Keir Starmer says he does not accept UK has to choose between US and EU – as it happened

Keir Starmer, left, with Mark Rutte Photograph: Omar Havana/PA

6.16pm GMT

Early evening summary

• Keir Starmer has repeatedly insisted that he does not think it will be necessary for the UK to choose between the US and the EU. He made this point at a press conference in Brussels with Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary general. Later this evening he will become the first PM since Brexit to attend a European Council dinner with all leaders of the EU. (See 5.40pm.) Starmer adopted a diplomatic, even-handed tone after President Trump contrasted the “nice” treatment he was getting from Starmer with the “atrocity” EU, in comments that implied Trump wants to force the UK to side with the US as the price for avoiding tariffs. (See 9.34am.)

• Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, has urged parents to ensure their children attend school consistently, warning of “a casual kind of attitude increasingly emerging” over attendance in England.

• Keir Starmer stopped using a personal email account when he was opposition leader after being warned about a suspected hack by a Russian group, it has been reported.

• The EU will stand up for itself if its interests are targeted, Emmanuel Macron has said, as the bloc’s leaders urged talks but a firm response if needed to Donald Trump’s weekend threat to impose punishing tariffs.

Updated at 6.17pm GMT

6.02pm GMT

Rayner says 6 English councils to be allowed to raise council tax by more than 5%, as part of local government settlement

Angela Rayner, the deputy PM and housing secretary, has published details of the final local government settlement for 2025-26 for councils in England.

She has also announced that six councils will be allowed to raise council tax by more than 5% – the cap that applies unless councils can get voters to back a higher council tax increase in a referendums. Referendums have been held in the past, but they have never resulted in an increase of more above 5% being approved.

In a written ministerial statement, Rayner said she had agreed “small increases for six councils”.

Councils are allowed to raise council tax by up to 5% if they have adult social care responsibilities. If they don’t, it is only 3%. But the six councils are all social care councils, and it means these upper limits will apply:

Windsor and Maidenhead borough council – 9%

Birmingham city council – 7.5%

Bradford council – 10%

Newham council – 9%

Somerset council – 7.5%

Trafford council – 7.5%

The full details of the final local government settlement are here.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance, a rightwing campaign group that does not often praise Labour, has welcomed the news. It campaigned in particular against a proposal by Lib Dem-run Windsor and Maidenhead council to raise council tax by 25%. It posted this on social media.

🚨BREAKING NEWS: 25% Council Tax Hike STOPPED in Windsor and Maidenhead 💪

They will only be allowed to increase their council tax by 9%, meaning that the average household will be saving almost £300 😲

Well done @AngelaRayner for standing up to town hall bosses 👏 pic.twitter.com/LedNdoKoEG

— TaxPayers' Alliance (@the_tpa) February 3, 2025

Updated at 6.03pm GMT