Starmer in £84 MILLION foreign aid bribe in plea to halt migrant crisis

Starmer set for crunch talks with Spanish PM Sanchez over Gibraltar

Sir Keir Starmer is set to hold talks with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez over Gibraltar.

The PM has reportedly discussed post-Brexit Gibraltar agreements at the European Political Community summit with his Spanish counterpart.

Spanish news agency EFE reports the pair have not yet set a date on the meeting.

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Starmer rejects 'pre-empting' US election results

Asked about the risk to support for Ukraine should Mr Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, win in November, the Prime Minister said: "Those elections will take place, it will be for the American people to decide who they want to elect into office and we will work with whoever is elected into office, as you would expect.

"That is what I mean about maturity and leadership, not just within Europe but more widely and, of course, with the US. And the special relationship that is there between the US and the UK was forged in the most difficult of circumstances, endured a very long time, and we are committed to it.

"I’ve expressed my commitment to President Biden and I spoke to President Trump on Sunday evening after the assassination attempt, where again the special relationship featured in our discussion."

Asked what a Trump victory would mean for Ukraine, he said: "I’m not going to pre-empt what may or may not happen later this year in relation to the election in America."

Sir Keir Starmer holds press conference at European Political Community summit

Sir Keir said the £84million would be: "A vital part of gripping the migration crisis and it shows how we’re going to do business on the world stage.

"We are facing up to the huge problems beyond our shores because these problems echo at home, the effects play out on our streets and in a dangerous world we serve no one and solve nothing by turning inward.

"We have to step forward and lead and that’s what we’re doing, that’s what we’ve shown here today because it’s the best way to uphold our values and keep our people safe."

Prime Minister says he will not commit to 'gimmicks'

Sir Keir Starmer said during a press conference at the summit: "We are going to deepen our cooperation on defence and security and on illegal migration, where we are resetting our approach and that’s been central today. We are going to smash the gangs, break their business model and secure our borders.

"We will do this, not by committing taxpayer money to gimmicks but with practical solutions that are in line with international law.

"As director of public prosecutions I saw the work that can be done across borders, to bring terrorists to justice and break up their networks and I simply do not accept that we can’t do the same with organised migration crime. And we started that work here today."

Sir Keir Starmer said he needed to extend a 'hand' to European friends

Sir Keir Starmer said the UK would not solve its problems if it did not have the “maturity and leadership” to extend “a hand to our European friends”.

In a press conference at the end of the European Political Community summit, the Prime Minister said: “It is not just a good idea to work with our partners, it’s essential.

“I said on the steps of Downing Street I would govern for the whole country, including those who didn’t vote for us, and I meant it.

“We can only make progress on the issues that so many people care about, like illegal migration and national security, if we have the maturity and leadership to reach out a hand to our European friends.”

No10 hails Italy's 'innovative' migrant deportation scheme... just days after Starmer scrapped Rwanda plan

Downing Street has hailed Italy's "innovative" deal to send migrants to Albania for processing - just days after Sir Keir Starmer scrapped the UK's Rwanda asylum plan

Sir Keir Starmer and his Albanian counterpart Edi Rama discussed the scheme as well as security at the European Political Community (EPC) summit at Blenheim Palace today.

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‘Boats will keep coming!’ MPs slam Starmer as Macron concedes ‘no silver bullet’ for Channel crossing crisis

Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to stop the boats has been dealt a major blow after French President Emmanuel Macron conceded there is “no silver bullet” to halt the Channel crossing crisis.

The Prime Minister, who scrapped Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda plan after winning the 2024 General Election, faced criticism from MPs over his own proposed move.

Starmer is hoping to “reset” continental relations to help curb Channel crossings, with more than 1,000 arriving on British shores since July 4.

GB News has spoken to a number of MPs who have expressed concerns about Starmer’s proposal as the Prime Minister meets European leaders at Blenheim Palace.

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Keir Starmer congratulates Ursula von der Leyen on re-election

Sir Keir Starmer has congratulated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on her re-election.

In a social media post, the Prime Minister said: "Congratulations Ursula von der Leyen on your re-election as President of the EU Commission.

"I look forward to working closely with you to reset the relationship between the UK and the European Union."

