Sir Keir Starmer faced an end-of-term grilling from senior MPs after an opening few months in office which have seen Labour’s poll ratings plummet.
The prime minister took questions from the Liaison Committee for the first time since being elected in July.
He was grilled on a range of issues, including his plans for economic growth, trade with the EU and US, and housebuilding.
Among the members of the committee are former Conservative cabinet minister Steve Barclay, and chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench Tories Bob Blackman.
It comes as the prime minister faces backlash as he is accused of breaking a promise in a decision not to compensate Waspi (Women Against State Pension Inequality) women.
Sir Keir faces a growing Labour rebellion over the issue, with up to 50 Labour MPs saying they would vote against the government’s decision to rule out spending £10bn compensating the women if a vote is held, The Independent understands.
The term “Waspi” refers to a woman born between 1950 and 1960 who was disadvantaged by the 1995 Pensions Act, which increased their pensionable age from 60 to 65.
Key Points
- Starmer warned on the danger of Trump tariffs
- Starmer admits it will take time for living standards to improve
- Starmer faces growing Labour rebellion
- Waspi campaigners acccuse Starmer of spreading ‘dangerous misinformation’
Starmer ‘giving with one hand and taking with the other’ despite £100m hospice funding boost
20:31 , Jabed Ahmed
Starmer ‘giving with one hand and taking with the other’ despite £100m hospice boost
Breaking: Lord Mandelson set to be appointed as UK ambassador to the US
20:02 , Jabed Ahmed
Lord Mandelson set to be appointed as UK ambassador to the US
Watch: Commons leader mocks Tories with '12 Days of Christmas' parody
20:01 , Jabed AhmedWatch: PM asked what 'keeps him awake at night'
19:46 , Jabed AhmedFull report: Starmer reveals the real reason for his ‘family farm tax’ in grilling by senior MPs
19:29 , Jabed Ahmed
Starmer reveals real reason for his ‘family farm tax’ in questions with senior MPs
Starmer backs Tulip Siddiq amid Bangladeshi anti-corruption probe
18:59 , Jabed AhmedSir Keir Starmer has backed Tulip Siddiq, Downing Street indicated, after the Treasury minister was named in an anti-corruption investigation in Bangladesh.
Ms Siddiq is alleged to have been involved in brokering a 2013 deal with Russia for a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh in which large sums of cash are said to have been embezzled.
The Labour minister’s aunt, Sheikh Hasina, was until recently prime minister of Bangladesh for more than 20 years.
She is facing a wider investigation by an anti-corruption commission in the south Asian country after being deposed.
As economic secretary to the Treasury, Ms Siddiq is responsible for tackling corruption in the UK’s financial markets.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman indicated Sir Keir continues to have confidence in Ms Siddiq.
She has “denied any involvement in the claims” accusing her of involvement in embezzlement, according to No 10, and continues to maintain her responsibility as a minister.
Pressed about whether there was any conflict of interest in Ms Siddiq’s involvement in the 2013 deal, the spokesman said: “I can’t speak to events that happened prior to a minister’s time in government.”
He added there was a “very clear declaration process” for ministers, which had been followed.
Government still does not know how much HS2 will cost, MPs told
18:29 , Jabed AhmedDowning Street insisted the Government was working to get HS2 under control as officials admitted they did not know how much it would cost or when it would be completed.
In a report released on Monday, HS2 Ltd estimated that the cost of building the railway would be between £54 and £66 billion in 2019 prices – between £67 and £83 billion in current prices.
But appearing before the Commons Public Accounts Committee on Thursday, the Department for Transport’s top civil servant said these figures were not “reliable” and an agreed estimate was unlikely to be produced until “well into 2025”.
Dame Bernadette Kelly said: “I say with great regret, sitting before the committee, that is the situation.”
Both the department and HS2 Ltd have committed to a “reset” of the project in order to control costs and establish a more accurate baseline for assessing performance, while Downing Street said it had already made announcements to get the project under control.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Transport Secretary has asked HS2 to urgently provide updated and clearer estimates of the project as soon as possible, and we’ve made it the number one priority of the new chief executive to drive these costs down.”
He added that the most recent estimates from HS2 Ltd had been made “ahead of the rebaselining work that has been commissioned” and before the Government’s “fresh announcements to get this project under control under new leadership”.
UK sanctions senior Georgian minister following protest crackdown
17:59 , Jabed AhmedA senior minister in the government of Georgia is among five people from the country who have been sanctioned by the UK for links to human rights violations.
Georgia’s interior minister Vakhtang Gomelauri is one of the high-ranking officials now banned from travelling to Britain and subject to an asset freeze.
The move follows a crackdown on demonstrations, civil society and the media in the Caucasian nation after the ruling political party, Georgian Dream, paused the country’s tilt towards Europe.
The UK has also paused all support for the Georgian government and is restricting engagement with its leading politicians.
Others facing sanctions are Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, deputy minister of internal affairs, and three policing figures: Sulkhan Tamazashvili, Tbilisi police department director, Zviad Kharazishvili, chief of the special tasks department, and his deputy Mileri Lagazauri.
Senior Tory MP calls on Government to fast-track Ukraine’s Nato membership
17:29 , Jabed AhmedA Conservative former minister has pressed the Government to fast-track Ukraine’s Nato membership, amid concerns over whether Donald Trump will maintain US support.
This comes after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer spoke with the US president-elect earlier this week, where he is said to have “re-iterated the need for allies to stand together with Ukraine”.
In the Commons on Thursday, Father of the House Sir Edward Leigh said the UK should “stiffen the sinews” when it comes to Mr Trump, adding: “We must fast-track Nato membership.”
Defence minister Luke Pollard replied: “We have made clear that we’ll support Ukraine for as long as it takes, and support them on their irreversible path to Nato membership.
