UK

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailLabour will pledge to renationalise the railways if elected, in what the party will call the “biggest overhaul to our railways in a generation.”A Labour government would expect to transfer rail networks to public ownership within its first term by folding existing private passenger rail contracts into a new body as they expire, shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh will say at a launch event on Thursday.The plan will nationalise the network “without the taxpayer paying a penny in compensation costs”, the party will say.The Government’s own proposals for rail reform, published in a draft Bill in February, include the creation of a new public sector body named Great British Railways (GBR) to hold responsibility for rail infrastructure and awarding contracts to operate trains.But a Labour government would create a “unified, publicly owned, accountable and arm’s length” version of GBR led by rail experts rather than Whitehall, Ms Haigh will say.Labour also plans to establish a watchdog, the Passenger Standards Authority, to hold GBR to account.(left to right) Richard Parker, Labour’s West Midlands mayoral candidate, shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh, and deputy party leader Angela Rayner More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe spaceport at the northern-most tip of the UK has received its range control licence from the regulator as it prepares for its first launch this year.SaxaVord Spaceport on Unst has been given permission by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to clear and control the “downrange” zone during launches.It means the CAA is confident the spaceport can keep maritime and aviation traffic secure when rockets blast off from the site on the Shetland Islands.The granting of the range licence comes after SaxaVord was granted its spaceport licence in December, which verified the privately-owned site meets the safety and environmental requirements for vertical space launches.The next part of the regulatory process will be a launch operator licence for the companies wishing to use the spaceport.Colin Macleod, head of space regulation at the CAA, said: “SaxaVord’s range licence is vital to protecting public safety during launches.“Our work is enabling the UK’s expanding space sector and encouraging safety, sustainability and security of space activity.”German company Rocket Factory Augsburg hopes to be the first to launch satellites into space from Unst later this year, though a number of organisations have expressed interest in using the site.Ultimately, they wish to build up the frequency of their launches to around one per month.Frank Strang, chief executive of SaxaVord Spaceport, said: “We are delighted to have been granted our range licence by the Civil Aviation Authority and had it approved by the Secretary of State for Transport, following on from our spaceport licence in December last year.“Both awards are historic milestones for ourselves in Shetland and the development of the UK space sector in its entirety.“This is a vital component in our preparations for launch. Satisfying such a crucial piece of the regulatory process affords everyone the comfort that we will always operate in a safe and proper manner under the watchful eye of the regulator.“As Western Europe’s only fully licensed vertical launch spaceport, we are now preparing to make more space history with the beginning of orbital launch operations well under way and first launch expected to be in Q3 of this year.”The CAA says the size of the clearance zones will depend on the type of rocket being used, with larger areas being needed for early launches due to the higher risk of failure.Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “Today’s announcement is an important next step for SaxaVord as it prepares for the first commercial vertical space launch in the United Kingdom.“It is vital that launches are safe for everyone involved, which is what this range licence will ensure – enabling SaxaVord to continue supporting skilled UK jobs and help grow the economy.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak has challenged Britain’s European allies to meet his £75bn pledge to increase defence spending as US president Joe Biden signed a $61bn package of aid for Ukraine. The prime minister warned the world is “more dangerous now than at any moment since the Cold War” and faces “an axis of authoritarian states”. He also defended what he called “entirely reasonable” calls from US counterparts for greater European defence spending. His words will be seen as a message to Donald Trump not to quit Nato should he win the US election later this year. Mr Trump has previously said the US would remain in the defence alliance as long as European countries “play fair” and do not “take advantage” of support from America, which spends more on defence. But UK defence secretary Grant Shapps risked a diplomatic incident over the months of political wrangling in Congress that delayed Mr Biden’s aid package for Ukraine. He said it reminded him of “the old maxim of Winston Churchill, that the United States can always be relied on to do the right thing, once they have exhausted all other options”.Prime minister Rishi Sunak and Germany’s chancellor Olaf Scholz More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe boss of Ryanair has defiantly announced that he would ‘happily’ fly asylum seekers to Rwanda under Rishi Sunak’s deportation plans. Michael O’Leary said the UK government had not approached his budget airline to ask them to carry out the flights, designed to give thousands a one-way ticket to the African country. But he suggested he would have no qualms about helping the prime minister deliver his much-criticised policy, which the United Nations warned earlier this week would breach the refugee convention. “If it was the winter schedule and we had spare aircraft sitting around and if the government were looking for additional deportation flights or any other flights, we would happily quote for the business,” Mr O’Leary said in an interview with Bloomberg. Mr Sunak has vowed to push ahead with flights, despite calls from the United Nations and other for him to think again. The government is already braced for a series of court challenges on the policy. Ministers insist they have booked planes and an airfield but will