Lib Dems leader Ed Davey has accused Kemi Badenoch of “cheerleading” for US president-elect Donald Trump during PMQs after Keir Starmer snubbed emphatic calls from the new Tories leader to apologise over a minister’s inflammatory comments.
Mr Davey took to X to say her overt support of Trump showed she didn’t reflect values connected with human rights and the rule of law, while Downing Street said the prime minister would welcome a future Donald Trump visit after congratulating him on his victory.
Earlier, an energised Badenoch seized on Trump’s victory to haul Sir Keir over foreign secretary David Lammy’s previous comments that Trump was “neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath”.
But the Prime Minister dodged the opposition leader’s demand to apologise, assuring his relationship with Trump was strong, and sidestepped a question about whether he would invite the Republican to speak in parliament.
But Labour is divided over the impending presidency, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s congratulations and celebration of close US ties coming up against comments from former Labour frontbencher Emily Thornberry, who has labelled Trump a racist and a predator.
Key Points
- Ed Davey accuses Kemi Badenoch of cheerleading for Trump
- Kemi Badenoch calls on Sir Keir to apologise for David Lammy’s ‘neo-Nazi’ comment
- Reeves confident over US trade relationship
- Keir Starmer tells Donald Trump ‘we stand shoulder to shoulder’
'Hiring freezes after budget’
18:20 , Howard MustoeA Conservative backbencher has claimed businesses are already implementing hiring freezes after Rachel Reeves announced an increase in employers’ national insurance contributions.
Neil Shastri-Hurst said firms in his Solihull West and Shirley constituency have said they will not hire new staff after the Budget last week. He said he met with 17 business leaders on Friday.
He told the Commons: “As one CEO described it, the Budget represents private industry versus public sector, employer against employee. One cannot have well-funded public services if there is no private industry to pay for them.
“One cannot have high employment if there are no private businesses to spur job creation. One cannot have economic growth if private investment is driven out of this country.
“This Budget has brought businesses more complexity and more uncertainty, and as a consequence of last Wednesday businesses in my constituency have already announced recruitment freezes.”
More MPs have called for the Government to reconsider their changes to inheritance tax rules on farms
17:53 , Barney DavisAndrew Murrison, Conservative MP for South West Wiltshire, said he supported measures to tackle land banking to avoid inheritance tax, but “attacking family farms is not on”.
He said: “(Mr Reynolds) in his opening remarks, I think, said that 500 farms annually would be affected by the changes to agricultural property relief in this Budget. And he said that in a sort of casual way, as if that’s acceptable.
“Well, that’s one for every constituency, approximately, and in terms of rural constituencies very much more, and the prospect of having two farms every year being affected by this, frankly, and being closed down is horrendous.
“I would urge the Government to think again. I would agree with the Government that it’s legitimate to look at those who are land banking in order to avoid inheritance tax. If that is its intention, it will have support across this house, but attacking family farms is not on.”
Labour doesn’t understand the countryside, furious farmers say
16:59 , Alex RossBack to political issues at home, where farmers say Labour’s shock changes to inheritance tax rules will lead to the “destruction” of village life and accused politicians of failing to understand the countryside, as dozens joined a first protest against the measure.
Under Rachel Reeves’s Budget announcement last week, farmers will be charged 20 per cent on agricultural assets above £1m from April 2026.
The move has met with a storm of fury in the farming industry, with fears it will mostly impact family-run farms where owners could have to sell land to pay the levy on a bereavement.
On Wednesday, dozens of farmers joined the first protest since the policy was announced at the Northern Farming Conference in Northumberland, attended by environment minister Daniel Zeichner, while NFU president Tom Bradshaw has warned of “militant action” ahead of a rally being organised for 19 November.
Lib Dems call for ‘Save Ukraine’ summit in London in wake of Trump victory
16:56 , Kate DevlinLib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has called on Keir Starmer to hold a “Save Ukraine” summit of European leaders in London in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory.
Sir Ed warned Trump’s second presidency risks a “devastating” effect on European security after declaring the election results represented a “dark, dark day” for people around the world.
In a written statement, he called for the meeting to be used to secure agreements to seize up to £40 bn worth of frozen Russian assets and use them to support Ukraine - in a bid to turn around the trajectory of the war.
Sir Ed, who earlier this afternoon accused Conversatives leader Kemi Badenoch of “cheerleading” for Trump in PMQs, bemoaned the outcome of the election on social media platform X this morning, saying “the world’s largest economy and most powerful military will be led by a dangerous, destructive demagogue.”
There are widespready fears Trump will pull out of Ukraine following his criticism of level of US aid going to the wartorn country.
He has previously said Ukraine should have come to a deal with Russian president Vladimir Putin before the latter’s forces invaded, bogging the region in bloody, drawn-out conflict.
“This should’ve been settled before it started. It would’ve been so easy. If we had a president with half a brain, it would’ve been easy to settle,” he said during an interview with podcaster Patrick Bet-David last month.
Treat revenge porn like child abuse and terror material, expert tells MPs
16:37 , Aine FoxWhile the US election has predictably dominated local politics today, with scrutiny over last week’s budget coming in second, other important issues continue to be discussed in parliamentary committees.
In a story by social affairs correspondent Aine Fox, an expert has told MPs Revenge porn should be treated in the same way as child abuse and terrorist content online.
Doing so would mean non-consensual intimate images (NCIIs) could be quickly blocked from being viewed on the internet, the Women and Equalities Committee heard.