“It would be wrong for me to speculate on the policies of the new US administration, but it’s certainly true that the safety of the United States, just as the safety of the United Kingdom, relies on Putin not winning in Ukraine.
“That is the reason why we’re continuing our support for our Ukrainian friends, and that when the new administration takes office, further, such discussions directly, will be able to take place.”
Chairman of the defence committee Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi also pressed the Government on what steps are being taken during this “critical juncture”.
DWP merging two major benefits claimed by thousands – what you need to know
16:59 , Jabed Ahmed
DWP merging two major benefits claimed by thousands – what you need to know
Ban water bill increases until Santa swims are no longer cancelled – MP
16:42 , Jabed AhmedWater bills should freeze while sewage threatens Santa swims and surfing, an MP has said.
Ben Maguire called for new limits in the Commons on Thursday, after the watchdog Ofwat said it will allow firms to raise average bills by £31 a year over the next five years.
Surf therapy charity The Wave Project cancelled its annual Santa Surf event at Newquay’s Fistral Beach in Cornwall last month, according to a post on its chief executive Ramon Van de Velde’s LinkedIn account.
He said “an ocean full of sewage is not a safe space – not good for your health and wellbeing” after a storm overflow discharge, and said the state of waterways is “a political issue, and something our politicians can and should solve”.
Mr Maguire, the Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall, told the Commons: “North Cornwall has world-class beaches and rivers but Santa swims have been cancelled due to the constant dumping of raw sewage.
“Meanwhile, water companies receive millions from billpayers but then the very next day give it away to their shareholders.”
He called for a “total ban on water bill rises” until the end of the sewage dumping “scandal”, which he described as “the best gift (Environment Secretary Steve Reed) could give (his) constituents this Christmas”.
PM says he is not in favour of blanket safe and legal routes for asylum seekers to come to the UK
16:14 , Jabed AhmedThe Prime Minister said he was not in favour of blanket safe and legal routes for asylum seekers to come to the UK.
Although he said safe routes “can play a really important role” and praised schemes such as the Afghan resettlement programme, he added more work needed to be done “upstream” to prevent people feeling they need to flee their homes.
Asked whether he would be supportive of more blanket safe routes, he said: “No, and I’ve never been supportive of blanket safe and legal routes, but I believe in the Afghan scheme, I believe in the Hong Kong scheme, I believe in the Ukraine scheme, I think they’re good examples of safe and legal routes for people fleeing awful circumstances where we’ve got an obligation.”
Starmers says he would not do anything differently if given the chance
16:14 , Jabed AhmedSir Keir Starmer has said he would not do anything differently if given the chance to relive his five months in power, despite the turmoil and criticism he has faced since coming to office.
Closing off questions to the Prime Minister at the Liaison Committee of senior MPs, chairwoman Dame Meg Hillier asked: “Is there anything that you would do differently if you were starting out now, knowing what you know?”
Sir Keir replied: “No. We have had to do tough stuff, we are getting on with it and I am very pleased to be delivering from a position of power, rather than going around the division lobbies losing every night.
“I have had too much of that.”
Starmer defends spending on defence
16:06 , Jabed AhmedThe Prime Minister has defended his decision not to set out a date for spending 2.5% of Britain’s GDP on defence until a strategic defence review had been completed.
He said: “I do think it’s important that we have the strategic review because that is looking into the risks and challenges that we face as a country, what our current capability is and whether we need therefore to make changes to match the risk and challenges to the capability that we have.
“Therefore, what I’m reluctant to do is commit large sums of money to the budget unless and until we know the outcome of that strategic review, because this money needs to be spent well and it will only be spent well if it’s spent at the end of that exercise.”
Israel must respect international law, Starmer says
16:05 , Jabed AhmedIsrael must respect international law, Sir Keir Starmer suggested when asked about the potential the UK’s Middle Eastern ally could annex the West Bank.
“I am very worried about the West Bank, and thank you for raising it,” the Prime Minister told the Liaison Committee of senior MPs.
Amid reports that Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for the Palestinian territory to be annexed, Sir Keir was asked by Foreign Affairs Committee chair Emily Thornberry if there was a “plan B” for dealing with the action beyond condemnation.
Sir Keir added: “Necessarily there is a lot of focus on Gaza and Lebanon recently as well, but the West Bank there is not only the unlawfulness of the situation on the ground, but also terrible settler violence going on that needs to be dealt with.
“So, the anchor has to be international law and respecting international law, and being clear about what that means in relation to our approach to the West Bank.”
We must not make the mistake of assuming the new regime in Syria will be better than what came before, Starmer says
15:55 , Jabed AhmedThe UK must not make the mistake of assuming the new regime in Syria will be better than what came before, Sir Keir Starmer has warned.
Asked about what was happening in Syria, the Prime Minister told the Liaison Committee of senior MPs: “Syria is obviously fast moving, and the speed at which Assad fell was not foreseen by many, but it is a good thing.
“But we mustn’t make the mistake of thinking that what comes next is necessarily going to be different and better, because we made that mistake before, in my view.”
Sir Keir said the Government was “talking to regional leaders” and the UK’s international allies about Syria, and “as to how we collectively ensure that what comes next is better”.
He added: “Obviously, that also includes talking to those on the ground, I won’t go into the detail of that, but you will understand that those conversations need to be had to ensure that if it is possible we will have a regime that complies with international law, that protects the rights of civilians and minorities, and that this can be a genuine turning point for Syria.”
HS2 is ‘almost a textbook example of what the last government got wrong’, says Starmer
15:50 , Jabed AhmedHS2 is “almost a textbook example of what the last government got wrong”, the Prime Minister has said.
