UK Politics

Donald Trump is not a warmonger and most people in the world are glad he is back in power, David Lammy said ahead of his inauguration on Monday.

Going out of his way to praise the new president, the Foreign Secretary called him “gracious and generous”.

Mr Lammy, who has been fiercely critical of Mr Trump in the past, said Britain had to come to terms with dealing with him.

“You meet the world as it is - not as you would like it to be,” he told the BBC.

Global support for Trump was rooted in the view that he would curb “malign authoritarian” leaders by “keeping them guessing,” said Mr Lammy.

London's Metropolitan Police (Met) chief, Mark Rowley, has said that his force imposed unprecedented restrictions on a major pro-Palestine rally in London on Saturday that led to 77 arrests.

Pro-Israel groups, chief rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, MPs and peers had reportedly urged Met commissioner Rowley to reroute the protest. Last week, the police took the unusual step of announcing an alternative route for the march, beginning at Russell Square. However, the Met later backed down and agreed to a "static protest" at Whitehall.

The day after the rally, on Sunday, Rowley gave a speech at an event held by the pro-Israel Board of Deputies of British Jews, where he said that "the powers to condition protests are quite limited – we’ve used conditions on the protests more than we ever have done before in terms of times, constraints, routes".

Jeremy Corbyn has agreed to be interviewed under caution by police following a pro-Palestinian rally in central London, Sky News understands.

The former Labour leader, 75, voluntarily attended a police station in the capital this afternoon.

The BBC has reported that John McDonnell, 73, who was the shadow chancellor during Mr Corbyn's leadership, also agreed to be voluntarily interviewed.

Sky News saw the pair leaving Charing Cross Police station this afternoon. They declined to comment when approached.

Nine other people have been charged with public order offences following arrests at the protest organised by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) on Saturday.

The Metropolitan Police said they witnessed a "deliberate effort, including by protest organisers" to breach conditions that had been imposed on the event.

This has been denied by the PSC, who have accused the Met of heavy-handed tactics.

Sir Keir Starmer is embroiled in another row over Donald Trump after the Labour mayor of London warned of a “resurgent fascism” on the eve of his inauguration.

Allies of the prime minister slapped down Sir Sadiq Khan, distancing the government from his comments, while the Tories condemned them as “unacceptable”. The latest spat comes at a difficult time for the UK-US relationship.

In what would be an extremely rare move, Mr Trump is considering rejecting Sir Keir’s nominee for UK ambassador to the US, Lord Mandelson.

The Trump team is also still angry Labour staffers travelled to the US to campaign for their rivals, the Democrats, in the presidential race.

Sir Sadiq warned of a "resurgent fascism" and “deeply worrying times, especially if you're a member of a minority community", in The Observer.

“By exploiting economic concerns and a growing distrust of political and media institutions, these reactionary populists have been able to attract new supporters,” he wrote.

“In Germany, the AfD is on course for a breakthrough in next month’s federal elections. In France, the National Rally is topping presidential polls. And, of course, in the US, Donald Trump is back.

He also hit out at close Trump ally Elon Musk, adding: “A billionaire bully shouldn’t be able to use his social media platform as a propaganda tool to amplify lies and advance the cause of the far right.”

Asked about his comments on the BBC on Sunday, Treasury minister Darren Jones said: “I don’t agree with it. I speak on behalf of the government, and we don’t agree with it.”

"There are big parallels between TikTok and what happened with China's Huawei and Russia's Kaspersky that indicates it's just a matter of time until a creeping ban takes affect," says Emily Taylor, Editor of the Cyber Policy Journal.

In both cases these companies were accused by the US of being a threat to national security - but no smoking gun was ever revealed by cyber security authorities.

The same has happened with TikTok.

Under President Trump, Kaspersky's flagship antivirus software product was banned from civil and military computers in the US after accusations arose in 2017 that it was used by the Kremlin in a hacking incident that was never proven.

The UK followed almost immediately and one by one other allies fell into line with restrictions, warnings or bans.

It took years but eventually a countrywide ban took effect last year in the US but it was all but redundant by then. Kaspersky closed its US operations followed by its UK offices saying there is no viable business there.

