19 h. ago Keir Starmer admits he was distracted by Middle East crisis and NATO summit as he vows to 'carry the can' for Labour's embarrassing welfare U

The Prime Minister spent much of the past fortnight out of the country to attend a meeting of G7 leaders in Canada , and then a NATO gathering in The Hague.

Politics

28 h. ago Keir Starmer says he was ‘distracted’ by Middle East and Nato during welfare rebellion

Prime minister said that he was ‘heavily focused’ on foreign affairsas Labour rebellion over welfare cuts grew

Politics

62 h. ago Keir Starmer admits he 'deeply regrets' his 'island of strangers' immigration remark

Keir Starmer said he and his advisors were unaware of similarities between his words and Enoch Powell's vile Rivers of Blood speech - saying he said it hours after his family home was targeted by arsonists

Politics

3 d. ago Keir Starmer admits government has ‘asked a lot’ of business, and defends employment rights bill – business live

PM tells BCC conference businesses have made a ‘huge difference’, following the tax rises in the last budgetFull story: Shell has ‘no intention’ of making offer to buy BP after £60bn takeover rumoursStarmer then tells the BCC conference that the spending review earlier this month is a “clear shift” towards investing in the future of the UK, not simply tackling the promises it inherited.Starmer says his administration have “wiped the slate clean”, stabilized the economy, and can now move onto building a fairer Britain, with change and renewal.‘I fully acknowledge that this year, as we’ve had to fix the foundations of our country, [and] deal with the unprecedented mess that we inherited, we’ve asked a lot of you.I understand that, and I want to acknowledge that.They are all vital for the long-term growth of our country. But none of that would have been possible without your contribution. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Keir Starmer defends Labour's tax hikes and employment rights red tape as business chiefs warn burden must NOT be increased again

Keir Starmer admitted the government had 'asked a lot' of firms as he addressed the British Chambers of Commerce conference in London .

Events

5 d. ago The Guardian view on Trump’s vacillating approach to Iran: a ceasefire is welcome, but the danger isn’t over | Editorial

Better diplomacy than war, but the US president’s inconsistency and Benjamin Netanyahu’s political needs increase the dangers in this Middle East crisisDonald Trump declared a ceasefire that would last “for ever”. Or perhaps not. Within hours, he had attacked both Israel and Iran for breaking the deal he took credit for, though there seemed to be a precarious peace. But the volatility of events owes much to the unpredictability of Mr Trump’s own rhetoric and actions. The Middle East crisis will continue to overshadow the Nato summit in The Hague, intended to shore up support for Ukraine.It is just over two weeks since Mr Trump told Israel’s prime minister not to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities, hoping for a deal with Tehran. Benjamin Netanyahu ignored him – and within hours, as Fox News celebrated the Israeli offensive, the president sought to associate himself with it. He demanded Iran’s unconditional surrender and threatened its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei...

Politics

8 d. ago Voices: Keir Starmer accidentally admits his first year has been a failure

The prime minister said his biggest mistake was that ‘we haven’t always told our story as well as we should’ – an attempt to minimise a problem that is fundamental, argues John Rentoul

Events

1 week ago Keir Starmer admits Channel situation is 'deteriorating' and hints visas could be slashed for countries that don't tackle illegal migrants

Keir Starmer delivered a grim assessment as pictures emerged of migrants battling through teargas grenades on a beach near Calais this morning before setting off for Britain.

Events