Afternoon Summary
Keir Starmer shrugged off comments made by Donald Trump that it was “very dangerous” for the UK to do business with China, suggesting that the US president “was talking more about Canada”. Trump was asked by reporters on Thursday for his reaction to Starmer’s visit to Beijing (you can read more about that in our earlier blogpost). He responded: “Well, it’s very dangerous for them to do that, and it’s even more dangerous, I think, for Canada to get into business with China.” When asked by Sky News to respond to the comments, Starmer said the US president “was probably talking more about Canada than the United Kingdom”.
He said his visit to China had been discussed with Trump’s team ahead of time and that the US president has a scheduled trip to the country in April.-
China has lifted the sanctions it imposed on serving British MPs and peers in a significant sign of warming relations after Keir Starmer travelled to Beijing for landmark talks with Xi Jinping.Nine UK citizens were banned from China in 2021, including five Conservative MPs and two members of the House of Lords, targeted for highlighting human rights violations against the Muslim Uyghur community.
But those affected have said they take “no comfort” from the lifting of sanctions. The group of sanctioned parliamentarians said: “While British citizen Jimmy Lai remains imprisoned and Uyghurs continue to suffer atrocity crimes, we take no comfort in this decision and will not be silenced. We look forward to receiving urgent assurances from the government regarding those who were placed under sanction together with us, and take this opportunity to express our ongoing solidarity with the Uyghur people, whose cause we will not drop.”
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The Green party unveiled Hannah Spencer, a Trafford councillor and plumber, as its candidate to stand in the Gorton and Denton byeelection. Labour won the seat with a 13,000 majority in the 2024 general election, but next month’s byelection is widely touted as a referendum on prime minister Keir Starmer, whose approval rating has tanked to unprecedented lows. Labour party’s national executive committee’s also decided to block Andy Burnham from standing in the byelection next month. The Greater Manchester mayor is frequently dubbed the most popular Labour politician and is viewed as a potential leadership rival to prime minister Keir Starmer.
Hoping to bank on Labour’s dwindling support are Reform UK and the Greens. Reform has announced hard-right activist, Matthew Goodwin, to contest the seat. Goodwin has just been endorsed by far-right agitator Tommy Robinson.
Prominent Hong Kong and Uyghur activists living in exile in the UK have accused Starmer of seeking China’s desperate approval, after the prime minister visited Beijing for the first time in eight years this week. Pro-democracy campaigner and prominent critic of the Communist Party, Finn Lau said the Hong Kong community is disappointed by Starmer’s visit, but unsurprised by the government’s “short sightedness”.
Keir Starmer signalled British support for a US strike on Iran, saying he backed President Trump’s goal of preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons. “The goal or the aim here is that Iran shouldn’t be able to develop nuclear weapons. That is hugely important and, of course, we need to deal with the fact they are repressing protesters, killing protesters,” Starmer told the BBC. “It is grotesque, what is happening, so that is where our focus is and we are working with allies to that end.”
Asked if he was backing strikes, Starmer said: “I am saying we support the goal and we are talking to allies about how we get to that goal.”Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he would “reflect on the implications” of the easing of Chinese sanctions on MPs, which he said he was “unfortunately” only made aware of through media reports.
Labour have accused the Reform UK candidate for the Gorton and Denton byelection, Matthew Goodwin, of representing “toxic politics” after he was endorsed by the far-right agitator Tommy Robinson.
The move will be uncomfortable for Nigel Farage, who has consistently kept the parties he leads separate from Robinson, an anti-Islam campaigner and one of the UK’s leading far-right figures.
In a post on X on Friday to his 1.8m followers, Robinson quoted a tweet by Hope Not Hate, which researches and campaigns against far-right politics, adding simply: “Vote for Matt.”
A Reform spokesperson said in response: “We have consistently been clear on this issue. He isn’t welcome in the party.”
But Labour, which is seeking to present itself as the only viable leftwing option for votes against Reform in the Greater Manchester constituency, said Robinson’s intervention showed that “the stakes couldn’t be higher” for the 26 February contest.
Speaker "unfortunately" found out about easing of China sanctions from press
Sir Lindsay Hoyle said he would “reflect on the implications” of the easing of Chinese sanctions on MPs, which he said he was “unfortunately” only made aware of through media reports.
The Commons Speaker said:
My strong position on the sanctions imposed by China on a number of our colleagues, and its impact on reciprocal access to the Houses of Parliament, has been long-held and consistent.