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Almost the exact same thing happened with Chinese telecoms giant Huawei.

The US accused Huawei and other Chinese tech firms of being too close to the Chinese government. It argued that the company's popular 5G kit should not be used to build telecoms in case it could be used to spy on or degrade communications.

A former Huawei UK member of staff said that once the US decided to ban, block or restrict Huawei it became almost inevitable that allies would follow.

"The UK and others spoke about independently coming to their own conclusions over security but the US was unrelenting in its lobbying behind closed doors. They warned about the national security risks which were never backed up by evidence," said the former insider, who didn't want to be named.

Intense US lobbying of allies on security issues is something often seen in many aspects of cyber policy.

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Ciaran Martin, who was head of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre during the bans on Huawei and Kaspersky, agrees that generally when the US makes a national security or strategic decision about a company, the UK and allies eventually follow suit.

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At the moment, there are "no plans" for a TikTok ban in the UK, a government spokesperson said on Saturday. "We engage with all major social media companies to understand their plans for ensuring the security of UK data and to ensure they meet the high data protection and cyber security standards we expect."

Meanwhile, UK government minister Darren Jones told the BBC on Sunday: "We won't be following the same path as the Americans unless or until... there is a threat that we are concerned about in the British interest, and then of course we will keep it under review."

The app was banned from the UK Parliament in 2023 over security concerns.

But Jones, the chief secretary to the Treasury, told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that "for consumers who want to post videos of their cats dancing, that doesn't seem like a security threat to me".

The London Metropolitan Police arrested one of the organisers of the pro-Palestine rally on Saturday in central London after imposing restrictions banning protesters from marching towards the headquarters of the BBC.

Organisers denied claims made by the Met that protesters had forced their way through a police cordon to march towards the BBC after ending their protest in Whitehall. The police said 77 arrests were made during Saturday’s protest, which organisers estimated drew 100,000 people.

Among those arrested was Chris Nineham, the vice-chair of the Stop the War Coalition, who served as the chief steward for the national protest for Palestine. Footage taken by Middle East Eye showed police officers in riot gear surrounding Nineham and bundling him into the back of a police van after a small group of protesters left Whitehall to lay flowers in Trafalgar Square in commemoration of the deaths of Palestinian children.

Demonstrators said they wanted to "protest against the pro-Israel bias" of the BBC's coverage of Gaza.

This quote is a good summary of the article:

It is time to rebuild meaningful working and trading relations with Europe. This does not have to mean rejoining the EU. But it does mean recognising where our security and our prosperity both lie.

Thoughts?

Ed Davey has urged Keir Starmer to create a new visa route so that Americans seeking to flee the Trump presidency.

The Lib Dem leader said it should target wealthy Americans so they can “bring their money and their skills” to the UK.

UK immigration lawyers said earlier this week that they have received a spike in inquiries from “mobile, wealthy individuals in tech, law, and the arts” who are “worried about socially conservative policies that Trump could introduce once in office” so they are wanting to move to other countries, such as Britain.

In PMQs, he asked: “An idea for the chancellor to grow the economy: as President-elect Trump prepares to take office next week, there are reports that a number of wealthy, highly-skilled Americans are looking to come to the UK for fear of what President-elect Trump will do to their country.

“But because the Conservatives so broke the immigration system, many of them are finding there is no visa that they can apply for.

“Now I know the Prime Minister is rightly seeking to reduce immigration from the record highs of the Conservatives, but does he agree: if people like this want to come to our country, to bring their money and their skills, so we can grow our economy and pay for our public services, they should be able to?”

A proposed law requiring all new homes to have solar panels suggested by Cheltenham's MP has been rejected.

The New Homes (Solar Generation) Bill, brought by Liberal Democrat Max Wilkinson, was debated in parliament on Friday during its second reading.

The so-called "Sunshine Bill" could help the country tackle the "twin crises" of the cost of living crisis and climate change, Mr Wilkinson said.

But while minister for housing and planning Matthew Pennycook said the government was "extremely sympathetic", it was rejected by officials.

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Similar changes have been signalled by the government which could become part of new building regulations to be amended later this year.

