Starmer promises ‘immediate reset’ of relations with devolved governments as he starts four-nations tour
Good morning. On his second full day as prime minister, Keir Starmer is setting off on a tour around the UK intended to reset relations with the devolved governments. He will be in Scotland this evening, and then visiting Northern Ireland and Wales before returning to London and leaving for Washington on Tuesday to take part in the Nato summit. Talking about the four-nations tour at his press conference yesterday, Starmer said he wanted not just to meet the first ministers to discuss the challenges they face, but “to establish a way of working across the United Kingdom that will be different and better to the way of working that we’ve had in recent years”.
And in a statement issued overnight he said:
People across the United Kingdom are bound by shared beliefs. Fundamental values of respect, service and community which define us as a great nation.
And that begins today with an immediate reset of my government’s approach to working with the first and deputy first ministers because meaningful co-operation centred on respect will be key to delivering change across our United Kingdom.
Together we can begin the work to rebuild our country with a resolute focus on serving working people once again.
Last night Starmer announced a further set of ministerial appoinments, including giving minister of state jobs to two former cabinet ministers from the Blair/Brown era. Douglas Alexander, who has returned to the Commons as an MP, will be a business minister, and Jacqui Smith, who is getting a peerage, will be an education minister. Michael Savage has the details here.
Because of England’s victory in the Euros last night, there is less politics on the Sunday newspaper front pages than there might have been. But two of the papers that are splashing on Labour are also focusing on Blair-era figures.
The main story in the Sunday Times is based on an article written by Tony Blair urging Starmer to come up with a plan to control immigration.
And the Sunday Telegraph is splashing on a story saying Alan Milburn, the former health secretary, will have a role helping Wes Streeting, the new health secretary, reform the NHS.
The Observer is splashing on Starmer’s message to his cabinet yesterday.
The Mail on Sunday is splashing on a story about Starmer wanting to improve the Brexit deal with the EU – something he said repeatedly before the election he wanted to do.
And the Sunday Express has splashed on Starmer ending the Rwanda policy – something Starmer also promised.
Here is the agenda for the day.
8.30am: Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, is interviewed on Sky’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips. Nadhim Zahawi, the Tory former cabinet minister, and Simon Harris, the taoiseach (Irish PM) are also being interviewed.
9am: Reynolds is also interviewed on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. The other guests include Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, two potential candidates for next Tory leader (the former immigration minister Robert Jenrick and the former health secretary Victoria Atkins) and Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester.
4.30pm: Keir Starmer meets Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, in Scotland.
6pm: Starmer meets John Swinney, the Scottish first minister, at Bute House, his official residence, in Edinburgh.
We don’t have comments open at the moment, but hope to be able to turn them on later.
Key events
Reynolds says he is not supposed to pre-empt what will be in the king’s speech, but he says it is no secret that the government is going to prioritise its employment rights reforms.
Reynolds says he hopes to negotiate deal to save steel jobs at Port Talbot within weeks
Jonathan Reynolds is being interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg now.
Asked about Tata Steel and the future of its steelworksd in Port Talbot, Reynolds says he will be talking to the firm today.
Asked what he will offer the company, Reynolds says he will not reveal his position. But he says, in return for government support, the government will be setting conditions for the company.
He says job guarantees will be part of the negotiation.
Q: When are you going to be able to sort this out? You have had time to prepare?
Reynolds says this is a priority. The timescale is not a large one. But he will need a few weeks, he says.
Q: A few weeks?
Reynolds says there are due diligence issues to consider.
Michael Howard, the former Tory leader, is one of the guests on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. Asked about his party’s landslide defeat, he says governing parties all over the world are being punished. But he accepts that it contributed to its own defeat by some of the things it did. (He does no say what.) But he says he wants the new government to succeed, because “their successes will be our successes”.
It sounds like he has been rereading the letter George Bush wrote to Bill Clinton after Clinton beat him in the 1992 US presidential election – which is the model for a gracious message from a loser to a winner in politics.
Reynolds rejects claims Labour only won because Reform UK split rightwing vote
Q: Do you feel indebted to Nigel Farage for the size of your victory?
No, says Reynolds. He says he does not accept the argument that, if Reform UK had not been standing, all its votes would have gone to the Tories. He says Labour had to earn its victory. And that was a result of good leadership, he says.
And that is the end of this interview – but we are getting another dose of Reynolds on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg shortly.
Jonathan Reynolds rejects claim Labour does not have mandate because voting system gave it disproportionate number of MPs
Q: Is the PM having to bring back former ministers because the new MPs are not good enough?
Reynolds rejects that. He says it makes sense to use the expertise of people like Douglas Alexander, who is joining his team as a business minister.
Q: Two thirds of voters did not back Labour. Do you have the authority to carry through your changes. You have two thirds of MPs with one third of the voters.
Reynolds says you cannot say the system is unfair just because on side wins. Labour has a mandate to govern, he says.
And he says the smaller parties are subject to far less scrutiny.
Phillips shows a chart that illustrates his point.
Q: Is this system fair?