Commenting on uncertainty about the cost and timescales for the project, Sir Keir Starmer told the Liaison Committee: “HS2 is a case study of the last government on how to mishandle a major project, over budget, over time, cut back and almost a textbook example of what the last government got wrong when it came to big infrastructure projects.
“That doesn’t mean we should abandon infrastructure projects but it does mean we’ve got to do them differently and we’ve got to do them better.”
Public Accounts Committee chairman Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown said there had been “dither and delay over the last six months” on HS2 since Labour came to power.
Rules on protecting nature might not need to be applied for every planning project, Sir Keir Starmer has indicated.
The Prime Minister has previously criticised the £100 million structure designed to protect bats on the HS2 rail route.
He told MPs on the Liaison Committee that nature protection rules could be applied more strategically rather than on every project to remove barriers to building.
The Prime Minister said: “I think we could get the balance better. I do think we should obviously take measures to protect our environment, to protect nature, of course I do, but I think that we could do it differently.
“So, one of the proposals … that we’re working on is the question of whether that balance should be struck on each and every application or project – one by one, case by case – or whether it could better be lifted so that you could look at the balance over a wider area, which I think would make a lot more sense.”
He added: “I think the developer should pay into a fund that could be used to get that balance right. So, I’m not saying they should be exempted from paying in.
“What I am saying is if you do it on a case-by-case basis you can get a lot of results which slow things down and don’t seem, on the face of it, to make a lot of sense.”
House building target is ‘a stretch’, Starmer admits
15:24 , Jabed AhmedSir Keir Starmer has said that his target on house building is “a stretch”.
He told the Liaison Committee that he would not be “defeatist” and say that it would not be possible to get the skills or the supply chains needed to build homes.
He said: “Amongst my jobs is to chair the stocktakes of the work we’re doing to get the various players around the room … to make sure that we’ve got the skills, the supply chains, the numbers, the targets with an assessment of where we are on the data and that’s the way that we’ll drive through this.
“But I’m not going to be a defeatist on this and say it’s impossible to get the supply chains. I don’t accept that.
“Be defeatist and say we’re never going to get the skills. I don’t accept that.
“Do I accept it’s a stretch? Do I accept it’s ambitious? Yes I do, but we’re determined to do it.
Starmer grilled about proposals to regulate AI
15:11 , Jabed AhmedTech giants should not get a subsidy off the back of British creative industries, the Prime Minister signalled.
Sir Keir Starmer was grilled about proposals to regulate artificial intelligence’s (AI) impact on copyright law.
Dame Caroline Dinenage, the Conservative chairwoman of the Culture, Media and Sport committee, warned the Prime Minister he was “gambling a world-class British success story” of the creative industries.
She told the Liaison Committee of senior MPs: “The creative industries are worth £125 billion to our economy, they fly our flag around the world and you are gambling them in favour of companies that are already so rich that your own Secretary of State said we need to treat them like nation states.
“Why should these overseas tech giants effectively get a free subsidy on the back of British creatives?”
Sir Keir replied: “I don’t think they should, I think we need to get the balance right, but I also think we have a huge opportunity.
“We are one of the top three in the world in AI at the very point where AI is going to be transformative. That puts us in a really good position against our competitors around the world. I don’t want us to lose that edge.”
UK will not have to choose between trade deal with EU and agreement with US, Starmer says
15:06 , Jabed AhmedSir Keir Starmer said he rejected the suggestion that the UK would have to choose between a closer trade deal with the EU and a free trade agreement with the US.
The Prime Minister told the Liaison Committee: “I think we can pursue both. I don’t accept the argument you have got to either be with the US or be with the EU, that isn’t how it works at the moment with our current trade.
“We do want a closer relationship with the EU on security, on defence, on energy and, yes, on trade, and I’ve set out how we want to reset on a number of occasions.
“At the same time, I want to improve our trading relationship with the US. Is that going to be easy? Of course it’s not. Do I think we can make progress? Yes, I do.
“And that’s among the reasons that I’m making sure we’ve got a good relationship with the incoming president and that the relationship between our two countries is as strong in the future as it has been in the past.”
Starmer warned on the danger of Trump tariffs
15:01 , Jabed AhmedSir Keir Starmer said he was “alive to the dangers of tariffs” but would not speculate about what Donald Trump might do on trade as US president.
Asked how he would dissuade Mr Trump from imposing tariffs on the UK, the Prime Minister told the Liaison Committee, Sir Keir said: “It won’t come as any surprise to you, I am not a fan of tariffs and, therefore, we have to make sure that we avoid tariffs.
“We have got very good trade with the US, as we have got very good trade with other countries around the world. I want to improve on that.”
Sir Keir declined to give details of recent conversations with Mr Trump, but added: “Am I alive to the danger of tariffs? Yes of course. I’m against tariffs, but I’m not going to speculate as to what the incoming president might do.”
Pictured: Starmer grilled by MPs
14:56 , Jabed Ahmed
Analysis: Keir offers no cheer in front of committee
14:54 , Kate Devlin, Whitehall EditorKeir Starmer has offered no seasonal cheer in front of the Commons Liaison committee.
On economic growth, he told MPs: “One of the biggest mistakes of the last 14 years was the idea that everything can be fixed by Christmas – it can’t.”
He also said it “will take some time" before living standards improve across the country.
Starmer defends national insurance hike
14:53 , Jabed AhmedBusinesses have informed Labour MP Liam Byrne that the combined effects of the National Insurance hike for companies, a national minimum wage increase, and Labour's workers' rights legislation would lead to reductions in staff, pay, and investment.
He questioned Sir Keir Starmer about whether doing all three at once was truly the "best idea in the world."
The prime minister said: “Well, the first thing I would say is this. The inheritance was appalling. The economy was broken and there was a £22 billion black hole when we did the audit of the books.
