Starmer pressured to chop quick go to to housing improvement after protest by farmers – UK politics stay

On the Downing Avenue foyer briefing the PM’s spokesperson additionally confirmed that the UK stays in favour of Ukraine becoming a member of Nato. He additionally sought to minimize the extent to which the UK just isn’t at odds with the Trump administration, which says that isn’t reasonable choice.

Requested if the UK’s place had modified, the spokesperson replied:

No that’s not modified. Nato has made a long-term dedication to Ukraine.

There should be a transparent course of for that, it’ll take time, however the necessary factor in the mean time is that we’re able to help Ukraine now.

We’re placing Ukraine within the strongest doable place to make sure peace could be achieved.

Requested if the UK agreed with the US that Ukraine shouldn’t be allowed to affix Nato, the spokesperson replied:

We share President Trump’s need to convey this barbaric battle to an finish. We’ve mentioned repeatedly that Russia may do that tomorrow by withdrawing its forces and ending its unlawful invasion.

Keir Starmer has defended Rachel Reeves, saying she has “dealt with” any questions raised about profession earlier than she grew to become an MP.

Requested if he was “comfortable that she exaggerated her relevant experience”, Starmer replied:

Rachel Reeves has handled any points that come up.

She delivered a very necessary price range for the nation that balanced the books, gave us stability, that’s starting to see these rates of interest come down, these mortgages coming down consequently; starting to see a few of the development we’d like.

She is decided that we go additional with that.

So she will be able to take care of the problems that come up out of this report a few years in the past.

What I’m involved with – what she is anxious with, we rise up each day to do – is to make it possible for the economic system in our nation, which was badly broken beneath the final authorities, is revived and we now have development, and that’s felt within the pockets of working individuals throughout the nation [so] they really feel higher off.

Downing Avenue has defended Rachel Reeves following the publication of the BBC tales about allegations she accepted extreme bills when she labored at HBOS earlier than she grew to become an MP, and overstated how lengthy she labored for the Financial institution of England. (See 12.48pm.)

Requested whether or not Keir Starmer thought Reeves was somebody who might be trusted, the PM’s spokeserson replied:

Sure, the chancellor is working with the entire of cupboard ship the Plan for Change.

Figures out this morning confirmed development numbers coming in increased than anticipated.

Requested whether or not it could be proper to say the PM didn’t have any issues about Reeves’, he mentioned: “Correct.”

The spokesperson mentioned that he couldn’t reply questions on ministers did in earlier jobs earlier than they joined the federal government, however he identified that the chancellor’s workforce had responded to questions from the BBC.

The spokesperson additionally confirmed the PM has confidence in Reeves.

This morning the BBC has revealed two prolonged articles on its web site that are the results of an extended investigation into what occurred when Rachel Reeves was working for Halifax Financial institution of Scotland (HBOS) earlier than she grew to become an MP.

The investigation could have been prompted by the revelation that Reeves had overstated her position at HBOS in her profile at HBOS. She mentioned that she had labored there as an economist, despite the fact that she was doing a administration job. On condition that she had labored as an economist on the Financial institution of England, and that she has a grasp’s diploma in economics from the LSE, the controversy didn’t trigger critical reputational injury as a result of nobody significantly argued that she was not certified to be chancellor, or that she solely obtained the job within the first place by over-stating her abilities.

Reeves was additionally critcised for saying at varied factors that she had spent a decade working on the Financial institution of England when in reality it was extra like six years, together with virtually a yr finding out.

The BBC has two new revelations.

It has written a information story saying that Reeves’ “online CV exaggerated how long she spent working at the Bank of England” as a result of she had been there for even much less time than beforehand acknowledged. The BBC says she left the financial institution in March 2006 not December 2006, because it mentioned on her LinkedIn profile, which means she solely spent 5 and a half years on the financial institution, together with virtually a yr on the LSE.

That is only a barely stronger model of one of many criticisms made final yr. Reeves mentioned a member of her workforce had put the dates on her LinkedIn profile, and that that they had made a mistake.

The second allegation is doubtlessly extra critical. However it’s also contested by Reeves, and it depends on data from sources who largely haven’t gone on the report, and the BBC has written it up as an investigation characteristic.

