UK

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UKSign up to our Brexit email for the latest insightRishi Sunak’s government has been hit by a new Brexit catastrophe, as talks aimed at reaching a trade deal with Canada collapsed in acrimony.It had been hoped that a free trade agreement with Britain’s close Commonwealth ally would have been among the very easiest to strike after Brexit.The Conservatives had boasted that post-Brexit Britain would be free to sign new economic pacts all over the world after quitting the EU.Then-PM Boris Johnson pledged to sign a “bespoke” trade deal with Justin Trudeau’s government to boost the economy after agreeing temporrary rollover arrangements in 2020.But two years on from the launch of formal talks, the Sunak government has called off negotiations with the Canadians due to a fall-out over beef and cheese quotas.The row erupted over Canada’s pushing for Britain to relax its ban on hormone-treated beef, which its producers say effectively shuts them out of the British market.Canada’s government has been facing pressure from both its beef industry and domestic cheesemakers – also pushing to get better access to the UK market.Canadians have told UK trade secretary Kemi Badenoch they are ‘disappointed’ But a spokeswoman for Canada’s trade minister, Mary Ng, said she was “disappointed” at the talks had now fallen apart – saying as much to trade secretary Kemi Badenoch.Ms Ng’s spokeswoman told the BBC: “Their decision to continue to maintain market access barriers for our agriculture industry and unwillingness to reach a mutual agreement has only stalled negotiations.”Ms Ng added on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the Canadian “government will never agree to a deal that isn’t good for our workers, farmers and businesses”.A UK government source said Canada appeared to have “lost sight of the bigger picture – the British and Canadian businesses who do £26bn worth of trade a year and the people they employ”.The source added: “If Canada come back to table with a serious offer and desire to make progress we’re all ears, but in the meantime we’re going to focus on other trade deals that deliver for UK businesses.”The two nations have been negotiating for the last two years, with trade continuing under the arrangements brokered when the UK was a member of the EU.Negotiations began on a new agreement in March 2022. The previous agreement had allowed the UK to continue to sell cars and cheese in the North American nation without Canada charging import tax.Boris Johnson said post-Brexit deal with Canada’s Justin Trudeau would boost economyIn November 2020, then-PM Mr Johnson claimed a new, post-Brexit deal with Canada would “go even further in meeting the needs of our economy”.Hopes were raised a deal could finally be done this year when Ms Badenoch worked closely with her Canadian counterpart in talks which saw the UK join its ally in the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).However, Minette Batters, president of the Nation Farmers’ Union (NFU) of England and Wales, praised the Sunak government for having “stuck to its line and not given way”.She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme it was essential that hormone-treated beef is not allowed into the country.“It is a relief for farmers. This has been going on for a long time and it is about enhancing the trading relationship between the UK and Canada.”The farming leader said agricultural products tended to be “the first thing to be discussed and the last thing to be agreed – I am pleased the government has stuck to its line and not given way”.Ms Batters added: “Canada has played hardball for a long time. It was always going to come to a crunch point as to who was going to capitulate.”The fresh Brexit blow comes after a top group of MPs wanted that Britons heading to Europe could face waits of 14 hours or more at border control because of looming travel rule changes.And business chiefs have warned that a fresh wave of Brexit red tape coming at the end of January and April is already creating an “existential” crisis for Britain’s fresh food and flower firms.A UK government spokesperson on the collapse of talks with Canada: “We reserve the right to pause negotiations with any country if progress is not being made.”They added: “We remain open to restarting talks with Canada in the future to build a stronger trading relationship that benefits businesses and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailKeir Starmer has called for an inquiry into failings that led to a series of fatal stabbings in Nottingham, saying it is the “least these families are owed”. The Labour leader said the deaths of Grace O’Malley-Kumar and Barnaby Webber, both 19, and Ian Coates, 65, who were stabbed by Valdo Calocane last June were “absolutely awful”.The police have been accused of having “blood on their hands” after a series of failures meant the killer was able to carry out