Defence secretary proclaims new navy assist package deal for Ukraine – because it occurred

• Keir Starmer travelled to Edinburgh as a part of his first tour of the 4 UK nations since taking up the position because the UK’s prime minister on Friday. Talking after his assembly with Scotland’s first minister, John Swinney, at Bute Home, Starmer stated he aimed to “make good” on his marketing campaign dedication to “reset” the connection between the Scottish and UK governments. He’ll journey to Wales and Northern Eire subsequent. In Scotland, Starmer met with the Scottish Labour chief, Anas Sarwar, and celebrated the election of 37 Scottish Labour MPs.

• Labour is in search of an unprecedented joint declaration with the EU to usher in a wide-ranging safety pact overlaying defence, power, the local weather disaster, pandemics and even unlawful migration, the international secretary, David Lammy, stated. As a part of the brand new authorities’s plan to reset its relations with the EU and convey “an end to the Brexit era”, Lammy advised the Guardian {that a} broadly outlined safety deal wouldn’t undermine Labour’s dedication to stay outdoors the EU’s single market and customs union.

• Conservatives have instructed that the previous residence secretary Suella Braverman is dropping help as a possible get together chief, as some who misplaced votes throughout southern England privately urged colleagues to withstand a lurch to the best. Plenty of MPs now see Robert Jenrick, Priti Patel and Kemi Badenoch, all of whom have dominated out a take care of Reform chief Nigel Farage, as extra viable candidates. In an interview with GB Information, Braverman claimed Reform UK posed an “existential threat” to the Conservatives. She has declined to say whether or not or not she shall be a Tory management candidate.

• New defence secretary John Healey introduced a contemporary British navy assist package deal for Ukraine as he visited the southern port metropolis of Odesa and met along with his counterpart Rustem Umerov.

• Recognition of the state of Palestine as a part of a Center East peace course of is an “undeniable right”, Starmer advised Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in a cellphone name this morning.

• Ed Davey, the Lib Dem chief, stated that he remained dedicated to proportional illustration, though PR would have given Reform UK extra seats that the Lib Dems at this election.

• Jonathan Reynolds, the brand new enterprise and commerce secretary, dominated out Labour backing ID playing cards.

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The well being secretary, Wes Streeting, has introduced he’ll meet junior docs on Tuesday in an effort to finish strike motion and talk about reform.

Streeting will maintain face-to-face talks with the British Medical Affiliation (BMA) junior docs committee for negotiations to finish their long-running dispute over pay.

Medics in coaching throughout the NHS went on strike for 5 full days from 27 June. The walkout was the eleventh by junior docs in 20 months.

Junior docs in England have stated their pay has been reduce by greater than 1 / 4 during the last 15 years and have known as for a 35% improve.

Streeting has stated beforehand he wouldn’t meet the 35%, saying that if he gave in to the demand then “any trade union worth their salt” would come again the next yr with the identical request.

In an announcement issued on Sunday, he stated:

Once I stated the NHS was damaged, I used to be being trustworthy with the general public concerning the scale of the problem. It is going to take time to repair it, so there’s no time to waste.

I’m assembly with junior docs early this week to debate the top of strike motion, and on Monday I’ll meet the British Dental Affiliation to start rescuing NHS dentistry.

I can even proceed to satisfy with officers and NHS leaders to agree plans for offering an additional 40,000 operations, scans and appointments per week as quickly as potential to chop ready lists.

That is what we promised in opposition, so it’s what we’re doing in authorities. It is going to be the mission of this authorities to construct an NHS match for the longer term. I’m delighted that the prime minister will chair the mission supply board to drive by means of that change, renew the NHS and construct a more healthy Britain.

Patrick Wintour

Patrick Wintour is diplomatic editor for the Guardian

Labour is in search of an unprecedented joint declaration with the EU to usher in a wide-ranging safety pact overlaying defence, power, the local weather disaster, pandemics and even unlawful migration, the international secretary, David Lammy, has stated.

As a part of the brand new authorities’s plan to reset its relations with the EU and convey “an end to the Brexit era”, Lammy advised the Guardian {that a} broadly outlined safety deal wouldn’t undermine Labour’s dedication to stay outdoors the EU’s single market and customs union.

Beneath Labour plans, the pact would see the UK work extra carefully with the bloc on a slew of areas associated to safety, ideally with out the necessity for a legally binding deal, which may take years to agree.

