Do not expect any parties in Downing Street to celebrate the government’s first birthday on Friday (4). After a rocky year, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer had more than a few regrets when giving interviews about his first year in office.
He explained that he chose the wrong chief of staff. That his opening economic narrative was too gloomy. That choosing the winter fuel allowance as a symbol of fiscal responsibility backfired. Starmer ‘deeply regretted’ the speech he gave to launch his immigration white paper, from which only the phrase ‘island of strangers’ cut through. Can any previous political leader have been quite so self-critical of their own record in real time?
This unconventional approach could be a reminder of Starmer’s best quality: that he is the antithesis of US president Donald Trump. Trump has a narcissistic need to be the main character, a hyperactive addiction to conflict, the attention span of a toddler and no interest in policy substance beyond the television and social media optics. So Trump is the disruptor in chief of global trade, security and the US constitutional order. Given a binary choice, it is infinitely better to have the serious sobriety of Starmer, trying to cooperate with allies to limit Trump’s chaotic contributions to increased insecurity.
Yet, it is a contrast that could be taken too far. Trump realises that politics is about what you say as well as what you do. What Starmer is palpably still missing is a clear public story of what his government is for. This was partly a matter of choice. A gritty public mood has little appetite for new visions, unless shown tangible progress first. It reflects the taciturn character of the leader too. Yet the issue is not simply one of communication. The challenge of finding a narrative reflects uncertainty about the strategic direction of the government.
Judged by its actions, this is a centre-left government. It has made many decisions that the previous Conservative government would not have taken. It changed the fiscal rules, borrowing much more for investment. Despite the constraints of its manifesto pledges on most taxes, it did raise taxes so as to have more to spend on the NHS, and on housebuilding. The government is committed to higher defence spending, and also to net zero, to closer UK-EU relations, within the ‘red lines’ which Labour set out, as it takes care to check if it can take the public with it. It will work with multilateral institutions, rather than quitting treaties and conventions. If this is a centre-left government in its deeds, it may prefer to self-identify as something else, without quite managing to articulate what that is.
So this has been a very tactical government, which has changed its mind about most of its tactical choices. The Comprehensive Spending Review was intended as a reset moment, in giving the government clearer priorities, though it has been challenging to make the numbers add up. But the parliamentary rebellion over its welfare bill could prove a more significant turning point. A government which won a landslide had lost its majority once 125 of its MPs - a majority of the backbench - declared they were unable to pass a government bill without a significant change. This was about the substantive impact of heavy income losses for disabled people - and the lack of a rationale beyond saving money. This rebellion is also about the political strategy of the government. Much of the parliamentary group seem diminishing returns in actively picking fights with progressives who Labour will need to keep the populism of Reform leader Nigel Farage out.
Can Starmer fix his government? The prime minister is 62 years old. He cannot change his personality or working style, not metamorphosis into a visionary speech-maker. There is little point in advisers inventing hypothetical strategies - such as choosing to present Starmer as a radical insurgent, rather than the sober incumbent, which cannot fit with the prime minister they have got, and his gradualist agenda for long-term change. Yet Starmer could use his evident capacity for self-reflection to identify feasible changes. He needs to repair how his Downing Street operation makes decisions - and now knows that backbench support is not unconditional.
Facing a fragmented opposition, Labour’s chances of re-election in four years time may be underestimated. Yet most of Labour’s tactical mistakes have come from trying to run a permanent election campaign in government, four years early. The government needs to govern to generate the substantive record and future agenda it would defend from the populist right in 2029. Australia's Anthony Albanese, who faced many similar criticisms to Starmer, bounced back to get re-elected, though the Canadian Liberals changed leaders to defeat the right. How many years Starmer has left in Downing Street is anybody’s guess. This time next year, he would need a stronger story to tell.
Sunder Katwala is the director of thinktank British Future and the author of the book How to Be a Patriot: The must-read book on British national identity and immigration.
UK's unemployment rate stayed at a four-year high in the three months to June, official data showed on Tuesday, with job vacancies falling during a period that included a UK tax increase and new US tariffs.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the rate was 4.7 per cent, unchanged from March-May, when it reached the highest level since June 2021.
The slowdown in the labour market comes after a business tax rise, announced in the Labour government’s first budget, took effect in April. Analysts had warned the change would likely lead companies to reduce hiring.
April also marked the start of a baseline 10 per cent tariff on the UK and other countries introduced by US President Donald Trump.
"These latest figures point to a continued cooling of the labour market," said Liz McKeown, ONS director of economic statistics.
"The number of employees on payroll has now fallen in ten of the last twelve months, with these falls concentrated in hospitality and retail," she said.
The data showed a small drop in company headcount while wage growth, excluding bonuses, remained steady amid persistent price pressures.
