Keir Starmer UN speech - live: PM urges Middle East to ‘step back from the brink’ in address before Trump meet
Keir Starmer to meet Donald Trump after UN speech
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
Sir Keir Starmer is set to meet Donald Trump in New York after he delivers a speech to world leaders at the UN General Assembly.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, the prime minister urged Israel and Hezbollah to agree a ceasefire and for the two sides to “step back from the brink”.
In a speech to world leaders in New York, Sir Keir said: “I call on Israel and Hezbollah: Stop the violence, step back from the brink.”
The 79th UN summit comes as the Middle East teeters on the brink of all-out conflict and the bloody war in Ukraine grinds on.
It follows an intervention at the UN Security Council where he tore into Russia over its actions in Ukraine, saying Vladimir Putin was treating his own citizens as “bits of meat to fling into the grinder” in the conflict.
Sir Keir has been embroiled in a donations row after borrowing an £18m penthouse flat from Labour donor Lord Waheed Alli during the general election and to film a Covid video. But Downing Street claims he did not break the rules.
Can Keir Starmer simply ignore a vote of Labour’s annual conference?
Russia treating own citizens as ‘bits of meat to fling into grinder’, says Starmer in UN speech
Keir Starmer to promise ‘global leadership’ in UN General Assembly speech
Keir Starmer ‘not discussing individual members of staff’ including Sue Gray
Sir Keir Starmer looking forward to getting to know Donald Trump ‘face-to-face’
The Prime Minister is visiting the Republican presidential candidate’s Trump Tower for talks ahead of November’s US election.
Sir Keir said he wanted to meet Mr Trump face to face because “I’m a great believer in personal relationships on the world stage”.
Ahead of the meeting, Sir Keir told reporters: “I’ve said a number of times, I want to meet both candidates.
“We’ve now got the opportunity to meet Trump, which is good.
“Obviously, I still want to speak to Harris as well.
“But you know, the usual diary challenges, but it’s good that this one now has been fixed.
“It’ll be really to establish a relationship between the two of us.
“I’m a great believer in personal relations on the international stage.
“I think it really matters that you know who your counterpart is in any given country, and know them personally, get to know them face to face.”
Baroness Warsi quits Tories claiming party attempting to gag her
Former Tory chair Baroness Sayeeda Warsi has quit the Conservatives in a furious row just as the party is preparing to gather for a crucial conference on its future in Birmingham.
The Muslim peer was brought in as chair by David Cameron in 2010 to help detoxify the party’s brand and bring it into the 21st century.
But since leaving government in 2014 Warsi has had a difficult relationship with the Tory leadership consistently calling out racism and islamophobia in the Conservative Party.
David Maddox reports:
Baroness Warsi quits Tories claiming party attempting to gag her
Baroness Warsi has quit the Conservatives on the eve of their conference in Birmingham
COMMENT | What does the future of The Spectator look like with ‘arch schemer’ Gove at the helm?
If he resists the temptation to simply preach the gospel of his friend and proprietor Sir Paul Marshall, the former Tory minister may find that he thrives in the role, writes Alan Rusbridger:
What does the future of The Spectator look like with ‘arch schemer’ Gove at the helm?
If he resists the temptation to simply preach the gospel of his friend and proprietor Sir Paul Marshall, the former Tory minister may find that he thrives in the role, writes Alan Rusbridger
£10 billion earmarked for spending on UK nuclear infrastructure
Nearly £10 billion has been earmarked for spending on UK nuclear infrastructure and the nuclear industry since the formation of the Aukus partnership with Australia and the United States in 2021, the defence secretary said.
John Healey said the agreement helped the three countries’ economies as well as their security.
He also announced that the UK has agreed to add UK-made Stingray torpedoes to the P8 submarine hunting aircraft. He said it would counter deep diving and conventional submarines.
Mr Healey said: “Our investment in this partnership helps our industries to prosper and breaks down barriers to trade. Secondly, the skills and experience that we share boosts jobs and boosts growth across our nations.
“And third the investment in our future technologies helps drive innovation and will help develop new warfighting capabilities.”
Chancellor could be willing to alter non-dom plans, report suggests
Chancellor Rachel Reeves could be willing to change the plans for Labour’s crackdown on non-doms, according to reports.
The Financial Times reported on Thursday evening that Government officials had said Ms Reeves could change the policy if the numbers are not satisfactory.