Current protections in tackling what is a growing problem are not strong enough, said David Wright, director at the UK Safer Internet Centre.
Reeves backs Treasury mandarin over budget blackhole cover-up
16:24 , David MaddoxRachel Reeves has given her top official at the Treasury a vote of confidence amid a row over whether the cover-up of a £22 billion black hole in government finances broke the law.
The suggestion over illegality during Jeremy Hunt’s tenure as chancellor was made by Richard Hughes, chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), yesterday.
Mr Hughes made the accusation during a parliamentary hearing on the Budget on Monday amid a row over claims made by Rachel Reeves that Mr Hunt failed to disclose a £22bn spending gap ahead of the election. The OBR has since suggested that the real figure was £9.5bn – but that it nevertheless made a difference to its own calculations.
While criticism has been focused on the previous Tory government, questions are also being asked about the role of Treasury officials in the alleged cover-up.
Treasury permanent secretary Jam Bowler was also the most senior official for Mr Hunt and would have had a duty to advise him if what he was doing was illegal.
Asked ahead of the hearing this afternoon whether the chancellor “has confidence in her permanent secretary” after the claims by the OBR, a source close to her said: “Yes.”
What Keir Starmer has said about Donald Trump over the years
16:11 , Albert TothAs the Tories feast on inflammatory comments about Donald Trump made years ago by foreign secretary David Lammy, the Independent has done it’s own dive into what prime minister Keir Starmer has said about the man elected to lead the United States a second time.
It’s fair to say Sir Keir has not always considered his words as carefully as he does now when it comes to the president-elect. He first spoke about Mr Trump in January 2016, debating in Commons a petition which called for the US politician to be banned from the UK.
Addressing the House less than a year before Mr Trump’s first presidential victory, Sir Keir said: “We are united in condemning the comments of Donald Trump on issues such as Mexican immigrants, Muslims and women.”
In June 2018, while serving in former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, Starmer tweeted: “Humanity and dignity. Two words not understood by President Trump,” referring to footage of children detained in cages at US immigration centres.
As Labour leader commenting on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ victory in the 2020 US election, Sir Keir said: “their victory is one for hope and unity over dishonesty and division.”
“It is a chance to reassert America’s place as a force for good on the world stage,” he added.
Sir Keir’s rhetoric has since softened. Earlier this year he said the UK “would work with whoever [the American people] choose as their president.”
Today the prime minister congratulated Trump - a man with whom he had a “good relationship” - on his election victory.
Only 500 farms to be hit by inheritance tax change, minister says
15:48Only 500 farms will be impacted by the changes to inheritance tax, according to a government minister who accused the opposition of scaremongering over the controversial measure.
Amid a bitter backlash from farmers and attacks from Conservative MPs, business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the impact of the tax changes could be measured by the value of claims on properties to date, and accused the Tories of discounting existing property relief and other allowances.
“So, actually, if you look at the number, the total number across the UK of farms that would have been affected by this change, it’s only 500, yes, it’s 500 for the 2026/27 financial year. And I think that has been missed,” he said during a debate on the budget measures.
“I would also remind colleagues on this side, if you have any kind of inheritance tax liability, you have 10 years to pay interest free. So, I think, to be frank, some of this is a little bit of scaremongering on the other side and we’ve got to be clear with people about what actually the case is.”
From April 2026, a tax of 20 per cent would be raised on the value of inherited farming assets above £1 million, following an announcement in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ budget.
Earlier, Conservatives leader Kemi Badenoch told parliament the party would scrap the measure should they win the next election.
Majority of Brits are upset about Trump win, YouGov finds
15:37 , Archie MitchellA snap poll has revealed that most Brits are upset about Donald Trump’s re-election, with just one in five happy about the former president’s return.
Pollster YouGov said almost seven in 10 British women are unhappy with the American election result, compared with half of Britain’s men.
Meanwhile more than half of the country believe Mr Trump’s second term will be bad for Britain.
Younger Britons are most likely to think that Trump’s election will impact their life, with 43 per cent of 18-24 year olds believing his return to Washington D.C. will have at least a fair amount of impact on them, compared to only 22 per cent of over-65s.
Labour preparing for ‘different eventualities’ over US trade relationship
15:26 , PA Media, Angus ThompsonReeves said the government would hedge its bets ahead of foreign trade announcements by the president-elect, despite asserting Labour would make ‘strong representations’ over trade.
Asked by John Glen, a former Tory minister, if it was realistic to seek to influence Trump, the Chancellor replied: “We’ve got another couple of months before the inauguration.
“Obviously, you know, we will begin those conversations. We’ll prepare for different eventualities.”
She cautioned that she didn’t want to sound “sanguine” about the outlook. “On the other hand, I am optimistic about our ability to shape the global economic agenda, as we have under successive governments.”
Labour will make ‘strong representations’ to Trump over trade
15:22 , PA MediaStaying with Rachel Reeves, who is giving a high-level insight into the government’s thinking on the economics associated with a second Trumpy presidency.
The chancellor has told a parliamentary committee the government would make “strong representations” to Trump about the need to protect free trade.
“We’re not just a passive actor in this,” she said before the lower house Treasury committee this afternoon as the Labour government mulls the threat of massive import tariffs on British goods.
“It’s a trade relationship with the United States and we will make strong representations about the importance of free and open trade, not just between ourselves and the United States, but globally, and the US also benefit from those that access to free and open trade with us and other countries around the world, and it’s what makes us richer as societies to benefit from that.”
