Sir Keir Starmer has admitted that "discussions" are underway on free movement with the EU - just hours after a damning report warned his plans to slash net migration might not be enough.
The Prime Minister, pressed on the EU's demands that under-30s should be able to live and work in Britain, told The Sun that the UK was "entering into discussions" on the matter - but warned he was maintaining some strict "red lines" on total free movement.
"I've been clear from the get go that freedom of movement is a red line for us, and no plans in relation to free movement on any level, but we're entering into discussions," he said.
Starmer also talked up his "relations reset" once again - but promised his cosying-up to Europe would not form a Brexit reversal.
"I've been really clear about that, whichever way people voted in 2016, we are not going back in," he said.
But the PM also refused to rule out bending to the EU's rules - saying: "There is going to be a process [in talks next year].
"We're only at the beginning of that process, and I do want a better deal... but we do have clear red lines," he added.
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Top Tories urge Starmer to reconsider 'unacceptable' Chagos surrender after Mauritian PM's demands
Shadow Defence and Foreign Secretaries James Cartlidge and Priti Patel have written to the Prime Minister demanding he reconsider the "unacceptable" surrender of the Chagos Islands.
Yesterday, it emerged that Mauritius's new PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam demanded more "benefits" from the deal - but now, the Shadow Cabinet pair have lambasted Labour for refusing to publish details of which "safeguards" would be in place to prevent countries like China "establishing themselves" in the territory.
They also warned Labour not to rush the deal through Parliament before Donald Trump takes office with speculation lingering over the President-elect moving to veto the giveaway. The military base on Diego Garcia is jointly run by Britain and the US.
From earlier: Musk enters 'ongoing negotiations' with Farage as X boss poised to back Reform with 'biggest donation in British political history'
Farage and party treasurer Nick Candy travelled to Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago base on Monday
STUART MITCHELLElon Musk is in "ongoing negotiations" about making a possible mega-donation to Reform UK, Nigel Farage has revealed.
Farage and party treasurer Nick Candy travelled to Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago base on Monday, where they met both the X owner and Vice President-elect JD Vance.
The historic meeting added fuel to the fire that Musk was weighing up a splurge of nearly £80million on Reform, which would octuple the largest donation in British political history - £10million to the Conservative Party in 2023.
Musk has so far denied reports of a splurge that large - while Farage has instead talked up tactics, hailing Trump's electoral strategy as Reform casts its eye over upcoming elections.
Writing in The Telegraph, Farage said: "I have come home with copious notes of how they increased the turnout, voter registration and so much more, and all of this I intend to implement as part of the professionalisation of our party.
"It is also heartening to listen to Elon speak about UK politics with such deep care. He regards the mother country of the English-speaking world as being in very deep trouble.
"Inevitably, following such intense media speculation, the issue of money was discussed and there will be ongoing negotiations on that score."
Shadow Business Secretary attempts to coax Musk from Reform UK - 'I would urge Elon to look at the Conservative Party!'
Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith has tried to coax Elon Musk away from Reform UK
GB NEWS
Shadow Business Secretary Andrew Griffith has tried to coax Elon Musk away from Reform UK amid reports that the Tesla and X owner is in "ongoing negotiations" about a possible donation to the party.
In a direct appeal to Musk on GB News, Griffith said: "He is concerned about things like freedom of speech. He's concerned about what he's called the 'woke mind virus'. Actually, those are things that the Conservative Party has been fighting for.
"It's been Kemi Badenoch in Government who was fighting about transgender rights for children... It was actually myself and people like Toby Young who are fighting against cancel culture in banking.
"If anybody's interested in fighting for those really important - some say existential - challenges of democracy today, I would urge Elon and others to look at the Conservative Party."
Labour defends Waspi women snub AGAIN
Labour has been forced to defend its refusal to pay out Waspi women once again following yesterday's reveal the group would not be receiving compensation.
Rushanara Ali told the BBC: "The fact is that we have got a huge, huge job to do in terms of making sure that the conditions that pensioners live in in our country are improved and that's why our focus is on protecting the triple lock, which will unlock £30billion in this Parliament, supporting pensioners... and that includes those who are women born in the 1950s.
"We are absolutely committed to tackling the public service crisis in the NHS, making sure we've got more policing in our streets, which is about security and safety for pensioners and support for the NHS, they need those services."
In another party-line swipe at the Tories, she added: "So this Government has inherited a devastating set of issues... We are responding to those challenges."
Badenoch skewers Labour over 'catastrophic' schools Bill
Kemi Badenoch has joined a pile-on into Labour's Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill
PAKemi Badenoch has joined a pile-on into Labour's Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill after a blistering take-down by the Shadow Education Secretary.
Neil O'Brien had laid into the Bill with a series of bullet-point barbs on social media, which read:
"Labour schools plan:
- Remove freedom to pay good teachers more
- Remove freedom over non-teaching staff
- Remove freedom over curriculum
- Remove freedom over admissions
- Remove freedom over Qualified Teacher Status
"Back to the failed model of civil servants trying to run everything from Whitehall."
Badenoch added: "This is how Labour destroys institutions. They create a nice label for terrible ideas with catastrophic consequences. It takes decades to unpick the mess."
Inflation disaster as CPI rate increases to 2.6% in blow to Labour's economic agenda
Inflation in the UK has risen to its highest level in six months in another blow to Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Labour Government's record on the economy.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal the consumer price index (CPI) rate jumped to 2.6 per cent for the 12 months to October 2024.
According to the ONS, inflation jumped by 0.1 per cent on monthly basis and CPI rose by 0.1 per cent - compared with a 0.2 per cent drop in November 2023.
Starmer casts down 'Two-Tier Keir' moniker in 'rare flash of emotion'
Sir Keir Starmer has cast down his 'Two-Tier Keir' moniker
PA
Sir Keir Starmer has cast down his "Two-Tier Keir" moniker and several others in a fresh interview on his final overseas trip of 2024.
Speaking to The Sun in Estonia, Starmer cast down his various nicknames, damning opinion polling, and unfairly-applied justice as he pleaded for more time to be judged on his Government.
In what the newspaper branded a "rare flash of emotion", Starmer said he had "had a lot worse over the years" - and defended Britain's police forces in the wake of the summer's unrest.
"They had been subjected to the most awful scenes," he said.
"They had to deal with parents rushing back to the scene and, within hours of me shaking their hands, they were back on the front line because thugs were throwing things at them.
"The very same officers. And what was being said on the front line... 'Two tier policing'.
"I'm going to stand with frontline police officers doing their best to keep order on our streets, and I'll stand with them every single time."
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