Wes Streeting defends Starmer’s non-antagonistic dealing with of Trump forward of PM giving proof to liaison committee
Good morning. It’s the final day the Commons is sitting earlier than the Easter recess, and Keir Starmer is giving proof to the liaision committee, the physique made up of all the opposite committee chairs. He’ll take questions on progress, on worldwide affairs and defence, and on welfare reforms and well being. These periods are sometimes higher at producing the anticipation of stories than they’re at producing precise headlines, however we all the time reside in hope. It’s not as if theren’t a lot of subjects to ask him about.
Wes Streeting, the well being secretary, has been giving interviews this morning. Many commentators (together with the Guardian’s John Crace) are more and more exasperated by Starmer’s willingness to speak about how the federal government will reply to the disaster that has hit the world buying and selling system with out showing to say something remotely crucial in regards to the individual accountable. Streeting spent various time this morning defending the PM’s non-antagonistic method. On the In the present day programme, Nick Robinson put it to Streeting that Starmer was “taking us for fools” by not saying that world commerce was working completely nicely till Trump, “the person [Starmer’s] been sucking as much as”, ripped it up. Streeting replied:
We’ve made no bones about the truth that we disagree with the choices being taken by the Trump administration in relation to tariffs. We don’t need to see a commerce conflict. The tariffs, even being at the most effective finish of the tariff regime, [are] nonetheless dangerous to British pursuits, which is why we’re working to safe an financial partnership …
However what the prime minister has been doing, opposite to those that most popular that he would take to Twitter or choose up placards, is exhibiting the cool, calm, level-headed management required, each to get the absolute best buying and selling relationship we are able to with the US, in addition to with our different buying and selling companions.
Graeme Wearden has the most recent on the financial response to the tariffs on his enterprise reside weblog. European markets are up a bit this morning.
Right here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: Keir Starmer chairs cupboard.
9.30am: Daniel Kebede, normal secretary of the Nationwide Schooling Union, holds a press convention forward of the NEU’s annual convention.
11am: Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay, the Inexperienced celebration’s co-leaders, launch the celebration’s native elections marketing campaign at an occasion in Kenilworth, Warwickshire.
11.30am: Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, takes questions within the Commons.
11.30am: Wes Streeting, the well being secretary, Sir James Mackey, chief govt of NHS England, and Sir Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, give proof to the Commons well being committee about NHS England.
Lunchtime: Kemi Badenoch is because of give interviews throughout an area elections marketing campaign go to.
2.30pm: Starmer provides proof to the Commons liaision committee.
3.30pm: Nigel Farage, the Reform UK chief, Richard Tice, his deputy, and Andrea Jenkyns, the celebration’s candidate for mayor of Higher Lincolnshire, go to the Scunthorpe steelworks.
I’m afraid that, for the following few weeks or months, on most days employees shortages imply that feedback will solely be open on the weblog between 10am and 3pm.
If you wish to contact me, please publish a message beneath the road, when feedback are open, or message me on social media. I can’t learn all of the messages BTL, however if you happen to put “Andrew” in a message geared toward me, I’m extra prone to see it as a result of I seek for posts containing that phrase.
If you wish to flag one thing up urgently, it’s best to make use of social media. You may attain me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X however particular person Guardian journalists are there, I nonetheless have my account, and if you happen to message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I’ll see it and reply if crucial.
I discover it very useful when readers level out errors, even minor typos. No error is simply too small to right. And I discover your questions very attention-grabbing too. I can’t promise to answer to all of them, however I’ll attempt to reply to as many as I can, both BTL or typically within the weblog.
Key occasions
Reeves tells MPs Financial institution of England governor has assured her ‘markets functioning successfully’ regardless of tariffs disaster
Within the Commons Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, is taking questions. Unusually, she opened with a mini assertion in regards to the Trump tariffs. It largely echoed what Keir Starmer stated in his speech yesterday, with Reeves saying the federal government would reply in a relaxed, pragmatic method, specializing in the nationwide curiosity but in addition conserving “nothing off the desk” by way of doable retaliation.