It says that, when Reeves was working at HBOS, she and two different managers (one in all whom was her quick boss), had been investigated over allegations of extreme expense claims.

On the time HBOS managers may use a “motivation card” to pay for objects to reward individuals for good work. They had been meant to pay for objects like flowers, or wine. The allegation is that Reeves and her colleagues used them to pay for objects like birthday and Christmas presents after they weren’t meant to, and that they paid for objects value greater than £25, which was the restrict for some bills. However the BBC report additionally suggests there was some uncertainty at HBOS about what precisely was allowed.

In accordance with the BBC, there positively was an investigation.

We’ve got learnt that there was an bills investigation into Reeves and two different senior managers.

An in depth six-page whistleblowing criticism and dozens of pages of connected proof, which we now have seen, raised issues that the three managers had been utilizing the financial institution’s cash to “fund a lifestyle” with allegedly inappropriate spending on dinners, occasions, taxis and items, together with for one another.

We’ve got not been in a position to set up what the ultimate final result of the investigation was. Certainly it could not have concluded.

A spokesperson for Reeves instructed the BBC that the chancellor had no information of the investigation when she was at HBOS, that she all the time complied with bills guidelines and that she left the financial institution on good phrases.

In a single respect, the story simply implies that Reeves was a beneficiant supervisor who could have been a bit free-and-easy with the corporate’s cash. We’d all like a boss like that, and that occurred lots within the company world pre-financial crash, particularly in banking. If Reeves was discovered to have intentionally damaged the foundations, that might be totally different. However she denies that, and the BBC just isn’t instantly making that declare.

Kemi Badenoch has posted a message on social media throughout the final hour claiming the investigation “raises serious questions” for Reeves and that she wants to return clear concerning the circumstances wherein she left HBOS. However within the message Badenoch doesn’t instantly accuses Reeves of any wrongdoing.

The BBC’s investigation raises critical questions for Rachel Reeves.

Keir Starmer mentioned “restoring trust in politics is the great test of our era”.

Till she comes clear – not nearly her CV however concerning the circumstances wherein she left HBOS, nobody will take him significantly

In the course of the pressing query on Ukraine, Maria Eagle, the defence minister, mentioned the UK stays dedicated to Ukraine becoming a member of Nato in the long run.

Yesterday Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, mentioned: “The United States does not believe that Nato membership for Ukraine is a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.” President Trump mentioned he agreed with Hegseth, including:

[The Russians have] been saying that for a very long time, that Ukraine can not go into Nato, and I’m OK with that.

In her reply to Johanna Baxter (see 11.40am), Eagle mentioned:

We’ve all the time mentioned that Ukraine’s rightful place is in Nato, and our place is that Ukraine is on an irreversible path to Nato membership. However we’ve additionally all the time been clear that it is a course of which takes time.

In the course of the Commons pressing query on Ukraine, President Trump was accused not less than twice of adopting an appeasement-type coverage in the direction of Russia, by Conservative and Labour MPs.

Julian Lewis, a former chair of each the defence committee and the intelligence and safety committee, mentioned:

Will the federal government impress on President Trump at each doable alternative that the explanation why appeasement led to world battle two was that it left a vacuum in Europe? Whereas the explanation why the occupation of Jap Europe on the finish of that battle didn’t result in world battle three was the US crammed any doable vacuum and contained additional aggression.

So if he’s going for a settlement in opposition to the needs of the Ukrainian individuals, the least he can do is to ensure instantly the safety of that a part of Ukraine which stays unoccupied.

And the Labour MP Johanna Baxter mentioned:

If studies of the decision between President Trump and Moscow are to be believed, then that is much less the Artwork of a Deal and extra a constitution for appeasement. So can the minister state whether or not we can be working with Nato allies to ascertain a transparent roadmap with outlined timeframes for Ukraine’s membership, making certain long-term deterrence in opposition to additional, inevitable Russian aggression.

Right here is a few video of the farmers’ protest this morning, posted on social media by pro-farming account.

Keir Starmer has been pressured to chop quick a go to to a housing improvement after a protest by farmers, PA Media studies. PA says:

A gaggle of tractor-driving protesters staged a loud demonstration as Keir Starmer visited a housing improvement in Buckinghamshire.

