Keir Starmer

A collection of 57 posts

Politics

Government approves large Chinese embassy near Tower of London after security assurances

Communities secretary Steve Reed has given permission for China to build a large new embassy near the Tower of London after security chiefs told him the risks to UK national security could be controlled, a decision that paves the way for Keir Starmer to visit Beijing in the coming weeks.

World

Starmer approves Chinese mega-embassy at Royal Mint Court in London

Prime Minister Keir Starmer approved construction of a large new Chinese embassy in the heart of London, officials said, rejecting objections that the project could facilitate spying. The approval, after months of delays and subject to technical conditions, allows China to proceed toward building on a 5.5-acre site near

Politics

Trump criticizes Britain’s transfer of Chagos Islands, embarrassing Starmer

On Jan. 20, 2026, President Trump accused Britain of "an act of great stupidity" for agreeing to end British sovereignty over the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean, a comment that the report said was a blow to Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s attempts to cultivate the president.

World

Trump calls UK Chagos deal 'an act of GREAT STUPIDITY' and reiterates Greenland claim

US president Donald Trump said the UK’s plan to cede sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius was “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY” and cited the decision as one of the reasons he has pressed for the United States to acquire Greenland, writing on Truth Social. In the Truth

Politics

Labour delays Hillsborough law until families reach agreement

Labour will not bring the Hillsborough law back to the Commons for debate until it can reach agreement with the families, the Guardian understands. Keir Starmer was forced to delay the bill after talks broke down last week with those affected by the Hillsborough disaster and the Manchester Arena attack.

Politics

Starmer plays down prospect of retaliatory tariffs on US over Greenland row

Keir Starmer has played down the prospect of retaliatory tariffs on the US after Donald Trump threatened fresh levies against Nato allies over Greenland. At an emergency press conference on Monday the prime minister said US tariffs would damage the British economy and were "in no one's

Politics

Starmer says Greenland’s future must be decided by Greenlanders; calls tariffs 'completely wrong'

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pushed back in London on President Trump’s threat of new tariffs over an effort to acquire Greenland, saying the island’s future must be decided by Greenlanders and the kingdom of Denmark and that Britain must “stand up for its values.” Mr. Trump, the

Politics

Decision due on China’s proposed London embassy after years of wrangling

A decision on China’s proposed mega embassy in London is expected on Monday or Tuesday, with Chinese officials and British diplomats in Beijing awaiting whether the planning application will finally be approved. The saga has been running since 2018. China paid £255m for the Royal Mint Court site near

World

Starmer tells Trump tariffs on Nato allies are wrong in Greenland dispute

Keir Starmer told Donald Trump he is wrong to threaten tariffs against Nato allies to try to secure Greenland, in a flurry of diplomatic calls intended to tackle the crisis. The prime minister spoke to the US president on Sunday, and also to Mette Frederiksen, the Danish PM, whose country’

Politics

U.K. will accept multiple digital IDs for right-to-work checks, officials say

The British government said Wednesday it will not require a single, mandatory digital identity card for workers, rolling back an earlier plan for a so‑called BritCard to be the only proof of the right to work in Britain. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had proposed the BritCard in September, presenting

Politics

Blunkett criticises Starmer over U-turn on mandatory digital ID

Independent.co reports Sir Keir Starmer’s U-turn on plans for mandatory digital ID has been criticised by former Labour home secretary David Blunkett, who made his remarks on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. Lord Blunkett said the government had failed to explain why the policy mattered, arguing “Very

Politics

Wes Streeting invites Jonathan Haidt to brief officials on under-16 social media ban

Health secretary Wes Streeting has invited Jonathan Haidt, a bestselling author and advocate of banning social media for under-16s, to address an event with staff, charities and MPs as he pushes for the UK to consider following Australia’s landmark ban. Haidt rose to prominence after writing Anxious Generation, in