Lammy has additionally accepted an invite from the EU international affairs chief, Josep Borrell, to attend the September assembly of the EU international affairs council – one thing that was rejected by the earlier Conservative authorities.

It’s uncommon for non-EU states to attend the international affairs council, and Labour thinks it could be potential to go on an irregular foundation if the deliberate safety pact develops.

In an interview throughout his first journey to Europe as international secretary, Lammy stated: “We said in our manifesto we wanted an ambitious security pact, and that’s because we have been speaking to Europe about this for the last few years, and I think there is an appetite, particularly following the war in Ukraine and the challenges that EU faces in relation to energy and climate, to go broader than just defence.

“So you have to obviously get into discussions with Europe and find those issues of mutual interest. My hope is that once, of course, the new European leadership is in place, we can progress this with a joint declaration of some kind. Obviously, underneath that would be buckets of work streams.”

You’ll be able to learn the total story right here:

Scottish first minister John Swinney has been requested if he nonetheless has a democratic mandate for a referendum on independence after his get together’s disastrous common election efficiency.

“The people of Scotland elected a Scottish parliament that exists today that’s got majority support for a referendum on independence,” he stated, in response to BBC Information.

“I think the democratic will of the people of Scotland from that election should be respected.”

Swinney stated “we made clear that we (as in himself and Keir Starmer) have different views on the constitution”.

Swinney has stated Labour’s “emphatic victory” confirmed that Scottish voters had been not prioritising independence, which in flip meant the get together wanted to reassess the way it achieved constitutional change. The SNP get together chief had repeatedly stated an SNP victory in Scotland – which was at all times extremely unlikely – would set off talks on a contemporary independence referendum. Through the marketing campaign, Keir Starmer, the Labour get together chief, stated categorically he would refuse to take part in negotiations for an additional independence referendum even when the SNP gained a majority of seats.

Conservatives have instructed that the previous residence secretary Suella Braverman is dropping help as a possible get together chief, as some who misplaced votes throughout southern England privately urged colleagues to withstand a lurch to the best.

Plenty of MPs now see Robert Jenrick, Priti Patel and Kemi Badenoch, all of whom have dominated out a take care of the hard-right Reform chief Nigel Farage, as extra viable candidates.

The Conservative get together board is predicted to satisfy on Monday to start to attract up plans for a management contest to switch Rishi Sunak after the Tories’ devastating common election defeat.

Some get together grandees have been pushing for an extended management contest, however no choice shall be made on the timeline till a gathering of the backbench 1922 Committee of remaining Tory MPs.

Those that have spoken to Sunak describe him as shellshocked by the election outcome, the Guardian has been advised. He has been calling all former Conservative MPs who misplaced their seats over the weekend, partaking in private conversations of typically greater than 10 minutes.

Three potential management candidates appeared to debate the postmortem within the Sunday papers and TV exhibits: Braverman, Jenrick, the previous immigration minister, and Victoria Atkins, the previous well being secretary.

Strategists for quite a lot of candidates are analysing the data of the 121 remaining MPs. “It’s not a Faragist party,” stated one. “Anyone who pursues that will lose.”

You’ll be able to learn the total story by the Guardian’s deputy political editor, Jessica Elgot, right here:

The Scottish authorities has launched a abstract of what Scottish first minister John Swinney and the UK’s prime minister, Keir Starmer, talked about at Bute Home, the primary minister’s official residence, in Edinburgh.

The federal government launch stated:

Following an introductory phone name on Friday, the 2 leaders met in Edinburgh to emphasize their joint dedication to working collaboratively on areas of shared curiosity.

They mentioned a spread of points and areas the place each the governments can work collectively, together with advancing the Scottish authorities’s core priorities of eradicating little one poverty, rising the economic system, prioritising web zero, and making certain the supply of efficient public companies.

Deputy first minister Kate Forbes and the brand new secretary of state for Scotland Ian Murray joined the primary minister and prime minister for talks.

Swinney stated:

I used to be happy to welcome Sir Keir to Bute Home so quickly after his appointment as UK prime minister.

We continued our dialog about areas of shared curiosity. I imagine there is a chance for collaborative working that may make a distinction to folks’s lives and I hope to work with Sir Keir’s new authorities to ship progress for the good thing about folks in Scotland.

Following our talks, I’m assured we’ve established the inspiration for a productive relationship between our two governments based mostly on renewed respect for the devolution settlement.

