Politics LIVE: Trump set to make major ultimatum over Lord Mandelson's appointment as ambassador to US
Patrick Christys contrasts the doom and gloom of British politics with the optimism in the US
GB News
Donald Trump is continuing to threaten rejecting Lord Peter Mandelson as Ambassador to the US unless the UK Government accepts restrictions on his activities.
The Prime Minister is under pressure from the White House to bow to the demands or have their pick for envoy vetoed.
Sources close to the President said he is being reminded to reject the credentials of Sir Keir Starmer's pick when they are presented to him.
However, a source told The Independent: "There’s also a possibility that they approve it conditionally. There would be a very short leash."
Mandelson has been a strong advocate of closer economic ties with China, even writing an article in 2018 warning that Trump’s antipathy to China was "putting free trade at risk."
However, there were also concerns over Starmer's stint in power, following Elon Musk’s attacks on the Prime Minister over alleged policing of social media in the UK and grooming gangs have had an impact.
Another source told the publication: “It seems that the Starmer government is trying to play a game where it sets China up as a fallback for a relationship with the US. Nobody is buying that here. It’s completely ridiculous but compromises the British government.”
"It [Starmer’s Government] is perceived as anti-free speech by the incoming administration,” the source added. “That is a big red line."
Downing Street played down the concerns of rift between the two administrations, with Starmer saying he believes his Government can have "a constructive relationship" with Trump's White House.
FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY…
'They knew information!' Shadow Home Secretary backs Southport stabbings inquiry as he demands Labour 'answer questions' on 'failings'
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has called for scrutiny of the Government's handling of information in the Southport stabbings case, suggesting its failure to share details with the public may have worsened the situation.
Speaking to GB News about the newly announced inquiry, Philp said it must examine "the Government's handling of the aftermath of these terrible murders".
He pointed specifically to information about Prevent referrals that was withheld from the public, reportedly on Crown Prosecution Service advice.
'Terrorism has changed!' Sir Keir Starmer warns that the UK faces 'new threat' of extreme violence
Sir Keir Starmer
PA
Sir Keir Starmer has warned that Britain faces a "new threat" as terrorism evolves from organised groups to lone actors radicalised through online content.
Speaking the day after Southport murderer Axel Rudakubana admitted to murdering three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, the Prime Minister said: "Throughout this case, up to this point, we have only been focussed on justice.
"If this trial had collapsed because I or anyone else had revealed crucial details while police were investigating, while the case was being built, while we were awaiting a verdict, then the vile individual who committed these crimes would have walked away a free man."
GB News' Christopher Hope asks PM if he regrets 'blaming the far-right'
Sir Keir Starmer has said that "responsibility for the violence lies with them that perpetrated it", after being asked on whether he regretted "blaming the far-right".
Christopher Hope, Head of Politics and Political Editor at GB News, asked the PM: "Do you now regret blaming the far right for all those protests last summer? Was it a far right issue, or were some people entitled to be concerned and upset?
The Prime Minister responded: "I was in Southport the day after these terrible murders. I was acknowledging and thanking the frontline police officers and ambulance who had been at the scene. You can imagine what they had been through.
"They were back at work the next day. They were saying it was just their job, I could see in their eyes the impact it had had on them – what they had to deal with, what they had to see, how they endured that.
"As I arrived back in London, those same officers were putting their riot gear on and having bricks thrown at them. Those same officers. I don’t think anyone can justify that nor should they attempt to do so."
Sir Keir Starmer defends actions after being blasted for Southport cover-up
Keir Starmer defends actions after being blasted for Southport cover-upPA
The Prime Minister has defended his actions after he was blasted with accusations of a cover-up.
His statement followed his admission that the British state failed the three girls brutally murdered by Axel Rudakubana at a Taylor Swift dance class last summer.
Starmer said that Southport "must be a line in the sand", although "nothing will be off the table in this inquiry", insisting that it will lead to change.
Government 'withheld information about perpetrator', Shadow Home Secretary claims
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp has claimed it appeared the Government “withheld information about the perpetrator, potentially, on CPS advice” in relation to the Southport stabbings.
Axel Rudakubana had been referred to the Government anti-extremism scheme Prevent three times due to concerns about his obsession with violence, though he was found not to be motivated by a terrorist ideology
Asked whether he was confident in the Prevent counter-terrorism programme, he told Times Radio: “The Prevent programme is a long-running programme. It deals with about 7,000 referrals per year.
“There was quite a comprehensive review of Prevent by William Shawcross that was published in February of last year … So, one question I’ll be asking the Government is whether they plan to implement the recommendations in the Shawcross report.
“I think it’s just important the inquiry looks at all of this, gets to the truth both about what happened beforehand, but critically also the Government’s response afterwards, and what they knew when and whether they should have put more information into the public domain.
“It appears they withheld information about the perpetrator, potentially, on CPS advice.
“William Shawcross has raised questions over that, saying that if you leave a void, then speculation fills it, and William Shawcross is obviously an expert lawyer, and also says there’s quite a lot you can say about these incidents afterwards.
“But clearly in this case, the Government, it appears, didn’t share information which they had in their possession.”
The Government has said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) was clear that information about the perpetrator’s past could not be made public before to avoid jeopardising the trial that had been scheduled, which is in line with the normal rules of the justice system.
Keir Starmer to address the nation on Axel Rudakubana in minutes
Axel Rudakubana
PASir Keir Starmer is to address the nation on Axel Rudakubana this morning at 8.30am after it was revealed that the killer teenager had been referred to a Government anti-extremism scheme three times before the Southport stabbings.
Starmer described the Rudakubana as "vile and sick", and said there were "grave questions to answer" on how the state "failed" to protect the three girls.
The PM added: "Britain will rightly demand answers, and we will leave no stone unturned in that pursuit."
It comes after the Home Secretary announced a public inquiry into the 18-year-old who carried out an attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class
Yvette Cooper said the inquiry would examine how Rudakubana "came to be so dangerous" and why the Prevent programme failed to identify the risks he posed.
UK unemployment hits 4.4% in blow for Reeves
The rate of UK unemployment rose to 4.4 per cent in the three months to November, official figures have shown.
This is up from 4.3 per cent in the three months to October.
The UK's average regular earnings growth increased to 5.6 per cent in the three months leading up to November.
UK needs ‘reckoning with Government spending’, Treasury minister will say
Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, is expected to use a speech at the Institute for Government’s annual conference on Tuesday to stress that ministers need to take a different approach in order to ensure that taxpayers' money in spent effectively
GB NEWSThe UK is “long overdue a reckoning with Government spending”, a senior Treasury minister will say as Labour could be bringing in further cutes.
Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, is expected to use a speech at the Institute for Government’s annual conference on Tuesday to stress that ministers need to take a different approach in order to ensure that taxpayers' money in spent effectively.
Jones is leading the spending review that will determine how much money departments will get over the coming years.
He will say the Government “will not settle for doing things the same and hoping for different results”.
It follows criticism of the previous government, with Labour accusing the Conservatives of wasting taxpayers’ money and leaving a £22billion “black hole” in last year’s budget – something the opposition denies.
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