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Your support makes all the difference.Chancellor Rachel Reeves has sought to play down the impact of foreign secretary David Lammy’s past comments about Donald Trump.
Speaking in Manchester today, Ms Reeves pointed out that JD Vance had used “choice words” about the newly-elected US president, but was still chosen as his running mate.
The US election result has shone a new spotlight on an article written by Mr Lammy in 2018. “Trump is not only a woman-hating, neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath,” the then backbencher wrote.
Shadow chancellor Mel Stride said past the comments had put Labour in a “difficult position already” ahead of talks with the new US administration.
But Ms Reeves said: “Well, look, the vice president-elect of the United States has used some choice words about the president-elect in the past, but the point is those comments were in the past.”
She also highlighted that Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Lammy had met Mr Trump for dinner in New York recently.
Meanwhile, an offer by Nigel Farage to help “bridge the divide” between the UK government and Donald Trump’s administration has been snubbed.
Cabinet officer minister Pat McFadden told Times Radio: “I think we’ll have our own relationships.”
Bank of England cuts interest rates
The Bank of England has cut interest rates to 4.75% at its November Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, the second reduction of UK borrowing costs in four months.
Eight of the committee members voted in favour of cutting the base rate, versus one who preferred to keep it unchanged.
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey said: “We need to make sure inflation stays close to target, so we can’t cut interest rates too quickly or by too much.
“But if the economy evolves as we expect it’s likely that interest rates will continue to fall gradually from here.”
Sir John Nott, defence secretary during Falklands War, dies aged 92
Sir John Nott, the defence secretary during the Falklands War, has died aged 92.
The senior Conservative twice offered his resignation to Margaret Thatcher after the Argentinian invasion of the South Atlantic islands in 1982 but she refused to accept it, instead keeping him in place for the successful liberation operation.
Apart from the war, the most memorable moment of his political career was storming out of a TV interview with broadcaster Sir Robin Day later in 1982.
During questions on defence spending, he lost his temper when Sir Robin asked why people should listen to a “transient, here today and, if I may say so, gone tomorrow politician” rather than veteran Royal Navy chiefs pushing for more cash.
Living standards ‘a big theme in the US election'
As analysis is done on the result of the US election, many journalists and politicans have been asking what led to voters backing Donald Trump.
On LBC this morning, cabinet office minister Pat McFadden said living standards were a “big theme in the US election”.
But he said Labour will not “lecture” other centre-left parties on their campaigns following its election win.
He said: “In the Budget last week, you saw us raising the minimum wage, making sure the triple lock was kept for the next few years, keeping the freeze on fuel duty – issues which people care about on a month to month basis as they work out their budget.
“And I think that was a big theme in the US election, and it’s something that was at the heart of our Budget that was passed by the House of Commons last night.”
Asked if centre-left politics is under threat with a loss by the Democrats in the US and the collapse of Olaf Scholz’s government in Germany, Mr McFadden said: “I don’t want to give anybody any lectures.
“I know what it’s like to be on the losing end of an election, as the Democrats were the other night, and I know what it’s like to be on the winning end and so what my focus is, rather than lecturing others is remembering what we did to change the Labour Party, to focus on those living standards issues that I spoke about, and to put them into practice, as we did in the Budget last week.”
What other European leaders have been saying after Trump’s election victory
European leaders have been keen to stress that the transatlantic relationship transcends individual politicians, but Trump’s protectionist economic leanings are causing concern.
During his last term he slapped tariffs on European steel and aluminum, roiling the bloc’s economy.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that the EU and the US “are bound by a true partnership between our people, uniting 800 million citizens. Let us work together on a transatlantic partnership that continues to deliver for our citizens”.
France’s centrist President Emmanuel Macron offered congratulations, “respect and ambition.”
Social Democratic German Chancellor Olaf Scholz congratulated Trump and said he wanted continued close ties, even if “surely many things will be different under a Donald Trump-led administration.” Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, whose far right-led government is in some ways close to Trump politically, said Italy and the US had a “strategic bond, which I am sure we will now strengthen even more.”
Europe’s populist politicians, meanwhile, welcomed the victory of a kindred spirit.
“They threatened him with prison, they took his property, they wanted to kill him ... and he still won,” said Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who will hold a summit of EU leaders in Budapest today.
