deliver on our manifesto commitments.”

Starmer insisted the party was “pretty united” behind the government’s welfare reforms, and said he would press ahead despite the widespread opposition to them.

He said: “We have got to make the reforms to our system. It isn’t working as it is.

“It doesn’t work as it stands for people who desperately need help to get into work or for people who need protection. It is broken.

“We were elected in to change that which is broken, and that’s what we will do, and that’s why we will press ahead with reforms.”

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British Fighter Jets To Carry Nuclear Weapons For First Time Since End Of Cold War

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British fighter jets are to carry nuclear weapons for the first time since the Cold War under a landmark deal announced by Keir Starmer.

The UK is to buy 12 American-made F-35A planes in a move which the government says will boost national security and support 20,000 jobs across the country.

The state-of-the-art aircraft can carry both nuclear and conventional weapons.

Starmer, who will confirm the deal at the Nato summit in The Hague, said: “In an era of radical uncertainty we can no longer take peace for granted, which is why my government is investing in our national security, ensuring our Armed Forces have the equipment they need and communities up and down the country reap the benefits from our defence dividend.

“Supporting 100 businesses across the country and more than 20,000 jobs, these F35 dual capable aircraft will herald a new era for our world-leading Royal Air Force and deter hostile threats that threaten the UK and our allies.”

The announcement comes amid rising global tensions, and a day after the government’s national security strategy warned the UK must prepare for a “wartime scenario” on home soil.

The last British aircraft to carry nuclear weapons was the RAF Tornado, which was retired in 1998 following the end of the Cold War.

Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said: “The UK has declared its nuclear deterrent to Nato for many decades, and I strongly welcome today’s announcement that the UK will now also join NATO’s nuclear mission and procure the F-35A.

“This is yet another robust British contribution to Nato.”

Starmer has already confirmed that the UK will boost its spending on defence and national security to 5% of its gross national product (GDP) by 2035.

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Sadiq Khan Joins Labour Backlash As Rebellion Against Starmer’s Welfare Cuts Grows

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Sadiq Khan has joined the growing Labour rebellion against Keir Starmer’s welfare cuts.

The mayor of London said the plans would mean “hardship” for thousands of disabled and vulnerable people in the capital and the government “must urgently think again”.

His dramatic intervention came as the number of Labour MPs backing a bid to scrap the cuts continued to grow.

Ministers want to slash £5 billion from the welfare budget by making it harder for people to claim personal independence payments (PIP) and cutting the sickness-related element of universal credit (UC).

Starmer has insisted that the reforms will also see more support provided to help get people off benefits and into work.

But Khan said: “I have always said that more must be done to support people to go from relying on benefits to getting back into work. It’s vital for a healthy and prosperous London.

“What we can’t do is take away the vital safety net that so many vulnerable and disabled Londoners rely upon. Having looked at the analysis of the government’s plans, the impact on London will be substantial, and for too many disabled Londoners it will destroy their financial safety net.

“The government must urgently think again. It must look again at the potential hardship these changes will force on thousands of vulnerable and disabled Londoners.”

MPs are set to vote on the government’s Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill next Tuesday.

But nearly 130 Labour MPs have now signed a rebel amendment which would block the legislation.

If it is chosen by the Speaker, and if the opposition parties decide to support it, the government would lose the vote in what would be a massive humiliation for the PM.

Despite the growing anger, Starmer insisted he would not ditch the reforms.

He said: “We were elected to change what is broken in our country.

“The welfare system is broken and that’s why we will press ahead with our reforms.”

In a desperate attempt to quell the rebellion, cabinet ministers are phoning up MPs urging them to fall into line.

But one rebel told HuffPost UK: “It’s all a bit after the fact. They have no idea how badly this is going.”

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Keir Starmer Unveils Pledge To Boost National Security Spending During ‘Era Of Radical Uncertainty’

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Keir Starmer will announce a historic boost in national security spending at Tuesday’s Nato summit during this “era of radical uncertainty”.

While gathering with his allies in The Hague this week, the prime minister will promise to spend 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on national security by 2035.

His pledge comes days after the US joined Israel in bombing Iran and as Vladimir Putin continues his brutal land grab in Ukraine.

US president Donald Trump has been pressuring Europe to take more responsibility for its defence, too.

According to the government, this new target means the UK will meet Nato’s demands for member states’ defence spending.

Starmer announced in February that the government was boosting defence spending from 2.3% to 2.5% by 2027, with an ambition to increase that to 3% by 2035.

