58 m. ago John Swinney criticises Edinburgh Fringe venue over Kate Forbes cancel culture row

The First Minister said Summerhall’s actions were not appropriate

Culture

86 m. ago The Guardian view on Trump and Zelenskyy: Ukraine deserves better than 'better than we feared' | Editorial

In Washington, European leaders helped steer the US president away from his embrace of Vladimir Putin’s talking points. But for how long?The verdict on Donald Trump’s meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders on Monday depends entirely upon the metric used. The great fear was that this might prove a disaster along the lines of the US president’s dressing down of the Ukrainian leader in February – a scenario so plausible that Sir Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and other key European leaders dropped everything to dash to the White House themselves in support.Following his red carpet welcome for Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, Mr Trump reportedly backed the idea that Ukraine should hand over the Donbas to achieve a peace deal. Even if one were naive enough to think that the Kremlin would see that as an end to conflict, rather than a staging post for a later offensive, it would not be a “land swap” but a land grab that Ukraine – for go...

Politics

5 h. ago What security guarantees might Ukraine get in return for a peace deal?

As western leaders meet, questions remain about the steps they could take to prevent any future Russian aggressionRussia-Ukraine war – latest news updatesEuropean leaders have been holding a virtual conference call to discuss what security guarantees they could give to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal with Russia. The discussion follows Monday’s unprecedented get-together in the White House hosted by Donald Trump. The US president met Volodymyr Zelenskyy and held talks with Britain’s Keir Starmer, as well as the leaders of Germany, France, Italy, Finland, the European Union and Nato. The main topic was how to end the war in Ukraine, the continent’s biggest since 1945, and how Europe might stop Russia from attacking again. Continue reading...

Economics

5 h. ago Keir Starmer gives major update on Ukraine security plans after crunch Trump meeting

Keir Starmer co-chaired a meeting of the 'Coalition of the Willing' and vowed that European leaders would work with the US to draw up crucial plans to defend Ukraine is a peace deal is reached

Politics

6 h. ago UK has backed down on demand to access US Apple user data, spy chief says

Tulsi Gabbbard says Home Office no longer demanding ‘backdoor’ to encrypted materialThe UK government has dropped its insistence that Apple allows law enforcement officials “backdoor” access to US customer data, Donald Trump’s spy chief, Tulsi Gabbard, says.The US director of national intelligence posted the claim on X following a months-long dispute embroiling the iPhone manufacturer, the UK government and the US president. Trump had weighed in to accuse Britain of behaving like China, telling the prime minister, Keir Starmer: “You can’t do this”. Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago Linking sex attacks to migration is 'dangerous racist diversion' warn women's rights groups

In a letter to Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper, organisations including Rape Crisis England and Wales, the End Violence Against Women Coalition and Refuge called on ministers to stand up to the 'dangerous narrative'

Events

6 h. ago John Swinney has 'not read' explosive Nicola Sturgeon memoir that opens up SNP divisions

The First Minister was brief in his answers when quizzed about Sturgeon's controversial book.

Events

7 h. ago European leaders discuss Ukraine security guarantees after Trump talks

Leaders continue flurry of diplomacy amid uncertainty over whether Putin-Zelenskyy meeting will be agreedEuropean leaders are holding fresh talks after their White House meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid uncertainty over Vladimir Putin’s readiness to meet the Ukrainian president.The so-called “coalition of the willing” will first meet virtually, co-chaired by Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron, before joining a video conference hosted by the European Council president, António Costa. Continue reading...

Politics

8 h. ago Voices: Britain’s shameful inaction on Jimmy Lai could cost him his life

In deteriorating health in a Hong Kong jail, the businessman’s detention is now a test of Keir Starmer’s seriousness about human rights – and the government’s willingness to defend its citizens and values abroad, says Jodie Ginsberg

Politics

9 h. ago Starmer returns to Scotland after family holiday interrupted by Ukraine talks

The Prime Minister flew to Washington DC from Glasgow for the meeting held by US President Donald Trump.