“The Chancellor and I had to take a decision. Do we pretend that is not there... or do we fix the foundations? I felt very strongly that we should fix the foundations and do the difficult stuff first.”
Starmer admits it will take time for living standards to improve
14:48 , Jabed AhmedSir Keir Starmer has acknowledged “it will take some time” before living standards improve across the country.
The Prime Minister told the Liaison Committee of senior MPs “we want people to feel better off”.
The increase in the national living wage was a “pay rise for the three million who are the lowest paid” and public sector workers were also feeling the benefit of pay deals.
“In addition to that, the measures that we put in place will improve living standards,” he said.
“It will take some time, of course it will.
“One of the biggest mistakes, I think, in the last 14 years was the idea that everything could be fixed by Christmas. It can’t.
“The planning will take time. The change in regulation will take time, we’ve got a national wealth fund which is investing, getting record investment into the country, that will take time.
“But already some of the lowest paid are already feeling the benefits of a Labour government through what we did in the Budget.”
Starmer question on how he will deliver growth
14:38 , Jabed AhmedDame Meg Hillier asked Sir Keir Starmer how he intended to deliver on his pledge to increase economic growth.
The PM said investors had told him that they had not invested in the UK in the recent past because they viewed the economy as “not stable enough”.
He said Labour’s first Budget would deliver that stability.
Asked again, Sir Keir pointed to the Government’s “hugely important” planning reforms.
Analysis: Keir Starmer braced for grilling from MPs
14:33 , Jabed AhmedIt has been a difficult first few months in power for Keir Starmer.
The Labour prime minister has not enjoyed the traditional ‘honeymoon’ experienced by many new governments.
Instead, he has battled row after row – from benefits for pensioners to ‘freebies’.
Now, before he enjoys a Christmas break he faces his first moment in front of the Commons Liaison committee.
This is, after all, the committee that once broke Tony Blair out in such a sweat he stopped wearing blue shirts, swapping them for white instead.
Watch live: Starmer grilled by senior MPs after Waspi compensation backlash
14:20 , Jabed Ahmed
Watch live: Starmer grilled by senior MPs after Waspi compensation backlash
Government still does not know how much HS2 will cost, MPs told
14:14 , Jabed AhmedDowning Street insisted the Government was working to get HS2 under control as officials admitted they did not know how much it would cost or when it would be completed.
In a report released on Monday, HS2 Ltd estimated that the cost of building the railway would be between £54 and £66 billion in 2019 prices – between £67 and £83 billion in current prices.
But appearing before the Commons Public Accounts Committee on Thursday, the Department for Transport’s top civil servant said these figures were not “reliable” and an agreed estimate was unlikely to be produced until “well into 2025”.
Dame Bernadette Kelly said: “I say with great regret, sitting before the committee, that is the situation.”
Both the department and HS2 Ltd have committed to a “reset” of the project in order to control costs and establish a more accurate baseline for assessing performance, while Downing Street said it had already made announcements to get the project under control.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “The Transport Secretary has asked HS2 to urgently provide updated and clearer estimates of the project as soon as possible, and we’ve made it the number one priority of the new chief executive to drive these costs down.”
He added that the most recent estimates from HS2 Ltd had been made “ahead of the rebaselining work that has been commissioned” and before the Government’s “fresh announcements to get this project under control under new leadership”.
Starmer to face grilling from senior MPs at 2:30pm
13:56 , Jabed AhmedSir Keir Starmer will face an end-of-term grilling from senior MPs at 2:30pm after an opening few months in office which have seen Labour’s poll ratings plummet.
The Prime Minister will take questions from the Liaison Committee for the first time since being elected in July.
The panel is made up of the chairs of Commons select committees, and Sir Keir will face questions across a range of Government departments.
Among the members of the committee are former Conservative cabinet minister Steve Barclay, and chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench Tories Bob Blackman.
Commons Leader parodies Twelve Days Of Christmas in recounting Tory legacy
13:47 , Jabed AhmedCommons Leader Lucy Powell has reflected on the Tories’ “legacy” in government, with her own rendition of The Twelve Days Of Christmas carol.
Ms Powell changed ‘a partridge in a pear tree’ to “a prime minister at a lockdown party”, in her version of the festive song.
As Parliament sat for the final time before the Christmas recess, she said: “Going into 2025 (Jesse Norman) might want to be a little bit more reflective of why his party lost the election.
“But look, given it’s Christmas time, why don’t we take one final opportunity to look at their legacy, if you’ll forgive me.
“12-hour A&E wait times, 11% inflation, 10 Lords defeats on Rwanda, nine million inactive workers, 8,000 bus routes cancelled, seven million on waiting lists, six councils bankrupt, five prime ministers toppled, four million children in poverty, three broken pledges, two nurses’ strikes, and a prime minister at a lockdown party.”
Following a festive theme during business questions, Ms Powell also joked that MPs who have followed Parliamentary procedure this term will be in Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s “Christmas good books”.
Starmer backs Tulip Siddiq amid Bangladeshi anti-corruption probe
13:33 , Jabed AhmedSir Keir Starmer has backed Tulip Siddiq, Downing Street indicated, after the Treasury minister was named in an anti-corruption investigation in Bangladesh.
Ms Siddiq is alleged to have been involved in brokering a 2013 deal with Russia for a nuclear power plant in Bangladesh in which large sums of cash are said to have been embezzled.
The Labour minister’s aunt, Sheikh Hasina, was until recently prime minister of Bangladesh for more than 20 years.
She is facing a wider investigation by an anti-corruption commission in the south Asian country after being deposed.
As economic secretary to the Treasury, Ms Siddiq is responsible for tackling corruption in the UK’s financial markets.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman indicated Sir Keir continues to have confidence in Ms Siddiq.