Starmer has stated the 37 Labour MPs elected within the common election in Scotland would “bring about the change” that individuals needed. The Labour landslide there’s exceptional given the truth that the get together had only one MP in Scotland in 2019, Ian Murray. In distinction, the SNP’s tally fell from 48 to 9 MPs within the common election. There are 57 MPs in whole in Scotland.

Starmer’s go to to Edinburgh didn’t go totally as deliberate as pro-Palestinian protesters lined the streets outdoors Bute Home in anticipation of his arrival.

Defence secretary proclaims new navy assist package deal for Ukraine

Dan Sabbagh

Dan Sabbagh is the Guardian’s defence and safety editor

New defence secretary John Healey introduced a contemporary British navy assist package deal for Ukraine on Sunday as he visited the southern port metropolis of Odesa and met along with his counterpart Rustem Umerov (see earlier submit at 17.02).

The transfer is designed to reassure Ukraine and show to Moscow that UK navy backing stays unchanged after final week’s change of presidency and forward of this week’s Nato summit, the place further navy assist for Kyiv shall be mentioned.

Healey stated “the UK is united for Ukraine” and the Labour minister promised to “reinvigorate Britain’s support by stepping up supplies of vital military aid”as a part of an effort to assist resist Russian aggression “for as long as it takes’’.

Britain will supply a quarter of a million large, 50 calibre rounds of ammunition, 10 of its AS-90 artillery guns, which have a theoretical range of up to 25km, and 90 Brimstone ground-attack, anti-tank missiles from its own stocks.

The Ministry of Defence said that Healey had immediately asked for extra support to be provided to Ukraine which was “readily available” and meets their “needs for the battlefield” because the battle continues its third yr.

Umerov stated, on his Telegram channel, that he “highly appreciated” Healey’s go to given it was his second working day within the job and his first journey overseas.

Dwelling secretary Yvette Cooper has taken the primary steps in establishing a brand new UK border safety command to fight the people-smuggling gangs bringing migrants throughout the Channel in small boats, the PA information company is reporting.

The house workplace stated that recruitment of a border safety commander, who will report on to Cooper, will start tomorrow and the brand new recruit – a “leader used to working in complex and challenging environments, for example at senior levels of policing, intelligence or the military” – will take up their submit within the coming weeks, offering strategic path to work throughout companies.

Beneath the house secretary’s instruction, a crew can also be establishing the remit, governance and strategic path of the brand new command, and laws is being ready to introduce new counter terror-style powers and measures to sort out organised immigration crime. Cooper has additionally commissioned an investigation from the division and the nationwide crime company into the most recent routes, strategies and ways utilized by folks smuggling gangs throughout Europe.

“Criminal smuggling gangs are making millions out of small boat crossings, undermining our border security and putting lives at risk,” Cooper stated.

“We can’t carry on like this. We need to tackle the root of the problem, going after these dangerous criminals and bringing them to justice.

“The border security command will be a major step change in UK enforcement efforts to tackle organised immigration crime, drawing on substantial resource to work across Europe and beyond to disrupt trafficking networks and to co-ordinate with prosecutors in Europe to deliver justice.

“Work is under way to bring in a border security commander to lead this work – and we will begin recruitment on additional capacity in the National Crime Agency immediately.”

When requested on Sunday if she was making the identical promise because the earlier authorities to “stop the boats”, Cooper replied: “No one should be making these dangerous boat crossings.

“This is undermining our border security as well as having lives being put at risk. But that’s why we have to have a major upgrade in law enforcement and I have immediately started the work on that in the home office.”

Requested on Sunday if she was making the identical promise because the earlier Authorities to “stop the boats” and if that’s the case, when would it not occur, Ms Cooper stated: “No one should be making these dangerous boat crossings.

When pushed on when the numbers of small boats will start to come down, Cooper spoke about how the first half of the year has seen an increase of boast crossings. “I am very concerned about the increase that we’ve seen and the way that criminal gangs are being allowed to get away with this, are undermining our border security and also putting lives at risk.

“We need to make rapid progress in upgrading the law enforcement against these gangs to go after the problem at source.

“And that is why I have immediately started work on this and why I am setting out the process now to get the border security command in place.”

When requested if she has had any contact with Rwanda about winding the plan down and getting any a reimbursement, Cooper stated she can be auditing the main points round “the money and legislation and the processes” with a purpose to set out extra particulars to Parliament.

