Tag Archives: keir starmer

Europe ‘Must Step Up’ Amid This ‘Generational Challenge On National Security’, Starmer Warns

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Keir Starmer has called for Europe to “step up” amid this “generational challenge” to the continent’s security right now.

The prime minister spoke to the media as pressure rises around the Ukraine war.

Starmer will head to Paris for an emergency summit with his European counterparts today, and is expected to travel to Washington to meet with Donald Trump next week.

The continent is scrambling to respond after the White House suggested it would only consult, but not directly include, Europe while negotiating a peace with Russia over the Ukraine war.

The new Trump administration has also called for Europe to be more responsible for its own security rather than relying on American support.

Speaking to broadcasters in Bristol, Starmer issued a call to action to his European neighbours. He said: “We’re facing a generational challenge when it comes to national security.

“Obviously, the immediate question is the future of Ukraine, and we must continue to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position whatever happens next, and to make sure that if there is peace – and we all want peace – that it is lasting.”

He added there is a “bigger piece here as well” noting that the challenge we face “isn’t just about the front line of Ukraine.”

“It’s the front line of Europe and of the United Kingdom. It’s our national security,” Starmer said.

Starmer confirmed overnight that he is ready to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine if a deal is secured, despite concerns that the sector is already underfunded.

Labour has promised to increase spending its current rate of 2.3% of GDP to 2.5%, but it has not provided a clear timeframe for doing so.

The PM told broadcasters: “We are going through a strategic review of defence at the moment, which is looking at the challenges and the capability, and then we’ll set out that path.

“Part of my message to our European allies is that we’ve all got to step up on both capability and on spending and funding. Now, that includes the UK, which is why I’ve made that commitment to spend more.”

“Until we get a peace agreement, we must ensure Ukraine is in the strongest possible position,” he said.

The prime minister said: “We don’t know what’s going to happen next, and we need to have realistic and credible answers to how any ceasefire, how any peace agreement, will be lasting, just and enduring, because the last thing I want to see is a pause in the fighting that simply gives Putin the chance to come again, which is why it’s very important that we have these discussions.”

Starmer also downplayed concerns about a split between the US and Europe after vice-president JD Vance attacked the continent last week.

Amid reports he was looking to act as a bridge between Washington and the rest of Europe, Starmer said: “I think what the US wants to achieve is lasting peace in Ukraine that aligns precisely with what we want in the United Kingdom, what Ukraine wants and what our European allies want.

“What we now need to do is to make sure that we work together on a plan that could get us to that point.”

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Trump Has Some Surprising Words Of Praise For Starmer Despite Musk Row

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Donald Trump has offered some surprising praise up to Keir Starmer despite not calling the UK PM during his first five days back in office.

The US president, who was inaugurated on Monday, is yet to follow tradition and speak to the UK prime minister since his second term.

But Trump seemed to defy concerns that he might be holding a grudge against the Labour leader when speaking to the BBC on board Air Force One on Saturday.

“I get along with him well. I like him a lot,” the president said.

“He’s liberal, which is a bit different from me, but I think he’s a very good person and I think he’s done a very good job thus far.

“He’s represented his country in terms of philosophy.

“I may not agree with his philosophy, but I have a very good relationship with him.”

And when asked where he might go for his first international trip since returning to the White House, Trump said: “It could be Saudi Arabia, it could be UK. Traditionally it could be UK.

“Last time I went to Saudi Arabia because they agreed to buy $450 billion of American United States merchandise.”

Trump also promised he would be talking to Starmer “over the next 24 hours”.

He has met the UK leader on multiple occasions, including when the Labour leader flew to Trump Tower in New York before the presidential election.

However, the delicate friendship they struck up at the time was quickly overshadowed by tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Now Trump’s informal adviser, Musk has initiated a war of words against Starmer ever since the PM was elected, calling the Labour leader “evil” and questioning his record as the director of public prosecutions over grooming gangs.

Even so, foreign secretary David Lammy said Starmer would be going to visit Trump in the US “within the next few weeks” last Sunday.