She has “denied any involvement in the claims” accusing her of involvement in embezzlement, according to No 10, and continues to maintain her responsibility as a minister.
Pressed about whether there was any conflict of interest in Ms Siddiq’s involvement in the 2013 deal, the spokesman said: “I can’t speak to events that happened prior to a minister’s time in government.”
He added there was a “very clear declaration process” for ministers, which had been followed.
‘Raw fury’ among Waspi women who say fight not over after Labour’s rejection of compensation payout
12:40 , Alexander Butler
‘Raw fury’ among Waspi women who say fight not over after rejection of compensation
Fears Starmer deal won’t stop China building rival military base on Chagos Islands
12:20 , Alexander Butler
Fears Starmer’s deal won’t stop China building rival Chagos military base
Labour minister Tulip Siddiq caught up in Bangladesh corruption probe
12:00 , Alexander Butler
Labour minister Tulip Siddiq caught up in Bangladesh corruption probe
Cabinet minister hints at ‘strong set’ of new Labour peers
11:33 , Alexander ButlerA Cabinet minister has hinted that a “strong set” of Labour peers could be appointed to boost the party’s representation in the House of Lords.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds was asked whether former Downing Street chief of staff Sue Gray could return as a minister amid reports she may be among a raft of new Labour peers to be appointed.
“Decisions about Government are for the Prime Minister, not for me, but I would be really pleased - speculation at this stage - to see a really strong set of people come into the House of Lords to help the Government deliver on its agenda,” Mr Reynolds told broadcasters.
Sue Gray could be among 30 new Labour peers to be appointed on Thursday, The Sun reported.
Starmer meets Sultan of Brunei
11:21 , Alexander ButlerSir Keir Starmer praised the “strong relationship” between the UK and Brunei as he met Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah at Downing Street.
The Prime Minister greeted the Sultan of Brunei at the door of No 10 and then held a meeting with him in the White Room.
Sir Keir praised the “strong relationship” between the two countries in remarks at the start of the meeting, and said he and the sultan would talk about the renewal of the garrison agreement as well as wider issues of trade and security.
The UK has a permanent army garrison in Brunei under a deal that is renewed every five years and now up for renegotiation.
Starmer to face grilling from senior MPs
11:07 , Alexander ButlerSir Keir Starmer will face an end-of-term grilling from senior MPs on Thursday after an opening few months in office which have seen Labour’s poll ratings plummet.
The Prime Minister will take questions from the Liaison Committee for the first time since being elected in July.
The panel is made up of the chairs of Commons select committees, and Sir Keir will face questions across a range of Government departments.
Among the members of the committee are former Conservative cabinet minister Steve Barclay, and chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench Tories Bob Blackman.
Starmer urged to give MPs the chance to vote on Waspi decision
10:43 , Alex RossAt Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Independent MP Ian Byrne asked Sir Keir Starmer to “give members the opportunity to vote on whether they believe Waspi women are owed compensation”.
A newly-elected MP is also among those calling for ministers to reconsider the decision.
Brian Leishman, who has represented Alloa and Grangemouth since July, told Sky News that the Government “really should deliver” on the compensation.
Mr Leishman said he was “shocked” and “disappointed” by the decision.
“This is a historical injustice that Waspi women have faced. We campaigned in opposition to correct that injustice, and now that we’re in power we really should deliver on that,” he said.
Mr Leishman said there is “a lot of disappointment and a lot of frustration” among colleagues, and said he would “completely endorse” Mr Byrne’s calls for a vote.
It is understood that the Liberal Democrats could consider means such as an opposition day or backbench debate if the Government chooses not to hold a vote.
On Wednesday, Downing Street said there were “no plans” for a vote on the issue.
All of Starmer’s ‘betrayals’ and U-turns as Labour faces Waspi women backlash
10:05 , Alexander Butler
All of Starmer’s ‘betrayals’ and U-turns as Labour faces Waspi women backlash
Scottish Labour leader ‘deeply disappointed’ by Waspi decision
09:54 , Alex RossScottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said he was “deeply disappointed” by the “blanket” decision to not award compensation, and thinks that ministers “could have found a way forward”.
Speaking to STV News, Mr Sarwar said: “I can completely understand, and I believe I was one of the ones that campaigned with them, had photographs with them, I was right to do that, I was right to campaign with them.
“I continue to stand with them in the face of their injustice. I think where there is justified frustration is in the blanket no compensation position.”
He later added: “I think a blanket no compensation position is the wrong one and I’m deeply disappointed by that.
“I think we could have found a way forward that recognised the difficult public finances, that recognised the difficult inheritance.”
Waspi women’s fury as Starmer says they knew about pension change
09:42 , Alexander Butler
Waspi women’s fury as Starmer says they knew about pension change
Starmer faces pressure from own party over Waspi decision
09:15 , Alexander ButlerSir Keir Starmer is facing upset from his own party over the Government’s decision to not award compensation to Waspi women.
A former shadow employment minister is among those urging the Prime Minister to “reconsider” the decision, while another senior MP said that a lot of MPs are “very unhappy”.
The Prime Minister has insisted that taxpayers could not afford the £10.5 billion compensation package, but there have been calls for a vote or for Number 10 to reconsider.
Andy McDonald, who was shadow employment rights minister between 2020 and 2021, wrote to the Prime Minister to say “the Government has made the wrong decision”.
“I urge you to reconsider this decision in the interests of justice for women denied a fair settlement,” he said.
Watch: Diane Abbott’s seven-word Starmer snub over PM’s Waspi decision
08:57 , Alexander Butler
Diane Abbott’s seven-word Starmer snub over PM’s Waspi decision
UK may send British troops to Ukraine to train soldiers, defence secretary suggests
08:45 , Alexander Butler
UK may send British troops to Ukraine to train soldiers, defence secretary suggests
ICYMI: Waspi campaigners acccuse Starmer of spreading ‘dangerous misinformation’ over State Pension age changes
08:00 , Jabed AhmedWomen Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaigners have accused the Prime Minister of spreading “dangerous misinformation” in his defence of how State Pension age changes were communicated to women born in the 1950s.