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Starmer issues warning over 'new storm' brewing as he urges EU to work with him

Sir Keir Starmer has warned a "new storm" is gathering over Europe as the continent's leaders gather at Blenheim Palace today.

The Prime Minister said: “It [Blenheim Palace] is of course the birth place of Winston Churchill and we stand for the values that he embodied around the world: liberty and democracy, yes of course, but also defiance and resolve in their defence.

“And today as a new storm gathers over our continent we choose to meet it in that same spirit and we choose to meet it together.”

Starmer also stressed the UK will support Ukraine "for as long as it takes".

However, French President Emmanuel Macron stopped short of making any firm commitments about ending the Channel crossing crisis.

He said: "There is no silver bullet because we do know the situation. We do our best. We did improve the situation during the past few years."

Macron added: "I think we do our best and we did increase our forts. It is obviously always a very delicate humanitarian situation so our willingness is constantly to improve the situation."

Starmer takes snap with European leaders at Blenheim Palace

Keir Starmer has been pictured posing with European leaders at Blenheim Palace.

Covid inquiry publishes first damning report as 10 changes demanded from ministers

The UK was "ill prepared" for the outbreak of Covid and planned for the wrong type of pandemic in the years before the worldwide outbreak, the damning first report of the Covid Inquiry has found.

Publishing her 240 page assessment of the UK's preparedness for the pandemic, the Covid-19 Inquiry's Chair Baroness Heather Hallett said the health emergency plans suffered from "several significant flaws."

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Starmer warns Putin's threat 'reaches right across Europe'

Sir Keir Starmer has warned Russia's threat "reaches right across Europe".

Speaking to leaders attending the European Political Summit, the Prime Minister said: “Let’s be frank, challenge is the wrong word.

"It is now, I think, a crisis. As we speak, as we gather here, a criminal empire is at work in every country represented here today, profiting off human misery and desperation, prepared to send infants, babies, pregnant mothers, innocent people to their deaths.

“And last week four more souls, and actually last night another one, were lost in the waters of the English Channel, a chilling reminder of the human cost of this vile trade.”

Civil Service quietly removes 'political attack' against Liz Truss after former PM left furious at lack of impartiality

The Civil Service has been forced to update its background briefing notes attached to the King's Speech after former Prime Minister Liz Truss complained it represented a "flagrant breach" and was a "political attack".

Truss, who lost her South West Norfolk seat to Labour with a swing of 26.2 per cent, sent a letter to Cabinet Secretary Simon Case from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

She said: "It has been brought to my attention that the King's Speech background briefing notes published today and available online contain repeated references personally to me and actions undertaken by my Government in the context of a political attack."

She added: "I regard it as a flagrant breach of the Civil Service Code, since such personal and political attacks have no place in a document prepared by civil service - an error made all the more egregious when the attack is allowed to masquerade in the document among 'key facts'."

Truss concluded her brief letter by requesting Case investigate the references and remove "such political material" from the King's Speech document.

The original 106-page briefing note, which has been updated, set out the aims for the 40 bills presented by King Charles on behalf of Sir Keir Starmer's Government.

However, the description of the Budget Responsibility Bill said it was “intended to capture and prevent those announcements that could resemble the disastrous Liz Truss mini-budget”.

Key facts attached to the Budget Responsibility Bill's description claimed the mini-budget would have cost £48billion a year by 2027/28, adding: "[It] damaged Britain's credibility with international lenders."

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “The Cabinet Secretary has responded to Liz Truss and directed for these references to be removed from the document. They have now been corrected and updated.”

Emmanuel Macron all smiles with Keir Starmer after Olaf Scholz arrives

French President Emmanuel Macron has been pictured laughing with Sir Keir Starmer shortly after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived at Blenheim Palace.

Zelensky arrives at summit and praises UK for assisting Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has arrived at Blenheim Palace to attend the meeting of the European Political Community.

Zelensky will later meet with Sir Keir Starmer for a bilateral meeting.

Speaking to broadcasters, the Ukrainian President said: “We will have a meeting.

"I count on his support because really the UK demonstrated leadership from the very beginning of Russian attacks.”