Reynolds says he has has set out his own views on this in the past. (He is referring to his previous support for proportional representation.)
But he suggests you cannot blame a party for fighting a campaign designed to win under the electoral system in place.
Phillips asks about Jonathan Ashworth losing his seats, and if the party is worried about losing the support of Muslim voters (an issue in Ashworth’s defeat).
Reynolds says Labour will always put country first, party second.
Q: Voters did not like you stance on Gaza?
Reynolds says there are people who have never seen a proper peace process in the Middle East. He says the UK can show real leadership on this issue.
Phillips says Simon Harris, , the taoiseach (Irish PM), told him in an interview recorded earlier that he thought EU leader would be willing to discuss improving the Brexit deal with the UK.
Reynolds says Labour would like to improve the deal, on issues like food and agricultural standards, or recognising professional standards, or making it easier for artists to tour around the EU.
Sky News is showing its interview with Jonathan Reynolds, recorded a bit earlier this morning.
Trevor Phillips starts by saying Tony Blair is already giving the new government advice. Blair’s Sunday Times article implies he thinks Labour does not have a plan for immigration, he says.
Reynolds says Blair only mentions immigration once in his article.
He says Labour does have a plan. It wants to link immigration policy to the needs of the Labour market.
Q: Blair thinks you don’t have a plan to control legal immigration. He favours ID cards. D you favour that?
Reynolds says he thinks legal migration needs to come down. It is right to recognise public concern about that, he says.
Q: Are digitial ID cards on the table as an idea?
Reynolds says Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, will look at options.
Q: Is this intervention from Blair unhelpful?
Reynolds says people with experience of government can offer invaluable advice.
Q: And you have Jacqui Smith and Alan Miliburn coming back?
Reynolds says the government will use experience where it is available.
John Swinney, Scotland’s first minister, has issued a statement saying that he is looking forward to meeting Keir Starmer later and that he welcomes what Starmer has said about wanting to improve London/Edinburgh relations. He said:
I was really pleased to have the opportunity to speak to the prime minister on his first day in office and to congratulate him and wish him, and his family well.
I look forward to welcoming the prime minister to Scotland where I hope to have constructive discussions with him on our shared priorities for the people of Scotland. This includes eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, prioritising net zero, and ensuring effective public services.
I welcome the prime minister’s commitment to forge a positive relationship between our governments and for our part, the Scottish government is committed to working constructively with the UK government to build a better Scotland.
Starmer promises ‘immediate reset’ of relations with devolved governments as he starts four-nations tour
Good morning. On his second full day as prime minister, Keir Starmer is setting off on a tour around the UK intended to reset relations with the devolved governments. He will be in Scotland this evening, and then visiting Northern Ireland and Wales before returning to London and leaving for Washington on Tuesday to take part in the Nato summit. Talking about the four-nations tour at his press conference yesterday, Starmer said he wanted not just to meet the first ministers to discuss the challenges they face, but “to establish a way of working across the United Kingdom that will be different and better to the way of working that we’ve had in recent years”.
And in a statement issued overnight he said:
People across the United Kingdom are bound by shared beliefs. Fundamental values of respect, service and community which define us as a great nation.
And that begins today with an immediate reset of my government’s approach to working with the first and deputy first ministers because meaningful co-operation centred on respect will be key to delivering change across our United Kingdom.
Together we can begin the work to rebuild our country with a resolute focus on serving working people once again.
Last night Starmer announced a further set of ministerial appoinments, including giving minister of state jobs to two former cabinet ministers from the Blair/Brown era. Douglas Alexander, who has returned to the Commons as an MP, will be a business minister, and Jacqui Smith, who is getting a peerage, will be an education minister. Michael Savage has the details here.
Because of England’s victory in the Euros last night, there is less politics on the Sunday newspaper front pages than there might have been. But two of the papers that are splashing on Labour are also focusing on Blair-era figures.
The main story in the Sunday Times is based on an article written by Tony Blair urging Starmer to come up with a plan to control immigration.
And the Sunday Telegraph is splashing on a story saying Alan Milburn, the former health secretary, will have a role helping Wes Streeting, the new health secretary, reform the NHS.
The Observer is splashing on Starmer’s message to his cabinet yesterday.
The Mail on Sunday is splashing on a story about Starmer wanting to improve the Brexit deal with the EU – something he said repeatedly before the election he wanted to do.
And the Sunday Express has splashed on Starmer ending the Rwanda policy – something Starmer also promised.
Here is the agenda for the day.
8.30am: Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, is interviewed on Sky’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips. Nadhim Zahawi, the Tory former cabinet minister, and Simon Harris, the taoiseach (Irish PM) are also being interviewed.
9am: Reynolds is also interviewed on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg. The other guests include Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, two potential candidates for next Tory leader (the former immigration minister Robert Jenrick and the former health secretary Victoria Atkins) and Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester.
4.30pm: Keir Starmer meets Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, in Scotland.
6pm: Starmer meets John Swinney, the Scottish first minister, at Bute House, his official residence, in Edinburgh.
We don’t have comments open at the moment, but hope to be able to turn them on later.