Reeves confident over US trade relationship
15:08 , Marc MayoBritish chancellor Rachel Reeves says she believes trade flows between Britain and the United States would continue despite proposals by US president-elect Donald Trump to impose tariffs on US imports.
“President Trump has been president of the United States before and we continue to have a strong and healthy economic relationship, and we as a government will continue to make the case for free trade,” Reeves told the Treasury Committee in the lower house of Britain’s parliament on Wednesday.
“I’m confident that those trade flows will continue under the new president,” she said. Reeves said it was too early to consider any changes to forecasts for Britain’s economy after the U.S. elections.
Her comments follow threats by Trump to impose tariffs of up to 20 per cent on imports from countries including Britain as he pushes for manufacturing prowess in the US. He has also threatened to add a 60 per cent tariff on imports from China, which, if imposed, could have major flow-on effects for the UK.
Ed Davey accuses Kemi Badenoch of cheerleading for Trump
14:45 , Angus ThompsonLib Dems leader Ed Davey has accused Tory leader Kemi Badenoch of “cheerleading” for Donald Trump during PMQs and claimed it shows the opposition is out-of-touch with British values.
Ms Badenoch’s first outing as Conservatives leader in PMQs saw her demand prime minister Keir Starmer apologise for previous comments by his foreign secretary, David Lammy, who once called Trump a neo-Nazi sympathiser, and urge him to invite the president-elect to speak at parliament.
She also said Trump was right to urge other NATO countries, including the UK, to increase their defence spending.
Sir Ed, who earlier characterised Trump’s victory as a “dark, dark day” took to social media platform X after the debate to make his accusations against the new Tory leader.
“Kemi Badenoch’s cheerleading of Donald Trump at PMQs shows the Conservatives are totally out of touch with our values We should be standing up for human rights, the rule of law and international security - not rolling out the red carpet for Trump,” he posted.
Prime Minister would welcome Trump UK visit: Downing Street
14:35Prime Minister Keir Starmer would welcome Donald Trump visiting the UK, Downing Street says, but has stressed parliamentary invitations are up to the Speaker of the House of Commons.
Briefing reporters after a firey debate in PMQs that centred on Trump’s historic election victory, a spokesperson for the prime minister said that questions about the house were for the speaker, “but clearly the prime minister would of course welcome a visit from President-elect Trump to the UK in the future.”
Earlier, Sir Keir dodged demands from Kemi Badenoch to invite to Trump to address parliament on his next visit to the UK. Ms Badenoch called for the prime minister to show that “he and his government can be more than student politicians” and ask the Commons speaker to extend the invitation to the president elect, who swept to victory in the US election overnight.
The spokesperson also assured that foreign secretary David Lammy’s position was not in jeopardy following comments in the past branding Trump a neo-Nazi sympathiser”.
Sir Keir dodges a political apology and a promise to invite Trump to the UK
14:18 , Millie Cooke, Kate DevlinReturning to the main news from PMQs, where our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin and political correspondent Millie Cooke have reported in greater depth on Keir Starmer ducking Kemi Badenoch’s blows from across the chamber following Donald Trump’s election victory.
The prime minister sidestepped a call to apologise for his foreign secretary dubbing Donald Trump a “neo-Nazi sympathising’ sociopath”.
David Lammy made the comment in an article when he was a backbench MP in 2018. A year before he also tweeted: “Yes, if Trump comes to the UK I will be out protesting on the streets. He is a racist KKK and Nazi sympathiser.”
Mr Lammy has sought to build links with the Trump campaign since becoming foreign secretary, but the election result has shone a new spotlight on his comments, raising questions about his ability to work with the next US president.
Sir Keir also dodged demands from Kemi Badenoch to invite to Trump to address parliament on his next visit to the UK.
Ms Badenoch called for the prime minister to show that “he and his government can be more than student politicians” and ask the Commons speaker to extend the invitation to the president elect, who swept to victory in the US election overnight.
In response, the prime minister accused Ms Badenoch of “giving a masterclass in student politics”.
“We live in a more volatile world than we’ve lived in for recent decades”, he said.
Kemi Badenoch says Tories will reverse tax raid on farms
13:59 , PA MediaWhile Labour’s relationship with an incoming Trump administration occupied the main line of attack in Tory leader Kemi Badenoch’s first PMQs facing off against the Prime Minister, she departed from the diplomatic theme to challenge Keir Starmer over the planned 20 per cent inheritance tax on farms, which has caused an uproar across the industry.
Ms Badenoch vowed in the chamber that her party would reverse the changes announced in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ budget last week, and urged the government to “reassure” farmers over their futures.
“What does he say to farmers who are facing uncertainty about their futures as a result of the increased taxes announced by the Chancellor?” she asked during PMQs.
Sir Keir responded: “I’m glad she’s raised farmers. Because the budget last week put £5 billion over the next two years into farming. That’s the single biggest increase, unlike the £300 million which was underspent under the last government.
“But when it comes to inheritance, the vast vast majority of farmers will be unaffected, as she well knows; as they well know.”
From April 2026, a tax of 20 per cent would be raised on the value of inherited farming assets above £1 million, triggering an uproar from farming community and an attack point for Conservative MPs.
Reform UK MP Lee Anderson ordered to apologise to parliament after swearing at security officer
13:46 , Archie MitchellLee Anderson has been ordered to apologise to the Commons for bullying and harassment after a parliamentary watchdog found he twice swore at a security officer when his pass did not work.