not reveal details of either, amid fears they could come under pressure from protesters. Mr Sunak has promised “multiple flights a month” to Rwanda, but ministers concede that the number of people sent to Kigali will be small at first, with chartered aircraft expected to be used.The PM has come under fire for pushing through a bill that designates Rwanda a safe country despite a damning ruling from the Supreme Court late last year that it was not a safe place to send refugees.He faced intense pressure to rethink the policy after five people, including a young girl, died trying to cross the channel just hours after it cleared its final parliamentary hurdle. The UN was among leading voices urging the UK government to reconsider, amid warnings the plan would fall to act as a deterrent to stop desperate asylum seekers trying to come to the UK in small boats.Hours after the tragedy off the coast of northern France on Tuesday morning asylum seekers were seen in small boats attempting to reach British beaches. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch as German chancellor Olaf Scholz welcomes Rishi Sunak to Berlin before they hold a joint news conference on Wednesday 24 April.The pair will discuss closer co-operation on security, trade and illegal migration in one-on-one talks.Ahead of his visit, Mr Sunak said the two countries will open a “new chapter” in their partnership and will announce that the UK and Germany will jointly develop artillery systems.The prime minister’s first visit to the German capital since entering No 10 comes after he faced pressure to visit senior politicians from one of the UK’s most powerful European allies.The UK and Germany are closely aligned on matters including support for Ukraine and are the two biggest suppliers of military aid to the country after the US, but have so far opted to co-operate through Nato and G7 forums instead of through strengthening bilateral ties.Mr Sunak’s stop in Berlin follows his visit to Warsaw, where he promised to raise defence spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030 in the face of threats from an “axis of authoritarian states” including Russia and China. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch as deputy prime minister Oliver Dowden clashed with Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner during Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 24 April.Rishi Sunak did not make an appearance in parliament today, as he is in Berlin for talks with German chancellor Olaf Scholz.That means his deputy, Mr Dowden, stepped up to the despatch box.Ms Rayner took aim at the Tories after Mr Sunak was accused of “smearing” her with a tax advice jibe in PMQs last week.She has faced scrutiny about whether she paid the right amount of tax on the 2015 sale of her Stockport council house because of confusion over whether it was her principal residence.The comment led Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to accuse the “billionaire” prime minister of “smearing a working-class woman”.Ms Rayner has said she will “do the right thing and step down” if she is found to have committed a crime in relation to her living situation a decade ago but remains confident she has followed the law at all times. More

Angela Rayner speaks out as police review deputy Labour leader’s council house claimsSign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailAngela Rayner branded Rishi Sunak a “pint-sized loser” during a fiery session of Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.Labour’s deputy leader used the session to tackle the government on its housing record, accusing ministers of delaying justice on no-fault evictions in the rented sector.She also accused Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, of having “stabbed” the Tories’ “biggest election winner” Boris Johnson in the back in order to get his “mate into No 10”.“Has he finally realised that when he stabbed Boris Johnson in the back to get his mate into No 10 he was ditching their biggest election winner for a pint-sized loser?” she told MPs in the Commons, following reports that Mr Dowden was among senior Tories call for a summer election.Elsewhere, the prime minister is on a visit to Germany. He held a joint press conference with chancellor Olfa Scholz, where he praised Germany for increasing defence spending.Show latest update 1713970082Retain old military equipment and create ‘war reserve’, Shapps urgedThe defence secretary has faced calls to retain older military equipment and create a “war reserve” in a bid to deter Britain’s adversaries.Grant Shapps described the idea to hold in reserve Typhoons, warships and armoured vehicles as “interesting”, but told MPs he is “much more minded” to send older equipment to Ukraine as it fights Russia’s renewed invasion.Making a statement to the Commons, Mr Shapps said: “The best way of keeping our country safe and to protect our way of life is deterrence, being prepared, being clear-eyed about the threat we face, being clear about our capabilities, backing UK defence science, technology, and innovation.“Carrying not just a big stick but the most advanced and capable stick we can possibly develop. And yes, using our military muscle alongside our allies.”For Labour, shadow defence secretary John Healey accused the government of producing a “fake figure” of £75 billion.He said: “They’ve tried this trick before. In the 2015 defence review, ministers pledged to cut 30 per cent of the MoD (Ministry of Defence) civil servants to make their defence spending plans add up.“Civil servant numbers didn’t go down, they went up. Not down to 41,000, but up to 63,000.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe deputy leader of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has sparked outrage after saying Britain should ‘absolutely’ let migrants drown in the English Channel.Ben Habib, the party’s Wellingborough parliamentary candidate, said asylum seekers attempting to reach Britain in small boats should “suffer the consequences” in a widely criticised interview on Wednesday.Just a day after a seven-year-old girl was among five migrants who died after being crushed on an overcrowded boat during an attempt to cross the English Channel, Mr Habib was questioned about the small boats issue by TalkTV’s Julia Hartley-Brewer.Ben Habib made the comments during an interview with Julia Hartley-Brewer on TalkTV More