There are fears they could clash, as Trump wants to impose tariffs – which could weigh down an already embattled UK economy – and reduce the amount of military aid the US sends to the UK.

Labour’s plan to hand the Chagos Islands to Mauritius is expected to cause further friction, because there is a UK-US military base on the archipelago, and Starmer’s pick for Washington ambassador – Peter Mandelson – has raised some eyebrows among Trump’s inner circle.

There’s also the Labour cabinet’s own very public criticisms of Trump over the years when they were in opposition which ministers have been trying to overlook.

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Keir Starmer Insists There Was No State Cover-Up Over Southport Killer

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Keir Starmer has denied engaging in a cover-up to prevent the public knowing about Southport killer Axel Rudakubana’s background in the aftermath of his murderous rampage.

The prime minister insisted he was following “the law of the land” to avoid the possibility of the case against the 18-year-old collapsing and him then being able to walk free.

Rudakubana yesterday pleaded guilty to murdering nine-year-old Alice da Silva Bebe King, 6, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29 last year.

He also admitted the production of a biological toxin, ricin, and possession of information likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing to commit an act of terrorism.

It has since emerged that the killer was referred three times to the government’s Prevent anti-terrorism programme, but remained at large.

Home secretary Yvette Cooper has announced that a public inquiry will take place into the tragedy.

Senior politicians, including Nigel Farage and shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick, have suggested ministers withheld information about Rudakubana so as to protect the reputation of senior figures and avoid a public backlash.

At a Downing Street press conference this morning, Starmer admitted that he had been told about the details about Rudakubana that were not made public.

But he said: “You know and I know that it would not have been right to disclose those details. The only losers if the details had been disclosed would be the victims and the families because it ran the risk the trial would collapse.

“I’m never going to do that. Never going to do that because they deserve that justice.

“And only by having the rules in place can that justice be delivered and I would never have been forgiven if they had. Those are not just my choices, though it is a choice I would make, but it is also the law of the land.

“That is why I couldn’t disclose the details, it is why others couldn’t disclose the details, it’s why all of you as journalists couldn’t disclose the details because the same laws applied to you just as they applied to me, and it’s really important that we make that clear.”

He added: “The importance of the rule about not disclosing this information is to ensure that the trial can take place and that where an individual is guilty they can be held to account, as has happened in this case.”

However, the PM also pledged to identify any failings by the state over the Southport killings.

He said: “I am also under no illusions that until the wider state shows the country it can change not just what it delivers for people, but also its culture, then this atmosphere of mistrust will remain.

“So I want to be crystal clear, in front of the British people today – we will leave no stone unturned.

“I was the prosecutor who first spotted failures in grooming cases at my institution the [Crown Prosecution Service] 14 years ago. And I was the prosecutor who first did something about it, by bringing the rape gangs in Rochdale to justice.

“And so my approach as prime minister will be no different. If any shortcomings are now holding back the ability of this country to keep its citizens and its children safe, I will find them and I will root them out.”

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Elon Musk Should Be Treated As ‘A National Enemy’ Of The UK, Says Former Labour Leader

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Elon Musk should be “regarded as a national enemy” of the UK over his attacks on Keir Starmer, a former Labour leader has declared.

Neil Kinnock said supporters of all parties should oppose the tech billionaire, who is set to be a major figure in the incoming Donald Trump administration.

Musk, the world’s richest man and owner of the X social media platform, has spent months lambasting the prime minister over his response to last summer’s riots, the state of the UK economy and, most recently, the child grooming gangs scandal.

He accused Starmer of being “complicit” and of failing to prosecute those involved when he was head of the Crown Prosecution Service.

Starmer hit out at Musk last week, saying he had “crossed a line” by personally attacking safeguarding minister Jess Phillips and saying that she should be jailed.

On Radio 4′s Broadcasting House programme on Sunday, Kinnock – who led Labour from 1983 until 1992 – said politicians should unite against Musk.