the attacks. Barnaby’s mother, Emma, said “true justice has not been served” after Calocane was handed a hospital order and not jailed. And she told Nottinghamshire Police assistant chief Rob Griffin: “If you had just done your job properly, there’s a very good chance my beautiful boy would be alive today.” But Downing Street said it was “important” that as “the first action the relevant agencies look back and ensure that all the proper processes were followed and that reasonable steps that could have been taken were taken, to ensure that where there are lessons to be learned we do so.”The Attorney General is also considering whether judges should review the sentence to decide if it is unduly lenient.The 32-year-old has paranoid schizophrenia and his pleas of manslaughter by diminished responsibility were accepted earlier this week.But the families of those killed reacted angrily to the sentencing and accused prosecutors of a “fait accompli” in not pursuing a murder verdict.Sir Keir, who in a previous job was the top prosecutor for England and Wales, told ITV’s This Morning programme: “As far as the sentence is concerned, obviously there are mental health issues in this particular case, and the Attorney General has got the power to review it and I think that probably makes sense and have it double checked by the Court of Appeal.”But I think alongside the sentence, I am very worried by what appear to be a number of points at which action could have been taken that would have prevented this happening.”The family are saying that needs to be an inquiry into that. I think they’re right about that. I think somebody outside of this independent needs to look at exactly what happened, what were the points of which there could have been an intervention and why it didn’t happen. That is the least that these families are owed.”Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has backed calls for an inquiry into the Nottingham attacks (Stefan Rousseau/PA)Rishi Sunak has so far resisted ordering an inquiry. A Number 10 spokeswoman said: “We believe that it’s important that as the first action, that the relevant agencies look back and ensure that all the proper processes were followed and that reasonable steps that could have been taken were taken, to ensure that where there are lessons to be learned we do so.”That is the first thing that needs to happen.”Judge Mr Justice Turner said Calocane would “very probably” be detained in a high-security hospital for the rest of his life as he sentenced him for the “atrocious” killings, as well as the attempted murder of three others.Speaking on the steps outside Nottingham Crown Court after the sentencing, Mrs Webber said: “We were presented with a fait accompli that the decision had been made to accept manslaughter charges.”At no point during the previous five-and-a-half-months were we given any indication that this could conclude in anything other than murder.”We trusted in our system, foolishly as it turns out.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailScotland’s former first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, called Boris Johnson a “f***ing clown” at the time of the second Covid lockdown, bombshell messages have revealed. WhatsApp messages shared between the ex-SNP leader and her top adviser, Liz Lloyd, shown at the Covid inquiry demonstrated the utter disdain with which the then-prime minister was held.Ms Sturgeon said Mr Johnson’s address announcing a second national lockdown on 31 October 2020 was “f***ing excruciating” and “awful”.She told Ms Lloyd: “His utter incompetence in every sense is now offending me on behalf of politicians everywhere,” adding: “He is a f***ing clown.”It came as Humza Yousaf, the SNP leader, admitted the Scottish government’s handling of information was “frankly poor” as he announced a review into its use of WhatsApp in a bid to end the controversy over deleted messages.The new messages shared at the inquiry on Thursday also revealed the extent to which Ms Sturgeon and her officials discussed the political implications of pandemic policies.The SNP government has come under fire in recent days after messages revealed top officials had discussed how to use the Covid crisis to forward the cause of Scottish independence.Ms Lloyd told Ms Sturgeon she wanted a “good old-fashioned rammy” with the Tory government so she could “think about something other than sick people”.Liz Lloyd, Nicola Sturgeon’s former top adviser, arriving at the Covid inquiry The adviser told Ms Sturgeon she had “set a timetable” for the UK government to answer the Scottish government on the furlough scheme as a “purely political” move in the November 2020 messages.Ms Sturgeon replied: “Yeah, I get it. And it might be worth doing. I’ve sent a rough formulation of what I might say tomorrow.”Asked if she was looking for a spat, Ms Lloyd replied: “I was looking for a spat with a purpose.” Handwritten notes also showed Ms Lloyd suggested