UK Politics

Trevor Phillips calls Labour ‘a miserable bunch’Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseMy recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyondEric GarciaWashington Bureau ChiefPrime minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to give some £4 million to the far-right Italian government to tackle irregular migration. The funding for the initiative, called the Rome Process, comes following the meeting of the two leaders.Sir Keir met with his Italian counterpart in Rome today to discuss plans to tackle illegal migration.The populist Italian government, led by Giorgia Meloni, has seen a 60 per cent drop in illegal migration in the past year and recently signed a controversial deal with Albania.Sir Keir said he is “very interested” in Italy’s policies leading to “dramatic reductions” in irregular migration. “You’ve made remarkable progress working with countries across migration routes as equals, to address the drivers of migration at source and tackle gangs,” Sir Keir told the press conference. Ms Meloni added she and Sir Keir had signed a joint communique including “very tangible, important points, and is evidence of the deep relation between our two countries.”Sir Keir has signalled he is open to pursuing an arrangement similar to Italy’s migration deal with Albania, whereby asylum seekers will be held in the Balkan state while their claims are processed.Show latest update 1726497544Starmer dodges question on allowing Ukraine to use Storm Shadow Missiles on Russian targetsSir Keir Starmer has said Nato needs to “put Ukraine in the best possible position”, when asked about the UK potentially lifting restrictions on Storm Shadow missiles to allow them to be used inside Russian territory. “I think it is important for us to start from the fundamental position, which is that this is an illegal war started by Russia and, as a result, Ukraine has the right to self defence, and we have all – Italy, the UK and other allies, Nato allies in particular – been standing with Ukraine,” he told reporters in Rome. He added: “It’s a war against the values of democracy, of freedom and the rule of law, which apply to all of us in our respective countries, but across all of the allies. That is why we’ve supplied capability, we’ve supplied training, we’ve supplied money, and there are further commitments to be made recently in relation to all of those.“I think it’s very important as a matter of principle that we put Ukraine in the best possible position, and that’s what we’ve been discussing. We’ve had the opportunity today to touch on that.“I had the opportunity in recent days to touch on that. I’m not going to go into individual capabilities. You wouldn’t expect me to do that, but the principle framework, I think, is absolutely right, and we’ll continue to have our discussions in relation to it.”Jabed Ahmed16 September 2024 15:391726496344Explained: How has Italy reduced small boat arrivals by more than 60% in a year and what is the Albania scheme?Jabed Ahmed16 September 2024 15:191726495144Starmer says 3,000 people have been returned to their country of origin under Labour governmentThe Prime Minister claimed his Government has overseen “the single biggest flight that has ever taken off returning people to their country of origin”.Sir Keir Starmer told reporters in Rome: “Of course, it’s a problem when we’ve got people arriving into the UK who are arriving unlawfully across the channel or any other route, and, of course, every government has the responsibility of making sure our borders are secure.“Rather than a gimmick, which, as you know, cost £700 million to persuade four volunteers to go to Rwanda, we have gone down the road of pragmatism.“Already we have returned over 3,000 people by flights. So, the flights actually did get off under this Government, not to Rwanda, but back to countries of origin, carrying with them 3,000 people who shouldn’t be here, including the single biggest flight that has ever taken off, returning people to their country of origin.“That’s why we’re working so intently on the Border Security Command, which is intended to take down the gangs that are running the vile trade in the first place.”Jabed Ahmed16 September 2024 14:591726493922Voices: Giorgia Meloni’s Albania migrant deal won’t work hereGiorgia Meloni’s Albania migrant deal won’t work hereKeir Starmer may have had his head turned by his right-wing Italian counterpart’s success in reducing ‘irregular’ crossings from north Africa with third-country processing – but there are good reasons why he is on a hiding to nothingJabed Ahmed16 September 2024 14:381726492804Pictured: Victoria Starmer’s designer wardrobe amid claims donor paid for £5,000 worth of her clothesVictoria outside No 10 after the Labour party won the 2024 General Election More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentSir Keir Starmer has claimed that Britain can learn lessons from Italy on how to reduce migration, after far-right premier Giorgia Meloni’s administration saw small boat arrivals fall by more than 60 per cent this year.Ahead of a visit to Rome, the prime minister hailed Italy’s “dramatic” drop in unregulated migration and expressed interest in Ms Meloni’s proposed asylum processing scheme in Albania, just months after scrapping the Tories’ controversial Rwanda scheme.Claiming his talks with Ms Meloni marked a return to “British pragmatism”, Sir Keir also praised Italy’s “upstream work” in north Africa, saying: “I have always made the argument that preventing people leaving their country in the first place is far better than trying to deal with those that have arrived.”Reducing the number of perilous small boat crossings across the Channel is a political priority for Sir Keir’s government, which has announced its intentions to “smash” people-smuggling gangs but has stopped short of opening safe alternative routes for asylum-seekers to travel to Britain to have their claims heard.The prime minister is now looking to Italy’s example, where the country’s interior ministry reported a 62 per cent fall in migrant arrivals on Italian coasts over the first seven months of 2024. Frontex, the EU’s border force, has calculated a 64 per cent fall in