Government funding of £60m has been announced as part of a package of measures to boost the creative industries.

The money, announced today (17 January) by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has been earmarked for grassroots music venues, creative businesses involved with music and film exports, as well as start-up video game studios.

The government says the money will “facilitate investment and innovation in communities, in turn supporting businesses and employment”.

The announcement coincides with Nandy meeting with more than 250 creative businesses and cultural leaders at The Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead today.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport said the summit is the first step towards delivering the Creative Industry Sector Plan, as part of the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy.

At the summit Nandy will also announce the priority regions for Creative Industries: the North East; Greater Manchester; Liverpool City Region; West Yorkshire; West Midlands; Greater London; West of England; South Wales; the Glasgow, Edinburgh-Dundee corridor; and Belfast.

Alongside this, the government will provide additional funding, to be agreed as part of the Spending Review, to six Mayoral Combined Authorities: the North East; Greater Manchester; Liverpool City Region; West Yorkshire; West Midlands; and the West of England.

The funding will aim to maximise the strengths of the areas to deliver growth.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been criticised after publishing a statement on Wednesday night which welcomed the ceasefire in Gaza but recalled the "massacre of Jewish people" while saying that Palestinians "lost their lives".

The contrasting language used to describe Israelis and Palestinians killed in the conflict has been a constant source of scrutiny with activists arguing that the deaths of Palestinians are downplayed by media outlets and government.

Points of contention have been not mentioning the perpetrators of Palestinian deaths, which is invariably Israel, and also using the passive voice when talking about those killed.

Middle East Eye has contacted Downing Street to ask how the prime minister believed the Palestinians he referred to had died. At the the time of publication, Downing Street had not responded.

The UK economy grew by 0.1% in November, reversing a 0.1% drop in the previous month, and easing some of the pressure on the chancellor, Rachel Reeves.

The rise in activity was weaker than forecast, with Reeves acknowledging it would take time to revive the UK economy.

City economists had forecast that GDP would rise by 0.2% in November, with some warning that November’s growth was weak, making an interest rate cut by the Bank of England next month more likely.

UK government borrowing costs dipped after the data was released, which will increase the chances that Reeves does not breach her fiscal rules. On Wednesday, bond yields dropped at the fastest rate since 2023 after UK inflation eased, in another fillip for the chancellor.

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Simon Pittaway, a senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, said the GDP data was disappointing, raising fears of stagnation, despite a welcome return to growth. “In recent years the UK has been a growth rollercoaster, with a recession in late 2023 followed by a bounce back in early 2024. But its longer-term record is one of economic stagnation, and that is where Britain risks returning to.

“The paltry GDP growth late last year reinforces the need for the government’s economic plans to start bearing fruit.”

The ONS’s director of economic statistics, Liz McKeown, said: “The economy continues to be broadly flat, having grown slightly in November following two small falls in the previous months.”

Borrowing costs for the UK government have plunged, as an unexpected drop in inflation at home and in core inflation in the US raised bets that central banks will cut interest rates in the months ahead.

The yield - or interest rate - charged on key UK government debt dropped below 4.8%, retreating after last week's surge, when it had hit the highest level in 16 years.

The moves followed new figures showing inflation cooled to 2.5% in December, from 2.6% in the prior month.

It has eased pressure on Chancellor Rachel Reeves whose Budget policies have been criticised for contributing to the market turmoil.

UK bond yields soared to their highest levels since 2008 last week, as concerns over the UK's economic outlook and rising borrowing costs spiked.

The yield on 10-year gilts, as bonds issued by the UK government are known, had been approaching 4.9%, reflecting investor unease.

But government data on Wednesday, which showed inflation dropping for the first time in three months, appeared to help calm the market somewhat.

Frantic cross-Atlantic discussions have taken place over the past week between right-wing Tory and Reform politicians and Donald Trump’s team to try to ensure that Sir Keir Starmer did not complete a deal with the Chagos Islands before the US president-elect’s inauguration on Monday.

With Mr Trump seeking to block or even veto the deal to hand over the British Indian Ocean colony to Mauritius, the hope had been that Sir Keir would be prevented from landing an agreement before the new president is sworn into office.