Job vacancies fell by 44,000 in the three months to July to 718,000 — the lowest since April 2021. The ONS said there were signs some firms were not recruiting or replacing departing staff.
"The impact of changes to employer costs in the 2024 Autumn Budget continues to be felt, as well as the ongoing uncertainty in global markets as a result of tariffs," said Joe Nellis, economic adviser at MHA.
"These factors have dampened business confidence and thus recruitment," he said.
Last week, the Bank of England cut its key interest rate by a quarter point to 4 per cent in an effort to support the economy, which is under pressure from US tariffs.
"It's touch and go as to whether there will be a (rate) cut in November but December is looking a bit more likely," said Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown.
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Donald Trump and Narendra Modi shake hands as they attend a joint press conference at the White House on February 13, 2025. (Photo: Reuters)
INDIA expects trade discussions with the United States to continue despite Washington raising tariffs on its exports to 50 per cent over New Delhi’s purchase of sanctioned Russian oil, two lawmakers said on Monday, citing a briefing to a parliamentary panel on foreign affairs.
Last week, US president Donald Trump imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on Indian goods because of India’s continued purchase of Russian oil. This brought the total duty on Indian exports to 50 per cent, among the highest for any American trading partner.
“Our relations with the US are multi-dimensional, and should not be seen only through the prism of trade,” one lawmaker said, quoting the foreign secretary’s briefing to the panel.
Panel chair Shashi Tharoor, an opposition Congress party leader, said trade talks would proceed as planned.
“As of now, there is no change in the existing plans for the sixth round,” Tharoor said, referring to a scheduled visit of a US trade delegation to New Delhi from August 25.
Earlier, junior finance minister Pankaj Chaudhary told lawmakers that about 55 per cent of India’s merchandise exports to the United States would be covered by the new tariff. His estimate included the initial 25 per cent levy, he said in a written reply to a lawmaker.
“The Department of Commerce is engaged with all stakeholders” for their assessment of the situation, Chaudhary said.
Goods trade between the United States and India was worth about $87 billion in the last fiscal year, according to Indian government estimates.
The panel also discussed reported remarks by Pakistani army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on nuclear threats in South Asia during a visit to the United States.
“Nuclear blackmail will not work with India, and no party, or representative disagrees with this view,” Tharoor said, adding that the external affairs ministry had condemned the comments.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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Security personnel stand beside a poster of Pakistani Army Chief General Syed Asim Munir, during a rally to express solidarity with Pakistan's armed forces, in Islamabad on May 14, 2025. (Photo: Getty Images)
INDIA on Monday accused Pakistan of “nuclear sabre-rattling” and “irresponsibility” after media reports quoted Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir as making threats of nuclear conflict during a visit to the United States.
According to reports, Munir told a gathering in Tampa, Florida: “We are a nuclear nation. If we think we are going down, we will take half the world down with us.” The remarks were reportedly made on August 10 at a black-tie dinner hosted by a Pakistani-origin businessman, attended by more than 100 people. Reuters could not independently verify the comments, and excerpts of Munir’s speech shared by Pakistani security officials did not include the “nuclear nation” line.
Munir, who is on an official visit to the US, also told the Pakistani diaspora that Kashmir was the “jugular vein” of Pakistan and “not an internal matter of India but an incomplete international agenda”. He said Pakistan would not forget the issue of Kashmir and asserted that any Indian aggression would be met with a “befitting reply”.
In his address, Munir said, “The (Indian) aggression has brought the region to the brink of a dangerously escalating war, where a bilateral conflict due to any miscalculation will be a grave mistake.” He claimed Pakistan had responded “resolutely and forcefully” during the recent conflict with India and warned that Islamabad would target Indian infrastructure if New Delhi restricted water flow to Pakistan.
The Pakistani army said Munir attended the retirement ceremony of outgoing US Central Command chief General Michael E Kurilla and met senior US military officials, including Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine. He also engaged with Pakistani community members, urging them to contribute to attracting investment to Pakistan.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said: “Nuclear sabre-rattling is Pakistan’s stock-in-trade. The international community can draw its own conclusions on the irresponsibility inherent in such remarks.” The ministry added that it was “regrettable that the reported remarks should have been made while in a friendly third country” and reiterated that India would not give in to nuclear blackmail.
The Congress party also condemned Munir’s statements, calling them “dangerous, provocative, and totally unacceptable.” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh criticised the US for extending special treatment to Munir, noting his earlier visit to the White House for a luncheon hosted by President Donald Trump in June. “It is bizarre that the US establishment is giving such a man such special treatment,” Ramesh said.
