UK politics live: Starmer vows to support Ukraine’s ‘fight for freedom’ in meeting with Biden in Washington
The UK and US are believed to be on the cusp of allowing Kyiv to use long-range missiles inside Russia
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Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to support Ukraine’s “fight for freedom” in a bilateral meeting with US president Joe Biden in Washington.
Speaking at the White House, the UK prime minister said the next few weeks and months would be “crucial” for Kyiv’s fight against Russia which invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
It comes amid reports Sir Keir and Mr Biden could be on the cusp of allowing Kyiv to open up a new front in the war with Russia by lifting restrictions on the use long-range missiles.
Mr Zelensky has pleaded with allies for months to allow his military to fire long-range US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles at Russian targets used to launch devastating daily attacks on Ukraine.
But in a message apparently timed for when Sir Keir and his entourage were over the Atlantic on their way to the US on Thursday, President Putin warned such a move would mean Russia would be “at war with Nato”.
When asked about what he thought about Mr Putin’s threats, Mr Biden bluntly replied that he “didn’t think about Putin much”.
Starmer stares down Putin as he and Biden prepare to escalate Ukraine war with missiles
Starmer sympathises with pensioners over winter fuel but dismisses Labour’s own claim 4,000 will die
Starmer ducks Trump cats and dogs row but promises photo of new Downing Street kitten
No winter fuel payments cut impact assessment was done, Keir Starmer admits
Lib Dems criticise Labour over failure to carry out winter fuel assessment on pensioners
The Liberal Democrats have slammed the government for failing to assess the impact of the winter fuel payments cut.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that a full impact assessment on the new measures had not been done.
Lib Dem’s work and pensions spokesperson Wendy Chamberlain said: “It is absolutely unthinkable that this new government would push through a cut to winter fuel payments without an impact assessment.
“We know this will have massive knock-on effects for pensioners and potentially our NHS this winter as people are forced to choose between heating and eating.
“It’s not too late for ministers to change course. Liberal Democrats are calling on the government to tax the big banks rather than punish pensioners to make up for the years of Conservative Party failure.”
COMMENT | Will letting Ukraine use long-range missiles push Putin over edge?
Granting permission to Kyiv to fire Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russia could result in a token nuclear strike in retaliation – but history suggests it unlikely, says Mark Almond:
Will letting Ukraine use long-range missiles push Putin over the edge?
Granting permission to Kyiv to fire Storm Shadow missiles deep into Russia could result in a token nuclear strike in retaliation – but history suggests it unlikely, says Mark Almond
Cleverly says he outperformed Tory leadership contenders ‘by a country mile'
James Cleverly has said he “outperformed” his rivals during his time in Westminster.
He suggested his political career surpasses that of Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat in terms of acheivements and experience.
The former home secretary told the BBC Radio 4 Political Thinking podcast: “I have outperformed everyone else on this leadership ticket not just the jobs I have held but what I have achieved in those jobs.
“I’ve outperformed all the other runners and riders by a country mile. I have outperformed almost everyone else in my parliamentary intake.
“If you Tipp-Exed the words ‘James Cleverly’ off my political CV and slid it across the desk, you’d look at it and go, ‘bloody hell’.”
COMMENT | What Starmer’s Washington visit could mean for Ukraine
The prime minister’s trip to the White House could provide an answer to President Zelensky’s prayers to use Western-made long-range missiles, writes Mary Dejevsky:
For once, a UK prime minister’s visit to Washington could offer more than the usual formulaic courtesies and obligatory references to the “special relationship”. Sir Keir Starmer’s meeting with President Biden at the White House could provide the opportunity for the US to announce that it is acceding to Ukraine’s long-standing pleas to use US- and UK-supplied missiles to strike targets deep inside Russia.
It is a perilous moment, and those with longer memories might sense the ghosts of another fateful UK-US encounter haunting the scene: the meeting between Tony Blair and George W Bush at Camp David in September 2002, where Blair gave Bush a degree of international cover, in the form of his unconditional support, for the invasion of Iraq.