The revelation came as Tory leader Kemi Badenoch branded the agreement “a dumb deal” at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, asking: “Why does the prime minister think the British people should pay for something they already own?”

Sir Keir said: “We inherited the situation where the long-term operation of a vital military base was under threat because of legal challenges.”

He pointed out that negotiations began under the last Tory government, adding that his deal had provided for “effective continued operation of the base”.

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Foreign secretary David Lammy had agreed a deal with Mauritius, but following a change of government there, the new Mauritian prime minister Navin Ramgoolam rejected it as “not good enough” and demanded more concessions from the UK.

The British organisers of the efforts to prevent a handover to Mauritius broke cover on Wednesday with the publication of an open letter signed by 23 leading figures on the right, including Nigel Farage (along with a number of other Reform MPs), former Tory PM Liz Truss, former Tory home secretary Suella Braverman, and former Reform leader Ben Habib.

It is understood that the letter was also backed by Ms Badenoch, though she did not sign it.

Conservative Post editor Claire Bullivant, one of the letter’s organisers and signatories, told The Independent that the campaign had wider significance beyond the row over the Chagos Islands.

She said: “This has laid the groundwork for potential cooperation between Reform and the Conservative Party.”

Another source involved in organising the letter and talks across the Atlantic said that Brexiteer Martin Howe KC, another signatory, had been giving more advice to the Trump administration on the issue in the last few weeks alongside wider talks on preventing the deal.

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On the topic of Mr Trump, the signatories warned: “President Trump has reportedly expressed strong opposition to this agreement, citing concerns about its implications for US security and the potential benefit it would grant to China, which has expanded its influence in the region. It is unthinkable to alienate our closest ally by finalising this deal without their support.”

The Met Police appear set to reverse a controversial move to block a protest outside the BBC over reporting on Gaza this Saturday. 

The demonstration, organised by the PalestineSolidarity Campaign, Stop the War and other anti-war groups, had been challenged by Jewish figures including the Chief Rabbi for taking place near to the Central Synagogue London on the Jewish day of rest, Shabbat. It is a four minute walk from the BBC’s HQ, New Broadcasting House in Westminster, though not directly on the planned march route.

British arm of Heartland, which has taken fossil and Republican funding, to be led by ex-Ukip head Lois Perry

LONDON: BBC Middle East online editor Raffi Berg is reportedly considering legal action against British journalist Owen Jones, following accusations in an investigative article that claimed Berg exhibited bias in favor of Israel. The allegations have allegedly triggered a wave of online abuse and threats directed at the editor.

The 9,000-word article, titled “The BBC’s Civil War Over Gaza,” was published earlier in December by Drop Site, an investigative news platform. In the article, Jones cited interviews with 13 current and former BBC staffers, who alleged that Berg “sets the tone for the BBC’s digital output on Israel and Palestine.”

One former journalist was quoted as saying: “This guy’s (Berg’s) entire job is to water down everything that’s too critical of Israel.”

Tulip Siddiq has resigned as a Treasury minister after accepting the government was being harmed by the furore over her close ties to her aunt, the ousted prime minister of Bangladesh now accused of corruption.

Siddiq, who was the City and anti-corruption minister, stepped aside after an investigation by Laurie Magnus, the adviser on ministerial standards, into her use of properties given to herself and family by allies of the regime of Sheikh Hasina.

She was not deemed by Magnus to have broken any rules over her use of the homes and he found no evidence to suggest that any of Siddiq’s assets were derived from anything other than legitimate means.

The inquiry also looked into her presence at the signing of a 2013 nuclear deal between her aunt and Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The adviser accepted her explanation that she had been there only socially and as a tourist.

However, Magnus also said a lack of records and lapse of time has meant that he had “not been able to obtain comprehensive comfort in relation to all the UK property-related matters referred to in the media”.

The watchdog added that Siddiq could have been more alive to the reputational risks arising from her family’s ties to Bangladesh and suggested the prime minister would want to consider her responsibilities.

https://archive.is/bEhhT

Huge apologies, it's the Star. But who doesn't love a bit of salad tossing in the morning?