a possible strategy of “calling for things” that the Scottish government could not do to “force the UK government to do things”.Ms Lloyd told the inquiry that the Scottish government were “clearly not complimentary” about the UK government’s way of communicating new rules with the public. “We had to mitigate the chaos that appeared around some of the decisions they took.”Discussing calls between the government, she said Mr Johnson “wasn’t well briefed, he wasn’t listening – engagement with him became slightly pointless”. Ms Lloyd added: “They didn’t get us anywhere.”Sturgeon is under scrutiny over her use of private emails and deletion of messages Last week, it emerged from Sturgeon cabinet meeting minutes from June 2020 that her ministers agreed to consider how the Covid crisis could be used to boost support for Scottish independence.Her ministers “agreed that consideration be given to restarting work on independence” with the case updated based on “arguments reflecting the experience of the coronavirus crisis”. The Scottish Tories said it was “disgusting” to use the crisis to “break up” the UK.Mr Yousaf rejected accusations the Scottish government made Covid decisions for political reasons. “Our motivation – every step of the way – was to ensure we kept the people of this country safe,” he told the Scottish parliament shortly before his own appearance at the inquiry.Appearing at the Covid inquiry, Mr Yousaf admitted the Scottish government’s handling of information was “frankly poor”. He said: “I apologise unreservedly to the inquiry and to those mourning the loss of a loved one.”The SNP leader announced that he had commissioned officials to deliver “an externally-led review” into the use of mobile messaging apps and the use of non-corporate technology in the Scottish government.Mr Yousaf later confirmed to the Covid inquiry that the review would not have access to messages deleted by ministers and senior officials.The SNP leader – Scotland’s health secretary during the pandemic – also admitted that he had used personal phones to conduct government business rather than a government-issued phone.The messages were all deleted “after a month for cyber security purposes”, according to a document from October 2023 that details how ministers used informal communications.However, Mr Yousaf realised some messages were recoverable as he had retained a previous phone handset. The SNP leader has maintained that he has personally handed over all his relevant Whatsapps to the inquiry.Humza Yousaf arriving at the Covid inquiry Ms Sturgeon’s use of private party emails is also under fresh scrutiny. It emerged that she had provided a public health expert with an SNP email address – saying she could be contacted “privately”. She told Professor Devi Sridhar: “Don’t worry about protocol.”Scottish Labour has demanded an investigation. But a source close to Ms Sturgeon denied concealment on Thursday – saying any emails relevant to the pandemic she received in her private inbox “were passed to the Scottish government”.Ms Sturgeon is also under pressure over deleted messages. The ex-SNP leader previously suggested that she had never used informal messages to make Covid decisions.It then emerged that messages were routinely deleted. But Ms Sturgeon has insisted that informal messages erased on her own devices were later obtained and submitted to the inquiry.Humza Yousaf defended his use of masks while giving evidenceMr Yousaf also defended his use of masks after it emerged that a top health adviser had told him he could be exempt while attending an event if he had “a drink in your hands at all times”.The first minister said national clinical director Professor Jason Leitch’s advice that “literally no one” followed mask guidance for standing in public places was simply him “over speaking”.He used the same term when defending Ms Sturgeon and the Scottish government’s decision-making after it emerged that Prof Leitch said the then-first minister “actually wanted none of us” in crucial meetings.The inquiry counsel asked Mr Yousaf if this was an indication that Ms Sturgeon “really took decisions in connection with the pandemic herself”.Mr Yousaf said there had been “times the former first minister needed a tighter cast list” for meetings, but denied cabinet ministers were not involved in big moves. “I think this is a classic example of Jason perhaps over speaking,” he added.Mr Yousaf also branded the Scottish Police Federation a “disgrace” in messages exchanged with former SNP deputy first minister, John Swinney, over the implementation of Covid rules. He said: “Sometimes when you are venting to a colleague you use language you regret.” Earlier, Ms Lloyd denied that a decision about guest limits on weddings showed she was involved in making up policy that was made “on the hoof” with Ms Sturgeon. She was shown messages exchanged on 22 September 2020, where Ms Sturgeon said: “We haven’t thought about weddings.”A media briefing was then delayed so a decision could be made to keep wedding and funeral numbers at 20. Ms Lloyd said a decision taken to change numbers would be “on the hoof”, but “sticking with a decision already taken was more coherent”. More