However Reeves additionally stated she had spoken to Andrew Bailey, governor of the Financial institution of England, this morning. She stated:
The US’ choice to impose tariffs has had and can proceed to have large implications for the world financial system.
These implications have been mirrored within the response that we’ve seen in international markets in latest days, which the monetary authorities have in fact been monitoring carefully.
This morning I spoke to the governor of the Financial institution of England, who has confirmed that markets are functioning successfully and that our banking system is resilient.
Half of Britons again retaliatory tariffs towards US, ballot suggests
Half of Britons (51%) assume the federal government ought to impose retaliatory tariffs on imports from the US, in accordance with polling by Extra in Frequent, a marketing campaign group. Final week, simply earlier than the Trump tariffs have been introduced, YouGov revealed figures suggesting 71% of Britons would favour retaliatory tariffs towards the US.
Yesterday YouGov additionally launched polling suggesting that solely round a 3rd of voters assume Keir Starmer and the federal government performed a major position in guaranteeing the US tariffs imposed on the UK are comparatively low.
Extra in Frequent has requested the identical query with barely totally different wording, and produced a consequence extra beneficial to Starmer and the federal government. Its figures counsel that nearly half of individuals assume the PM and his workforce have been not less than considerably liable for the UK getting a decrease tariff charge.
Denyer says Reform is “throwing the whole lot” on the native elections as a result of they assume they will benefit from individuals feeling let down by the Tories and Labour. She goes on:
However we’re right here to say that voters have one other selection, a constructive selection, as an alternative of one of many drained, previous events, or worse, a celebration that’s divisive, dishonest, in disarray, that wishes to tear issues down, not construct communities up, and has no monitor file of delivering.
Labour ‘are making decisions that improve poverty’, says Inexperienced at native elections marketing campaign launch
The Inexperienced celebration native election launch is going down now.
Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay, the 2 co-leaders, are speakign.
Ramsay says Labour have had 9 months to show themselves, “however they’ve failed at each flip”.
Denyer says postive change “simply isn’t occurring”. She says by reducing the winter gasoline cost, refusing to do away with the two-child profit cap, and reducing disabiltiy advantages, Labour “are making decisions that improve poverty”. She goes on:
Voters are telling us that this Labour authorities has been a crushing disappointment, unwilling to equip councils with what they should truly assist our communities.
So we all know that in these native elections, the place they’re nonetheless occurring, many individuals are on the lookout for one thing totally different.
Courtroom of attraction begins listening to Prince Harry’s problem over Residence Workplace choice about taxpayer-funded safety
The Duke of Sussex’s attraction towards the dismissal of his authorized problem over the extent of safety he’s given whereas visiting the UK has begun on the court docket of attraction, PA Media reviews. PA says:
Harry is difficult the dismissal of his excessive court docket authorized motion towards the Residence Workplace over the choice of the Govt Committee for the Safety of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) that he ought to obtain a distinct diploma of taxpayer-funded safety when within the nation.
Final 12 months, retired excessive court docket choose Sir Peter Lane dominated that Ravec’s choice, taken in early 2020 after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex give up as senior working royals, was not irrational or procedurally unfair.
The Residence Workplace, which has obligation for Ravec’s choices, is opposing the attraction, with its attorneys beforehand telling the excessive court docket that choices have been taken on a “case-by-case” foundation.
Harry was in attendance because the listening to started on Tuesday on the Royal Courts of Justice in central London.
The attraction, earlier than Sir Geoffrey Vos, Lord Justice Bean and Lord Justice Edis, is because of conclude tomorrow, with a call anticipated in writing at a later date.
There’s a reside feed right here.
Sir Philip Inexperienced loses authorized case towards UK over use of parliamentary privilege
Retail tycoon Sir Philip Inexperienced has misplaced a authorized case towards the UK authorities after complaining about being publicly named by Labour’s Peter Hain within the Home of Lords as going through misconduct allegations. Simon Goodley has the story right here.