Right here’s video of the prime minister’s remarks in Edinburgh, the place Keir Starmer arrived at the moment on the primary leg of his two-day journey to Scotland, Wales and Northern Eire. Talking alongside Scottish Labour chief Anas Sarwar, the UK prime minister stated he and his Labour authorities would ‘deliver for Scotland’.

UK authorities engaged on rescue plan for Grangemouth oil refinery

Severin Carrell

Keir Starmer has revealed the UK authorities is engaged on a rescue plan for the Grangemouth oil refinery close to Edinburgh, as he arrived within the metropolis for talks with Scotland’s first minister, John Swinney.

The prime minister advised reporters in Edinburgh the Labour authorities had already began conversations on tips on how to save hundreds of jobs at Grangemouth, after its proprietor Ineos stated it was phasing out operations in its refinery enterprise on the web site.

Starmer stated Grangemouth was excessive up his agenda for Scotland, and can be proof of his authorities’s pledge to champion Scotland’s pursuits. “It is obviously a source of great concern to me, [in] terms of what steps we can now take to preserve jobs and ensure the future,” he stated.

Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour chief, stated he had mentioned a Grangemouth rescue plan with Ed Miliband, the power safety and web zero secretary, earlier on Sunday.

Scottish Labour was alerted to the importance of the Grangemouth disaster after it repeatedly got here up on the doorstep throughout the election marketing campaign.

Labour unexpectedly gained three seats surrounding Grangemouth, together with Falkirk, a seat lengthy considered an ultra-safe seat for the Scottish Nationwide get together, in its landslide election victory on Thursday.

Talking after a brief victory rally with a few of Scottish Labour’s MPs and get together activists, Starmer hinted Grangemouth can be on the agenda for his assembly with Swinney, the SNP chief and first minister, at Bute Home on Sunday night.

He denied that the UK authorities’s relations with Swinney and the Scottish authorities can be colored by Labour’s willpower to defeat the SNP within the 2026 Holyrood elections.

“I’m not focused on party politics,” he stated. “I’m focused on one question, which is how can I bring about the change that so many people in Scotland want? That’s what they voted for. They voted for Labour.

“[We] have 37 [Scottish Labour] MPs, they will be sitting on the government benches delivering that change, but I’m focused on the people of Scotland who want change. I’m not focused on party politics. And that’s the way I intend to govern.”

Swinney, as first minister, had a proper to be concerned, Starmer added. He was “totally committed” to involving the UK’s devolved governments and regional mayors in his financial renewal agenda, and would quickly be establishing a council of countries and areas – one of many foremost suggestions from a constitutional reform fee chaired by Gordon Brown.

“I’m totally committed to the principle that those with skin in the game know best, what works for their communities, and that what you shouldn’t do is have individuals in Westminster and Whitehall making decisions affecting communities when they’ve got their own representatives.

“They’ve got people who do understand those communities and work better but what I want is to make sure that whether it’s mayors, whether it’s elected representatives here in Scotland, that you have a Labour government coming up alongside them sharing the ambition and that’s what this is about.”

SNP get together chief John Swinney should present voters he could be trusted as first minister after a “very clear message” was despatched to the SNP within the common election outcomes, Ian Blackford, who led the SNP within the Commons between 2017 and 2022, has stated.

He appeared to again Swinney’s management, however added there “isn’t really anybody else” who may tackle the job.

In an interview with the Sunday Mail, Blackford stated the outcomes confirmed the citizens had delivered a “very clear message”, including: “They’re pissed off.”

He stated:

You’ll be able to’t sugar coat any of this. It’s as much as John what the get together does however the citizens have delivered a really clear message to us – primarily they’re pissed off. I don’t assume anybody is pointing the finger at John and saying he has to go.

He’s inherited this and he has to personal it when it comes to fixing it. It’s not lengthy till 2026. You’ve acquired a while and it may be rotated however you’ll want to show that you would be able to be trusted.

The SNP was lowered to 9 MPs in final week’s election, from 48 MPs in 2019. Blackford was requested if Swinney – who took over as SNP chief eight weeks in the past – would be capable of flip the get together’s fortunes round. Blackford stated: “Time will tell but there isn’t really anybody else, so he’s the man for it.”

As my colleague Lisa O’Carroll notes on this story, it has been a turbulent two years for the SNP, throughout which era it has had three leaders. Sturgeon stop her submit in February 2023, saying she was burnt out, weeks earlier than her husband, Peter Murrell, was questioned in reference to alleged embezzlement of get together funds. He was charged earlier this yr. Sturgeon was additionally arrested however was launched with out cost.

