UK Politics

Most people in the four largest countries in the European Union would welcome the UK back into the bloc, a new poll has found – but not on the same terms it had before.At the same time most Britons are in favour of rejoining the EU, the YouGov survey of six western European nations found, but only if they can keep the opt-outs the UK previously had, such as remaining outside the Schengen zone and keeping its own currency. The results come just days after Keir Starmer welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to the UK for the first state visit from an EU leader since Brexit. The Labour leader has said he wants to fix Britain’s damaged relationship with the European Union for the benefit of “generations to come”.Now, 10 years after MPs voted to hold the referendum that led to Britain leaving the EU, the poll found that at least half of people asked in France, Germany Italy and Spain, supported the UK being allowed to rejoin, a range that spanned from 51per cent support in Italy to 63 per cent in Germany.Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron (Leon Neal/PA) More

Peter Mandelson says Donald Trump should expect a “warm reception” when he visits Britain for his second state visit later this year. The UK’s ambassador in Washington said the US president “really does love Britain” and “hugely admires it” in an interview with the Sunday Times. “He trusts Keir Starmer. It’s not a question of expressing our gratitude. My lodestar here is to demonstrate respect, not sycophancy. I don’t think the administration has any problem with that,” the 71-year-old veteran politician told the newspaper. Referring to Mr Trump as a “phenomenon” and a “unique politician”, Lord Mandelson said the pair have met several times, with the Labour grandee forming a strong relationship with the president’s chief of staff, Susie Wiles.Earlier this year, the US president accepted the invitation from King Charles for an unprecedented second state visit to the UK earlier this year, becoming the first US president to receive the honour. The visit is reportedly likely to take place during the political party conference season, in September, and so Mr Trump will not get the opportunity to make an address to MPs and peers in Parliament.UK Ambassador to the US, Lord Peter Mandelson explained Trump “loves Britain” and “hugely admires it” during an interview with the Times More

Sir Keir Starmer’s much-lauded “one in, one out” migrant return deal with Emmanuel Macron is a “publicity stunt” that won’t win back voters, Britain’s leading pollsters have warned.Professor Sir John Curtice, Lord Robert Hayward and Luke Tryl have suggested that the small scale of the agreement, which will only see a tiny fraction of those arriving on small boats returned to France, will have little or no impact on the prime minister’s dwindling popularity because of record low trust in the government.The problem was underlined on Thursday when more than 700 migrants arrived on small boats just hours before the announcement of the deal, which will reportedly see only 50 returned a week, although ministers have refused to discuss specific numbers.It comes as new polling reveals concerns about the government’s wider migration policy, with a survey of Labour party members, seen by The Independent, showing opposition to Sir Keir’s plans to crack down on legal migration as well.Small boat crossings continued on Friday, with the RNLI and Border Force bringing people into Dover from the Channel as more than 350 migrants made the crossing (Gareth Fuller/PA) More

Just one in three people support plans by doctors to stage five days of walkouts later this month, a new poll has revealed as tens of thousands of patients across the country face operations and appointments being cancelled.Nearly half of those polled (49 per cent) oppose the planned industrial action called by the British Medical Association, a YouGov survey has found. The figures showed a marked fall in support compared with previous industrial action. When doctors last went on strike, just before last year’s general election, YouGov found the action was supported by 59 per cent of the public, and opposed by 36 per cent. It comes as a former Labour cabinet minister and union leader warned the BMA it had picked the wrong battle with the government, and told health secretary Wes Streeting it was a fight he had to win. Alan Johnson, who was health secretary for two years under Tony Blair and who used to lead a union himself, told The Independent: “This has all the signs of the BMA leading their troops into a battle they can’t win, nor should they, given that government has honoured the pay review recommendations in full having settled last year’s dispute immediately on taking office. Doctors on a picket line last year More

Just one in three people support plans by doctors to stage five days of walkouts later this month, a new poll has revealed as tens of thousands of patients across the country face operations and appointments being cancelled.Nearly half of those polled (49 per cent) oppose the planned industrial action called by the British Medical Association, a YouGov survey has found. The figures showed a marked fall in support compared with previous industrial action. When doctors last went on strike, just before last year’s general election, YouGov found the action was supported by 59 per cent of the public, and opposed by 36 per cent. It comes as a former Labour cabinet minister and union leader warned the BMA it had picked the wrong battle with the government, and told health secretary Wes Streeting it was a fight he had to win. Alan Johnson, who was health secretary for two years under Tony Blair and who used to lead a union himself, told The Independent: “This has all the signs of the BMA leading their troops into a battle they can’t win, nor should they, given that government has honoured the pay review recommendations in full having settled last year’s dispute immediately on taking office. Doctors on a picket line last year More

Reform UK has selected a teenager to permanently run a major county council, overseeing hundreds of millions of pounds of public spending.George Finch, 18, took over temporarily after the previous council leader, also a member of Reform, resigned just weeks after being elected. Now the 18-year-old has been selected by Nigel Farage’s party to head Warwickshire County Council, which has £1.5bn of assets and a budget of around £500m.The Labour MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, Preet Gill, has criticised the decision, saying the people of Warwickshire “frankly deserve better”.”This is not work experience,” she told the BBC. “This is not about learning on the job.”George Finch, who has been selected to run a county council More

Reform UK has selected a teenager to permanently run a major county council, overseeing hundreds of millions of pounds of public spending.George Finch, 18, took over temporarily after the previous council leader, also a member of Reform, resigned just weeks after being elected. Now the 18-year-old has been selected by Nigel Farage’s party to head Warwickshire County Council, which has £1.5bn of assets and a budget of around £500m.The Labour MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, Preet Gill, has criticised the decision, saying the people of Warwickshire “frankly deserve better”.”This is not work experience,” she told the BBC. “This is not about learning on the job.”George Finch, who has been selected to run a county council More

As Keir Starmer gathered his top ministers for a special away day in Chequers for a team-building reset on Friday, one figure arrived in a much more powerful position than she was in just two weeks ago.It is now widely recognised by Labour MPs, across the different wings of the party, that deputy prime minister Angela Rayner’s influence in this government is greater than almost anybody else.Certainly more than the wounded chancellor Rachel Reeves, who has been beset by economic woes, and even more than health secretary Wes Streeting who, like Rayner, has been tipped as a future contender for the leadership.She was, though, completely unprepared for the shot fired by the Unite union, after its general secretary announced it had suspended her membership for failing to resolve the Birmingham refuse collectors dispute.But while a trade union that looks set to peel off and back Jeremy Corbyn’s new party gave her a headache, Ms Rayner nevertheless is enjoying a surge in influence – for now.Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner (Jordan Pettitt/PA) More