He said: “Trump has given Musk official status. He is going to be in charge, together with another guy, of a federal government department, and that’s on top of being the most powerful private individual in human history, as well as being the world’s richest man.

“He’s gunning for Keir and he’s got to be resisted, and I don’t think that should be limited to Labour supporters.

“I think that when somebody has very clearly declared antagonism on this level to the prime minister of the United Kingdom, he should be regarded as a national enemy.”

Kinnock’s comments came as Dan Carden became the first Labour MP to echo Tory and Reform UK calls for a national inquiry into the grooming scandal.

He said: “The public call for justice must be heeded. It is shocking that people in positions of power could have covered up and refused to act to avoid confronting racial for cultural issues or because victims were poor or working-class.

“We must question and challenge the orthodoxy of progressive liberal multiculturalism that led to authorities failing to act. We need a new doctrine to take our multi-ethnic society into the future.”

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Major Blow To Keir Starmer As Poll Finds 1 In 4 Brits Regret Voting For Labour

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One in four voters who backed Keir Starmer at the general election now regret it, according to a new poll.

Research by think tank More in Common and published by LBC found 56% of voters now have a lower opinion of the government after six months in power.

It seems that three policies drove this frustrated response to Labour – the government’s decision to reduce the number of pensioners eligible for the winter fuel allowance, cut inheritance tax relief for farmers and its refusal to compensate WASPI women over pension changes.

Some voters said these choices were more damaging to the governing party than partygate – the repeated breach of their own lockdown rules which helped oust Boris Johnson from No.10 – was to the Conservatives.

To make matters even worse for the prime minister, 54% of respondents said they were pessimistic Labour can deliver the change they promised in the election.

A quarter of participants also said they regret voting for Starmer – and that fraction creeps up to two in five (41%) among the 65 to 74 year olds.

Starmer did secure a landslide victory in July’s general election, taking a staggering 411 seats, but, while his success was widespread, it was shallow. Many Labour MPs won their constituencies on relatively narrow majorities.

Asked how the government would win the electorate back after this devastating poll, health minister Karin Smyth told LBC: “We have to deliver.

“That’s disappointing to hear, but we’re just six months in, we know the awful inheritance that we have to deal with.

“Things like today, delivering on those [NHS] waiting lists, getting more money in people’s pockets, better lives, better education for their children, getting those waiting lists down and crucially being able to see a GP – we know that delivery is what matters.

“That’s why Keir Starmer is out today, setting out, in the start of this new year, our plan for reducing those waiting lists, we’re very conscious of that.”

The prime minister has pledged today to introduce half a million more appointments as part of the government’s plan to cut maximum waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks by the next election.

Starmer announced his plans to reform the country at the end of 2024 with his six milestones, including putting more police officers on the street, building 1.5 million homes and putting more money in people’s pockets.

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Keir Starmer Says Labour Will ‘Rebuild’ Britain As It Did After The War

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Keir Starmer has vowed that Labour will “rebuild” Britain just as it did after the Second World War.

The prime minister used his New Year message to the country to draw comparisons between the challenges facing the UK in 2025 and the country’s plight exactly 80 years ago.

It comes amid gloomy warnings about Britain’s economic prospects in the next 12 months, and growing pessimism among voters.

A YouGov poll for The Times found most people saw Starmer’s government as “incompetent”, “dishonest” and “unsuccessful”, and believe it will fail to achieve the six milestones unveiled by the PM in his “plan for change” last month.

But in his New Year message, Starmer insisted that better days lie ahead for the UK.

He said: “I know there is still so much more to do. And that for many people it’s hard to think about the future when you spend all of your time fighting to get through the week.

“So I want to be clear. Until you can look forward and believe in the promise and the prosperity of Britain again, then this Government will fight for you.

“A fight for change that will define this year, next year, and indeed – every waking hour of this government.”

The PM added: “That is what we will be focusing on. A year of rebuilding. But also – rediscovering the great nation that we are. A nation that gets things done. No matter how hard or tough the circumstances.

