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    Trump ‘denied chance to address parliament’ during UK state visit to meet King

    Donald Trump has reportedly been denied the chance to address parliament during his state visit to the UK. The decision, which is likely to be seen as a major snub by the US president, comes just days after Emmanuel Macron was given the honour of addressing parliament, where he urged Britain and France “to shoulder the burden of European security” together.According to the Telegraph, Mr Trump is expected not to visit Buckingham Palace or enjoy a ceremonial carriage ride down the Mall in London, which have often been prominent features of state visits from other world leaders. The decision came amid concerns there could be objections from both the public and MPs following calls for Mr Trump to be blocked from addressing parliament earlier this year, with MPs and peers warning the US president “does not respect democracy”. Mr Trump 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.Trump and King Charles raise a glass at the US ambassador’s residence during the president’s first state visit to the UK in 2019 More

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    Unite suspends Angela Rayner’s membership as it says Labour is not on the side of workers

    Tensions are mounting between Labour’s biggest union backers and the government asUnite voted to suspend Angela Rayner’s membership and reconsider its ties with the party, with its general secretary claiming Keir Starmer’s party is not on the side of working people. Unite, which is one of the biggest unions in the country and has long been affiliated with Labour, has accused the government of failing workers in a row over the Birmingham bin strike that could lead to a historic split with the party.It is the latest sign of the deteriorating relationship between Labour and the unions and comes days after several groups, including the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), piled pressure on the government to avoid more cuts by bringing in a wealth tax. Meanwhile other unions have said they have major concerns that chancellor Rachel Reeves may be planning a tax raid on public sector pension funds.( More

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    Starmer accused of reducing migrants to ‘commodities to be exchanged’ with ‘one-in-one-out’ deal

    Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of reducing migrants to “commodities to be exchanged” with his new ‘one in, one out’ returns deal with France.Under the deal, for each small boat migrant sent back across the English Channel, an asylum seeker will be allowed to enter the UK from France under a legal route, the prime minister announced alongside Emmanuel Macron on Thursday. But refugee charities and campaign groups have condemned the agreement, with the Migrants’ Rights Network accusing the government of conceding to “racist far-right narratives”. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron set out details of the one in, one out migrant deal (Leon Neal/PA) More

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    Yvette Cooper refuses to criticise Macron’s Brexit swipe over migration

    Yvette Cooper has refused to say whether she agreed with Emmanuel Macron’s claim that Brexit had made tackling illegal immigration harder.It comes after the French president said voters were “sold a lie” on Brexit when they were told it would “make it possible to fight more effectively against illegal immigration”.Unveiling a new one-in-one-out returns agreement with the UK, the French president said that because Brexit left the UK without a returns agreement with the EU: “it creates an incentive to make the crossing, the precise opposite of what Brexit had promised”.Asked whether Mr Macron had a point about Brexit, the home secretary told Sky News: “I think what I’ve seen happen is that the way that the criminal smuggler gangs operate is that they will weaponise anything that is happening.“And so what we saw in the run-up to Brexit being implemented was we saw criminal gangs promising people that they had to cross quickly, and they had to pay money to the smuggler gangs quickly in order to be able to cross in time before Brexit happened.The Home Secretary refused to say whether Macron was right about Brexit More

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    Macron is right – Brexit is to blame for Britain’s immigration crisis

    If there was one thing that symbolised what many still see as the fraudulent approach of Brexiteers during the EU referendum in 2016, it was the infamous bus promising £350 million extra a week for the NHS.But maybe Brexit critics should consider another image.In the words of Emmanuel Macron at a joint press conference with Sir Keir Starmer yesterday to unveil a one in, one out migration exchange deal, the real whopper was told by Brexiteers when Nigel Farage unveiled his controversial poster of thousands of migrants at the EU border with the words “breaking point”.It came with a claim that if the UK did not leave the EU, it would be forced to accept all those preparing to stampede across Europe.Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer bids farewell to French President Emmanuel Macron (Leon Neal/PA) More

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    Voices: ‘Sensible’ or ‘Labour’s version of Rwanda’? Readers divided over one in, one out migration deal