Read Mary Dejevsky’s full opinion piece below:
What Starmer’s Washington visit could mean for Ukraine
The prime minister’s trip to the White House could provide an answer to President Zelensky’s prayers to use Western-made long-range missiles, writes Mary Dejevsky
Pictured: Keir Starmer and David Lammy visit British ambassador in Washington
Bank of England set to pause interest rate cuts as ‘cautious tone’ sticks
The Bank of England could hit the pause button on interest rate cuts after warning it needs to be “careful” not to rush the decision as pressures on inflation linger.
Experts think that the Bank’s rate-setting committee will likely keep UK interest rates at five per cent on Thursday.
The central bank had cut rates from 5.25 per cent in August, pushing through the first reduction since 2020.
Governor Andrew Bailey said it was able to do so because inflationary pressures had “eased enough”, but stressed that policymakers “need to be careful not to cut interest rates too quickly or by too much”.
UK Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation returned to the Bank’s two per cent target level in May and June, but then crept up to 2.2 per cent in July.
A group of economists for ING said some of the caution can be explained by inflation in the services sector, things like hospitality and culture, which the Bank’s policymakers watch closely when trying to work out how much domestic prices are rising.
Services-only inflation hit 5.2 per cent in July, down from 5.7 per cent the previous month, but still above the levels seen in the US and Eurozone.
They expect the majority of the committee to vote to keep rates on hold this month, before the pace of cuts picks up again in November.
Winter fuel payments: Starmer admits no impact assessment has been carried out
Sir Keir Starmer has admitted there has been no impact assessment of how the decision to cut pensioners of winter fuel payments will affect them.
The prime minister said he had not been shown any reports about the consequences of his decision.
Speaking to reporters during a flight to Washington DC, he said: “There isn’t a report on my desk which somehow we’re not showing, that I’m not showing, as simple as that.”
Sir Keir said his cabinet was not legally obliged to carry out an official assessment of the plan to be done in advance.
A Downing Street spokesman said: “There are clear rules on this that we followed carefully.”
Grangemouth owners urged to reconsider ‘premature’ refinery closure
Scotland’s First Minister has urged the owners of the Grangemouth refinery to reconsider its “premature” closure.
Petroineos announced it would shutter the refinery in the second quarter of next year as it looks to move to become an import terminal – putting 400 jobs on the site at risk.
The firm – a joint venture between Ineos and PetroChina – said the site “faces significant challenges due to global market pressures and the energy transition”.
A spokesman for Petroineos said that in the last week, the refinery has lost around 500,000 US dollars (£381,000) per day, and absorbed total losses of 775 million US dollars (£590 million).
Following a meeting with unions and workforce representatives on Friday in nearby Falkirk, the First Minister urged the firm to reconsider.
“I talk to the company, my ministers talk to the company, I’ve talked to the workforce,” he said.
“We’ve made the point that we thought this was premature, the UK government has talked to them, but we were told yesterday morning this is what was going to be happening.
“I think the decision is premature and I would encourage Petroineos to consider what options there are to prolong the life of the refinery.”
Labour support drops in first poll since general election
Scottish secretary says Larry the Downing Street cat is a ‘little sh*t'
Ian Murray has joked the famous cat of Downing Street was “the most miserable animal you’ll ever meet in your life”.
The Labour minister made the remarks during an on-stage discussion with business leaders at the CBI Scotland annual dinner in Glasgow.
Mr Murray said the 37 Scottish Labour MPs who won the general election wanted to be pictured with the Chief Mouser when they arrived in London, but the cat refused.
He said: “Downing Street rang, and all of us who pretty much knew inevitably that the Cabinet was going to be as the shadow cabinet was with a few exceptions, walked to Downing Street really excited and all we wanted to do was, not get the chat with the prime minister to be appointed, but was to try and get a picture with Larry the cat.
“And without putting too fine a point on it, Larry the cat is a little sh*t. So none of us got a picture with Larry the cat.
“Larry the cat is the most miserable animal you’ll ever meet in your life. I’m not surprised with who he’s had to live with for the last ten years.”
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