The Reform UK MP allegedly told the guard “f*** off, everyone opens the door to me, you are the only one” when he was told he needed to have his pass checked at the gates to the Westminster estate.
A complaint about the incident on 3 November was upheld by parliament’s standards commissioner.
Mr Anderson initially appealed against the finding to the Independent Expert Panel, but the panel dismissed his case.
Braverman welcomes Trump victory and suggests he could force Chagos U-turn
13:33 , Archie MitchellEarlier, Conservative MP Suella Braverman welcomed Donald Trump’s election victory and said the Republican politician could force the Labour government to U-turn over the Chagos Islands.
It comes afterThe Independent revealed Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has been attempting to persuade Trump to overturn the controversial deal that handed sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius mid fears the cluster, which commands a crucial strategic location in the Indian Ocean, may now be subject to influence from the Chinese government.
The former home secretary told Times Radio: “We’ve got to keep taking the fight to Labour, whether it’s on foreign policy and global security, interestingly on their surrender deal with Mauritius and the Chagos Islands. I wonder whether Trump will withdraw support for that, forcing a U-turn on the part of this Labour government.”
Welcoming Trump’s victory, she said: “I think it’s been an extraordinary campaign. Donald Trump nearly got murdered during the campaign and I think it does remind us that there is a real need for strong democracies around the. But I am overall relieved that we have someone who will stand up for peace and security.”
How a Trump presidency could blow the British economy out of the water
13:21 , Andrew GriceThere are growing fears the UK’s trade with its biggest single export market in the US would be hit hard.
It is now dawning on UK ministers that Trump’s threat to impose 60 per cent tariffs on imports from China and 10 or 20 per cent on those from everywhere else including the UK, could inflict huge damage on the British economy.
Britain could also suffer collateral damage in a US-China trade war, given the impact on supply chains.
The Treasury is putting a brave face on it, hinting the government would try to talk Trump out of damaging a natural partner and reminding him a global trade war would be bad for everyone.
Some officials hope Trump’s threat is a bargaining chip to get China to reduce its state subsidies; they point out he didn’t do all he said he was going to do in his first term.
But the Department for Business and Trade is alarmed and under growing pressure from business leaders to act – possibly by imposing retaliatory tariffs on American imports.
Read the full analysis here
A recap on Kemi Badenoch’s first PMQs performance as Tory leader
13:02 , Angus ThompsonKemi Bedenoch used her first time at the dispatch box as opposition leader during PMQs to launch a multi-pronged attack at Keir Starmer and his ministers over the UK government’s response to the impending Trump presidency.
It was a firey, energetic display from the new leader of the Conservatives. Here are the key points from the session, including what Ms Badenoch challenged Sir Keir on, and how the Prime Minister responded:
- Sir Keir began by congratulating Donaldf Trump on his election victory, and extended a welcome to Badenoch as Tory leader. Ms Badenoch thanked Sir Keir and echoed his sentiments about Trump.
- She then used her next question to ask whether the Prime Minister would apologise for foreign Secretary David Lammy’s 2018 remarks about Trump being a “neo-Nazi sympathiser”. Sir Keir ducked the question, instead saying when he had met Trump recently they discussed a number of issues of global significance.
- Ms Badenoch then accused Sir Keir of failing to distance himself from Mr Lammy’s comments, and challenged him to invite Donald Trump to speak in parliament. Sir Keir accused Ms Badenoch of playing student politics and repeated previous lines on the importance of UK-US relations.
- She said Donald Trump was right to argue the UK needed to increase its defence spending, urging the government to boost it to 2.5 per cent of GDP, which Sir Keir replied he had already committed to doing.
Watch: Awkward moment Badenoch confronts Lammy over Neo-Nazi Trump comment
12:43 , Lucy LeesonNew Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has confronted foreign secretary David Lammy over his previous criticism of Donald Trump following his election to US president.
Mr Lammy, has previously compared Trump to Hitler and called for his state visit to be canceled during his last presidency.
In her first PMQs as Tory leader on Wednesday (6 November), Ms Badenoch asked Mr Lammy: “The prime minister and the foreign secretary met him in September. Did the foreign secretary take that opportunity to apologise for making derogatory and scatological references, including, and I quote, ‘Trump is not only a woman-hating Neo-Nazi sympathising sociopath, he is also a profound threat to the international order’?”
Analysis: Ed Davey saying what many people are thinking
12:28 , David MaddoxSir Ed Davey appears to be the only politician with the courage to stand up to what Donald Trump stands for.
With much of the western world in mourning about the result in the USA and the fears over the Ukraine war very real, Sir Ed stands alone in talking about these threats publicly.
Many will feel uncomfortable about the way the Labour prime minister is now trying to cosy up t Trump - even if he has little choice.This may be the first time Davey has sounded like a serious opposition leader since his Lib Dems won 72 seats in July.
Analysis: Starmer makes the most of a tough spot with Trump
12:26 , David MaddoxKeir Starmer was met with laughter from the Opposition benches and silence from his own side when he congratulated president elect Donald Trump.
He will be hoping that the dinner he had a few weeks ago will put aside the other issues of his foreign secretary David Lammy’s tweets about Trump from a few years ago and the complaints from the Trump camp of election interference from Labour.
It is going to be a painful start but Sir Keir knows he needs to try to keep the UK/ US special relationship strong especially with Brexit isolating Britain from Europe.
