UK Politics

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has declared himself “indifferent” to Donald Trump, asserting he has “more important things to worry about” following the US president’s claim that he requested Sir Sadiq’s exclusion from state visit events. This latest exchange escalates an ongoing feud, which saw Mr Trump earlier this week label Sir Sadiq “among the worst mayors in the world.” The US president alleged that Sir Sadiq had expressed a desire to participate in the state visit, but Mr Trump stated he “asked that he not be there.”Asked to respond to Mr Trump’s claim, the mayor of London told the PA news agency on Sunday: “I’ve not really given it much thought.“I am indifferent to President Trump.“I literally (have) more important things to worry about.”There has been a long-running war of words between Mr Trump and the Labour mayor, who accused the American leader of encouraging divisive far-right politics around the world as he landed in Britain on Tuesday.U.S. President Donald Trump, left, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer look at each other as they shake hands during a press conference at Chequers near Aylesbury, England, Thursday Sept. 18, 2025, at the conclusion of President Trump’s second UK state visit, with the previous one taking place in 2019 during his first presidential term. (Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP) More

Sir Keir Starmer has taken the historic step of recognising the state of Palestine, marking a major milestone in the push towards peace in the Middle East as Israel continues its offensive in Gaza.The move comes after the UK shifted its position in July and laid down the gauntlet to Israel, saying recognition would happen if it did not meet a list of demands, including a ceasefire.While it is largely symbolic, the move will spark fury in Israel and represents a key divergence between UK and US foreign policy, with Washington resisting pressure to follow suit.“In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, we are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and a two-state solution, that means a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable Palestinian state,” Sir Keir said on Sunday.Keir Starmer has announced Britain’s recognition of a Palestinian state More

Rachel Reeves is facing a backlash over plans to impose VAT on taxi fares, with critics warning the charge will hit rural residents and make it more expensive for disabled people to attend medical appointments.Campaigners have warned the chancellor that taxing cab journeys will push up the cost of trips outside of London, hitting those living in the countryside hardest. And they have highlighted figures showing that the NHS spends £460m a year on private hire vehicles and taxi journeys to non-urgent medical appointments, arguing that VAT on cab fares would pile pressure on the already strained health service’s budget. Rachel Reeves is facing a backlash over plans for a so-called ‘taxi tax’ More

Ed Davey has said he is the political leader who can halt Nigel Farage’s path to power, as he accused the Reform UK leader of being a “plastic patriot”.The Lib Dem leader insisted he was not afraid of the Reform UK frontman, whose party is ahead of both Labour and the Tories in the polls. His bold claim came as Techne UK’s latest poll revealed that one in eight of those who voted Lib Dem at last year’s election have already switched to Reform.But although Mr Farage’s party has rocked Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch and left the Conservatives and Labour on the ropes, the Lib Dems are slowly gaining in the polls.Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said his party could take votes from Reform (Stefan Rousseau/PA) More

The UK has sent fighter jets to Poland in a clear warning shot to Vladimir Putin that Western nations will not tolerate Russia’s repeated incursions into Nato territory.The RAF Typhoons took part in a Nato operation to bolster European security after Russia provoked global outrage when its jets flew into Estonian airspace on Friday.Defence secretary John Healey said the use of British fighter planes sent “a clear signal: Nato airspace will be defended”. It comes after Polish fighter jets were scrambled on Friday night to protect the country’s airspace as Russia unleashed a massive aerial attack on sites across Ukraine.Polish aircraft were at the “highest state of readiness”, the country’s operational command said on X (Twitter), as more than 600 drones and missiles were fired at Ukraine overnight in a bombardment which killed at least three and injured dozens.European countries are on high alert following a string of Russian breaches into Nato territory, following drone incursions into Poland and Romania, as Putin’s forces continue to provoke the alliance’s defences.An FGR4 Typhoon during the first Royal Air Force ‘Eastern Sentry’ deployment over Poland, 70 miles from the Belarusian border More

Keir Starmer will take the historic step of recognising Palestine on Sunday after ministers concluded the humanitarian situation in the besieged enclave has deteriorated amid Israel’s assault on Gaza City. Weeks after he laid down the gauntlet to Israel, saying it had to meet demands including a ceasefire, he will announce the UK has no choice but to formally recognise Palestinian statehood. The move is set to spark a diplomatic row, with the US claiming that it “rewards Hamas” and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemning it as “appeasement towards jihadist terrorists”. Smoke is seen billowing from the besieged Palestinian territory after Israeli bombardment on 19 September More

If there is a warm fuzz left over from what No 10 no doubt sees as a successful management of Donald Trump’s toddler ego, it should be washed away by the cold shower of reality. While King Charles took the US president on a fairground ride around Windsor Great Park, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were enjoying the glow of a nuclear embrace.The influence of the West has been in freefall under Trump 2.0. But now that the Saudis and Pakistanis have signed a joint defence pact, which inevitably brings Riyadh under Islamabad’s nuclear umbrella, Anglo-American influence in the Middle East and beyond has crashed into the desert sands.The two nations, both hotbeds of Islamist ideologies that have spread violence around the world, are showing they’re far beyond the reach of Western influence and post-colonial hangovers.The UK had enjoyed an outsized influence in Pakistan. During the Afghan conflict in the early 2000s, a senior British general once said after meetings in the Pakistani capital, that “every level of government and military, even the intelligence services, is still convinced that the Americans are working for us”.That’s over now.Trump at the Saudi Royal Palace in May 2017, a trip which launched a dramatic relationship revamp that freed the hands of the Gulf monarchies More

Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock has told Sir Keir Starmer it is “time to look at rejoining” the European Union to ease the country’s economic woes and get a grip on the small boat crisis. Lord Kinnock, who led the Labour Party from 1983 to 1992, said the UK could no longer afford the “huge self-inflicted losses” created by leaving the European Union – and that restoring membership would be a major boost for growth.He said he understood the reluctance within government over the issue, but “sooner or later, we’re going to have to say if we really want sustained economic growth, we have to be part of a body of the single market with our nearest neighbours”.The comments by Lord Kinnock, a former European Commissioner and vice-president of the European Commission, come amid warnings that Rachel Reeves will have to raise taxes in the Budget in November to meet her self-imposed borrowing rules. On Friday, experts warned that unexpectedly high government borrowing figures in August meant tax rises were “inevitable”. Former Labour leader Lord Kinnock has made a number of interventions in recent weeks, urging Starmer to change course on several key policies More