Closing summary
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Here is a summary of the latest developments:
The prime minister travelled to Berlin for a meeting with the leaders of the US, France and Germany. The so-called “Quad” meeting on Friday afternoon discussed the war in Ukraine and the spiralling conflict in the Middle East. At a press conference after the meeting, Starmer described the meeting as “productive”.
“Let me start by saying, no one should mourn the death of Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar,” said Starmer, opening his press conference in Berlin on Friday. Starmer described Sinwar as having blood of both Israelis and Palestinians on his hands.
The UK’s position on suspending arms exports to Israel has not changed, the prime minister has said. Starmer told reporters on Friday: “We continue to support Israel’s right to self-defence, particularly in the face of the attacks by the Iranian regime.” He said allies would continue to work on de-escalating the conflict in the Middle East, describing the solution as coming from diplomacy.
Starmer reiterated support for Ukraine, saying: “We are absolutely united in our resolve and will back Ukraine for as long as it takes.” He said Russia was “getting weaker” said the “Quad” had discussed how to “speed up” its support of Ukraine. He added that the UK is “delivering”, stating that 95% of equipment promised to be fast-tracked in July is now in Ukraine. Starmer added: “Together with the G7, we’re working to send €50bn of support to Ukraine, drawn from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets.”
In his speech, Starmer addressed Israel, saying: “The world will not tolerate any more excuses on humanitarian assistance. Civilians in northern Gaza need food now.” He said Unrwa must be allowed to continue its “life saving” work. He also called for a ceasefire in Gaza and Lebanon.
Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, is taking action to ensure her budget plan for a multibillion-pound increase in government borrowing to fund infrastructure projects avoids a Liz Truss-style meltdown in financial markets. Ahead of her tax and spending event on 30 October, the chancellor convened on Friday the first meeting of a taskforce of leading City figures to advise on infrastructure projects. The government will also launch a watchdog to oversee public works and ensure value for money for the taxpayer.
Reeves will seek to make about £3bn of cuts to welfare over the next four years by restricting access to sickness benefits, it is understood, according to the PA news agency. The chancellor is expected to commit to the previous Tory government’s plans to save the sum by reforming work capability rules, as first reported by the Telegraph. However, Work and pensions minister Alison McGovern said Labour will bring its “own reforms” to the benefits system in order to make the £3bn worth of cuts rather than stick to Tory plans.
Reeves is considering raising the tax on vaping products in her budget this month as figures show that a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds in England have used e-cigarettes. The chancellor is looking at increasing the tax after a consultation carried out by the last Conservative government.
The Home Office has recruited 200 staff to clear a backlog of 23,300 modern slavery cases left by the last government, a minister has told the Guardian. Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, said the department planned to end prolonged uncertainty and anguish for survivors by finalising the cases within two years. It follows reports that some trafficked survivors have been waiting years to be defined as victims of modern slavery.
Britain’s plans to boost the economy through sustained innovation have been thrown into doubt amid fears that research funding will suffer deep cuts after the government’s budget at the end of the month. Dozens of leading research and industry groups have written Reeves to warn against “the false economy of short-term cuts”, that would “undermine” economic growth and lead to losses in jobs, expertise and momentum in the sector.
Peers have called for unaccompanied children who come to the UK as refugees to be allowed to bring their families, branding current rules “inhumane”. The refugees (family reunion) bill seeks to protect the “rights of people who seek safety in the UK, to be joined by their family”, Liberal Democrat Sally Hamwee, who tabled the bill, said.
Charities should criticise the government if they disagree on controversial policies areas such as immigration or the environment, the UK culture secretary has said, as she announced plans to restore civil society organisations to “the centre of our national life”. Lisa Nandy said publicly speaking out was “critical to a healthy, functioning democracy” and that charities should “tell government where we’re getting it wrong and work with us to set it right”.
Small boat crossings are a “national emergency”, The Tory leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick said after French authorities announced that a baby had died when a boat got into difficulty in the English Channel. Jenrick, who has made opposing migration a central plank of his leadership bid said “Starmer is condemning people to death for his own ideology” by having scrapped the Rwanda scheme.
Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick have attacked each other’s visions for the future of the Conservative party, in a sometimes low-key debate which could nonetheless prove significant in who becomes the next opposition leader. The event on GB News on Thursday evening, the only debate scheduled, involved the pair taking turns to tackle questions from audience members rather than going head to head, but featured notable differences of opinion on strategy and policies such as immigration.
SNP chief executive Murray Foote has announced he will stand down, saying in a statement he could not make the “necessary personal commitment” to delivering change in the party ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election
George Carey, the former archbishop of Canterbury, has urged Church of England bishops in the House of Lords to back a parliamentary bill on assisted dying, saying that in the past “church leaders have often shamefully resisted change”. The 26 bishops should “be on the side of those who … want a dignified, compassionate end to their lives”, Lord Carey told the Guardian.
The family of Alex Salmond gathered at Aberdeen airport as the plane carrying the former first minister’s body arrived from North Macedonia, where he died on Saturday. Salmond’s coffin was draped in a Saltire ahead of the plane bringing him home to Scotland taking off.
An independent crossbench peer has called for schoolchildren to be taught the “values of British citizenship”. Richard Harries has proposed that democracy, the rule of law, freedom, individual worth, and respect for the environment are taught in schools as “values of British citizenship”, as part of the education (values of british citizenship) bill.
Updated
The UK’s position on suspending arms exports to Israel has not changed, the prime minister has said.
Asked if he would follow the US in considering further suspensions if the humanitarian situation in Gaza did not improve, Keir Starmer told reporters in Berlin after his press conference:
The situation on arms sales has been made very clear and a summary – published for parliament but more widely – and our position on that has not changed.
We strongly support Israel’s right to self-defence, particularly in the face of the Iranian regime’s actions.
But I do think the death of Sinwar provides an opportunity for a step towards that ceasefire that we have long called for.”