Humza Yousaf, Sturgeon’s apprentice, stepped down in Might after ending his power-sharing take care of the Scottish Greens in Holyrood, with Swinney then taking the reins.

Keir Starmer stated his Labour authorities would “deliver for Scotland” as he visited Edinburgh on the primary leg of his two-day journey to the devolved administrations of the UK.

Showing alongside Scottish Labour chief Anas Sarwar, the prime minister stated there have been 37 Labour MPs from Scottish seats.

The prime minister stated that throughout the marketing campaign he needed “Scotland to send a government to start delivering for Scotland”.

He added:

We’ve got this crew to be a part of a authorities, sitting on the federal government benches, all working to ship for Scotland. This crew right here, the entire of the Labour get together in authorities and myself, delivering for Scotland.

Starmer advised reporters yesterday that he needed to not meet the Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish first ministers to debate the challenges they face and “to establish a way of working across the United Kingdom that will be different and better to the way of working that we’ve had in recent years”.

Labour’s defeated candidate within the constituency the place Nigel Farage gained his parliamentary seat has stated he feared for the protection of these round him throughout what he characterised as a deeply ugly marketing campaign.

Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, 27, who was put in to contest the seat weeks earlier than Farage modified his thoughts and determined to face, accused the Reform UK chief of waging a marketing campaign “straight out of the Trump playbook”.

He stated he confronted vitriol from Reform supporters, together with being requested repeatedly the place he was “really from”.

Through the election marketing campaign, Labour was accused of not placing up a combat within the Essex seat after the Guardian revealed that Owusu-Nepaul had been instructed to go away the constituency and advised he was distracting from Keir Starmer’s marketing campaign.

He was seconded to the West Midlands, whereas the native marketing campaign in Clacton stated it was banned from printing leaflets and blocked from utilizing campaigning software program.

In his first interview since ending third final week within the election, Owusu-Nepaul insisted he had fought onerous, and stated he understood the necessity for the nationwide marketing campaign to take precedence. However he warned that Reform must be a trigger for concern “because of the type of politics they represent”.

You’ll be able to learn the total story by my colleague, Ben Quinn, right here:

Defence secretary John Healey is in Ukraine. He held a press convention along with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov within the Black Sea metropolis of Odesa earlier.

In Might, Healey stated Labour backed all of the commitments made to Ukraine by Rishi Sunak’s authorities, together with a latest pledge to supply Kyiv with £3bn of navy assist a yr (which the Labour authorities will proceed).

The brand new international secretary, David Lammy, has written an article in the Native Europe, outlining the federal government’s international coverage imaginative and prescient. He stated Britain should be a “good neighbour” to the EU because it targets a “closer partnership” with the bloc. Labour has dominated out rejoining the EU, the one market or the customs union. Keir Starmer, the Labour get together chief and newly elected prime minister, has stated as a substitute that his get together may obtain higher buying and selling preparations with the EU in sure industries, comparable to in analysis and improvement and on safety.

Lammy used his first journey overseas because the UK’s high diplomat to clarify to his counterparts in Germany, Poland and Sweden concerning the likelihood to “seize the opportunity for a reset” and work “even more closely together to tackle shared challenges”. He recognized help for Ukraine and local weather change, together with holidays and pupil exchanges, as areas the place this will happen.

Writing within the Native Europe, Lammy stated:

As the brand new British international secretary, with our prime minister Keir Starmer, this authorities will reset relations with Europe as a dependable associate, a reliable ally and neighbour.

That’s the reason I’m travelling instantly to a few of our key European companions. Sitting down with Annalena Baerbock, Radek Sikorski and Tobias Billström, my message shall be easy: allow us to seize the chance for a reset, working much more carefully collectively to sort out shared challenges.

Essentially the most quick of those challenges, after all, is Ukraine. We’ll stand by the courageous folks of Ukraine, as they defend their freedom in opposition to Vladimir Putin’s new type of fascism. British navy, financial, political and diplomatic help for Ukraine will stay ironclad.

However we’re at all times stronger after we work with others. Germany, Poland and Sweden are all additionally staunch supporters of Ukraine. European safety shall be this authorities’s international and defence precedence.

Russia’s barbaric invasion has made clear the necessity for us to do extra to strengthen our personal defences. Subsequent week, the prime minister, the defence secretary and I’ll all journey to Washington for the Nato Summit.