Kemi Badenoch calls for Starmer to invite Trump to address parliament
12:24 , Angus ThompsonKemi Badenoch has urged Sir Keir Starmer to invite to President Trump to address parliament on his next visit to the UK.
The new Tory leader urged the prime minister to ask the Commons Speaker to extend the invitation to the president elect, who swept to victory in the US election overnight.
Addressing the House of Commons at her first PMQs as leader of the opposition, Ms Badenoch said: “Will the prime minister show that he and his government can be more than student politicians by asking you Mr Speaker to extend an invitation to President Trump to address parliament on his next visit?”
Responding, Sir Keir hit back: “I think the leader of the opposition is giving a masterclass on student politics.
“But seriously, Mr Speaker, we live in a more volatile world than we’ve lived in for recent decades. It’s absolutely crucial that we have a strong relationship, that strong special relationship, forged in difficult circumstances between the US and UK. We will continue to work as we have done in the four months in government on issues of security, the economy and global conflict.”
Analysis: Kemi Badenoch goes straight for the throat
12:22 , David MaddoxThe new Tory leader wastes no time in attacking Labour on the story of the day and she reminds the house of foreign secretary David Lammy calling Donald Trump a “neo Nazi sympathiser” among other disobliging comments.
She knows that this is a very awkward position for Starmer and a cabinet which signed a petition to keep Trump from addressing parliament.
She repeats her accusation that they are “student politicians”.
Calls for Trump to be invited to address Parliament. This is a different more rightwing Tory leader.
Starmer congratulates Trump and Badenoch
12:17 , Millie CookeSir Keir Starmer has opened PMQs by congratulating Donald Trump on his “historic election victory”, as well as welcoming new Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.
The prime minister said: “As the closest of allies, the UK and the US will continue to work together to protect our shared values of freedom and democracy.
“Having had dinner with President Trump just a few weeks ago, I look forward to working with him in the years to come.”
Welcoming Kemi Badenoch, who won the Tory leadership race last weekend, Sir Keir said: “May I also welcome the leader of the opposition to her place - my fourth tory leader in four and a half years. But I do look forward to working with her in the interests of the public.”
Responding, Ms Badenoch thanked him for his “almost warm welcome”, promising to be a “constructive opposition”.
PMQs are about to kick off
11:59 , Angus ThompsonPMQs is about to get underway with Kemi Badenoch facing off against Keir Starmer for the first time as Tory leader.
You can watch them trading barbs here.
Watch: Kemi Badenoch challenges Keir Starmer in first PMQs for new-look opposition
Which local issues will Badenoch pursue the PM over in the chamber?
11:52 , Angus ThompsonWhile still bringing you the local political reactions this historic day in the US, we’re going to feed in a bit more of what’s going on in the UK, and with Kemi Badenoch preparing her first face-off against Prime Minister Keir Starmer as Tory leader in PMQs, she is expected to pursue the government over continuing discontent in some corners from Rachel Reeves’ budget recent budget.
One topic that could come up for debate is the change to inheritance tax that will see a 20 per cent levy on farms worth more than £1 million, which has caused an outcry across Britain’s farming industry and been dubbed the “tractor tax”.
For more reading on the issue, take an in-depth dive into one of our premium pieces here.
Plaid Cymru leader says US result shows backwards step on rights and stability
11:37 , Angus ThompsonStaying with local reactions to Trumps win, Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth says the election result represents a “backwards step” for women’s rights, global stability, and “the struggle against increasingly regressive forces in our politics.”
“The need to strengthen ties with our neighbours in Europe is now more urgent than ever, as is the importance of ensuring that governments remain true to their word and listen to the voices of the most marginalised in society,” the Welsh nationalist party leader posted on social media platform X.
His input reflects that of London mayor Sadiq Khan, who warned of a regression in women’s rights, as well as Labour MP Emily Thornberry, who said the UK would have to look to country’s with similar values for stability if the Starmer government and a Trump administration could not agree.
Earlier, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey warned of a “dark, dark day for people around the globe“.
Kemi Badenoch congratulates Trump on victory
11:19 , Angus ThompsonNew Conversative leader Kemi Badenoch has also congratulated Donald Trump on his election victory.
“The world faces many serious challenges and I look forward to our two countries working together to confront them,” Ms Badenoch posted on X earlier this morning.
Badenoch, who was recently chosen to lead the opposition party months after its electoral defeat, is due to face Prime Minister Keir Starmer in her first PMQs as leader, and we will bring you blow-by-blow coverage of those moments after midday.
Congratulations President-elect @realDonaldTrump on your historic election victory.
— Kemi Badenoch (@KemiBadenoch) November 6, 2024
The world faces many serious challenges and I look forward to our two countries working together to confront them.
Rory Stewart says ‘I was wrong’ about Harris
10:58 , Angus ThompsonFormer Conservative MP and podcasters Rory Stewart has taken to social media platform X this morning to express his misery at a Donald Trump victory.
“For the record - I was completely wrong about Kamala Harris. It is heartbreaking that Trump is now the President,” posted Stewart, who cohosts the popular Rest is Politics podcast with former Blair government adviser Alistair Campbell.
While he didn’t elaborate, he recently told an event in Sydney, Australia, Democratic candidate Harris would win comfortably.
For the record - I was completely wrong about Kamala Harris. It is heartbreaking that Trump is now the President.