Politics

Labour drops compulsory element of digital ID for right-to-work checks

Sir Keir Starmer has reportedly scrapped plans for a compulsory digital identity scheme for workers, Independent.co reports. The prime minister had said last year Labour would introduce a digital ID system that would be voluntary in most cases but mandatory for right-to-work checks, and in September he announced a

Politics

Labour to announce new Birmingham–Manchester rail link after HS2 cancellation

Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce plans to build a new railway line between Birmingham and Manchester, Independent.co understands, just over two years after Rishi Sunak cancelled the HS2 expansion in October 2023. Ministers are expected to set out the proposals as part of plans for new and

Politics

Leaked blueprints raise security concerns over China’s proposed Royal Mint embassy

According to Independent.co, the government is expected in the coming days to give the green light for Beijing to develop the former Royal Mint site near the Tower of London as a new ‘‘super-embassy’’. Full, unredacted blueprints published in the article show a 22,000 square-metre complex with a

Politics

Former Labour 'Twitter tsar' urges ministers to quit X after Grok image abuses

According to Independent.co, Kerry McCarthy, Labour’s first “Twitter tsar”, called X a “cesspit” and urged ministers and the Labour Party to leave the platform immediately after its AI tool Grok was repeatedly used to generate sexualised images of people without consent. On Monday Sir Keir Starmer issued an

Politics

MPs debate million-signature petition calling for immediate general election

Members of Parliament debated a petition calling for an immediate general election that garnered over one million signatures, Independent.co reported. Conservative former minister John Lamont said voters feel "utterly betrayed" by the Labour government, which has been in power for 18 months. Labour MP Patrick Hurley described

Politics

MPs clash in Westminster Hall over petition calling for immediate general election

Independent.co reports MPs clashed in Westminster Hall as they debated a petition titled Call an Immediate General Election that closed last month with 1,059,231 signatures and the line “We think the majority need and want change.” Leading the debate, Conservative former minister John Lamont said voters felt

Tech

Ofcom opens formal probe into X over Grok’s sexualized AI images

British regulator Ofcom has opened a formal investigation into X, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk, over the spread of artificially generated sexual images of women and children created by Grok, X’s artificial intelligence chatbot. Ofcom said it will consider whether X violated a law aimed at

Politics

2,400 remain jailed under abolished IPP sentences

Independent.co reports that about 2,400 people remain in overcrowded prisons serving indefinite sentences under the abolished imprisonment for public protection (IPP) regime, having originally been jailed for crimes such as theft. The IPP sentence was introduced by the last Labour government and intended by David Blunkett to be

Politics

Starmer set out his position on Greenland in phone call with Trump, Downing Street says

Independent.co reports Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer "set out his position on Greenland" during a phone call with Donald Trump on Wednesday evening, Downing Street has confirmed. Downing Street did not provide details of Sir Keir’s comments. The discussion followed suggestions from US officials that America

Politics

Badenoch challenges Starmer over Commons debate on Paris troop agreement

Independent.co reports that at Prime Minister’s Questions Kemi Badenoch pressed Keir Starmer on why he was not giving MPs a chance to question or immediately debate an agreement signed in Paris that could see British troops deployed to Ukraine as part of a peacekeeping operation if there is

Politics

UK‑France peacekeeping plan in Ukraine would need tens of thousands of troops, officials say

Independent.co reports that Sir Richard Shirreff warned the British and French agreement signed in Paris committing boots on the ground in Ukraine would require "serious numbers" of troops to face down Russia. Sir Richard, a former Nato deputy supreme allied commander, said any reassurance or enforcement force

Politics

Starmer says MPs will get Commons vote before UK peacekeepers go to Ukraine

Independent.co reports that Sir Keir Starmer said MPs will get a vote in the House of Commons before the UK deploys peacekeeping troops on the ground in Ukraine. He would not be drawn on the number the UK could send. Britain and France signed an agreement committing to boots

World

UK and France sign declaration to send forces to Ukraine if peace deal is reached

Independent.co reports that the UK and France have signed a declaration of intent to send forces to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced in Paris. Starmer said the countries would "create military hubs in Ukraine" after a ceasefire and