Keir Starmer refuses to confirm vote for MPs on deploying UK troops to Ukraine as Nato allies scramble for ‘security guarantees’

​Starmer calls for Europe to ‘take responsibility’ for its security, says Ukraine’s fate is an ‘existential question’ for the continent

Sir Keir Starmer has called for Europe to “take responsibility” for its security, and said Ukraine’s fate is an “existential question” for the area.

He said: “I spoke to President Zelensky on Friday and will do so again in coming days and we envisage a further meeting with European colleagues when I return from the US.

“In this moment we have to recognise the new era that we are in, not cling hopelessly to the comforts of the past.

“It’s time for us to take responsibility for our security, for our continent and I’ve been clear today Britain will take a leading responsibility, as we always have, because Ukraine must have a secure future, Europe must have a secure future, Britain must have a secure future and democratic values must prevail.”

He added: “At stake is not just the future of Ukraine. It is an existential question for Europe as a whole, and therefore vital for Britain’s national interest.

“This is a once in a generation moment for the collective security of our own continent. Only a lasting peace in Ukraine that safeguards its sovereignty will deter Putin from further aggression in the future.”

Starmer demands US provide ‘backstop’ to peacekeeping force

Sir Keir Starmer has demanded the US provide a “backstop” to any peacekeeping force.

This comes as the PM has repeated his readiness to deploy British troops to Ukraine.

Speaking to European leaders in Paris, Starmer said "a US security guarantee is the only way to effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again".

Starmer will meet with Donald Trump in Washington DC next week to "discuss what we see as the key elements of a lasting peace", he said.

Government to grant police new drug testing powers in bid to crackdown on crime

Police officers are set to be granted array of new powers in a bid to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

The powers are set to include drug testing on arrest, powers of entry to recover stolen goods, and access to the DVLA driver licence records.

Policing Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: “Drug testing on arrest plays an important role in combatting the use of illegal drugs and the harms they cause by addressing possible causal factors in criminal behaviour.

“As part of our Plan for Change, we are expanding the police’s ability to use these powers to get a stronger understanding of the impacts of wider drug misuse and direct more people towards the support they need to overcome addiction.

“We are also adding a range of new trigger offences, including serious crimes such as rape, grievous bodily harm and anti-social behaviour.

“This is an important step in our efforts to make streets safer and reduce serious violent crime across the country.”

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​Trump ‘has not ruled out’ sending troops to Ukraine echoing Starmer's move

US President Donald Trump “has not ruled out” sending troops to Ukraine, echoing Sir Keir Starmer’s move to deploy British troops to the country.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Nato allies in Brussels, General Keith Kellogg said: “The policy has always been that you take no options off the table.”

“You don’t want to get into a negotiating position where options are taken up.”

This comes as British, French and German leaders clashed over sending troops to Ukraine at emergency discussions in Paris.

Leaders spoke about Ukraine and European security after Trump’s decision to open peace talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

​Starmer ‘will tell EU to step up defence capabilities’

Sir Keir Starmer has said he will be telling European leaders that they need to “step up” their defence capabilities.

In a video posted on X, Starmer said: “I’m here in Paris about to meet other European leaders to talk about defence and security in Ukraine.”

“If there is a peace deal, and everybody wants a peace deal, then it’s got to be a lasting peace deal, not just a pause for Putin to come again, so that needs to be discussed.”

He added: “There’s also a wider piece here, which is the collective security and defence in Europe, and here I think we’ve got a generational challenge. “

“We’ve all got to step up in terms of capability and what we do as Europeans, and that’s certainly the case, the message and the argument that I’ll be making.”

​Labour members urge Streeting to take action on NHS antisemitism

Labour members are demanding action from Health Secretary Wes Streeting to tackle antisemitism in the NHS.

This comes as Campaign group Labour Against Antisemitism found a Facebook group containing thousands of registered doctors with comments they claim “frequently crossed the line into extremism, hate, Holocaust distortion and disinformation".

In a letter, the activists asked Streeting what he would do about this issue, writing: "It shames our National Health Service that many Jewish patients are now hiding their religious identity when they need to access medical care. This is causing even more stress and anxiety at a time when our health service should be providing them comfort and healing.”

"We would like to know exactly what is being done to address this urgent issue, and what action is being taken to address the repeated inadequate responses from institutions such as the GMC [General Medical Council] to this situation?"

​Davey claims only ‘Trump bootlickers’ would vote against sending British troops to Ukraine

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has said only “Trump bootlickers” would vote against sending troops to Ukraine.

He said there should be a vote in parliament before Starmer decides to send troops to Ukraine.

This comes as the British PM has said he is “prepared” to deploy British troops for a peacekeeping force if a deal to end the war is reached.

However, Downing Street has not confirmed that MPs would get a chance to vote on the move.

Davey said he was “confident” politicians from all parties would agree with Starmer’s decision, except Reform UK MPs who he branded “Trump bootlickers”

Starmer arrives at Elysee Palace to meet with European leaders

Sir Keir Starmer has arrived at the home of the French presidency to meet with fellow European leaders for an emergency summit on Ukraine and European security.