Angela Madden, Chair of Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI), said: “This isn’t just misleading; it’s an insult to millions of 1950s-born women who were blindsided by these changes. The Ombudsman’s findings were based on rigorous evidence showing that 60 per cent of women had no idea their own State Pension age was rising.
“The Government’s attempt to cherry-pick data to suggest otherwise is spreading dangerous misinformation, plain and simple.”
Ms Madden added: “The fact that 90 per cent of women had some general awareness of potential changes in the future does not mean they knew this would impact them personally.
“That is exactly why the Ombudsman identified maladministration and why this Government’s continued attempts to muddy the waters are so unacceptable.”
Starmer defends Waspi women ‘betrayal’ as MPs challenge him over broken promises
07:00 , Jabed AhmedWaspi women’s fury as Starmer says they knew about pension change
Full report: ‘Raw fury’ among Waspi women who say fight not over after Labour’s rejection of compensation payout
06:00 , Jabed Ahmed‘Raw fury’ among Waspi women who say fight not over after rejection of compensation
Government announces new funding to local councils
05:00 , Jabed AhmedThe Government has announced new funding in an attempt to fix the “dire straits” of local government finances, including £700 million extra for councils.
Local government minister Jim McMahon said councils across the country are “in crisis” after 14 years of Conservative-led governments.
“I take the responsibility to lead this Government’s work to rebuild the sector with the seriousness that it’s due and also with the urgency that’s required,” Mr McMahon said. This work has already begun, and today marks a major milestone in our mission to rebuild local government and to put councils on a firmer financial footing.”
He added: “This is why today I am announcing over £700 million of additional grant. This includes over £200 million of extra funding for social care since the policy statement.”
Mr McMahon said £515 million would be given to councils to help them with the rise in employers’ national insurance.
He said: “Taken together, the additional funding made available at this settlement and the Budget delivers over £5 billion of new funding for local services over and above local council tax.”
He went on to say: “We must ensure that public investment is used too for long-term prevention and the reform of local public services, rather than expensive short-term crisis responses which we know often have much worsening outcomes. We are determined to end the cycle of failure that we have seen for too long. We will provide certainty by making sure that no authority will see a reduction in their core spending power after accounting for council tax flexibilities next year.”
DELETE
Afghan resettlement schemes to be merged into one and will eventually be axed, MoD say
04:00 , Jabed Ahmed
Afghan resettlement schemes will eventually be axed, MoD say
Badenoch blames months of new train strikes on Labour’s pay rises to unions and says commuters will suffer
02:00 , Jabed Ahmed
Badenoch blames months of new train strikes on Labour’s pay rises for unions
Labour to reform energy regulator to give more protections after bills crisis
01:00 , Jabed AhmedEnergy bill payers have been promised more protections and better customer service as part of plans to reform the regulator Ofgem.
The watchdog could get new consumer-facing powers including shortening the eight-week mandatory response time when people complain to their energy supplier.
Customers could also get better access to automatic compensation when things to wrong with their energy bills.
Ministers say they want to rebuild trust in the sector after energy price spikes in 2022 led to soaring bills and caused a swathe of smaller suppliers to go bust.
Larger companies have faced accusations of profiteering off the sharp increase in wholesale costs caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Energy consumers minister Miatta Fahnbulleh said the Government has “learned from the energy crisis”.
Ms Fahnbulleh said: “We will ensure that working people have access to the best possible support to choose more affordable, smarter, clean energy that is right for them.
“Energy bills are still too high and that is why we worked with suppliers to announce £500 million of additional winter support.”
Efforts to improve gender balance of bishops in the Lords backed by Parliament
Wednesday 18 December 2024 23:59 , Jabed AhmedMeasures designed to increase the representation of women bishops in the House of Lords are on the verge of becoming law.
The Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 (Extension) Bill continues for a further five years the policy of filling any vacancies that appear on the bishop’s benches in the unelected house with female bishops.
The Bill received an unopposed third reading in the Commons on Wednesday and has already been supported by the House of Lords.
Five of the 26 guaranteed places for Church of England bishops in the upper chamber are filled by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, and the Bishops of London, Durham and Winchester.
The remainder were traditionally filled on the basis of length of tenure, but this was changed following the 2014 decision to grant women the right to serve as bishops.
Legislation was introduced in 2015 to prevent female bishops having to wait many years to join the upper chamber and therefore give them priority over long-serving men.
The Government brought forward the extension Bill after it was requested by the Church of England.
Three former Tory ministers reprimanded for announcing appointments early
Wednesday 18 December 2024 23:00 , Jabed AhmedThree former Tory ministers have been reprimanded by Whitehall’s appointments watchdog Acoba for announcing post-government roles early.
Departing ministers are required for two years to seek and await advice from Acoba before taking on or announcing new jobs or appointments.
Lord Pickles, the watchdog’s chairman, wrote to the three former ministers and reported them to the Cabinet Office for breaking the rules.
Former transport minister Huw Merriman breached the rules by not waiting for the watchdog’s advice before announcing his role of chairman at the Liverpool to Manchester Railway Partnership Board.
James Heappey, a former defence minister, failed to seek advice before joining HPO Technologies Ltd as a senior adviser.
Mark Jenkinson, a former assistant government whip, applied for advice after he had already established an independent consultancy, Redghyll Ltd, and taken up work with Nuvia Group.
Mr Merriman and Mr Heappey did not stand in the 2024 general election. Mr Jenkinson lost his seat.