— Rory Stewart (@RoryStewartUK) November 6, 2024
‘Disappointed’ Labour MP Emily Thornberry says the government has to work with Trump
10:40 , Angus ThompsonBack to BBC 4’s interview with former Labour frontbencher Emily Thornberry, who’s views on Donald Trump were made plain in 2019 when she called the then-US president a racist and predator.
After acknowledging her previous commentary, she said the UK still had to work with the US, and offered a cautionary way forward for the country as British MPs take stock of the election results.
“We need to work with him,” Thornberry acknowledged, adding “we need to look after our interests”.
She said the UK needed to work “multilaterally” with its friends and allies. “I think we also need to stick close to those whose values are simialr to ours,” she said.
“There may well be times when we don’t agree with Donald Trump and we need to stick to our friends.”
‘A predator and a racist’: former Labour frontbencher Emily Thornberry doubles down on previous comments
10:36 , Angus ThompsonFormer Labour frontbencher Emily Thornberry has deepened the split in the governing party over Donald Trump’s impending victory by doubling down on previous comments that the former US president is a racist and a predator.
Thornberry, who served as shadow attorney-general until the UK 2024 election, told BBC Radio 4 the foreshadowed US election result was “disappointing”.
"We wake up this morning in an unpredictable world with a president we don't really know what his policy on things are going to be."
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) November 6, 2024
Labour MP Emily Thornberry, chair of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Select Committee, reacts to Donald Trump's apparent election win.#R4Today
“I think that across most of the west it was hoped the result would be Kamala Harris, not least because it would be predictable,” she said. “I think we wake up this morning in an unpredictable world.”
Thornberry said Britain’s relationship with thwe US under a Trump presidency would be “quite challenging” in terms of knowing how to approach the relationship.
In 2019, when she was shadow foreign secretary, Thornberry said during a BBC interview Trump was undeserving of the honour of a scheduled UK state visit.
“He is a sexual predator, he is a racist, and it’s right to say that. And I think we need to think about when is it that our country got so scared. Why can’t we start saying things as they are?” she said at the time.
When her previous comments were put to her on Tuesday morning, Thornberry doubled down. “Yes, well he is,” she said in response to her labelling of him as a predator and a racist.
Shadow cabinet is no government-in-waiting, says former minister
10:00 , Andy GregorySir Conor Burns, former minister of state for trade and for Northern Ireland, has weighed in on Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet.
Ms Badenoch named her full shadow cabinet this morning. But Sir Conor, who served as MP for Bournemouth West between 2010 and 2024, says it “won’t necessarily be a government-in-waiting”.
In a post on X, Sir Conor said: “Anyone watching the rest of the front bench formation @KemiBadenoch is doing and raising any eyebrows should remember: she only has 121 MPs.
“To fill the vacancies 3/4 of them will get jobs. Some are too old, uninterested or unappointable.
“So it won’t necessarily be a Govt-in-waiting. But it doesn’t have to be. It has to be an effective opposition to start with. And above all it has to be a team.”
Anyone watching the rest of the front bench formation @KemiBadenoch is doing and raising any eyebrows should remember: she only has 121 MPs. To fill the vacancies 3/4 of them will get jobs. Some are too old, uninterested or unappointable. So it won’t necessarily be a…
— Sir Conor Burns (@ConorBurnsUK) November 5, 2024
How a Trump victory leaves Starmer isolated on the world stage
09:53 , David MaddoxWith an impending White House victory for Donald Trump, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is now faced with a US adminstration he is not just far away from ideologically, but one which is openly hostile to a Labour government that Trump’s campaign team previously described as “far left”.
The Trump camp’s recent accusations of Labour interference in the US election lifted the lid on the deep animosity that the MAGA Republicans have for Starmer, his party and his government.
The fallout had undone months of meticulous diplomacy by Labour preparing for this possible eventuality, which had culminated a few weeks ago with what seemed to be a positive meeting between Starmer and Trump in New York.
But the problem Labour has always faced is that their efforts have been led by a foreign secretary David Lammy who described Trump “a neo-Nazi sociopath”.
Starmer also faces a problem that Britain will no longer be seen as Europe’s bridge to America with a Trump administration in the White House.
Read the Independent political editor David Maddox’s full analysis of what a Trump presidency means for Starmer and the UK here.
John Rentoul | Kemi cosies up to her Tory leadership rival – what can she be thinking?
09:45 , Andy GregoryOne of the funniest lines in the comic subplot that was the Conservative leadership contest was the “yellow card” system: a rule announced by Bob Blackman, the chair of the 1922 Committee, which ran the MPs’ stage of the ballot, to deter personal attacks.
Blackman said: “The constant backfighting and attacking was one of the contributing reasons why the party did so badly at the general election. We are determined we will not tolerate that.”
In the end, no yellow cards were issued – not even when Kemi Badenoch brought her opponent down with a cynical professional foul in the dying moments of the contest. She said, in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph the weekend before the close of voting: “With me you’d have a leader where there’s no scandal. I was never sacked for anything, I didn’t have to resign in disgrace or, you know, because there was a whiff of impropriety.”
The Independent’s chief political commentator John Rentoul writes:
Kemi cosies up to her Tory leadership rival – what can she be thinking?
Tariffs are likely first thing UK will notice about a Trump presidency, says analyst
09:25 , Andy GregoryTariffs are “probably one of the first things that Britain will notice” under a Donald Trump presidency, Bronwen Maddox, director of the Chatham House think-tank, has suggested.