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UKSign up to our Brexit email for the latest insightRishi Sunak’s government has been urged to reassure Britons there will be no shortage of red roses for Valentine’s Day due to new Brexit checks.Fruit, vegetable and flower importers are urging the government to provide more detail on the wave of new red tape imposed on imports coming in at the end of January and April.And Dutch flower growers have called on Sunak government to delay the looming border controls – warning EU exporters are not ready.Labour MP Daniel Zeichner said British growers importing young plants, flowers seeds and other products were now “seriously worried” about the looming changes.The Horticultural Trade Association has warned that the process of importing a petunia plant from the Netherlands had gone from 19 to 59 steps, Mr Zeichner pointed out in the Commons.The MP asked: “So what’s the minister doing to ensure that we’ll have a plentiful supply of imported red roses for Valentine’s Day – especially for all those Conservatives on the other side who love each other so much?”Tory trade minister Greg Hands said the government had done a lot of work on the system for import checks “to make sure businesses are aware and the introduction of this will be staged”.Dover has seen waves of congestion and delay from post-Brexit rules Mr Hands said the new model will “simplify border processes for both imports and exports”, before going on to attack Labour’s plans for a new veterinary agreement with Brussels to ease trade friction.Mr Sunak’s government delayed the introduction of checks on EU imports until 2024 over fears the extra burden could push up food inflation, which is finally beginning to ease from the peaks of the cost of living crisis.New health certificates are required for imports from 31 January. Then there will be a further three months before sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks on medium-risk food, animal and plant products come into force on 30 April.Chris Bonnett, founder of Gardening Express, has warned the new checks could lead to a shortage of some flowers and plants. He said it is “likely that consumers will face the brunt of it all with increased prices of flowers and plants”.Earlier this month, the Dutch Association of Wholesalers in Floricultural Products said checks should be pushed back again until 2025 – warning of problems ahead of Valentine’s Day and Easter.James Barnes, chairman of the Horticultural Trades Association, has told the Financial Times that the new border system is “a disaster waiting to happen”.He added: “The fundamental issue is that the infrastructure isn’t in place to cope with the volume of trade that’s coming through.”The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said the looming paperwork and inspections on imports could pose an “existential threat” to Britain’s horticultural businesses.The farming group said British growers who are dependent on young plants from the EU – such as soft fruits like strawberries and raspberries – look set to be hit by disruption. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak has been warned that he will be breaking human rights law if his government ignores european court orders intended to stop asylum seekers being sent to Rwanda. The prime minister has repeatedly vowed not to let what he called a “foreign court” to block the government’s plan to send some migrants to the east-African nation. But the president of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Síofra O’Leary, said on Thursday that “there is a clear legal obligation” for states to comply with orders from the Strasbourg court. Demands called rule 39 interim measures can be issued by the ECHR in certain circumstances, and one such order contributed to the 2022 grounding of the first flight intended to take asylum seekers to Rwanda. Sunak has been warned he could be breaking European human rights lawMs O’Leary told a press conference: “There is a clear legal obligation under the convention for states to comply with rule 39 measures.”She said the interim measures are only issued “in exceptional circumstances where there is a real and imminent risk of irreparable harm”. Senior judge Ms O’Leary said the UK “has always complied with rule 39 measures”, except in one very particular case, and has “publicly declared the need for other states to comply with rule 39 indications”.The UK had previously urged Vladimir Putin’s Russia to abide by a 2021 measure in relation to the release of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.No 10 rejected the criticism and insisted the government’s Rwanda legislation would not need any emergency interventions from the