Politics

10 h. ago Starmer hails ‘breakthrough’ on security guarantees after crunch White House Ukraine talks

Sir Keir Starmer said ‘real progress’ was made during the crunch talks on Monday

Events

10 h. ago Ed Davey calls for review of terrorism legislation after Palestine Action arrests – UK politics live

The Lib Dem leader is seeking a review of the laws to prevent the ‘en masse’ arrestsIt is “absolutely essential” for the US to be part of European security guarantees for a potential Ukrainian peace deal, but there is “lots more work to be done” on what they will entail, a minister has said.“The really important progress yesterday was on the security guarantees, these issues that the prime minister and president Macron have been leading on within Europe, with 30 countries involved in planning with a coalition of the willing to make sure we can provide those guarantees.Those guarantees are really important. You’re right to say that there’s now lots more work to be done on the nature of those guarantees. That’s what is now under way.You’ve seen that happening immediately. It was already under way, as I say, across 30 countries, and now the United States is going to be involved in that.In the House of Commons, we abstained [from the decision to make Palestine Action a proscribed organi...

Events

11 h. ago Starmer hails ‘breakthrough’ on security guarantees after Ukraine talks

US President Donald Trump described the talks as ‘very good’ and said a meeting between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin would be arranged.

Events

11 h. ago Keir Starmer disrupts family holiday for second year in a row for Donald Trump summit

The PM was holidaying in Scotland in his family when he and other European leaders were invited to the White House by Donald Trump to discuss the Ukraine war

Politics

12 h. ago Starmer hails ‘real progress’ on Ukraine after European leaders gather at White House

Sir Keir Starmer praised the White House meeting with eight European leaders, including Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, and Donald Trump as a possibly “historic step” towards ending Vladimir Putin’s war

Politics

13 h. ago The Labour right wants Wes Streeting in No 10. Why? What does he really stand for? | Oliver Eagleton

The way the health secretary has overseen the NHS give clues as to what a Streeting premiership might look likeOliver Eagleton is the author of The Starmer Project: A Journey to the RightJust over a year after Keir Starmer entered Downing Street, his political survival already looks uncertain. Perennially indecisive, unpopular with the public and unable to pass major legislation without rebellions, the prime minister has reportedly been put “on notice” by senior figures within his party. Speculation about a potential successor is mounting.What would Labour’s dominant faction – the neo-Blairite right – look for in a candidate? Their best bet would be an effective operator who doesn’t carry too much political baggage, a decent communicator, free of Starmer’s stumbling reticence, and a committed partisan of their cause: namely the free market and a strong state. They need someone who will go on the offensive for these values, rather than offering the bland apologetics that we have seen...

Politics

14 h. ago Ukraine live updates: Trump and European leaders press Putin to agree to Zelenskyy meeting

US president says arrangements being made for bilateral meeting between Putin and Zelenskyy and that US will help guarantee Ukraine’s security if a deal is reachedFull report: Trump arranging Zelenskyy-Putin meeting as European leaders push for US security guaranteesSketch: All smoke and no fire as Zelenskky emerges unbruised after Trump meetBritish prime minister Keir Starmer has described the talks at the White House as “good and constructive” and said they produced “real progress”.Speaking after the summit, Starmer said: “There was a real sense of unity between the European leaders that were there and President Trump and President Zelenskyy.”The other material outcome was the agreement that there will now be a bilateral agreement between President Putin and President Zelenskyy, that was after a phone call between President Trump and President Putin during the course of this afternoon, followed by a trilateral that will add in Trump.That is a recognition of the principle that on s...

Politics

16 h. ago Starmer hails ‘real progress’ made during White House summit on Ukraine war

Posting on his Truth Social platform after the meeting, Donald Trump also described the talks as ‘very good’.

Events

18 h. ago You CAN fly St George's flag, Sir Keir Starmer says amid rows between furious locals and councils

Council workers in Tower Hamlets, east London, were met with abuse as they began to tear down England and Union Jack flags which were hung by patriotic campaigners.

Politics

19 h. ago Putin and Zelensky to meet, Donald Trump says following European leaders summit

The US president has hosted several European leaders in Washington to discuss a pathway to ending the fighting in Ukraine.

Politics