Ms Maddox warned that tariffs will be “not good” for the “economic growth that Keir Starmer is putting so much weight on”, saying: “We don’t know how quickly Trump will move on it, but I would think very quickly - it’s one of the things he’s promised his followers.”
She added: “We don’t quite know what the tariffs will be and on which goods. Goods on China going into the US will hit global growth and tariffs on other countries like Europe and the UK, they will affect our ability to sell things to the US.
“So it’s not good for exactly the kind of economic growth that Keir Starmer is putting so much weight on.”
‘Asserting progressive values more important than ever’, says Sadiq Khan
09:17 , Andy GregorySadiq Khan – who is no stranger to trans-Atlantic spats with Donald Trump, having branded the Republican a racist and homophobe – has warned that “asserting our progressive values is more important than ever”.
The London mayor said: “I know that many Londoners will be anxious about the outcome of the US Presidential election. Many will be fearful about what it will mean for democracy and for women’s rights, or how the result impacts the situation in the Middle East or the fate of Ukraine. Others will be worried about the future of Nato or tackling the climate crisis.
“London is – and will always be – for everyone. We will always be pro-women, pro-diversity, pro-climate and pro-human rights.
“London is a place where we’re proud of our diversity, proud of the contribution of all our communities and proud of our spirit of unity. These are some of the values that will continue to bind us together as Londoners.”
“The lesson of today is that progress is not inevitable. But asserting our progressive values is more important than ever - re-committing to building a world where racism and hatred is rejected, the fundamental rights of women and girls are upheld, and where we continue to tackle the crisis of climate change head on.”
Trump will be ‘magnanimous’ in victory with UK, analyst predicts
09:06 , Andy GregoryBronwen Maddox, director of the Chatham House international affairs think-tank, has predicted that Donald Trump will be “magnanimous” in victory with the UK – but warned there could be a “fly in the ointment”.
She said: “Keir Starmer’s got his statement out very quickly using the phrase ‘special relationship’, talking about all the ways the UK wants to work with the US.
“He and David Lammy have put in quite a lot of time getting to know Republicans around Trump as well as Trump himself.
“But Trump does bear a grudge, so whether David Lammy’s past remarks ... or the Labour activists going over, it is possible that that is a fly in the ointment.
“But my guess is that Trump will be magnanimous and receive with pleasure all these calls he gets from other heads of state.”
Lib Dem leader laments ‘dark, dark day’ as ‘destructive demagogue’ Trump on course for victory
08:56 , Andy GregoryLib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has warned of a “dark, dark day for people around the globe” as “dangerous, destructive demagogue” Donald Trump appeared on course to lead the world’s largest economy and most powerful military.
Sir Ed said: “The next President of the United States is a man who actively undermines the rule of law, human rights, international trade, climate action and global security. Millions of Americans – especially women and minorities – will be incredibly fearful about what comes next. We stand with them.
“Families across the UK will also be worrying about the damage Trump will do to our economy and our national security, given his record of starting trade wars, undermining NATO and emboldening tyrants like Putin.
“Fixing the UK’s broken relationship with the EU is even more urgent than before. We must strengthen trade and defence cooperation across Europe to help protect ourselves from the damage Trump will do.
“Now more than ever, we must stand up for the core liberal values of equality, democracy, human rights and the rule of law – at home and around the world.”
Farage says Trump will be ‘genuine radical'
08:55 , Andy GregoryReform UK leader Nigel Farage has said that Donald Trump is going to be a “genuine radical”.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “He’s going to be a genuine radical.
“What you are going to see from this Trump administration, and I’m guessing that Elon Musk will be the man that is tasked to do it – is there will be a big fightback against the administrative bureaucratic state which is far too big, far too powerful and actually very undemocratic.”
He added: “What is very interesting about the Trump movement is that it’s critics call it all sorts of nasty names, the truth is in many ways it’s bringing Americans together.”
David Lammy says UK ‘looks forward to working with’ Trump and Vance
08:49 , Andy GregoryForeign secretary David Lammy has offered his congratulations to Donald Trump.
“The UK has no greater friend than the US, with the special relationship being cherished on both sides of the Atlantic for more than 80 years,” he said on X.
“We look forward to working with you and JD Vance in the years ahead.”
In 2017, Mr Lammy said he would protest if “racist and KKK/neo-Nazi sympathiser Trump” visited London.
Brexit negotiator Lord Frost hails ‘very welcome victory’ for Trump
08:48 , Andy GregoryTory former Brexit negotiator David Frost has hailed what he called a “very welcome victory” for Donald Trump, which he said had come at a “crucial time for the West”.
Lord Frost said: “For the first time, across all our countries, there are real signs of pushback against the conventional wisdom of recent years.
“Trump’s victory strengthens this decisively and sets a different course: to dismantle the over-mighty bureaucratic state, control our borders, protect free speech, stand up for historical and biological reality, end disastrous net zero policies, and get the West’s foreign and defence policies in line with our actual capabilities.
“A Harris victory would have seen another doubling down on all the policies that got us into this mess. That’s why so many progressives are so disappointed this morning: they know their ideas are on the way out, and not before time.”
Ex-PM Liz Truss says ‘let the fightback begin'
08:44 , Andy GregoryThe UK’s shortest-serving prime minister Liz Truss, who has been seeking a new phase of political life herself in the United States, has congratulated Donald Trump.
“Great news for the USA and the West. Let the fightback begin!” Ms Truss said on X, formerly Twitter.