Strasbourg court.Mr Sunak’s official spokesman said: “We are confident our legislation is compliant with our international obligations … There should be no need for Strasburg to intervene to block flights in the way they did in 2022.”But the top No 10 official added: “We’ve also drafted the bill to give ministers the power not to comply with those rulings if necessary … The prime minister has been clear repeatedly that we will not let a foreign court block flights from taking off.”The spokesman said the combination of the Rwanda legislation and the new treaty with the African country would see off any need for a Rule 39 measure from the ECHR.UK had urged Putin’s Russia to abide by European court injunction in Alexei Navalny’s case No 10 also rejected any comparison as “bizarre” between the UK urging Russia to follow rule 39 injunctions over Navalny, and Tory ministers potentially ignoring the injunctions over Rwanda.Mr Sunak’s official spokesman said: “I think it would be bizarre to draw any comparison between Russia’s cruel treatment of Alexei Navalny … and our plan to protect and deter vulnerable migrants from making perilous crossings across the Channel.” The UK did not follow a rule 39 order in 2010 when the Strasbourg court tried to prevent British forces from transfering two men, who were suspected of being part of a plot to kill British servicemen, over to the Iraqi authorities. The UK transfered the pair despite the order. The Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill going through Parliament severely limits the ability of the UK courts to intervene to stop asylum seekers being sent to Rwanda. As a result, it will become more likely that these legal challenges end up in front of the Strasbourg Court. Mr Sunak has previously insisted that he “won’t allow a foreign court to block us from flights taking off”, telling reported: “My patience is worn thin, the British people’s patience is worn thin.”Asked directly if he would over-rule rule 39 orders from the ECHR, Mr Sunak said it would be “for ministers to decide whether to comply”. He added: “I would not have put that clause in the bill if I was not prepared to use it.”The Strasbourg court president would not be drawn on the Safety of Rwanda Bill while it goes through the parliamentary process.But she said: “I know there’s a very healthy debate in the United Kingdom relating to the content of the bill. It’s a country which is blessed with many, many international legal experts and a very active civil society. So I am sure that all of those issues can be fully examined.”In the Rwanda case in June 2022, the interim measure blocking an Iraqi asylum seeker being sent to the African state was granted just hours before the flight was due to take off.Ms O’Leary said rule 39 measures are almost always sought in “situations of urgency, if not extreme urgency, and the nature of the urgency or the degree of urgency is something which respondent governments control”.Dogs in the street know Rwanda flights won’t happen, says former Tory leaderThe interim injunction powers are rarely used – in 2023, 13 requests were refused by the court, and just one interim measure was granted.Rwanda has said that it would not be able to continue with the UK deal if Mr Sunak’s goverment did not abide by international law.Rwanda’s minister of foreign affairs Vincent Biruta has said previously: “It has always been important to both Rwanda and the UK that our rule of law partnership meets the highest standards of international law, and it places obligations on both the UK and Rwanda to act lawfully. “Without lawful behaviour by the UK, Rwanda would not be able to continue with the Migration and Economic Development Partnership.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailAny tax cuts promised at the next general election will need to be quickly reversed, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned the government.In a bracing warning to the government, the think tank said Britain faces the worst debt challenge since the 1950s, the challenge of which cannot be “meaningfully confronted by a government that wilfully ignores reality”.The chancellor is said to be considering a package of tax cuts as part of a pre-election giveaway Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor of the exchequer, is said to be considering cuts to income tax or further cuts to national insurance in his March budget, as improved OBR forecasts suggest the chancellor has an extra £15bn to £20bn of headroom within his target to get debt falling in five years’ time.However, the IFS has today warned that the increasing cost of debt interest means this will prove more difficult to manage in the coming year than at any time for decades.The report said: “These challenges – unlike a conflict, pandemic or financial crisis – are entirely predictable. None can be meaningfully confronted by a government that wilfully ignores reality and the need to choose between