Greens urge individuals disillusioned with ‘previous, drained events’ to again them in native elections
The Inexperienced celebration says it’s providing “constructive change” on the native elections to individuals fed up with the “previous, drained events”.
It’s formally launching its marketing campaign later this morning and, in accordance with extracts launched prematurely, Adrian Ramsay, the celebration’s co-leader, will argue that his celebration is doing nicely as a result of it’s providing voters one thing totally different.
He’s anticipated to say:
We all know that politics on this nation isn’t offering individuals with what they want – that disillusionment is excessive and morale is low. However up and down the nation Greens are making a distinction. We’re smashing by way of data getting an increasing number of hard-working councillors elected.
We’re taking votes from the previous, drained events to supply one thing totally different – the constructive change so desperately wanted.
In the meantime, Reform is making an attempt to make positive factors on the again of a weak and lacklustre political previous guard. It’s a celebration that makes use of the politics of worry to divide our communities. And whose insurance policies are explicitly designed to solely profit a small variety of the very richest individuals. Importantly for these native elections, Reform has no monitor file of delivering at any degree of presidency.
The launch is going down close to Warwick, the place the Greens run the council with Labour. Carla Denyer, the opposite Inexperienced co-leader, is predicted to say:
The over 800 Inexperienced councillors throughout England and Wales between them already signify thousands and thousands of individuals on this nation. They’re working onerous day-after-day to make a distinction for his or her communities, working all 12 months spherical on sensible options, not simply turning up on the doorstep when it’s election time.
Right here in Warwick the place we lead the council, we have now invested thousands and thousands into making council housing hotter and cheaper to run. In Mid Suffolk, one other Inexperienced run council, in a single 12 months we have now prevented lots of of individuals from turning into homeless.
The Inexperienced say they lead 14 councils in England and Wales, and are a part of working greater than 40.
Greater than 100,000 certificates that formally recognise child loss have been issued because the service was launched, the Division of Well being and Social Care has revealed. PA Media says:
Campaigners stated they’re “deeply moved by the overwhelmingly constructive response” to the child loss certificates scheme.
The voluntary service launched in February final 12 months, permitting dad and mom in England who had misplaced a child earlier than 24 weeks of being pregnant to acknowledge their child existed.
It initially solely included losses since September 2018, however was expanded in October to incorporate any mother or father who has skilled a loss earlier than 24 weeks, or 28 weeks if the loss occurred earlier than October 1992.
Streeting says he hopes course of for getting GP appointments to be ‘wildly totally different and improved’ by subsequent election
Wes Streeting, the well being secretary, has been giving interviews this morning partly to advertise an announcement in regards to the NHS in England hiring greater than 1,500 new GPs since October. In a information launch, the Division of Well being and Social Care says this has occurred due to a rule change launched by the federal government. It says:
When the federal government got here into workplace, pointless pink tape was stopping practices from hiring newly certified GPs, which means greater than 1,000 have been resulting from graduate into unemployment. On the identical time, there have been additionally 1,399 fewer absolutely certified GPs than a decade prior, exhibiting how years of underfunding and neglect had eroded GP companies.
The federal government minimize the pink tape and invested an additional £82m to permit networks of practices to rent the GPs, with the funding persevering with previous this 12 months because of the additional funding introduced on the price range.
In a bid to finish what it describes because the “8am scramble” on the telephone to make a GP appointment, the DHSC says it has additionally informed GP surgical procedures to permit sufferers to request appointments on-line, “releasing up the telephones for many who need to ebook over the telephone, and making it simpler for practices to triage sufferers primarily based on medical want”.
In an interview with LBC, requested when the “8am scramble” would finish, Streeting stated:
It’ll take time. We’ve simply truly performed a cope with GPs with a brand new contract, the primary time that’s occurred because the pandemic, and that may be certain that everybody in each a part of the nation can entry companies on-line, together with appointment reserving. So I believe that may assist.
However, finally, that is going to be a case of step-by-step, 12 months on 12 months, seeing an enchancment.
