Keir Starmer

March 25, 2025 7:20 PM

Britain gives go-ahead to new $13 billion Thames tunnel

Britain gave the green light on Tuesday to a new 10-billion-pound ($13 billion) road tunnel for the River Thames in southeast England, in its latest backing for an infrastructure project to help revive a sluggish economy. The Labour government has put speeding up the planning process to deliver new energy and transport projects at the heart of its growth agenda since it was elected last year, backing expansion at London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports. "When I said I would back the builders, n...

March 3, 2025 9:19 AM

UK, European leaders join forces to draft Ukraine peace plan to take to US

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Sunday European leaders had agreed to draw up a Ukraine peace plan to present to the United States, a vital step for Washington to be able to offer security guarantees that Kyiv says are essential to deter Russia. At a summit in London just two days after Volodymyr Zelenskiy clashed with U.S. President Donald Trump and cut short a visit to Washington, European leaders offered a strong show of support to the Ukrainian president and promised to do mor...

February 28, 2025 10:01 PM

UK development minister quits over PM Starmer’s cut to aid budget

British international development minister Anneliese Dodds resigned on Friday in a surprise move triggered by Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision to slash the foreign aid budget in order to boost defence spending. Dodds' resignation comes a day after Starmer enjoyed one of the most successful days of his premiership in his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House, where they discussed a trade deal and the war in Ukraine. Days before, in a signal to Trump that Britain was ...

February 28, 2025 9:14 AM

Trump dodges plea from Britain’s Starmer for Ukraine security guarantee

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that a minerals deal with Ukraine is the security guarantee Kyiv needs against Russia, brushing aside a plea from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a commitment of U.S. military support. Starmer, who was meeting Trump at the White House for the first time since the U.S. leader took office, turned on the charm, saying peace in Ukraine had only become possible because of Trump. Starmer also delivered an invitation from King Charles for a future s...

February 24, 2025 7:38 PM

India, UK resume trade talks following G20 summit meeting

India and the United Kingdom have officially resumed negotiations for a trade deal, marking a significant step towards strengthening economic ties between the two nations. The announcement was made by India’s Commerce and Industry Minister, Piyush Goyal, and the UK’s Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Jonathan Reynolds, who is currently in Delhi. The decision follows discussions held between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the sidelines of the G20 ...

February 18, 2025 10:53 AM

Europe talks up more defence spending as Ukraine peacekeeper plan divides

European leaders meeting in Paris for emergency talks on Monday called for higher spending to ramp up the continent's defence capabilities but remained split on the idea of deploying peacekeepers to Ukraine to back up any peace deal. The leaders also agreed it would be dangerous to conclude a Ukraine ceasefire without a peace agreement at the same time, and that they were ready to provide security guarantees to Ukraine "depending on the level of American support," a European official said. "...

February 17, 2025 6:19 PM

UK offers peacekeeping troops to Ukraine ahead of Paris talks

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has become the first European leader to say he is ready to put peacekeeping troops in Ukraine, making the commitment ahead of an emergency leaders' meeting in Paris to discuss Europe's role in a ceasefire. Starmer's comments underlined a growing realization among European nations that they will likely have to play a larger role in ensuring Ukraine's security as Washington works alone with Russia on a potential end to the three-year conflict. Sweden would con...

November 19, 2024 9:21 AM

Britain-India free trade talks will launch in 2025; will seek ‘new strategic partnership’: Starmer

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced the relaunch of the stalled talks for a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India and said Britain will also seek a “new strategic partnership”. After his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G20 summit on Monday, Starmer said, “A new trade deal with India will support jobs and prosperity in the UK – and represent a step forward in our mission to deliver growth and opportunity across our country”. A statemen...

November 5, 2024 12:00 AM

English university fees to rise for first time since 2017 to try to fix funding crisis

The British government announced plans to raise the cost of university tuition fees for domestic students in England on Monday for the first time in eight years, in an attempt to improve the finances of many crisis-hit institutions. Nearly half of British universities are expected to record a loss this year because of a long freeze in the price of fees and a decline in lucrative overseas postgraduate students following an immigration crackdown by the last government. Education Minister Bridget...

August 5, 2024 11:29 AM

UK hit by worst riots in years; hotels used to house asylum seekers attacked

The United Kingdom is grappling with its most severe social unrest in over a decade as rioters targeted hotels housing asylum seekers in northern England on Sunday. The violence, which appears to have been sparked by the tragic stabbing deaths of three young girls in Southport earlier this week, has raised concerns about rising anti-immigrant sentiment and the spread of misinformation. Far-right groups have reportedly exploited the situation, propagating unfounded claims about the attacker's i...