UK announces 56 new sanctions against Russia
The UK has announced 56 new sanctions against Russia, including against Salisbury poisoning suspect Denis Sergeev.
The sanctions will directly target the supply of goods to Russia’s military and constrain vital resources crucial to conduct Vladimir Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine, the Foreign Office has said.
Foreign secretary David Lammy said: “Today’s measures will continue to push back on the Kremlin’s corrosive foreign policy, undermining Russia’s attempts to foster instability across Africa and disrupting the supply of vital equipment for Putin’s war machine. And smashing the illicit international networks that Russia has worked so hard to forge.
“Putin is nearly 1,000 days into a war he thought would only take a few. He will fail and I will continue to bear down on the Kremlin and support the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom.
“Today’s sanctions further build on the UK’s mission to combat Russian malign activity globally.
“Over the last month the UK has directly targeted Russia’s illicit shadow fleet, condemned the abhorrent use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine, cracked down on malicious Russian cyber gangs and sanctioned the Kremlin’s mouthpieces who recklessly spread Putin’s lies across the world.”
‘I look forward to working together’ - Starmer on Trump
After Keir Starmer spoke to Donald Trump following his US election victory last night, the prime minister shared a message on X, formerly Twitter, on the phone call.
He wrote: Good to speak with President-elect Donald Trump to congratulate him on his historic victory. I look forward to working together.
“From defence and security to growth and prosperity, the relationship between the UK and US is incredibly strong and will continue to thrive for many years to come.”
Labour in a ‘difficult position’ over comments made about Donald Trump
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch asked if Sir Keir Starmer would apologise for comments made by David Lammy six years ago.
Today, shadow chancellor Mel Stride criticised comments made by government figures over Mr Trump following the US election.
He said Labour government were in a “difficult position already” with Trump’s administration.
Asked how he would respond to potential tariffs the president-elect has suggested he may impose on the UK, Mr Stride told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It’s important that in that context, we do whatever we can to make sure that those relationships, that the mood music, that the relationships with the administration are strong and positive, and as I say, I do think it’s material the fact that this government has ended up in a position where it is in a difficult position already with the Trump administration, based on the comments that have been made.
“And that’s why Kemi (Badenoch) was quite right yesterday to call for those comments to be withdrawn and for an apology to be made.”
Trump won’t forget Lammy Neo-Nazi comments, says former White House press secretary
Donald Trump won’t forget David Lammy’s Neo-Nazi comments, former White House press secretary Sean Spicer has said.
Mr Spicer was quizzed on whether previous comments made by the Labour foreign secretary could impact the US-UK relationship.
Mr Lammy previously described Trump as a “Neo-Nazi sympathizer” and “sociopath”.
ITV’s Robert Peston asked Mr Spicer on Wednesday (6 November): “Is Donald Trump the kind of person that just forgets those sorts of remarks?
Mr Spicer replied: “No, I don’t think he does, but with anything, there is always room for negotiations.”
What’s happening today
A day after Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election was confirmed, politicians continue to discuss the result, and the likely consequences.
Today, Sir Keir Starmer expected to attend the European Political Community summit in Hungary.
It was set up in 2022 – following the Russian invasion of Ukraine – to hold political and strategic conversations about the future of European nations.
At the meeting, Mr Trump’s election victory is certain to come up - we’ll be bringing updates from that later.
Also today, at noon, the Bank of England will announce the latest interest rates. You can follow live coverage by clicking here.
Starmer’s first phone call to Trump was a ‘congratulations on your win'
More now on that phone call between Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump.
Downing Street said Sir Keir spoke to the new US president last night - today, cabinet office minister Pat McFadden has been asked what was said.
Questioned on Sky News if Ukraine was discussed, Mr McFadden said: “I’m not sure. To be honest, I think it was more a ‘congratulations on your win’ call.
“We’ve just been through a election campaign a few months ago here. So we know how stressful these things can be. There’s always a relief if you get to the end of it.”
He added: “(Ukraine) is very important. It’s very important we back Ukraine in its fight to decide its own destiny, in its fight against Russian aggression, and in the Budget last week, the chancellor reiterated the support and the aid that the UK gives to Ukraine. That hasn’t changed with the election result in the United States.
“We want to back Ukraine, back Ukraine fully in the fight that they’re having, because it’s also in our interests, in our defence and security interests for Russian aggression not to go unanswered.”
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