the number of people arriving from North Africa to Italy and Malta.More than 1,000 people arrived in the UK after crossing the Channel over the weekend, as eight people died trying to make the journey More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentA Liberal Democrat councillor has revealed that she was diagnosed with PTSD because of Brexit, speaking movingly of the “profound impact” it has had on her life.Antonia Harrison, who represents the party in Havant, near Portsmouth, said “something died in me… I just gave up” after Britain left the European Union.Speaking at the party’s autumn conference in Brighton, Ms Harrison told The Independent: “I have not been in Sudan fighting in a war, but it has had a profound impact on me. I am European to my core, and my identity has been ripped out.Antonia Harrison said she is European before she is English More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentThe Liberal Democrats have appeared to demand that a sacked candidate must prove the divinity of Jesus Christ in court over his claims that he was deselected because of his Christian faith.Award-winning former BBC journalist David Campanale is suing the Lib Dems after he was ejected as the party’s candidate for Sutton and Cheam in south London.He claims that he was unfairly deselected because of his traditional Christian beliefs. The case has raised serious concerns over the place of Christians in the party.Former Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams condemned the Lib Dems over the Campanale case and claimed that it is now “impossible” for orthodox Christians, Muslims or Jews to stand for the party. David Campanale is suing the Lib Dems More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentSir Keir Starmer has said he is “very worried” after another apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump’s life.The prime minister said he was “deeply troubled” by the events in the US and that violence had no part in politics. On a trip to Rome he said: “I was very worried by the news about this attempt”. Prime minister Keir Starmer said he was ‘very worried by the news’ of the assassination attempt against Donald Trump More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentKeir Starmer has been reported to Parliament’s standards watchdog after a controversial Labour donor paid for his wife’s clothes.The Conservatives have called for an investigation into Sir Keir’s alleged failure to declare donations from Lord Waheed Alli.The row centres on clothing for his wife Lady Victoria Starmer from Lord Alli, who has given more than £500,000 to Labour over the last 20 years.The gifts were not initially included in the official register of MPs’ interests.Victoria at Betfred St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentWatch as Sir Keir Starmer and Giorgia Meloni share plans for tackling illegal migration at a news conference in Rome on Monday, 16 September.The prime minister has said he is “very interested” in Italy’s strategies to reduce irregular migration.Sir Keir is visiting the Italian capital as he continues his attempts to reset relations with the UK’s nearest neighbours, with migration expected to be at the top of the agenda.The “dramatic reductions” in the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea into Italy is something the government wants to understand, the PM added.Sir Keir has indicated he is open to pursuing an arrangement similar to Italy’s migration deal with Albania, whereby asylum seekers will be held in the Balkan state while their claims are processed.On Monday morning, home secretary Yvette Cooper also confirmed the government is looking to Italian-style migration policies in several areas, including a deal with Albania and a “major returns” scheme.“There are four different things that the Italians are doing that we’re interested in,” Ms Cooper told BBC Breakfast.“The first is the work that they are doing around organised immigration crime. That’s the work that we are substantially gearing up, where we will be doing a huge technology upgrade as well, and where we want to work with Italy, with Germany, with other European countries, with France as well.” More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFind out moreCloseAs your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn’t have the resources to challenge those in power.Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November electionAndrew FeinbergWhite House CorrespondentWatch as Sir Keir Starmer meets with Giorgia Meloni, the Italian prime minister, in Rome on Monday 16 September.The pair are expected to discuss migrant boat crossings, with Sir Keir “interested” in learning about Italy’s scheme to send migrants rescued at sea to Albania to process their asylum claims.Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, on Monday morning also confirmed the government is looking to Italian-style migration policies in a number of areas, including a deal with Albania and a “major returns” scheme.“There are four different things that the Italians are doing that we’re interested in,” Ms Cooper told BBC Breakfast.“The first is the work that they are doing around organised immigration crime. That’s the work that we are substantially gearing up, where we will be doing a huge technology upgrade as well, and where we want to work with Italy, with Germany, with other European countries, with France as well.“The second thing they’re doing is they’re working with other countries upstream to prevent people leaving North Africa in the first place…working with Tunisia, we think we should be part of those international co-operations as well.“The third thing they’re doing is major returns. So they’re speeding up returns for those who don’t have a right to be there. We’ve been doing that through the summer as well, so we’ve had a substantial increase in returns for people who don’t have a right to be in the UK, because the rules need to be respected and enforced.“The fourth thing they’re doing is the Albania programme, but that hasn’t started yet, so we’ll need to see what that does. It’s very different from the Rwanda partnership that the UK government had, and we’ll have to see how that plays out.” More