Macron and Starmer greeted each other with an embrace.

They are expected to discuss these topics after US President Donald Trump opened talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war.

State pension warning as Labour's 'cruel double whammy' tax raid set to WIPE OUT triple lock increases pushing thousands into poverty

State pensioners will see most of their triple lock increase wiped out, pushing thousands past "the point of poverty" campaigners have warned.

The state pension uplift coming in April faces being largely eroded after Labour approved several substantial council tax rises and chose to means-test the winter fuel allowance.

The state pension will increase by £472 a year from April, but pensioners in the hardest-hit areas of the country will see up to 85 per cent of this wiped out.

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Pubs face £650m blow from Rachel Reeves’s Budget as 300 pubs forced to close amid rising costs

Almost 300 pubs were forced to close last year amid rising costs in the industry, new figures have shown.

Official industry figures have revealed the number of pubs across the UK has dropped by 25 per cent over the last 25 years, with around six pubs closing their doors every week.

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has called for Chancellor Rachel Reeves to put an end to the “completely avoidable” closures.

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Starmer to meet Trump in Washington next week

Sir Keir Starmer will meet US President Donald Trump next week, No 10 has confirmed.

The confirmation came as the Prime Minister told European leaders that they needed to "step up" their defensive commitment to Ukraine.

Discussing the topics on the table for the meeting, the PM's official spokesperson told reporters: "There's going to be a wide range of issues that we'll be working with the new US administration on.

"The prime minister looks forward to meeting President Trump shortly to discuss how we can deepen the special relationship across trade, investment, and security."

Keir Starmer faces a rebellion over citizenship rule change as PM accused of plot to win back Reform voters​

Labour MPs are calling on Sir Keir Starmer to revoke a new citizenship rule that has been dismissed as "performative cruelty" and seen as a plot to win back Reform UK voters.

Last week, new guidance was issued by the Home Office which states that those who arrive in small boats or by other "dangerous" means will have their citizenship applications rejected.

The change does not affect decisions on whether people who arrived by small boat should be allowed to remain in the UK.

Under the previous guidance, refugees who arrived in the UK through irregular routes would need to wait 10 years before they would be eligible for applying for citizenship.

Over a dozen Labour MPs have signed a motion demanding a u-turn, slamming the rules are trying to "win back Reform voters".

Nadia Whittome, who put forward the motion, told The Mirror: "I think that this is a continuation of the performative cruelty that we saw in the last Conservative government.

"I think most Labour MPs are not in favour of this policy. That's not what the Labour Party is meant to stand for. I think the policy is designed to win back Reform voters and it just won't work," MP for Nottingham East said.

PM is heading to Paris with 'very clear message' that Europe 'must step up' its security

Sir Keir Starmer is heading to talks in Paris with a “very clear message” that “Europe must step up” on security, No 10 has said.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters on Monday: “The Prime Minister wants to send a very clear message that Europe is ready to step up further to meet the demands of its own security, to play a greater role in Nato and that […] includes obviously our pledges to increase defence spending.”

The spokesman later added that the PM has “set out a very clear message heading to Paris today that Europe must step up to meet the demand of its own security”.

Asked whether the UK has the troops to send a peacekeeping force, Downing Street said: “National security is a foundation of the Government’s plan for change. We’ve set out that we will be setting out a pathway to spending 2.5% on defence in the spring.”

Kemi Badenoch takes subtle swipe at Reform UK as she accuses Farage of having 'no plan'

Kemi Badenoch has taken a subtle swipe at Nigel Farage's Reform UK saying that "strong men have no plan".

Speaking at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) in east London, the Tory leader said the Conservative Party need to learn from Donald Trump's victory at last year's Presidential election.

Badenoch told the conference: "Strong men have lots of words but no plan. They promise everything and deliver nothing."

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Starmer applauds extra NHS appointments under Labour but acknowledges 'there's lots more to do'

Sir Keir Starmer has said that an extra two million NHS appointments within Labour’s first year in government is “just the foothills".

New figures published by NHS England show that between July and November 2024, the NHS delivered almost 2.2 million more elective care appointments compared with the same duration in 2023.

Speaking at a diagnostics centre in Bristol, the Prime Minister told reporters on Monday: “I said that we would get two million extra appointments done in the first year of the Government and I’m really pleased that we’ve done that, we’ve hit the target and we’ve done it with seven months to spare.

“So, that is really good. It shows what you can do with a plan that you put into action, working with doctors and nurses, NHS staff.

“I do acknowledge it’s the foothills. There’s lots, lots more to do, but it is important, I think, to consider the human impact.”

He added that hitting the target will bolster “trust in politics” amongst the British population.

“I’m pleased we’ve done it. I acknowledge – much more to do.”

Former army chief warns sending British troops to Ukraine will have a 'considerable cost'

A former army chief warned that the UK lacks the forces and equipment needed to send military personnel to Ukraine.

Sir Keir Starmer has said that he is "ready and willing" to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine to uphold any peacekeeping deal made to bring the war to a close.