The autos might be heard sounding musical horns whereas the prime minister spoke to employees on the web site.

Farmers have staged a sequence of protests following the inheritance tax adjustments within the price range.

Starmer was pressured to chop quick his go to to a housing improvement after the protest.

Round a dozen tractors and agricultural autos blocked the highway close to the Eastbrook improvement in Milton Keynes.

The prime minister deserted deliberate media interviews because of the protest.

Rishi Sunak, the previous PM, intervened throughout the pressing query. He has spoken little or no within the Commons for the reason that basic election, however he used his query to ask Maria Eagle if she agreed that “in this new world” Britain and its European allies “must lead in providing Ukraine with military support and potentially military presence across land, air and sea, to give Ukraine confidence that any peace will endure”. And if the federal government did that, it could have his help, he mentioned.

Eagle mentioned the govenrment was dedicated to placing Ukraine within the strongest place to barter. That will contain giving them the arms they wanted to struggle, she mentioned.

She mentioned most help for Ukraine is now coming from European nations.

James Cartlidge says all MPs wish to see peace.

He says President Trump needs to see an finish to the battle.

However Cartlidge says his get together, like the federal government, stands by Ukraine.

We stay 100% steadfast in our help for Ukraine, in our backing for the federal government, in delivering that as they did when in opposition.

And we agree in precept with them that, as we additionally pressured repeatedly in authorities, it’s for the Ukrainians to determine the timing and phrases of any negotiations on any battle.

Cartlidge says Trump is correct to say Europe must spend extra on defence.

He says that, if President Putin is seen to win, “that may bring a temporary end to the conflict, but it will not make the world a safer place”.

And he says the case for increased defence spending is stronger than ever.

In response, Eagle welcomes the truth that the Tories are backing the federal government and that help for Ukraine stays a cross-party place.

(In some facets of coverage, the Conservatives are saying the UK ought to align with the US and never Europe. However, on Ukraine, that doesn’t appear to be taking place.)

Within the Commons James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, is asking his pressing query about Ukraine.

Maria Eagle, a defence minister, is responding.

In her opening assertion, she says the UK will “step up” its help for Ukraine. It wil spend £4.5bn on navy help for Ukraine – greater than each earlier than.

And solely yesterday new firepower was introduced, she says.

She says Ukraine’s safety issues for all international locations, as a result of if one nation’s borders could be redrawn by power, everybody can be affected.

UPDATE: Eagle mentioned:

All of us agree that 2025 would be the important yr for Ukraine. At this important second we is not going to step again however step up our help to Ukraine. President Trump and President Zelensky have each spoken of their need to realize peace by means of power. The commitments made yesterday present the collective power we have to obtain peace.

Ukraine’s safety issues to world safety. It’s why the very important UDCG coalition of fifty nations and companions stretches from the Indo-Pacific to South America as a result of this battle was by no means concerning the destiny of only one nation.

When the border of 1 nation is redrawn by power it undermines the safety of all nations. The US is critical about stability within the Indo-Pacific, as are we – that’s why the Prime Minister introduced that the service strike group will go there subsequent yr. If aggression goes unchecked on one continent, it emboldens regimes on one other.

So on stepping up for Ukraine, we’re and we’ll. On stepping up for European safety, we’re and we’ll.

The NHS England hospital ready listing has fallen for the fourth month in a row, PA Media studies. PA says:

An estimated 7.46m remedies had been ready to be carried out on the finish of December, relating to six.24m sufferers – down from 7.48m remedies and 6.28m sufferers on the finish of November.

These are the bottom figures since April 2023.

The listing hit a report excessive in September 2023, with 7.77m remedies and 6.5m sufferers.

This chart, from an NHS England information launch, exhibits the pattern over the previous decade.

John Healey, the defence secretary, gained’t be responding to the pressing query on Ukraine as a result of he’s in Brussels for the assembly of Nato defence ministers. As Jakub Krupa studies on his Europe stay weblog, Healey instructed reporters this morning that there have to be “no negotiation about Ukraine without Ukraine”. He mentioned:

[Ukraine] are the frontline of freedom, and our job is … to place Ukraine within the strongest doable place for any talks.

