UK Politics

Starmer unable to say defence uplift won’t go on Chagos Islands at PMQsYour support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreSir 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 warnsThe 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.Read the full article here: Holly Evans26 February 2025 14:51Badenoch 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?”Holly Evans26 February 2025 14:39Starmer declines to say whether defence spending increase includes Chagos cashSir 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.Holly Evans26 February 2025 14:24Watch: Diane Abbott rebukes Keir Starmer over foreign aid cut Diane Abbott rebukes Keir Starmer over foreign aid cutHolly Evans26 February 2025 14:04Dominic Cummings backs Reform UK for local electionsDominic 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. Holly Evans26 February 2025 14:03Seven organisations face government contract ban Jane Dalton26 February 2025 13:22Seven 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.Jane Dalton26 February 2025 13:18Government 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.The government have responded to the Grenfell Tower inquiry findings More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreSir Keir Starmer has “serious questions to answer” about his defence spending uplift, the Tories have said, after a cabinet minister admitted the PM’s figures were misleading.The prime minister on Tuesday promised to boost the defence budget from 2.3 per cent to 2.5 per cent of GDP ahead of a crunch meeting in the White House with Donald Trump on Thursday.At a Downing Street press conference, Sir Keir said the increase amounted to Labour spending £13.4 billion extra each year on the armed forces. Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of using misleading figures to sell his big defence spending announcement More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreThe traditional gifts for Keir Starmer’s visit to see Donald Trump for the first time since the inauguration have yet to be announced, but it is a fair bet that the prime minister will hand the US president an Arsenal shirt with the number 47 (for 47th president) on it.The shirt of the prime minister’s favourite football team has been his safe go-to gift for all his first meetings with previous world leaders and this is one trip above all where he will be wanting to play safe.Insiders have told The Independent that Sir Keir will receive a “respectful” and even “warm” greeting from the new president – at least publicly – and we’re likely to see similar jovial treatment in the Oval Office in front of journalists as French president Emmanuel Macron did earlier this week. Starmer announced an increase in defence spending More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreThe number of British personnel working on an international training program for Ukrainian soldiers has fallen by more than 1,000 in the last 2.5 years, new figures reveal. The decline marks a 73 per cent reduction in the UK staffing of the British-led Operation Interflex that has trained over 51,000 Ukrainian soldiers to resist Vladimir Putin’s invasion.It comes as Britain and its European allies scramble to bolster their own defences amid mounting pressure from Donald Trump and stark warnings about their defence capabilities.Operation Interflex has trained over 51,000 Ukrainian soldiers More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreNigel Farage’s trip to Florida to meet tech billionaire Elon Musk was partly funded by convicted fraudster George Cottrell, records show. The former Ukip volunteer paid for the Reform UK leader’s £15,000 fight from Teterboro, New Jersey, to Palm Beach, Florida, last year where he was pictured posing next to Mr Musk and Reform UK treasurer Nick Candy. Mr Cottrell, who spent eight months in jail after being convicted of one count of wire fraud in the US, is a former adviser to Mr Farage.After being arrested in 2016, he struck a plea bargain with prosecutors, who said he had agreed to launder money for undercover agents posing as drug traffickers.Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (Yui Mok/PA) More

Your support helps us to tell the storyFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreEuropean nations would have to send at least 100,000 troops to keep the peace in Ukraine and “none of them can do it”, a former head of the British armed forces has warned. General Lord Richards called for Nato countries to be “very grown up” and “live within what is physically and militarily possible”, rather than “what our political leaders sometimes would aspire to do”. 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. He said given the size of the border between Russia and Ukraine a force of 100,000 to 200,000 troops would be needed. He added that these troops would need to be rotated, which could singificantly increase the number number that would be required to maintain the presence. “The idea you are going to send a few peacekeepers with berets to reassure the Ukrainians is crass,” Lord Richards said. “We are talking, to do it robustly, 100,000 troops overall, drawn from European nations. None of them can do it,” he added.He instead called for Britain to put the Ukrainians in a position to defend themselves after any peace deal with a “massive increase in support”. Lord David Richards said Europe would be unable to sustain a peacekeeping force in Ukraine More