I will now reflect on the implications of today’s announcement – which unfortunately I was only made aware of through media reports – and will ensure MPs are updated when the House returns next week on any changes regarding those able to access the parliamentary estate.
MPs and peers sceptical about diplomatic reset with China
Chinese sanctions against British MPs and peers have been lifted but the group of parliamentarians affected said it sent a “damaging signal” because restrictions remained in place on other campaigners.
Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, said they would not stop speaking out against human rights abuses, including the targeting of the Uyghur Muslim minority in Xinjiang province.
He told ITV News:
This has been a cause of concern in parliament and for parliamentarians for some time and that is why I raised it on this visit.
And the response from the Chinese is that the restrictions no longer apply and President Xi has told me that that means that all parliamentarians are welcome to visit.That underscores the point I’ve been making all along, which is if you engage, if you come and visit and have that leader-to-leader dialogue, you can not only take the opportunities which we have been taking, but also resolve some of the more difficult issues between our two countries.
A Liberal Democrat MP who was blocked from entering Hong Kong last year said a “diplomatic reset that ignores the existence of secret bans” is “not a reset at all”, after Chinese sanctions were lifted on parliamentarians.
Wera Hobhouse, Lib Dem MP for Bath, said:
“I was never on an official sanction list, yet I was arbitrarily denied entry to Hong Kong when trying to meet my newborn grandson.
We need assurance from the prime minister that all parliamentarians can criticise the actions of the CCP (Chinese Communist party) without fear of retribution.
A diplomatic reset that ignores the existence of secret bans on sitting Parliamentarians is not a reset at all. We parliamentarians have been given no clarity on how we are affected by this change.
All restrictions must be lifted for all parliamentarians by the Chinese authorities.
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UK backs US strikes on Iran to stop nuclear programme
Keir Starmer has signalled British support for a US strike on Iran, saying he backs President Trump’s goal of preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons, according to The Times.
Speaking in China, the prime minister said he supported Trump’s move to “deal” with the Iranian regime on both its nuclear programme and the recent crackdown on democracy protesters.
“The goal or the aim here is that Iran shouldn’t be able to develop nuclear weapons. That is hugely important and, of course, we need to deal with the fact they are repressing protesters, killing protesters,” he told the BBC. “It is grotesque, what is happening, so that is where our focus is and we are working with allies to that end.”
Asked if he was backing strikes, Starmer said: “I am saying we support the goal and we are talking to allies about how we get to that goal.”
Updated
Starmer shrugs off Trump's criticism of 'very dangerous' deal with China
Keir Starmer has shrugged off comments made by Donald Trump that it was “very dangerous” for the UK to do business with China, suggesting that the US president “was talking more about Canada”.
Trump was asked by reporters on Thursday for his reaction to Starmer’s visit to Beijing (you can read more about that in our earlier blogpost).
He responded: “Well, it’s very dangerous for them to do that, and it’s even more dangerous, I think, for Canada to get into business with China.”
He added that Canada was doing “poorly” and “you can’t look at China as the answer”.
When asked by Sky News to respond to the comments, Starmer said the US president “was probably talking more about Canada than the United Kingdom”.
He said his visit to China had been discussed with Trump’s team ahead of time and that the US president has a scheduled trip to the country in April.
Updated
Lib Dems name Gorton and Denton by-election choice
The Liberal Democrats have announced Jackie Pearcey as their candidate for the forthcoming Gorton and Denton byelection.
Pearcey, who has lived locally for decades, said she was “thrilled” to be nominated, adding: “Voters in Gorton and Denton deserve so much more than the failing Labour government or the divisive politics of Reform UK.”
She has served as a governor at Oasis Academy Aspinal in Gorton for more than 20 years.
Hong Kong and Uyghur activists accuse Starmer of "shortsightedness" seeking China's approval
Prominent Hong Kong and Uyghur activists living in exile in the UK have accused Starmer of seeking China’s desperate approval, after the prime minister visited Beijing for the first time in eight years this week.
Pro-democracy campaigner and prominent critic of the Communist Party, Finn Lau said the Hong Kong community is disappointed by Starmer’s visit, but unsurprised by the government’s “short sightedness”.
“Reducing dependency on the Chinese supply chain is a lesson that has yet to be learnt and practised since the pandemic,” said Lau.