Government considering taking over Horizon shortfall scheme from Post Office
Wednesday 18 December 2024 21:59 , Jabed AhmedThe Government is considering taking over responsibility from the Post Office for redress schemes for subpostmasters impacted by the Horizon scandal, a minister has said.
Business minister Gareth Thomas gave a statement to MPs where he said that £79 million has been paid to 232 people from the Horizon convictions redress scheme, but that the Government had “concerns” about the Post Office’s ability to deliver the Horizon shortfall scheme and the overturned conviction scheme.
The Horizon Convictions Redress Scheme was launched by the Government to enable people wrongly convicted of a crime because of the Horizon IT system used by the Post Office to apply for financial redress.
The Horizon shortfall scheme allows subpostmasters to apply either for a £75,000 Fixed Sum Award or to have their application fully assessed, and is run by the Post Office.
The overturned conviction scheme is also run by the Post Office and is eligible for anyone whose Horizon-related conviction has been overturned by the courts.
Mr Thomas outlined a number of areas the Government was considering amending some parts of the redress system as there are still “complex cases to resolve”.
Comment: Labour’s betrayal of Waspi women is a sign its problems now go far beyond pensioners
Wednesday 18 December 2024 20:54 , Jabed AhmedBy alienating the demographic most likely to turn out to vote, Keir Starmer will now struggle to shake off accusations that his government is happy to say one thing and do another, says John Rentoul
Labour’s betrayal of Waspi women is a sign its problems now go far beyond pensioners
All of Starmer’s ‘betrayals’ and U-turns as Labour faces Waspi women backlash
Wednesday 18 December 2024 20:13 , Jabed AhmedAll of Starmer’s ‘betrayals’ and U-turns as Labour faces Waspi women backlash
Watch: Diane Abbott accuses Starmer of ‘breaking promise’ to Waspi women in heated PMQs
Wednesday 18 December 2024 19:46 , Jabed AhmedICYMI: Waspi campaigners acccuse Starmer of spreading ‘dangerous misinformation’ over State Pension age changes
Wednesday 18 December 2024 19:14 , Jabed AhmedWomen Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) campaigners have accused the Prime Minister of spreading “dangerous misinformation” in his defence of how State Pension age changes were communicated to women born in the 1950s.
Angela Madden, Chair of Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI), said: “This isn’t just misleading; it’s an insult to millions of 1950s-born women who were blindsided by these changes. The Ombudsman’s findings were based on rigorous evidence showing that 60 per cent of women had no idea their own State Pension age was rising.
“The Government’s attempt to cherry-pick data to suggest otherwise is spreading dangerous misinformation, plain and simple.”
Ms Madden added: “The fact that 90 per cent of women had some general awareness of potential changes in the future does not mean they knew this would impact them personally.
“That is exactly why the Ombudsman identified maladministration and why this Government’s continued attempts to muddy the waters are so unacceptable.”
Fact check: Pensions triple lock was temporarily suspended after pandemic
Wednesday 18 December 2024 18:44 , Jabed AhmedDuring today’s Prime Minister’s Questions debate, Kemi Badenoch stated that the Conservative Party “protected the triple lock during all our time in Government”.
Shortly afterwards, Labour MP Mark Ferguson wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “Wrong. In 2021 the Tories didn’t uprate pensions in line with earnings. That cost pensioners.”
In 2021, the Conservative government announced that the triple lock pension guarantee was being suspended for one year due to the after-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Although the state pension still rose, the increase was lower than the rise that would otherwise have been implemented. This temporary change passed the House of Commons with little opposition, and was not objected to by the older people’s charity Age UK.
Councils warn of acute pressures despite funding boost next year
Wednesday 18 December 2024 18:14 , Jabed AhmedUrban and rural councils have warned that the increase in funding next year announced by the Government will not relieve acute pressures on local services.
Changes to the draft local government finance settlement included a £700 million uplift in funding for social care and the costs of changes to national insurance.
But the County Councils Network (CCN) said the extra funding would not come close to covering forecast costs facing its members, while the District Councils Network (DCN) said the changes mean “little or no increase” in funding in many areas with worrying consequences for services.
Meanwhile, councils in London have estimated that the settlement will still lead to a collective funding shortfall next year of at least £500 million.
The CCN welcomed the extra funding for social care but warned the national insurance support would not cover forecast costs facing its members, which amount to £488 million.
The body, which represents county and unitary councils covering about 50% of the population, also repeated concerns that the Government was favouring city and town councils by distributing the £600 million Recovery Grant exclusively on a deprivation formula.
Minister reads out AI-generated Adele lyrics to draw attention to copyright risks
Wednesday 18 December 2024 17:44 , Jabed AhmedA Government minister has quoted AI-generated Adele lyrics to draw attention to how bots can come up with versions of existing artists’ songs without paying them any money.
Technology minister Sir Chris Bryant read out lines from a non-existent song by the Grammy-award winning British singer that he had got an AI company to write, as he announced a consultation on potential new copyright protections for creative industries to stop AI bots from using their material for free.
Sir Chris said the issue posed an “existential threat” for the British music, film, literary and gaming industries.
In response to a question from Conservative MP Julian Lewis (New Forest East) in the House of Commons, urging him to consider looking at Taylor Swift whom he said had been “shrewd” over her copyright, Sir Chris said: “It’s not Taylor Swift that I’ve consulted, but I asked an AI company to come up with a song in the manner of Adele.
“‘Oh I still feel you, deep in my soul. Even though you left me out here on my own, the love we had it’s slipping through my hands, but I can’t forget, I still don’t understand. You’re gone, but your memory is all I see, and in the silence, it’s you haunting me’.