“We will have time to reflect on that this year. A chance, with the 80th anniversary of VE [Victory in Europe] and VJ [Victory in Japan} day. To cherish the greatest victories of this country. And the greatest generation that achieved it.

“But that victory – and indeed the peace and the prosperity that followed all rested on that same foundation we must rebuild today.

“The security of working people. That is the purpose of this Government. The goal of our plan for change. And we will push it forward in 2025.”

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‘They Are Shameless’: Labour Ministers Accused Of ‘Betrayal’ For Refusing To Compensate Waspi Women

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Labour ministers have been accused of “betrayal” after ruling out compensation for women who lost out when the rules over when they received their state pension were changed.

Keir Starmer was among those who gave their support to the Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaign when the party was in opposition.

Work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall told MPs on Tuesday that it would not be “a fair or proportionate use of taxpayers’ money” to pay up to £10.5 billion to those affected.

That was despite the parliamentary and health service ombudsman ruling that the women should be compensated due to mistakes made in the way the changes to their pension age were communicated to them.

Women’s state pension age was increased from 60 to 65 so it was equal with men’s between 2010 and 2018.

But the campaigners insisted they were not adequately informed about the change.

Speaking in 2022, Starmer said the Waspi women were the victims of “a real injustice”, adding: “We need to do something about it.”

Kendall herself was also pictured with a sign saying: “I will work with Waspi to identify and deliver a fair solution for all women affected.”

Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s leader at Westminster, re-posted the picture on X and said: “The Labour secretary of state is currently stating that her government will not provide any financial compensation to the Waspi women. They are shameless.”

Waspi chairwoman Angela Madden said: “The government has today made an unprecedented political choice to ignore the clear recommendations of an independent watchdog which ordered ministers urgently to compensate Waspi women nine months ago.

“This is a bizarre and totally unjustified move which will leave everyone asking what the point of an ombudsman is if ministers can simply ignore their decisions.

“It feels like a decision that would make the likes of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump blush.”

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No 10 Tells Protesting Farmers Controversial Inheritance Tax Policy Will Not Be Changed

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The government will not U-turn on controversial changes to inheritance tax rules for farmers, No.10 has confirmed.

Keir Starmer’s official spokesman ruled out any climbdown as thousands of farmers, many of them driving tractors, once again descended on Westminster to protest against the policy.

Some of the placards on display read “No farmers, no food” and “Starmer Farmer Harmer”.

Rachel Reeves announced in the Budget that farms worth more than £1 million will become liable for the charge, albeit at the reduced rate of 20%.

Farmers’ leaders have warned that the move – which ministers say is necessary to help fill a £22 billion financial black hole left by the Tories – will put many farms out of business.

But asked if there could be a re-think on the inheritance tax changes, the PM’s spokesman said: “No. We have been clear that we understand the strength of feeling about the changes, but we are clear that this will only affect a small number of estates.

“Three-quarters of estates will be unaffected by these changes. But the government’s commitment to farmers is steadfast.”

He said the Budget had also seen the government pledge £5 billion-worth of support for farmers “which is already starting to land in farmers’ pockets”.

The spokesman added: “We recognise the strength of feeling, but we are committed to supporting our farmers, delivering rural economic growth and boosting Britain’s food security.”

Tom Bradshaw, the head of the National Farmers Union, had earlier told MPs that he feared some elderly farmers could commit suicide as a result of the policy.

If a farm is passed on to another family member, it is not subject to inheritance tax if the original owner lives for another seven years.

But giving evidence to the rural affairs committee, Bradshaw broke down in tears as he said: “Those people who are either in ill health or don’t believe they are going to be able to live for seven years may well decide that they shouldn’t be here on April 26.

“No policy should ever be published that has that unintended side-effect.”

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Exclusive: Ministers Try To Rebuild Bridges With Whitehall After Starmer’s ‘Trumpian’ Attack On Civil Servants

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Ministers are trying to restore relations with their civil servants after comments by Keir Starmer caused fury last week, HuffPost UK can reveal.