Starmer must get new Brexit deal to bring international investment back to UK, ex-Trump aide says

Sir Keir Starmer must get a new Brexit deal to bring international investment back to the UK, a former Donald Trump aide has claimed.

Anthony Scaramucci, who served as Trump's White House communications chief for just 11 days, said: "I will just give you my observation as an economist.

"The UK made the decision to leave the EU in Brexit. If you look at the data, it didn’t help the country - I don’t see any data which suggests it has helped the country.

"It certainly didn’t help London in terms of being the financial services capital of the world."

Speaking to Sports Talk Philly, he added:"Financial services companies have been moving to the continent as a result and it’s an issue which needs to be redressed.

"I’m not saying that they should look to re-enter the EU, that ship has maybe sailed. But you need to come up with a trade deal that is EU-lite in terms of its favorability, the Tories weren’t going to bring you that.

"I think Sir Keir Starmer has a better chance of bringing around that kind of deal, which would improve the economic outlook for the United Kingdom.

"Does he have the goods to bring in investors? I would say that the jury is probably out on that and people should wait for the next 6-12 months before they make a decision on that.

"If he cut a deal with the EU, one which was EU-light, without being actually in the EU, I think it would actually help the country and create a lot more international capital formation inside the country."

Viktor Orban arrives at Blenheim Palace for European summit

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has arrived at Blenheim Palace for today's summit of European leaders.

Orban met with Sir Keir Starmer on the steps outside Winston Churchill's birthplace shortly after 10am.

Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris has been welcomed by Sir Keir Starmer to the European Political Community summit at Blenheim Palace.

The Prime Minister met his Irish counterpart at Chequers yesterday.

Starmer and Harris discussed a number of issues, including Northern Ireland's post-Troubles legacy.

Starmer greets Brussels bigwig at European Political Community summit

Sir Keir Starmer has been photographed greeting Council of Europe secretary general Marija Pejcinovic Buric at Blenheim Palace.

The Prime Minister is meeting around 45 European leaders today, with migration high on the agenda.

Starmer vows Brexit 'challenge' is in the past as he 'seizes moment' at crunch summit to agree new migration pact

Sir Keir Starmer vowed the "challenges of the recent past" would not impact Britain's future EU relationship as he seeks to use a new summit to agree an EU migration deal.

It comes as the Prime Minister is set to announce the redeployment of more than 100 Home Office staff from the Migration and Economic Development Partnership (MEDP) and redeploy them to a new rapid returns unit.

Starmer will host leaders from across Europe at the European Political Community summit today at Blenheim Palace.

The Labour leader is also pledging to help lead the Europe-wide effort to combat organised immigration crime, and the people smuggling gangs trading in human lives, in co-operation with and individual member states.

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Lammy refuses to 'show hand' ahead of EU talks as Starmer vows to 'smash gangs'

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has refused to say what the Labour Government intends to secure ahead of a meeting with EU leaders later today.

Lammy told Sky News: “We have said that we will have discussions with Europe on the European Union. We have not got a commission, they had elections last month, they won’t have a commission in place until December.

“So I am afraid I can’t tell you what our negotiation lines will be and it would be silly to do that because I would be showing our hand.”

He added: “I am not able to tell you what the position will be with Europe because we haven’t actually got a commission to discuss or negotiate with at this time.”

During the general election campaign, Labour vowed to "improve" the UK's post-Brexit trade deal.

However, Sir Keir Starmer repeatedly ruled out a return to the single market and customs union.

Ahead of the meeting at Blenheim Palace this morning, the Prime Minister simply said: "I said we will smash the criminal gangs. I meant it. Grown-up politics, in the service of working people, is back."

Sunak could have delivered that King's Speech, Rees-Mogg fumes

Rishi Sunak could have delivered the King's Speech put forward by Sir Keir Starmer's Government, ex-Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg has fumed.

Rees-Mogg, who lost his North East Somerset & Hanham seat on July 4, said: “We’ve got a newly appointed Leader of the Opposition in the form of Rishi Sunak, who has virtuously declared that he will not oppose the Government’s agenda for the sake of opposing.

“But what is the point of the Opposition, particularly when the King’s Speech could have been delivered with a Conservative Government?

“There are only one or two things that weren’t in the Conservative manifesto.”