Lau, who has faced threats of transnational repression since relocating to the UK, also accused the government of virtue-signalling and seeking China’s “desperate approval” following the government’s decision to proceed with the development of a highly-contested new embassy for Beijing in central London. Another prominent pro-democracy activist living in exile in the UK said the exiled Hong Kong community are living within a “very different” parallel worldview from the country’s leadership.
“Many Hong Kong exiles feel anxious and unsettled,” the individual told the Guardian, asking not to be named out of “lack of confidence” in protection in the UK. “These developments continue to unsettle traditional Western allies and in my view directly undermine the values and strength of liberal democracy.”
Executive director of Stop Uygur Genocide, Rahima Mahmut, strongly condemned Starmer’s visit to China as “genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uyghur people continue unabated”.
The UK director of the World Uyghur Congress said the prime minister’s visit on Tuesday risks normalising repression, and sends a “chilling message” to victims that justice can be sidelined for political or economic convenience.
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Parliamentarians say they take 'no comfort' in lifting of sanctions
China has lifted the sanctions it imposed on serving British MPs and peers in a significant sign of warming relations after Keir Starmer travelled to Beijing for landmark talks with Xi Jinping.
Nine UK citizens were banned from China in 2021, including five Conservative MPs and two members of the House of Lords, targeted for highlighting human rights violations against the Muslim Uyghur community.
The group of sanctioned parliamentarians said:
“While British citizen Jimmy Lai remains imprisoned and Uyghurs continue to suffer atrocity crimes, we take no comfort in this decision and will not be silenced.
We look forward to receiving urgent assurances from the government regarding those who were placed under sanction together with us, and take this opportunity to express our ongoing solidarity with the Uyghur people, whose cause we will not drop.
We hope that the prime minister will meet all of those sanctioned, not just sitting parliamentarians, upon his return.”
Read more from Pippa Crerar here:
Updated
Hannah Spencer has previously criticised people for putting up Union Jack and St George’s flags on lamp-posts, suggesting they were wasting their time and energy when they could be doing more for their communities.
The flags began appearing on lamp-posts and roundabouts in several English towns and cities in the summer last year. Self-described patriots insist the flags are simply a statement of national pride, but many fear they could be much more divisive amid a climate of anti-migrant sentiment.
In a post on X on 30 September, Spencer said she believes the flags “are not showing patriotism – they are a show to intimidate our communities and cause division”.
The 34-year-old, who is a plumber by trade as well as a Trafford councillor, posted an accompanying video in which she says the effort to put up flags could have been better spent elsewhere.
“These flags … that took effort,” she said in the video, pointing at the flags lining the unknown street and adding that they “go on for miles”.
“I know from working up a ladder fitting gutters and boiler flues, that is not easy.
“If you’re using your time, tools and practical skills because you want your country back, please come and join the rest of us who are actually trying to get our country back.
“Come and volunteer at our monthly clean-up, come and join the gardening group, fix the broken fencing that needs repairing, come to the community arts centre that helps so many people.
“Please give your head a little wobble and come and join the rest of us who are actually trying to get out country back.”
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'Only the Green party can stop Reform in this byelection,' says Spencer
Hannah Spencer, the Green party candidate for the Gorton and Denton byelection, said only her party was able to stop Reform UK from taking the seat from Labour.
In a statement issued shortly after the Greens announced her as its candidate, Spencer, 34, said: “This is a crucial byelection. The choice is clear – Green v Reform. Hope v hate.
“Only the Green Party can stop Reform in this byelection.”
She continued: “We know Labour’s vote is in freefall. They have banned their own mayor from standing.”
She was referring to the Labour party’s national executive committee’s decision to block Andy Burnham from standing in the byelection next month. The Greater Manchester mayor is frequently dubbed the most popular Labour politician and is viewed as a potential leadership rival to prime minister Keir Starmer.
Spencer accused the government of abandoning voters in Gorton and Denton and failing to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.
On Reform, she said its candidate, Matthew Goodwin, “will divide our community”.
“He doesn’t even think many of the people who live and work here are even British,” she added.
Green party leader Zack Polanski said Spencer would make a “brilliant MP”, adding: “I’m a Mancunian and know when someone genuinely wants to roll up their sleeves and work for the community. Hannah is that person.
“We have just days to stop Reform and make hope normal again.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he is confident that Matthew Goodwin, the party’s candidate in the Gorton and Denton byelection, is the right person for the job as he spoke to supporters in the Greater Manchester constituency.
It all depended on getting Reform’s message out there and “finding the people that agree with us”, according to Farage.