difficult competing options. As tempting as it may be to engage in ‘cakeism’ – to seek to have the government’s fiscal cake and eat it – any party serious about governing after the election should resist the urge. The electorate surely deserves better than that.”Speaking at the annual World Economic Forum meeting, Mr Hunt said that countries with lower tax burdens have “dynamic, faster growing economies”.In last year’s autumn statement, Mr Hunt announced a £10bn National Insurance cut for millions, claiming the Conservatives have delivered the biggest tax cuts in decades.However, the UK’s overall tax burden as a percentage of national income is at a post-war record high, in part due to frozen tax thresholds.The government is now expected to be considering a larger package of tax cuts as part of their pre-election offering, in the hope of swaying voters towards the Conservatives.Yesterday, Sir Keir Starmer told journalists that he was concerned that the Tories would “salt the ground” by squandering money in pre-election tax cuts that would leave an incoming Labour administration vulnerable to poor public finances and difficult spending decisions.Keir Starmer said the conservatives are ‘not acting in the national interest’ with their tax-cutting agenda Now, the IFS has said prospects for any winning government are “miserable” due to weak economic growth and the cost-of-living crisis. It warned that Mr Hunt cannot “wish away” the likely prospect that any tax cuts in the spring will either lead to later tax rises or spending cuts as future governments try to grapple with the spiralling cost of debt and flailing public services.The IFS also warned that Labour’s £28bn green prosperity plan will mean even less money for day-to-day spending, but still leave state investment lower than it currently is.Paul Johnson, director of the IFS, urged both parties to “be honest” about their plans. “If they are promising tax cuts, let’s hear where the spending cuts will fall. If they are going to raise, or even protect spending, they should tell us where taxes will rise,” he said.The IFS has also questioned the wisdom of tax cuts at the cost of public spending while the population is ageing, defence spending is rising, and voters are demanding better public services.In an effort to borrow less, the government plans to cut infrastructure investment in real terms, resulting in a decrease in investment by about £20bn. This would equate to cuts to public services outside of the NHS, schools and aid – but the detail of this has not yet been set out.The government announced a national insurance tax cut back in the Autumn Earlier this week, Richard Hughes, chairman of the Office for Budget Responsibility, dubbed these plans a “work of fiction”, as the current projected headroom “is very small relative to the forecast errors inherent in any forecasting process, including ours”.He also criticised the chancellor’s refusal to provide detailed information about Whitehall departmental budgets to help the OBR calculate it’s forecasts back in November. Responding to the IFS report, a Conservative Party spokesman said:“This shows Labour’s £28bn a year ‘2030’ unfunded spending promise will end up meaning thousands of pounds of higher taxes for working people.“That’s because Keir Starmer can’t say how he would pay for it as he does not have a plan.”The Labour party have been approached for comment. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSir Keir Starmer has announced a new Labour pledge to tackle the growing epidemic of knife crime, stating that his government will “give young people real support to achieve their potential and stay on track”, but warning if they flout that chance “they’ll feel the full force of the law”.Leaning into his credentials as former director for public prosecutions, the Labour leader has set out ambitious proposals to tackle the growing scourge of youth violence and halve knife crime by the end of his first five years in office.This includes the introduction of a major new programme of prevention and sanctions, in the form of a “youth futures” programme and tougher punishments for those caught with offensive weapons.In a statement announced today, Sir Keir said he would bring an end to existing rules that mean young people carrying knives can escape any further sanctions simply by writing an apology letter.Yesterday, Labour said it would urgently crack down on the availability of machetes and zombie-style knives and introduce tougher sanctions on those found to be carrying these weapons.Labour has said it would introduce a comprehensive ban to tackle knife crime The party also said it would introduce tough criminal sanctions on tech executives who allow knife sales on their online marketplaces, such as Amazon Marketplace, eBay and Instagram.“The number of these deadly weapons on Britain’s streets is terrifying and unacceptable,” Sir Keir said.