In a major speech, the prime minister claimed too many in Whitehall “are comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline”.

He said they had “forgotten, to paraphrase JFK, that you choose change, not because it’s easy, but because it’s hard”.

That prompted Dave Penman, general secretary of civil servants’ union the FDA, to write to the PM accusing him of a “Trumpian” attack on his members.

A Whitehall source told HuffPost UK that senior ministers are “doing the rounds to show love” in their departments in an attempt to repair the damage caused by the prime minister’s comments.

One civil service source said: “We’re tired of being criticised in public and thanked in private – that’s what happened with the last government.”

In a further attempt at improving relations with officials, Starmer today wrote a letter to civil servants thanking them for their efforts.

He said: “From my time as Director of Public Prosecutions, I know first-hand just how fortunate this country is to have a civil service that is admired across the world.

“I saw it every day, I depended on it every day, I was proud to be part of it every day. And from all I have seen during my first five months as prime minister, my appreciation for your service to this country has only grown.”

But responding to the PM’s letter, Dave Penman said it did not go far enough.

He said: “I’m sure civil servants will welcome the message from the prime minister, recognising the challenges the civil service faces as it strives to deliver the government’s agenda and their shared desire to deliver better public services.

“But he needs to to go further. As minister for the civil service, the prime minister should not underestimate the damage his remarks last week made.

“If he is to deliver his vision for change, he needs to inspire, not denigrate the civil service.”

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Government Appoints Anti-Corruption Champion For The First Time Since 2022

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The government has just appointed a former Labour MP to be the anti-corruption champion.

Baroness Margaret Hodge, who now sits in the Lords, will fill the position which has been vacant since June 2022.

Her predecessor, John Penrose, resigned over Boris Johnson’s role in the partygate scandal after a series of gatherings in Downing Street were found to have breached Covid lockdown rules.

Hodge “will work with parliament, the private sector and civil society to help drive delivery of the government’s priorities to clamp down on corruption and the organised criminals who benefit from it, helping to deliver safer streets and secure borders”, according to the Foreign Office.

Hodge has spent much of her career in the Commons campaigning against both domestic and international corruption.

News of her appointment comes as part of a new crackdown from foreign secretary David Lammy.

He has just announced up to £36m in support for the National Crime Agency’s international corruption unit over the next five years, and sanctions to hit the illicit gold trade.

Lammy said: “This government will make the UK a hostile environment for the corrupt and their ill-gotten gains as we put national security as a foundation of our Plan for Change and decade of national renewal.”

Hodge said: “After years of campaigning on the issue, I feel privileged and delighted to be able to work as the Government’s champion, combatting corruption and the illicit finance that flows from it, both at home and abroad.

“The time has now come to put an end to dither and delay. We must take determined and effective action and I look forward to playing my part in that work.”

Labour MP Joe Powell, chair of anti-corruption and responsible tax all party parliamentary group, said he “warmly welcomes” Hodge’s appointment today.

He added: “Oligarchs, kleptocrats, and those exploiting tax havens will sleep less easily tonight.

“This role is pivotal in the fight against corruption, and Margaret’s decades of tireless work exposing corruption and dirty money bring immense credibility to this effort.”

Neither Liz Truss nor Rishi Sunak appointed a new figure to replace Penrose after his dramatic resignation as the anti-corruption tsar more than two years ago.

In a scathing letter to Johnson, Penrose called on the then-PM to quit after the civil service’s partygate probe concluded that “senior leadership” at the top of government was to blame for the scandal.

The-then Tory MP said: “You have breached a fundamental principle of the ministerial code – a clear resigning matter.

“But your letter to your independent adviser on the ministerial code ignores this absolutely central, non-negotiable issue completely.”

He added: “As a result, I’m afraid it wouldn’t be honourable or right for me to remain as your anti-corruption champion after reaching this conclusion, nor for you to remain as prime minister either.”

Johnson resigned the following month.

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