Exclusive: UK must reverse Brexit if Donald Trump wins election, Keir Starmer told
08:40 , Andy GregoryBritain must urgently rebuild ties with Europe if Donald Trump is elected on Tuesday, pro-EU campaigners have warned.
With the prospect of a brutal global trade war looming, critics of the UK’s current Brexit deal have said the country needs to rejoin the customs union, single market or the bloc itself to shield itself from the devastating fallout.
The former president has threatened to impose tariffs on all imports to America if he returns to the White House, which would cripple the UK and global economy. The US is Britain’s single biggest trade partner by far, above Germany, the Netherlands, France and China.
Amid fears a solitary UK would face a heightened impact, campaigners called for Sir Keir Starmer to urgently rebuild trade ties with the EU to insulate the country from the trade war that would follow Mr Trump’s re-election.
Political correspondent Archie Mitchell has the details in this exclusive report:
UK must reverse Brexit if Donald Trump wins election, Keir Starmer told
Boris Johnson ‘fired’ from Channel 4’s US election coverage after being branded ‘cheap’ for book plug
08:34 , Andy GregoryBoris Johnson was “fired” from Channel 4’s US election coverage after being criticised for plugging his book.
The former prime minister was booked to commentate on the results of the presidential race alongside Republican supporter and reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner, and Stormy Daniels, the woman at the centre of Mr Trump’s hush money trial.
But, after repeatedly shoe-horning in references to his memoirUnleashed, host Krishnan Guru-Murthy said Mr Johnson had been “fired for banging on about his book too much”.
Just minutes into America Decides: US Presidential Election, Mr Guru-Murthy had told Mr Johnson to “put it away” and “stop it, enough” as he twice referenced his new book and attempted to hold it up to viewers. Guru-Murthy described the former prime minister’s actions as “so cheap”.
Mr Johnson hit back, saying: “There’s absolutely nothing you can do to stop me… I’m allowed to plug my book.” Eventually, Channel 4 replaced the former PM with Michael Cohen, Mr Trump’s former lawyer. It remains unclear if Mr Johnson’s exit was planned.
Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Boris Johnson ‘dropped’ from Channel 4’s US election coverage after ‘cheap’ book plug
Starmer congratulates Trump on ‘historic election victory'
08:24 , Andy GregorySir Keir Starmer has congratulated Donald Trump on his “historic election victory” and said that “as the closest of allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise”.
The prime minister had met with Mr Trump in New York in September as he sought to build a relationship with the Republican.
But the Trump campaign went on to accuse Labour of interfering in the US election, citing Labour volunteers going to campaign on behalf of the Democrats, their sister party, which UK government officials dismissed as a routine tradition.
‘Deep breath time in Whitehall,’ says former chancellor
08:20 , Andy GregoryTory former chancellor Philip Hammond has suggested that Donald Trump’s apparently impending victory in the US election means it will be “deep breath time” in Whitehall.
Speaking to the BBC, Lord Hammond, who was Theresa May’s chancellor during Mr Trump’s last presidency, said: “At least we have a pretty clear view of some of Donald Trump’s thinking. He hasn’t been shy about setting out his thoughts on the campaign trail.
“But many of those thoughts represent significant challenges, certainly for Europe, including the UK – on Nato, on the relationship with Russia, on support for Ukraine, and probably equally as importantly on trade, where some of what Mr Trump has said sounds almost as aggressive towards his allies as it does towards China.
“So I think it’s going to be deep breath time in Whitehall and in governments across Europe as they settle down to try and understand how this new administration is going to work.”
He added: “The Foreign Office will have been preparing for this for a very long time. They’ll have been looking at the scenarios of each candidate winning and they’ll have briefings for ministers across Whitehall.”
UK-based Democrats cry in London as they watch Trump declare victory
08:06 , Andy GregorySome UK-based Democrats at a gathering in London cried as they watched Donald Trump address his supporters on television from Florida.
Those backing Kamala Harris hugged and consoled each other at the event organised by Democrats Abroad UK at a bar in central London as the results from several swing states, including Pennsylvania, suggested the path to the White House now looked clear for Mr Trump.
Very few attendees had stayed to watch the former president make his speech. Earlier, one woman cried out “that’s it” and walked out of the event as CNN called Pennsylvania for Mr Trump.
Trump declares US election victory as he hails ‘golden age’ for America
08:04 , Andy GregoryDonald Trump has declared victory in the US election as he hailed a “golden age” for America, after he was projected to win the first three swing states, including the crucial state of Pennsylvania, which is worth a whopping 19 electoral college votes, taking him just four away from the required 270.
The Republican declared victory, despite ballots still being counted in some swing states.
Speaking at his campaign watch party in Palm Beach, Mr Trump said: “This is the greatest political movement of all time and now it’s going to reach a new level of importance because we’re going to let our country heal.”
Trump continued: “This will truly be the golden age of America.”
Farage hails Trump’s ‘incredible political comeback'
07:58 , Andy GregoryAs the US election results continue to roll in, Nigel Farage was the first high-profile UK politician to remark publicly on the likely outcome.
Having flown to America to back his ally Donald Trump, the Reform UK leader wrote on X: “He’s done it again. The most incredible political comeback of our lifetime.”
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s politics live blog.
We’ll bring you the latest updates as the UK wakes up to the results of a monumental election across the Atlantic, while reaction continues to come in following the announcement of Kemi Badenoch’s new shadow cabinet.