“We’ve got an excellent, strong candidate who I’ve known for... 15 years? Fifteen years? Something like that,” he said during a campaign trail in Denton earlier today.
“And I know Matt is going absolutely to put his shoulder to the wheel and work very, very hard.
“The key to this is finding the people out there that agree with us. Getting that down on our data, and then turning them out on the day.
“If we do that, we’ve got every chance of winning.”
That message has reached some people, judging by the car horns that blared in support during his walkabout in Denton. Some van drivers shouted words of encouragement, telling Farage to “keep it up lad”.
Green party announces former mayoral candidate to run in Gorton and Denton byelection
The Green party has unveiled Hannah Spencer, a Trafford councillor and plumber, as its candidate to stand in the Gorton and Denton byeelection.
Her nomination was officially announced on Friday in Longsight, with the decision having been made by local party members in online hustings held last night.
Spencer is understood to have gained a large majority of the vote, beating out competition that included Fesl Reza-Khan, who previously stood for the Oldham East and Saddleworth seat in the 2024 general election, finishing sixth, and Sarah Wakefield, a local campaigner and the former general secretary to the Manchester University student union.
Mothin Ali, co-deputy leader of the party and a member of Leeds city council, was also expected to run but is understood to have decided against it.
Spencer was the Green party’s candidate for mayor of Manchester during the 2024 election, where she finished fifth.
Our reporter Raphael Boyd has more on this story below:
Updated
Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, was out and about in Gorton and Denton with Matthew Goodwin during a campaign visit on Friday.
Farage and Goodwin, the party’s candidate for the byelection in the Greater Manchester constituency, were pictured speaking with local business owners and sipping a cup of tea at a cafe.
No indication of whether the pair will visit a Turkish barber shop (of which there are a couple dotted around the Denton area).
Farage’s party has taken aim at the number of barber shops on the high street and suggested cash-only businesses are being used as fronts for money laundering and organised crime. Miatta Fahnbulleh, the devolution, faith and communities minister, accused the Reform leader of deploying the “politics of grievance” as his party attempts to capitalise on high street decline.
When asked if she thought the focus on Turkish barbers had racist overtones, she said: “Yes, I do. The fundamentals aren’t to do with the colour of the skin of people running our high streets. It’s to do with long-term decline and neglect.”
We are expecting the Green party to announce its candidate for the byelection in the Greater Manchester constituency of Gorton and Denton this morning, at around 11am.
Labour won the seat with a 13,000 majority in the 2024 general election, but next month’s byelection is widely touted as a referendum on prime minister Keir Starmer, whose approval rating has tanked to unprecedented lows.
Hoping to bank on Labour’s dwindling support are Reform UK and the Greens. Reform has announced hard-right activist, Matthew Goodwin, to contest the seat, while the frontrunners for the Green party are expected to be the Trafford councillor Hannah Spencer and its deputy leader, Mothin Ali.
Updated
Here are some early pictures of Keir Starmer in Shanghai. He is seen visiting Yuyuan Garden, a popular tourist destination located in Shanghai’s Old City, famous for its lantern festivals.
The light drizzle did not deter the prime minister from taking a stroll through the scenic gardens or browse the traditional snacks and souvenirs on offer at the markets. He is pictured with a box of biscuits that he just purchased, with those stood around him smiling in approval.
Trump warns UK deal with China 'very dangerous'
Good morning, Taz Ali here to bring you the latest news in UK politics.
The US president, Donald Trump, said it was “very dangerous” for the UK to deal with China moments after Keir Starmer announced a successful trip to Beijing, where he discussed business with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
“Well it’s very dangerous for them to do that,” Trump said on Thursday when asked by reporters for his reaction to the landmark visit.
His remarks came after Starmer, the first British prime minister to travel to Beijing since 2018, called for a “more sophisticated” relationship between the UK and China. The “very good meetings” with Xi, as Starmer described them, secured visa-free travel for British citizens to China for up to 30 days and a cut in Chinese tariffs on Scotch whisky.
Our political editor, Pippa Crerar, has more on this story below.
Starmer is in Shanghai this morning, his final stop in China before he heads to Tokyo to meet with the Japanese prime minister, Sanae Takaichi. The Japanese foreign ministry said in a statement that the two leaders will hold a meeting before attending a working dinner, we will get more on this as it happens.
“This visit of prime minister Starmer is expected to further strengthen the Japan-UK relations, an “enhanced global strategic partner” that share fundamental values and principles,” the ministry added.