    As Sir Keir Starmer stood beside Emmanuel Macron to unveil a “groundbreaking” one in, one out migration deal, Independent readers were quick to react – and responses ranged from cautious hope to outright dismissal. Some saw the deal as a long-overdue return to grown-up diplomacy after years of standoffs and political posturing. Many welcomed the move away from the Conservatives’ costly Rwanda scheme, calling this new approach more pragmatic and rooted in cooperation. One reader praised Starmer for behaving like an “adult” on the world stage and for finally securing a deal that had eluded previous prime ministers.But doubts loomed large. Some readers questioned whether a plan sending back just 50 migrants a week could ever match the scale of the challenge.Several others argued the numbers simply didn’t add up, with hundreds still crossing each week, wondering whether this could become Labour’s version of Rwanda: expensive, ineffective and ultimately more symbolic than substantive.Naturally, many blamed Brexit for dismantling systems that once helped manage asylum claims. But others remained unconvinced by closer ties with the EU.There were calls for tougher deterrents, including offshore processing and biometric tracking, but also a reminder from some that, without tackling root causes or expanding legal routes, little would change.Here’s what you had to say:Positive, optimistic, and straight-talkingMacron will have made a lot of friends in the UK on this visit. He has been positive, optimistic and straight-talking, pulling no punches. We are now closer to France and Europe than we have been for many years, and the majority of the British people are in favour of that.Small boat crossings? Something, at last, is being done. The Rwanda scheme, brought to you by the likes of Suella Braverman, was a waste of time and loads of money. Cooperation between neighbours is much more sensible. Let’s see if it works, because the willingness is there. RegCostelloDo you think the Starmer–Macron migration deal will help reduce small boat crossings? Share your views in the comments.A deal, but not as we know itWell, it’s a deal I suppose, but as they say, not as we know it.There were far more important things discussed, and President Macron alluded to those at the press conference.But, of course, the elephant in the room was always Brexit. Macron was too polite and direct to say so explicitly, but his view was clear. The whole project was and is a disaster.If Brexit had not happened, then the small boats issue would not have risen on the British political agenda because the EU schemes we used to be members of no longer apply. Funny how the numbers mushroomed after 2018, eh?Did Brexit not teach this country’s politicians anything? Britain is just not that important on its own. For some reason, they still tread on eggshells because they still fear the people who inflicted this disaster on us. The public now has them rumbled. Time our politicians caught up. Brexit must be reversed. 49ninerStill embittered by BrexitFrance must be bloody awful, as so many seem desperate to leave for Brexit Britain. Macron is still embittered to this day by the UK public having the temerity to vote to withdraw from the EU project.He did raise one good point regarding the pull factor, but the chances of Starmer addressing this are zilch. Noverngit1A drop in the oceanMany are quite rightly saying that a few hundred arrive per week – weather permitting – so 50 being returned to France per week is a drop in the ocean. This is very true.However, between 80 and 100 per cent of applicants from Afghanistan, Turkey, Eritrea, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, South Sudan, and those considered to be stateless (to mention a few of the principal countries) are accepted as genuine refugees. This means the overall number of refugees in the UK won’t be noticeably different unless the UK changes its policy.People also seem to forget that, no matter how bad many in the UK consider the conditions for refugees and those seeking asylum to be, for many of these people, it’s like heaven on earth compared to where they came from.No matter what Starmer and Macron come up with, it’s not likely to have much effect. There would need to be a concerted effort by those countries desperate to reduce the number of migrants they’re being forced to deal with, and the countries causing the non-stop flow of those desperate to get out.Maybe those countries – Europe taking the brunt of this – need to spend more energy and money tackling the root cause instead of throwing money at the result. Cutting foreign aid won’t have helped.Economic migrants, or anyone who isn’t prepared to reveal who he/she is, should be returned to where they came from or, if necessary, to a third country after being biometrically registered so no return with a new name is possible. This would mean European countries would have to co-operate, which would probably be the first challenge! AmbigirlsWrong sort of BrexitMacron is correct, we were sold a lie in 2016. But not just over migrants – over a long list of other broken promises and expectations.Not to be deterred, the likes of Farage have an excuse: evidently, it was the wrong sort of Brexit!On the BBC News tonight, Badenoch claimed the latest deal was not as good as the Rwanda scheme. The Rwanda scheme promised that 200 migrants would be returned in one year. Starmer’s deal starts at 50 a week. OK, not a big number, but 50 a week is 2,600 a year.tommy2topsA different level to StarmerI think Macron is being eminently reasonable. He is on a different level to Starmer.You can’t expect the French to bend over backwards to prevent migrants from departing their shores.Everyone has the right to claim asylum.Britain, as usual, is trying to claim exceptionalism.Cyclone8Turning the corner on dinghy crossingsA few more deals with Germany, Spain, Italy, etc, and we may be turning the corner on dinghy crossings. The ones we take can work and don’t need to stay in hotels.Tories can’t complain. Their Rwanda scheme, costing hundreds of millions, was meant to deal with six people per week. JustOneMoreThingSafe routeSensible deal, particularly the safe route opening on the French side.The Tories complain it’s only 50 a week, ignoring their Rwanda deal only allowed 300 in an entire year! Reform is panicking and hoping this doesn’t work – if it does, why vote for them?It certainly won’t be because they are the anti-establishment party, with the ranks filling with ex-Tory MPs!Hammerhead72More than the last three PMs achievedDespite the predictable stream of negativity about the impact of this, it is still one deal more than any of Starmer’s three predecessors reached.The pilot scheme may be able to return several thousand people per year, which is more than the Rwanda scheme would have managed.For all the Tory outrage about its abolition, this would only ever have removed a few hundred people a year.Tanaquil2A one in, one out policy has the potential to work. But only if every single person who tries to enter the UK by crossing the Channel in boats is returned to France.If this were to be done, they would very soon stop even trying, because of the cast-iron certainty that they will be returned to France, meaning that the money they are paying to the organised criminals for these boats is being wasted.This will also benefit France, as it will remove the pull factor that is drawing them to France solely to access the UK. MarkRemove the financial incentivesThe only thing that will make these crossings less attractive is removing financial incentives and/or processing applications in a third country. MedicineDogAn adult in the roomIsn’t it amazing what can be achieved by an adult PM speaking to the French President? Starting with Cameron through May, Johnson, Truss, particularly, and a little thaw with Sunak, there have been fifteen years of antagonism while expecting – no, demanding – cooperation. Now we have an adult PM, and there are results.Of course, there’s room for improvement, but it’s a start. Joining the European Union would improve things no end, as most now recognise. rEUjoinNothing has been achievedJust what exactly has been achieved? The boats will still keep on coming.Rejoin the EU – why? The so-called economic powerhouse countries, Germany and Franc,e are performing worse than ourselves. Anything else is just tinkering. Noverngit1Some of the comments have been edited for this article for brevity and clarity.Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day’s top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click ‘log in’ or ‘register’ in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here. More