A Treasury spokesperson called the report “speculation, not Government policy” and pledged to remove “the outdated non-dom tax regime”.
It comes after a report in the Guardian suggested Treasury officials fear estimates due to be issued by the Office for Budget Responsibility will forecast that the policy will raise no money because of the risk of people who are super-rich leaving the UK.
UK unveils £5m aid package for Lebanon amid deadly air strikes and rocket fire
Development minister Anneliese Dodds has unveiled a £5 million aid package for Unicef in Lebanon.
The announcement late on Wednesday follows deadly air strikes and rocket fire which Israel and Hezbollah have exchanged since the start of the week.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has confirmed the aid will go towards medical supplies, hygiene kits, fuel for water stations, and emergency teams working in the health and nutrition fields.
The government department also confirmed that Royal Air Force aircraft and helicopters are on standby, with a UK presence at RAF Akrotiri near Limassol in Cyprus, and in the eastern Mediterranean with two ships – RFA Mounts Bay and HMS Duncan.
Border Force and Foreign Office officials, and 700 troops, were deployed to Cyprus on Tuesday.
“The situation in Lebanon is deeply concerning,” Ms Dodds said.
ICYMI: John Healey announces new AUKUS bilateral treaty
The UK and Australia will begin negotiations on a bilateral treaty to “bind” their Aukus military alliance into law.
The announcement follows their AUKUS Defence Ministers Meeting at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich.
During a press conference, Mr Healey said the partnership between the three countries “helps our industries to prosper and breaks barriers”.
He said £10 million spending has been allocated to UK nuclear infrastructure since the partnership was established.
The minister added: “In today’s trilateral meeting between the three nations, we agreed to add new torpedoes to our aircraft.
“The UK has today agreed to train hundreds more Australians to operate and regulate modern nuclear powered submarines.”
Announcing a new deal, Mr Healey said: “As part of that work I can announce that deputy prime minister (Richard) Marles and I have agreed that negotiations will soon be under way for a new bilateral treaty to bind our Aukus collaboration into law.
“So this not only reflects our commitment to secure a secure Indo-Pacific region where international rules are respected, it also sends a very strong message that our defence alliance is one that will endure for many decades to come.”
Cleverly accuses Lammy of making ‘self-indulgent speeches about himself’
James Cleverly has accused David Lammy of making “self-indulgent speeches about himself” instead of addressing ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The former foreign minister attacked Mr Lammy after he compared his African ancestry to the fight against Russia during his speech at the UN on Wednesday.
The foreign secretary told the UN: “I say to the Russian representative, on his phone as I speak, that I stand here also as a black man whose ancestors were taken in chains from Africa, at the barrel of a gun to be enslaved. Imperialism. I know it when I see it, and I will call it out for what it is.”
Reacting to the speech, Mr Cleverly told Times Radio: “David Lammy needs to stop making self-indulgent speeches about himself at the UN, talking about himself when he should be talking about Ukraine and he should be getting the Middle East, as I did, talking to the people who can reach out.”
Sir Keir Sarmer meets with United Nations Secretary-General
Keir Starmer was pictured signing a guest book before his meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The pair were then photographed shaking hands ahead of a speech later this evening.
The 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly addresses the urgent need for enhanced international cooperation to deal with pressing global challenges such as climate change, poverty and inequality while tackling the impacts of ongoing conflicts and global health crises.
Labour chair defends Starmer for using flat of donor during pandemic
Labour’s Tan Dhesi has appeared on the morning media round to defend Sir Keir Starmer after claims emerged he took £20,000 in donations from Lord Alli.
Sir Keir reportedly used a flat from the donor during his son’s GCSE’s and to record a video urging people to work from home during Covid.
Asked whether this was acceptable, the defence select committee chair told Sky News Sir Keir was “fearing for the safety of his family” and worried about his son failing his exams.
But when put to him that the prime minister also stayed during the pandemic, he said: “For me the key thing around the accommodation it is a fact that outside the prime minister’s home there were people camped out.”
Mr Dhesi added: “We do need to bear in mind that the hoome of leader of the opposition at the time was constantly being deluged by protesters, journalists, investigators.
“As the prime minister said, nothing illegal happened and all the rules were followed. I will take him by his word. He is a man of integrity.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments