“Sir Keir Starmer is seeking priority access to the German economy for British businesses in what the prime minister has called a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to fix the country’s relationship with the EU. On Wednesday the prime minister will begin talks on a new treaty with Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor. He said closer working with Europe would be “crucial” to boosting the economy and controlling immigration — and that Britain needed to “turn a corner” on Brexit. No 10 hopes that the agreement with Berlin will stimulate business and trade, and help to build defence and security co-operation. And a source said that while all aspects of the agreement were subject to negotiation, officials would be trying to secure preferential access for British businesses to the German market.” – The Times
“UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has warned that the autumn Budget is “going to be painful” in his strongest hint yet that the Labour government will raise taxes in October. In a speech in Downing Street on Tuesday, Starmer said he would have to make “big asks” of the public, particularly the wealthy, in his administration’s first fiscal event. “There’s a Budget coming in October and it’s going to be painful,” he said. “We have no other choice, given the situation we’re in,” he added, referring to what Labour has characterised as a £22bn “black hole” in the public finances left by the Conservatives. “Frankly, things will get worse before they get better,” he said. Starmer is betting that the public will blame the former Conservative government for any tax rises…” – The Financial Times
Editorials:
Comment:
>Yesterday:
“Sir Keir Starmer has sought to defend his government against allegations of cronyism in the appointment of senior civil servants, insisting he was intent on getting the “best people into the best jobs”. Speaking from the Downing Street rose garden on Tuesday, the UK prime minister claimed that most of the accusations “are coming from the very people who dragged our country down in the first place”. Tory MPs and former advisers have led criticism…of recent appointments of people linked to the Labour party to senior Whitehall roles by the new administration…The new Labour administration has come under fire this month for hiring party-linked figures to senior civil service roles…as well as for handing…Lord Waheed Alli, a security pass to Downing Street…” – The Financial Times
“Sir Keir Starmer has blocked the appointment to No 10 of a general who has been implicated in the inquiry into SAS killings in Afghanistan. General Gwyn Jenkins, former deputy head of the armed forces, was due to be appointed national security adviser, one of the most senior aides to the prime minister. Rishi Sunak announced Jenkins’ appointment during the final months of the Conservative government, but Starmer rescinded the offer, having already blocked the posting of Sir Tim Barrow, the present holder, to the US to serve as ambassador, another senior civil service job decided towards the end of Sunak’s premiership. Speaking at a news conference in the Downing Street garden, Starmer said there would be an “open and transparent process” to appoint a new…adviser…” – The Times
“The UK backs the use of Storm Shadow missiles by Ukraine in Russia but will not publicly call for the move amid concern it would provoke a row with the US. Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly asked to use the weapons, which can avoid enemy radar and hit precise targets up to 190 miles away, to strike deep inside Russia. Despite confusion over the Government’s position, The Telegraph understands that Downing Street supports this. However, the missiles are generally used alongside classified US systems, which requires the permission of Washington. The Telegraph understands that the UK has not made a formal request to the US for Ukraine to use the missiles inside Russia. It is understood that US concerns about the move have been made clear.” – The Daily Telegraph
“Labour is set to strengthen hate-crime laws watered down by the Tories over free-speech concerns to crack down on anti-Semitic and Islamophobic abuse. Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, is considering a new “zero-tolerance” approach to ensure that anti-Semitic and Islamophobic hate falling short of criminality is recorded by police. She is understood to be committed to reversing the Tories’ decision to downgrade the monitoring of non-crime hate incidents, specifically in relation to anti-Semitism and Islamophobia…Home Office sources said incidents would only be recorded where “proportionate and necessary” to protect Jewish and Muslim individual…from abusive and hateful comments and behaviour while also preserving the “fundamental right” to free speech.” – The Daily Telegraph
“Labour has axed an “immediate justice” scheme that punished shoplifters and those committing antisocial behaviour by forcing them to carry out unpaid work in their local community. Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, pulled the plug on funding for the swift justice scheme after concluding it did not offer value for money. The Home Office blamed the poor state of public finances for the decision. However, policing leaders said the move was “short-sighted” and that the immediate justice scheme offered police a swift and effective new way of punishing low-level offending…News of the scheme’s cancellation comes after an analysis by The Times revealed that enforcement of the law on shoplifting by the police and prosecutors has almost completely collapsed during the past decade…” – The Times
“It’s slightly surprising that, even though he appears to have totally routed the Labour Left, Sir Keir Starmer still doesn’t feel able to brand his proposals to strip party members of a vote on the leadership a “Corbyn Lock”. His team are instead branding it the “Liz Truss Lock”. Yet whilst it’s understandable that the Government would try to remind voters about her short-lived car-crash of a premiership…the label makes much less sense. ConservativeHome was founded to defend the right of Tory members to choose their leader. But there is also recognition that there is a vital balance to be struck with the role of MPs…The authority of any prime minister comes from the House of Commons…And the fact is that the Conservative system strikes that balance much better than Labour’s….” – The Daily Telegraph
“Liz Truss considered scrapping cancer treatment on the NHS to plug the fiscal hole caused by her mini-Budget, a book has claimed. The former prime minister is said to have mulled over the move with Kwasi Kwarteng, the chancellor at the time, after the pound slumped and interest rates rose in the wake of her tax-cutting mini-Budget. The claims were made in the latest book by Sir Antony Seldon about Ms Truss’ 49 days in Downing Street called ‘Truss at 10: How Not to Be a Prime Minister’. In an extract first reported by The Independent, the author wrote that Alex Boyd, one of Ms Truss’s senior advisers, “was told that Truss and Kwarteng were thinking they could still sort out the black hole with severe cuts”… Mr Kwarteng was sacked by Ms Truss just 38 days into the job…” – The Daily Telegraph
>Today:
>Yesterday: