UK Politics Breaking News: Keir Starmer’s approval rating plummets over winter fuel cuts ahead of Biden meeting

The latest health service review is a substantive, thorough and even radical undertaking, writes Sean O’Grady – but despite the huge impact of the 2016 referendum, it is not mentioned once.

A major defence review should prepare the UK to “prosecute the peace” to save lives, taxpayers’ cash and control migration, according to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Archbishop Justin Welby said the new government’s overhaul should develop “peacebuilding options” alongside war preparations to prevent conflict before it happens.

He said this would allow Britain to extend its influence, protect its interests and “prevent new waves of immigration”.

Speaking at a debate on Sudan, Mr Welby said he had heard reports from people encountering small boats crossing the strait that a “very high proportion” of people were arriving from the war-torn African country.

Sudan descended into conflict in April 2023 after months of worsening tensions escalated into open fighting between rival factions, including the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), fighting for control of the country.

Welby described Sudan as a “humanitarian catastrophe of extraordinary proportions” and said the “vast” use of humanitarian aid could only be a temporary solution.

He acknowledged the Foreign Office’s “hard work” in dealing with Sudan and stressed the British Government’s desire for a return to democratic civilian rule.

Mr Welby told the House of Lords: “But as we have seen elsewhere, peace with dictatorial regimes is better than no peace at all and I hope that we do not overreach ourselves to the point that we do not work to establish a ceasefire and the stability to allow civilians to take power.”

Ian Murray joked that Downing Street’s famous cat is “the most miserable animal you will ever meet in your life”.

The Labour minister made the remarks during an on-stage debate with business leaders at CBI Scotland’s annual dinner in Glasgow.

Mr Murray said the 37 Scottish Labour MPs who won the general election wanted to have their photograph taken with the Chief Mouser on their arrival in London, but that he had refused.

He said: “Downing Street called and we all walked down to Downing Street very excited because we knew it was inevitable that the Cabinet would, with a few exceptions, be a Shadow Cabinet. All we wanted to do was have a photograph taken with Larry the cat, not speak to the Prime Minister who was to be appointed.

“And let’s be clear, Larry the Cat is a bit of a motherfucker, which is why none of us took pictures with Larry the Cat.

“Larry the cat is the most miserable animal I’ve ever met in my life. It’s no surprise to me who he’s been living with for the last 10 years.”

Robert Jenrick has promised to put Nigel Farage and his party, Reform UK, “out of business” if he wins the Conservative leadership election.

The former immigration minister told GB News’ Chopper politics podcast: “I think the reforms are a symptom rather than a cause. They exist in their current form because the Conservatives failed.”

“We made promises and we didn’t keep them. What I want to do is put Nigel Farage out of business and make him irrelevant; bring reform voters into the Conservative Party and make my party the natural base of lowercase Conservative again. Because we will again be a party that stands for secure borders, immigration control, small business, entrepreneurship, defence reserves, families – all the things that drove me into politics.”

“I believe we can make it happen, and I believe I’m the right person to do it.”

Sir Keir Starmer defiantly glared down at threats of retaliation from Vladimir Putin as he flew to Washington DC to meet Joe Biden about the war in Ukraine.

The prime minister and the US president are believed to be seeking to allow Kiev to use Western long-range Storm Shadow missiles to open a new front in the war with Russia.

Our political editor, David Maddox, reports from Washington, DC.

Robert Jenrick called on the Conservatives to “stop making and breaking promises” if they want to win back voters.

He is one of four candidates remaining in the Conservative leadership race and said failing to deliver on his campaign promises had hurt the party electorally.

He resigned as immigration minister in 2023 in protest against what he considered Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda deportation plans to go too far.

Mr Jenrick told GB News: “I believe politics is teamwork and I have been a loyal defender of successive prime ministers and served their governments.”

“But as Minister for Immigration, I felt it was not in the national interest to say things I did not believe to be true and to perpetuate a cycle of broken promises.

“I never wanted to be just another minister making and breaking promises on immigration and I don’t want the Conservatives to continue making and breaking promises today because that’s why we lost.”

The Bank of England may pause interest rate cuts after warning it needs to be “careful” not to rush into any decisions amid lingering inflationary pressures.

Experts believe the Bank of England’s interest rate setting committee is likely to keep UK interest rates unchanged at 5% on Thursday.

The central bank cut interest rates from 5.25% in August, forcing through the first cut since 2020.

Governor Andrew Bailey said inflationary pressures had “easing sufficiently” to allow for a rate cut, but stressed that policymakers “must be careful not to cut interest rates too quickly or too much”.

UK Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation returned to the Bank’s target level of 2% in May and June, before rising to 2.2% in July.

ING economists said part of the caution could be explained by inflation in the services sector, such as hospitality and culture, which bank policymakers closely watch when estimating how much domestic prices are rising.

Services-only inflation stood at 5.2% in July, down from 5.7% the previous month but still above levels in the United States and the eurozone.

The committee expects a majority of committee members to vote to keep rates unchanged this month before accelerating the pace of cuts again in November.

“Despite the rate cut in August, the Monetary Policy Committee has signalled a more cautious stance on inflation risks and this trend is likely to continue in September,” said Sanjay Raja, senior economist at Deutsche Bank.

He also thinks the bank will keep rates unchanged on Thursday before cutting them again in November.