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Sir Keir Starmer is jetting off this afternoon to meet with Donald Trump in Washington DC, amid a row over his shock announcement to hike the UK’s defence spending to 2.5 per cent.
During PMQs, he defended his claims over the level of extra money for defence after the government was accused of “silly games with numbers” after it was said £13.4bn more would be spent.
However, defence secretary John Healey suggested the real-terms increase in defence spending year on year “would be something over £6 billion”.
In a heated exchange in the Commons, Starmer said that Kemi Badenoch has appointed herself “saviour of the western civilisation”, after the Conservative leader suggested she had advised the Prime Minister to increase defence spending.
He added that she “didn’t feature in my thinking at all” and that her comment was a “desperate search for relevance”.
He reiterated his stance that Ukraine “must be at the table” in negotiations to end the war with Ukraine, and reiterated that the UK and the US have a “special deep relationship”.
Sir Keir is set to fly to Washington DC on Wednesday where he will meet with Mr Trump where he will follow in French president Emmanuel Macron’s footsteps to persuade him Europe has a plan for Ukraine.
Europe cannot sustain 100,000-strong Ukraine peacekeeping force, former British army chief warns
The former chief of the defence staff warned it is “inevitable” that Russia will seek to test any defence force placed in Ukraine in the event of a deal to end the war. “If we send troops, they will be tested, and they have to robustly be able to defend themselves,” Lord Richards told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
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Badenoch suggests ‘cover-up’ of Chagos money deal
Speaking after Prime Minister’s Questions, a spokesman for Mrs Badenoch said: “I think this all points to what amounts to really a cover-up of where this money for the Chagos surrender is coming from.
“It is incumbent on the Government as soon as possible to come and explain where the money is coming from, and if it is coming from the defence budget it makes all of the announcements over the last 24 hours seem (to be) ringing increasingly hollow.”
On Tuesday a Conservative former defence minister suggested that money earmarked for the Chagos deal could instead be spent on the armed forces.
Andrew Murrison asked the Prime Minister: “Will he look at other things that perhaps present easier choices, and in particular, his choice to spend billions of pounds on Mauritius? And will he repurpose that money in defence of our armed forces?”
Starmer declines to say whether defence spending increase includes Chagos cash
Sir Keir Starmer has declined to say whether money for a deal with the Chagos Islands would come out of the increase in defence spending.
The Prime Minister told the Commons that the increase to 2.5% of GDP announced on Tuesday is for “our capability on defence and security in Europe”, and described the deal being negotiated with Mauritius as “extremely important for our security”.
The UK is in talks with Mauritius about handing over sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory, but leasing back the strategically important Diego Garcia military base which is used by the US.
The Conservatives have called on ministers to explain as soon as possible if money for the deal will come out of the uplift announced on Tuesday.
Earlier on Wednesday, Defence Secretary John Healey did not say whether the Chagos money was included when asked, and the issue was pressed by Kemi Badenoch at Prime Minister’s Questions.
Watch: Diane Abbott rebukes Keir Starmer over foreign aid cut
Dominic Cummings backs Reform UK for local elections
Dominic Cummings has called for voters to back Nigel Farage’s Reform UK in the May local elections. The former Boris Johnson aide did not say who he would vote for if there was an imminent general election.
But, amid a furious backlash at Labour’s policies so far, he said everyone should back Mr Farage’s party in May.
Asked who he would vote for in a national election, Mr Cummings said: “Dunno yet, but obviously everyone should vote Reform this spring, no downsides, just upsides.”
A mass Reform vote, with the party surging in the polls, would pile major pressure on Sir Keir Starmer while helping Mr Farage paint his party as the real opposition to Labour.
Seven organisations face government contract ban
Seven companies face new Grenfell probe
Investigations will be launched into seven organisations criticised in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report, with the potential they could be banned from public contracts in future.
They are: Arconic Architectural Products SAS; Saint-Gobain Construction Products UK Limited which previously owned Celotex Limited; Exova (UK) Limited; Harley Facades Limited; Kingspan Insulation Limited; Rydon Maintenance Limited; and Studio E Architects Limited.
Cabinet Office parliamentary secretary Georgia Gould said the firms would be investigated under new debarment powers in the Procurement Act 2023, which came into effect on Monday.
She said: “These investigations will establish whether the organisations have engaged in professional misconduct for the purposes of that Act.”
The organisations will be notified when an investigation is opened, she said, adding that investigations into other organisations could also take place.
Government to take ‘tough action’ to avoid future tragedies
Angela Rayner, who is also Housing Secretary, said: ”We are acting on all of the inquiry’s findings, and today set out our full response, detailing the tough action we are taking to drive change and reform the system to ensure no community will ever have to face a tragedy like Grenfell ever again.
“That means greater accountability, stronger regulation, and putting residents at the heart of decision-making.
“We must deliver the fundamental change required. We owe that to the Grenfell community, to the country, and to the memory of those who lost their lives.”
Grenfell Next of Kin, a group representing some of the bereaved, said it will be “paying close attention to these words and intentions” from Government, as it repeated criticism of the “grave mistakes, failures, corruption” it said had led to the deaths.
The group: “We can never forget our beloved kin and we can never forgive the negligence and corruption that led to their deaths.
“The injustice is so great and the measures being put in place now with new laws and reforms are welcomed, but should have been basic requirements for a developed country such as ours.
“Nevertheless let’s move forward in the right direction.”
‘Every single death was avoidable’, Rayner stresses
Offering her condolences to the families of the victims and the survivors of the deadly blaze, Angela Rayner stresses that the inquiry concluded that “every single death was avoidable”.
“The inquiry uncovered serial incompetence and negligence, complacency and inaction – and blatant dishonesty and greed.”
She also added that to her “disgust and their shame”, several of those companies involved had shown “little remorse” and had failed to rectify the issues in the construction of the tower.
The deputy prime minister announced plans to appoint a single construction regulator and a chief construction advisor and added that new powers will be used to investigate a number of firms.
Grenfell Tower fire was a ‘national tragedy that must never happen again’
Referring to the inquiry report that was published in September, Angela Rayner said: “All members of the house will have shared my anger of its shocking findings.”
Referring to the “damning evidence or political, corporate and individual failings going back decades”, she described it as “a deadly betrayal, a national tragedy that must never happen again”.
“I will repeat today what the prime minister said in September, to the bereaved families, the survivors and those in the Grenfell community, on behalf of the government and the British state and those responsible, I am very sorry.”
She said that the inquiry report made 58 recommendations, 37 of which were directed at the government, all of which will be taken forward.