India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed, have fought multiple wars and most recently clashed after a May attack on tourists in Indian Kashmir that killed 26 civilians.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Foreign national offenders make up around 12 per cent of the UK prison population. (Photo: Getty Images)
INDIA is among 15 countries added to the UK’s expanded “Deport Now, Appeal Later” scheme, under which foreign criminals will be deported to their home countries before they can appeal against convictions. The UK government said on Sunday the number of countries in the scheme will rise from eight to 23.
Foreigners who have had their human rights claim refused will be able to join appeal hearings remotely from overseas using video technology, the Home Office said.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she plans to change the law so that most foreign criminals are deported immediately after receiving a prison sentence.
Foreign national offenders make up about 12 per cent of the prison population, and the move could save money, according to Mahmood.
The Home Office said almost 5,200 convicted criminals with foreign passports have been removed since July 2024, a 14 per cent increase over the previous year.
The scheme previously covered nationals from Tanzania, Finland, Estonia, Belize, and four other countries. It will now also include India, Angola, Australia, Botswana, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Guyana, Indonesia, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Uganda and Zambia.
The government said talks are continuing with other countries to join the programme.
“For far too long, foreign criminals have been exploiting our immigration system, remaining in the UK for months or even years while their appeals drag on,” Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said.
“That has to end. Those who commit crimes in our country cannot be allowed to manipulate the system,” she said.
The Ministry of Justice said most foreign prisoners can now be deported after serving 30 per cent of their sentence, down from 50 per cent, with discretion retained on a case-by-case basis. Offenders deported under this law will be barred from re-entering the UK.
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Police officers detain a protester during a rally organised by Defend Our Juries, challenging the British government's proscription of "Palestine Action" under anti-terrorism laws, in Parliament Square, in London, Britain, August 9, 2025. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
POLICE in London arrested 466 people Saturday (9) for supporting Palestine Action at the latest and largest protest backing the group since the government banned it last month under anti-terror laws.
The Metropolitan Police said it had made the arrests, thought to be one of the highest number ever at a single protest in the UK capital, for "supporting a proscribed organisation".
It also arrested eight people for other offences including five for alleged assaults on officers, though none were seriously injured, it added.
The government outlawed Palestine Action in early July, days after it took responsibility for a break-in at an air force base in southern England that caused an estimated £7 million ($9.3m) of damage to two aircraft.
The group said its activists were responding to Britain's indirect military support for Israel amid the war in Gaza.
Britain's Home Office reiterated ahead of Saturday's protests that Palestine Action was also suspected of other "serious attacks" that involved "violence, significant injuries and extensive criminal damage".
But critics, including the United Nations and groups such as Amnesty International and Greenpeace, have condemned the move as legal overreach and a threat to free speech.
A group called Defend Our Juries, which organised Saturday's protests and previous demonstrations against the ban, said "unprecedented numbers" had risked "arrest and possible imprisonment" to "defend this country's ancient liberties".
"We will keep going. Our numbers are already growing for the next wave of action in September," it added.
Attendees began massing near parliament at lunchtime bearing signs saying "oppose genocide, support Palestine Action" and other slogans, and waving Palestinian flags.
Psychotherapist Craig Bell, 39, was among those holding a placard. For him, the ban was "absolutely ridiculous".
"When you compare Palestine Action with an actual terrorist group who are killing civilians and taking lives, it's just a joke that they're being prescribed a terrorist group," he said.
As police moved in on the demonstrators, who nearly all appeared to offer no resistance, attendees applauded those being arrested and shouted "shame on you" at officers.
"Let them arrest us all," said Richard Bull, 42, a wheelchair-user in attendance.
"This government has gone too far. I have nothing to feel ashamed of."
However, interior minister Yvette Cooper insisted late Saturday Palestine Action had been outlawed "based on strong security advice" and following "an assessment from the Joint Terrorism Assessment Centre that the group prepares for terrorism".
"Many people may not yet know the reality of this organisation," she said, adding it "is not non-violent".
"The right to protest is one we protect fiercely but this is very different from displaying support for this one specific and narrow, proscribed organisation."
Police forces across the UK have made scores of similar arrests since the government outlawed Palestine Action on July 5, making being a member or supporting the group a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
Police announced this week that the first three people had been charged in the English and Welsh criminal justice system with supporting Palestine Action following their arrests at a July 5 demo.
Seven people have so far been charged in Scotland, which has a separate legal system.
Amnesty International UK chief executive Sacha Deshmukh wrote to Met Police chief Mark Rowley urging restraint be exercised when policing people holding placards expressing support for Palestine Action.
"The arrest of otherwise peaceful protesters is a violation of the UK's international obligations to protect the rights of freedom of expression and assembly," Amnesty said on X.
A UK court challenge against the decision to proscribe Palestine Action will be heard in November.