Requested once more when sufferers would discover the distinction, Streeting replied:
Let’s actually hope that, by the following normal election, individuals really feel that their expertise of accessing normal apply is wildly totally different and improved in comparison with once we got here in.
Trump’s tariffs may hit UK medication provide, Streeting warns
US tariffs may adversely have an effect on the availability of medicines to the UK, Wes Streeting, the well being secretary, has warned. Jamie Grierson has the story.
Wes Streeting defends Starmer’s non-antagonistic dealing with of Trump forward of PM giving proof to liaison committee
Good morning. It’s the final day the Commons is sitting earlier than the Easter recess, and Keir Starmer is giving proof to the liaision committee, the physique made up of all the opposite committee chairs. He’ll take questions on progress, on worldwide affairs and defence, and on welfare reforms and well being. These periods are sometimes higher at producing the anticipation of stories than they’re at producing precise headlines, however we all the time reside in hope. It’s not as if theren’t a lot of subjects to ask him about.
Wes Streeting, the well being secretary, has been giving interviews this morning. Many commentators (together with the Guardian’s John Crace) are more and more exasperated by Starmer’s willingness to speak about how the federal government will reply to the disaster that has hit the world buying and selling system with out showing to say something remotely crucial in regards to the individual accountable. Streeting spent various time this morning defending the PM’s non-antagonistic method. On the In the present day programme, Nick Robinson put it to Streeting that Starmer was “taking us for fools” by not saying that world commerce was working completely nicely till Trump, “the person [Starmer’s] been sucking as much as”, ripped it up. Streeting replied:
We’ve made no bones about the truth that we disagree with the choices being taken by the Trump administration in relation to tariffs. We don’t need to see a commerce conflict. The tariffs, even being at the most effective finish of the tariff regime, [are] nonetheless dangerous to British pursuits, which is why we’re working to safe an financial partnership …
However what the prime minister has been doing, opposite to those that most popular that he would take to Twitter or choose up placards, is exhibiting the cool, calm, level-headed management required, each to get the absolute best buying and selling relationship we are able to with the US, in addition to with our different buying and selling companions.
Graeme Wearden has the most recent on the financial response to the tariffs on his enterprise reside weblog. European markets are up a bit this morning.
Right here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: Keir Starmer chairs cupboard.
9.30am: Daniel Kebede, normal secretary of the Nationwide Schooling Union, holds a press convention forward of the NEU’s annual convention.
11am: Carla Denyer and Adrian Ramsay, the Inexperienced celebration’s co-leaders, launch the celebration’s native elections marketing campaign at an occasion in Kenilworth, Warwickshire.
11.30am: Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, takes questions within the Commons.
11.30am: Wes Streeting, the well being secretary, Sir James Mackey, chief govt of NHS England, and Sir Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, give proof to the Commons well being committee about NHS England.
Lunchtime: Kemi Badenoch is because of give interviews throughout an area elections marketing campaign go to.
2.30pm: Starmer provides proof to the Commons liaision committee.
3.30pm: Nigel Farage, the Reform UK chief, Richard Tice, his deputy, and Andrea Jenkyns, the celebration’s candidate for mayor of Higher Lincolnshire, go to the Scunthorpe steelworks.
I’m afraid that, for the following few weeks or months, on most days employees shortages imply that feedback will solely be open on the weblog between 10am and 3pm.
If you wish to contact me, please publish a message beneath the road, when feedback are open, or message me on social media. I can’t learn all of the messages BTL, however if you happen to put “Andrew” in a message geared toward me, I’m extra prone to see it as a result of I seek for posts containing that phrase.
If you wish to flag one thing up urgently, it’s best to make use of social media. You may attain me on Bluesky at @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social. The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X however particular person Guardian journalists are there, I nonetheless have my account, and if you happen to message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I’ll see it and reply if crucial.
I discover it very useful when readers level out errors, even minor typos. No error is simply too small to right. And I discover your questions very attention-grabbing too. I can’t promise to answer to all of them, however I’ll attempt to reply to as many as I can, both BTL or typically within the weblog.