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    Doctors’ 29% pay claim is non-negotiable, says BMA chief, warning strikes could go on for years

    Resident doctors’ 29 per cent pay demand is “non-negotiable”, the new leader of the British Medical Association has said, warning strikes could go on for years. Dr Tom Dolphin also claimed the demand is both reasonable and easily affordable for the NHS, as members gear up for five days of strikes later this month. But the government has ruled out negotiating with doctors on pay, with health secretary Wes Streeting accusing them of “squandering an opportunity by striking” instead of working with him to improve working conditions.“You will not find another health and social care secretary as sympathetic to resident doctors as me”, he said. But Dr Dolphin said the union will not negotiate on or accept a figure lower than 29 per cent because that is the extent of the real-terms loss of earnings doctors have seen since 2008 – a salary they want restored in full. Resident doctors from the British Medical Association have voted in favour of strike action (PA) More

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    Starmer ‘accepts invite’ to visit Trump during expected trip to Scotland

    Sir Keir Starmer has accepted an invitation to visit Donald Trump during the US president’s expected trip to Scotland this month, according to sources.Details, including a specific date, are still being finalised, the source familiar with the plans, who was not authorised to speak publicly, told Reuters on Thursday.Scottish police said on Wednesday that they were preparing for a possible visit by Mr Trump to Scotland later this month, which would mark his first visit to Britain since the US election last year.The White House had no immediate comment on the report. The British embassy declined to comment.Mr Trump and Sir Keir have developed a warm relationship in recent months, and last month signed a framework trade deal on the sidelines of a G7 meeting that formally lowered some US tariffs on imports from Britain.US president Donald Trump speaks to British prime minister Keir Starmer during the NATO summit last month More