We can be persevering with these discussions as Nato allies, and you will notice new bulletins of help for Ukraine by means of Nato.

We’ve got seen the calls from president Trump in a single day. All of us wish to see a sturdy peace and no return to battle and aggression, and let’s not overlook. Russia stays a risk nicely past Ukraine.

My message can be there could be no negotiation about Ukraine with out Ukraine, and Ukraine’s voice have to be on the coronary heart of any talks.

There can be an pressing query on Ukraine within the Commons at 10.30am. It has been tabled by James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, and a defence minister will reply.

Later, after the enterprise assertion, Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Cupboard Workplace minister, will make a press release on progress on compensation funds to victims of the contaminated blood scandal.

The Conservatives have used the brand new cities announcement to criticise Labour over immigration. Within the CCHQ response to the in a single day announcement from the governmnent about new cities, Kevin Hollinrake, the shadow housing secretary, mentioned:

By voting in opposition to Kemi Badenoch’s plan to double the period of time it takes to get indefinite go away to stay and get British citizenship, Labour’s housebuilding plans will do nothing to handle the scarcity of housing as a result of immigration will simply hold piling on the stress.

Britain’s economic system unexpectedly picked up within the last three months of 2024, official figures have proven, easing stress on the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, after flatlining throughout the summer season. Richard Partington has the story.

Good morning. At PMQs yesterday Ed Davey, the Lib Dem chief, mentioned that 80 years in the past “British, Canadian and American soldiers were fighting shoulder to shoulder to defeat fascists” however that President Trump “seems to have forgotten all that” as he takes international coverage determination.

It seems that Davey was fallacious. Trump has a really robust sense of who was on America’s facet throughout world battle two. “We both reflected on the Great History of our Nations, and the fact that we fought so successfully together in World War II, remembering, that Russia lost tens of millions of people,” Trump mentioned yesterday, in his readout of his name with President Putin.

That was the decision with ominious implications for Ukraine, as America in impact known as time on the period when it used to ensure the safety of western Europe. Keir Starmer is doing a go to this morning and, as is regular at these occasions, he’s anticipated to take transient questions from broadcasters on the principle tales of the day. Tales don’t get any extra “main” than this one.

We can be overlaying the Starmer interviews right here, however that is primarily a world story and Jakub Krupa is main the protection of it on his Europe stay weblog.

Starmer may be requested concerning the economic system, and the development figures out this morning, exhibiting that the economic system grew by a modest 0.1% within the last quarter of 2024. That’s not gangbusters territory, however it’s an enchancment on the earlier quarter, when the economic system was flat. There have been fears they economic system would possibly even shrink within the last three months of the yr.

Graeme Wearden is main on this on his enterprise stay weblog.

There’s a slight likelihood that Starmer could even be requested a query concerning the authorities’s plans for brand new cities, which is ostensibly the explanation for the go to. As Pippar Crerar studies, the federal government is asserting that as much as 12 new cities can be beneath development in England by the subsequent election after 100 potential areas had been recognized for them.

Full particulars of the announcement are right here. Matthew Pennycook, the housing minister, has been giving interviews concerning the plans this morning, and he instructed Sky Information that a few of the new cities can be construct on greenfield websites.

Requested whether or not a few of the development could be on greenfield land, Pennycook replied:

There can be some, I’m certain, advisable standalone greenfield websites.

There can be a variety of different, what are known as city extensions, however massive expansions of present cities and cities the place that’s applicable.

There’s obtained to be sustainable locations, as I say, they’ve obtained to be well-connected, well-designed.

We’ll see what the taskforce suggest in its last report in the summertime … ministers will then take the ultimate determination on which of them go ahead.

Right here is the agenda for the day.

9.30am: NHS England publishes its month-to-month efficiency figures.

9.30am: Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, takes questions within the Commons.

Morning: Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner are on a go to within the south-east England to advertise the federal government’s plans for brand new cities.

Morning: David Lammy, the international secretary, has a gathering in London together with his Chinese language counterpart, Wang Yi.

11.30am: Downing Avenue holds a foyer briefing.

Additionally, Nato defence ministers are assembly in Brussels at this time. John Healey is there for the UK and he is because of converse to reporters this afternoon.

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