Lord Richard Dannatt said Starmer was doing the “right thing” but warned it would come at a “considerable cost” and said Britain does not have the forces or equipment “to put a large force on to the ground for an extended period of time”.

Dannatt, who was chief of the general staff between 2006 and 2009, told the BBC “My reaction is the Prime Minister is doing the right thing. But, of course, doing the right thing comes at a price.

“If the Prime Minister is serious about wanting to deploy British troops, put boots on the ground in Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force, he’s got to realise that’s going to come at a considerable cost.”

Dannatt added: “Frankly, we haven’t got the numbers and we haven’t got the equipment to put a large force onto the ground for an extended period of time at the present moment.

“Now, if Keir Starmer wants to do that, that’s fine. The British Army will always stand up to the plate, but here we go again. We’ve got to have the right number of people with the right equipment and the right training, and start to fund that now.”

Keir Starmer 'ready and willing' to put troops in Ukraine as PM warned of military cuts

Sir Keir Starmer has said that he is "ready and willing" to put UK troops on the ground in Ukraine to uphold any peacekeeping deal, as the Prime Minister has been warned about looming military cuts.

The Prime Minister has said that securing a lasting peace deal in Ukraine is "essential if we are to deter Putin from further aggression".

Starmer told the Daily Telegraph that he has not made the decision that could put British military personnel in harm's way "lightly".

"But any role in helping to guarantee Ukraine's security is helping to guarantee the security of our continent and the security of this country."

It is understood to be the first time the Prime Minister has explicitly stated he is considering deploying British peacekeepers to the warzone.

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Kemi Badenoch: 'Western civilisation is in crisis'

Kemi Badenoch has said that “western civilisation is in crisis" and our confidence has been knocked by "existential threats".

The Leader of the Opposition is speaking at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference in central London.

She said: "Western civilisation is in crisis. Our ideas and cultures have dominated world for well over two centuries. There is a crisis of confidence set in existential threats.”

Discussing the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, Badenoch said: “Keir Starmer took the kneee in response to a problem that did not happen in his country. Why? He was cowed by the mob. The problem was not liberalism but weakness”

UK economy at risk as Reeves faces £8bn hole in public finances after OBR's bullish forecasts under fire

Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces the prospect of deeper spending cuts as economists question the Office for Budget Responsibility's optimistic productivity forecasts.

A reduction of just 0.1 percentage point in the OBR's potential productivity growth forecast would create a £7billion-£8billion hole in public finances, according to Citigroup's UK economist Ben Nabarro.

The OBR's prediction of a sustained productivity rebound is "starting to look insane" amid sluggish economic performance, warns Andrew Wishart, economist at Berenberg Bank.

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Farmers at 'breaking point' as hundreds admit to suffering 'hidden problem' amid Labour's inheritance tax bombshell

Hundreds of farmers have started to admit they have been suffering from a “hidden problem” as Labour's inheritance tax raid on family farms looms.

The Farm Safety Foundation - a charity that seeks to prevent suicide - saw a 55 per cent increase in the need for its counselling services, as well as a 13 per cent rise in the number of calls to its crisis support line from last year.

The charity noticed the leap in figures after Rachel Reeves announced her inheritance tax raid when she delivered her October Budget.

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Wes Streeting: It's 'premature' to discuss potential number of British peacekeepers sent to Ukraine

Wes Streeting said it was “premature” to discuss the number of troops that Britain could send to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping force.

The Health Secretary told Times Radio: “The Prime Minister will be travelling to France to meet with other European Nato leaders to discuss what is a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of our continent, which isn’t just about the future of Ukraine, it is an existential question for Europe as a whole.

“That’s why the gathering today is important. Next week, he’ll be travelling to Washington to meet with President Trump, no doubt relaying the outcome of some of those discussions today.”

When he was asked about the size of the operation, as well if there would have to be a recruitment drive, Streeting said: "I think it’s premature to be talking about numbers.”

Labour MP appeals to critics over amendments to assisted dying Bill

The Labour MP behind the UK’s proposed assisted dying legislation has asked critics not to kill her Bill in the parliamentary process before MPs have a chance to vote.

Kim Leadbeater said she understood she had "weeks and weeks" of work ahead after the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill committee scrutinised the proposal line-by-line.

"What I wouldn’t want to see would be that people do try and put so many amendments in that we don’t end up getting to third reading," she told The Independent.

"But most MPs I’ve spoken to this week understand the parliamentary process."

Parliamentary process allows amendments to be made throughout a Bill’s passage, provided they do not deal with sections of legislation that have already been discussed.

The Labour MP also warned that situations where people go abroad to end their lives with no scrutiny leave the door open for unethical situations.

"You’ve got people now who are terminally ill who are taking their own lives," she explained.

"You’ve got people going to Dignitas, and we have no idea whether they’ve been coerced into it."

Starmer in Paris to discuss Ukraine's next steps with world leaders

Sir Keir Starmer will be in Paris today for an emergency summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron, where the world leaders will discuss Ukraine's next steps.

The French government said that the meeting would include Germany, Britain, Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark, as well as the Nato secretary-general and the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the "main European countries" will discuss European security.