Category: UK Politics

Government to water down business rate rise for pubs The government is poised to announce a climbdown on forthcoming increases to the business rates bill faced by pubs in England. In the coming days the government is expected to say it will make changes to how pubs’ business rates are calculated, resulting in smaller rises… Continue reading Government to water down business rate rise for pubs

Chris Mason: Trump and Starmer speak as ship seizure caps extraordinary few days What an extraordinary few days it has been for UK-US relations, with three developments each pointing in a different direction. Imagine being a fly on the phone line as the prime minister and President Trump caught up last night, speaking for the… Continue reading Chris Mason: Trump and Starmer speak as ship seizure caps extraordinary few days

UK forces helped US seizure of tanker, says MoD British armed forces supported the US seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic on Wednesday, the Ministry of Defence has said. The Marinera, a Venezuelan-linked tanker previously known as the Bella 1, was stopped by the US Coast Guard, as it travelled northwards… Continue reading UK forces helped US seizure of tanker, says MoD

Chris Mason: UK grapples with new era of US unpredictability The UK and its European neighbours confront two case studies, simultaneously, in how the continent is attempting, with varying degrees of success, to bind the United States into its future. Firstly, there is Ukraine and then there is Greenland. And all this at a time… Continue reading Chris Mason: UK grapples with new era of US unpredictability

US action in Venezuela morally right, Badenoch says 46 minutes ago Becky MortonPolitical reporter PA Media The US military action in Venezuela was the right thing to do “morally”, Kemi Badenoch has said. The Conservative leader told the BBC that while she did not understand the legal basis for Donald Trump’s operation to remove President… Continue reading US action in Venezuela morally right, Badenoch says

Only Greenland must decide its future, Starmer says Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens Frederik Nielsen responded to Trump’s latest comments by saying “that’s enough now” and described the notion of US control over the island as a “fantasy”. Meanwhile, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had said “the US has no right to annex any of the… Continue reading Only Greenland must decide its future, Starmer says

Starmer tells me he’ll survive – but can he keep this new year’s resolution? 1 hour ago Laura KuenssbergSunday with Laura Kuenssberg BBC “I’ll be sitting in this seat by 2027,” Sir Keir Starmer told me, cracking a gag that if our conversation went well he would invite us into Downing Street to talk to… Continue reading Starmer tells me he’ll survive – but can he keep this new year’s resolution?

Politicians have given away too much power to deliver pledges, says PM’s ex-aide 3 hours ago Kate WhannelPolitical reporter PA Politicians have given away too much power to lawyers, activists and regulators, and cannot deliver their promises, an ex-aide to the prime minister has said. Writing in The Times, Paul Ovenden, who quit as Keir… Continue reading Politicians have given away too much power to deliver pledges, says PM’s ex-aide

British-Egyptian dissident appears to endorse ‘smear campaign’ claims The British-Egyptian activist at the centre of a political row appears to have endorsed new and baseless claims that he is the victim of a “smear campaign”. Alaa Abd El Fattah flew to the UK on Friday to be reunited with his family for the first time… Continue reading British-Egyptian dissident appears to endorse ‘smear campaign’ claims

Government to review ‘information failures’ in British-Egyptian activist case 6 hours ago Helen Catt,Political correspondentand Ian Aikman Sayed Hassan/Getty Images Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has launched a review into what she calls “serious information failures” in the case of British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abd El Fattah. In a letter to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Cooper… Continue reading Government to review ‘information failures’ in British-Egyptian activist case