“It’s sort of Adele isn’t it? But it’s not Adele. And again, my question goes, so does Adele know that her material has been used, does her record label know that her lyrics have been used to create that. Because it’s sort of in the territory, but it’s not right.
“I think we can get this right in the UK and provide leadership to the world, that’s what we should strive for.”
Badenoch wants to replicate US-style government cost-cutting, spokesman suggests
Wednesday 18 December 2024 17:14 , Jabed AhmedKemi Badenoch wants to see a British version of the soon-to-be set up US department of government efficiency, her spokesman has indicated.
Businessman Elon Musk is expected to lead a cost-cutting drive when President-elect Donald Trump comes to office in January, dubbed the “department of government efficiency”.
Nicknamed “Doge” – an acronym that shares its name with an internet meme about a dog and the cryptocurrency Dogecoin which Mr Musk once backed – the organisation is expected to take the form of an advisory team rather than a government department.
Doge will be chaired by Tesla and SpaceX owner Mr Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, a businessman who stood as a Republican presidential candidate.
Tory leader Mrs Badenoch is an “enormous fan of Elon Musk and what he’s done with X”, her spokesman said, adding she was “following what he is doing with Doge in the US very closely”.
Asked by journalists if she wanted to replicate the programme in the UK, her spokesman added: “Yes, she does. And in fact, that was one of the things that she was looking to do in the Department of Business and Trade with the smarter regulation program, to sort of finesse government and reduce regulation.”
Afghan resettlement schemes to be merged into one and will eventually be axed, MoD say
Wednesday 18 December 2024 16:43 , Jabed AhmedAfghan resettlement schemes will eventually be axed, MoD say
Badenoch blames months of new train strikes on Labour’s pay rises to unions and says commuters will suffer
Wednesday 18 December 2024 16:31 , Jabed AhmedBadenoch blames months of new train strikes on Labour’s pay rises to unions
Scottish Labour leader slams lack of Waspi compensation
Wednesday 18 December 2024 16:25 , Barney DavisFrustration from Waspi women over the “deeply disappointing” decision of the UK Government not to offer compensation is justified, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said.
Speaking to STV News, Mr Sarwar said: “I can completely understand, and I believe I was one of the ones that campaigned with them, had photographs with them, I was right to do that, I was right to campaign with them.
“I continue to stand with them in the face of their injustice.
“I think where there is justified frustration is in the blanket no compensation position.”
Starmer wants football Bill passed ‘quickly’ amid new breakaway league attempt
Wednesday 18 December 2024 16:14 , Jabed AhmedSir Keir Starmer wants his Football Governance Bill to pass into law as quickly as possible to block a rebranded breakaway league.
The Bill will create an independent football regulator for the top five tiers of the men’s game.
“You heard him previously say that on his watch, there will be no Super League-style breakaway from English football,” the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.
“And as part of the strengthened Football Governance Bill, the regulator will be able to prevent English clubs from joining future breakaway competitions by taking into account factors such as sustainability, heritage and fairness.”
The original Super League was launched by 12 European clubs – including the Premier League’s “Big Six” – in April 2021 but quickly collapsed amid fan protests and opposition from the continental and global governing bodies.
Promoters A22 have have contacted Uefa and Fifa to seek official recognition for a new competition, the Unify League.
Sir Keir is eager for the Football Governance Bill to pass swiftly to prevent leagues such as the rebranded Unify League from seeking to break away, No 10 said.
Shadow minister says new government funding to councils ‘emptier than expected’
Wednesday 18 December 2024 15:58 , Jabed AhmedShadow local government minister David Simmonds said the Government’s festive funding announcement saw the gift for councils “emptier than expected”.
Speaking in the Commons on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Simmonds said: “The two wise men and wise woman of the Government have arrived bearing their gifts for local councils. But on closer inspection, while the gold is beautifully packaged, the box is somewhat emptier than what people have been expecting.
“It’s been a challenging few weeks for local government, we’ve heard the Government’s plans to take as much as they can of the local out of local government, and it’s clear that this statement today will leave our local authorities facing further challenges in doing the day job, and very significant uncertainty as we go into the new year.”
Mr Simmonds said town halls would still face increased costs caused by extra duties introduced by the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, and that the money to cover the rise in employers’ national insurance would not cover the £1.76 billion sum identified by the Local Government Association.
“As many of our councillors go away for their Christmas break and try and digest the detail of this with their Christmas lunch, they are going to be facing rumbling indigestion as they realise that their budget pressures are growing significantly,” he said.
“If this is fixing the foundations, I wouldn’t want to stay in the tent that’s the only thing this will hold up in our local authorities,” he added.
Government announces new funding to local councils
Wednesday 18 December 2024 15:44 , Jabed AhmedThe Government has announced new funding in an attempt to fix the “dire straits” of local government finances, including £700 million extra for councils.
Local government minister Jim McMahon said councils across the country are “in crisis” after 14 years of Conservative-led governments.
“I take the responsibility to lead this Government’s work to rebuild the sector with the seriousness that it’s due and also with the urgency that’s required,” Mr McMahon said. This work has already begun, and today marks a major milestone in our mission to rebuild local government and to put councils on a firmer financial footing.”
He added: “This is why today I am announcing over £700 million of additional grant. This includes over £200 million of extra funding for social care since the policy statement.”
Mr McMahon said £515 million would be given to councils to help them with the rise in employers’ national insurance.
He said: “Taken together, the additional funding made available at this settlement and the Budget delivers over £5 billion of new funding for local services over and above local council tax.”
He went on to say: “We must ensure that public investment is used too for long-term prevention and the reform of local public services, rather than expensive short-term crisis responses which we know often have much worsening outcomes. We are determined to end the cycle of failure that we have seen for too long. We will provide certainty by making sure that no authority will see a reduction in their core spending power after accounting for council tax flexibilities next year.”