“For years, the Tories have made grand promises of action, but by failing to bring a proper ban on these killer knives and to crack down on online sales to kids, they’re letting a generation down.“The tragic cost is being felt by too many. Young people are being killed or maimed, and communities are blighted by fear.“Labour will act. There will be nothing short of a ban by my Labour government. And we won’t stop there – we’ll crack down on online sales, too. No child should be able to buy a deadly weapon as easily as they can online today.”Idris Elba staged a knife crime protest with clothes for each of 247 people killed in the UK last yearLabour’s crime blitz comes in response to a sharp increase in recorded knife crime incidents. Since 2015, knife crime has risen by 70 per cent, yet almost half (49 per cent) of knife possession cases led to no further action.Labour analysis has revealed that over 100 people every single week received a death threat involving a knife last year – an increase of nearly fourfold since the Tories came to power in 2010. It also revealed that nearly 5,600 people received a knife-enabled death threat last year – the highest number since 2010. Ministers will today lay before parliament plans to ban dangerous zombie-style knives and machetes, first announced by the prime minister last year. Under the measures, it will be illegal to possess, sell, manufacture or transport them. Sir Keir has now pledged that his government will take a much stronger approach to possession, introducing a bespoke action plan to prevent reoffending, with increased sanctions such as curfews, tagging or behavioural contracts.The plan forms part of the party’s mission for safer streets and is part of Labour’s push to become the more trusted party on law and order. On Wednesday, Sir Keir told journalists that law and order was a “priority” for him:“Crime prevention and dealing with the consequences of crime has been a central feature of a decade of my working life. So yes, that’s why I want to fight on crime, that’s why it matters to me. And yes, I’m very happy to have that fight with the Tories going into the next election.”Sir Keir’s law-and-order push is reminiscent of New Labour’s plan to be “tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime”. Back in April last year, Starmer said that “nothing is more important – more fundamental – to a democracy like ours” than the rule of law.Grace O’Malley Kumar was killed as she tried to defend a friend in a knife attack in Nottingham last year Yesterday, the Labour leader also told journalists that he was worried about the safety of young people in this country, and that “they ought to be able to walk the streets feeling safe”.“I know it sounds obvious, but is basic, it’s really important. After 14 years of this government, we do not have that level of confidence in our young people feeling safe that we ought to.”The youth futures programme is likely to echo the last Labour government’s education and prevention programme, SureStart, and would require coordination of local services to identify young people most at risk of knife crime and prevent them from ever picking up a knife.Sir Keir told The Independent: “If you look at the information the police have, the health authorities have, the schools have, the referral units have… it is perfectly possible to map those that are of greatest risk.“By putting that information together, it is possible to better identify those at risk, and that helps with the intervention side and support that’s needed, but also for intelligence-led targeting, whether it’s stop and search or the consequences of carrying a knife. That co-ordination is vitally important in a significant number of cases.”The programme will cost up to £100m a year, which Labour says will fund new youth workers and mental health hubs in every community, youth workers in A&E and mentors in pupil referral units.Labour says it plans to fund the programme through ending tax breaks for private schools and full cost recovery for gun licensing.The Labour leader and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper are leading Labour’s mission to ‘take back our streets’ Announcing the new policies in Milton Keynes on Thursday morning, Sir Keir is expected to say: “Too many young people are being drawn into squandering their life chances by getting involved in crime. A government that I lead won’t think we can press release away soaring youth crime.“No more apology letters, no more weak warnings. If you carry a knife, you’ll carry the consequences. But this is not just about sanctions once the choices have been made. I saw as chief prosecutor the power of prevention – lives are being lost to knife crime because Tory governments don’t.“Labour will turn this around. We will give young people real support to achieve their potential and stay on track, but flout that chance, and they’ll feel the full force of the law.”The Home Office and Ministry of Justice have been approached for comment. More