However, that is now being increased to 3.5%, with an additional 1.5% of “national resilience and homeland security”, which includes protecting the UK’s energy infrastructure and tackling people smuggling gangs.

Starmer said: “We must navigate this era of radical uncertainty with agility, speed and a clear-eyed sense of the national interest to deliver security for working people and keep them safe.

“That’s why I have made the commitment to spend 5% of GDP on national security. This is an opportunity to deepen our commitment to Nato and drive greater investment in the nation’s wider security and resilience. After all, economic security is national security.”

The announcement comes as the government reveals its National Security Strategy, announcing that the UK must improve its work in science, education, trade and frontier technology to keep up with competitors.

It is meant to help the UK bring together all of its plans in a world of increasing “grey zone” threats from other nations.

The UK’s Industrial Strategy, revealed on Monday, also announced an investment of £86 billion in research and development in technology to boost the economy and the military.

While other Nato allies are expected to join the UK in hiking their defence spending, there has been some pushback from countries like Spain and Italy, who are refusing to put more money into the sector.

This could end up being a source of tension at this week’s summit, as Trump attends his first Nato conference since 2019.

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‘Get Some Help’: David Lammy Mocks Reform MP For Repeating ‘Conspiracy Theory’ In Commons

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David Lammy accused a Reform UK MP of “swallowing conspiracy theories” over a question she asked him in the House of Commons.

The foreign secretary told Sarah Pochin to “get some help” after she suggested the government’s controversial decision to give the Chagos Islands to Mauritius had played a part in America’s plans for bombing Iran.

The pair clashed after Lammy updated parliament about the worsening crisis in the Middle East.

It was thought that the UK may have to give the US permission to use the Diego Garcia air base in the Chagos Islands to launch its attacks on Iranian nuclear weapons facilities.

But in the end, the American aircraft flew non-stop from the US on their bombing mission.

Pochin, the MP for Runcorn and Helsby, said: “Can the foreign secretary explain to the House whether the United States felt unable to use the Diego Garcia base … because of your deal that you did with the Mauritians, that would then tell the Chinese, that would then tell the Iranians?”

Lammy told her: “The honourable lady has got to get off social media, has got to get some help because she’s swallowing conspiracy theories which should not be repeated in this House.”

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‘Downhill From Here For Trump’: Senior BBC Reporter’s Bleak Prediction After Iran Strikes

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It is all “downhill” for Donald Trump from now onwards after his strikes on Iran, according to the BBC’s world affairs editor.

The US president announced overnight that America has “obliterated” three nuclear facilities in Iran, and urged Tehran to come to the negotiating table or face further attacks.

The move comes after Israel began a week of exchanging fire with Iran.

“I feel last night was a big change, a major turn of the page,” John Simpson said on BBC News. “In one major respect, I think it’s downhill for President Trump from now on.”

The broadcaster continued: “He’s losing the support of the isolationists among the MAGA-supporters, of whom there are a large if not dominant amount.

“He’s done something he promised he wouldn’t do and he’s moving against that, and I think we’ll find that his power will start to diminish after this.”

In his election campaign, Trump promised to be a peaceful president, and put “America First” by pulling the States out of other countries’ wars.

But many of his supporters now question if that is still his thinking, considering he has just pulled the US into a raging war in conflict.

Simpson also discussed the likelihood of an Iranian response.

He said: “We shouldn’t overestimate Iran’s strengths or its abilities.”

“Yes of course it can do asymmetrical attacks,” he noted, but added that these were “limited small-time” moves which are not “population-threatening”.

“We shouldn’t be too scared about Iran’s likely retaliation,” he said.

Simpson sent a similar message on X, saying: “As a result of his bombing of Iran, Trump’s presidency has entered new and much more conflicted territory.

“The US isolationist right are already criticising him. Trump could now be involved in precisely the kind of war he blamed his predecessors for.”

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As a result of his bombing of Iran, Trump’s presidency has entered new and much more conflicted territory. The US isolationist right are already criticising him. Trump could now be involved in precisely the kind of war he blamed his predecessors for.

— John Simpson (@JohnSimpsonNews) June 22, 2025

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As a result of his bombing of Iran, Trump’s presidency has entered new and much more conflicted territory. The US isolationist right are already criticising him. Trump could now be involved in precisely the kind of war he blamed his predecessors for.

— John Simpson (@JohnSimpsonNews) June 22, 2025

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