Sir Keir Starmer has hailed a “new era” in Britain’s relations with the EU as the Prime Minister visits Italy to tackle illegal migration.
Speaking in Rome, the Labour leader praised Italy “as a leader in Europe, on the world stage, as a G7 economy and a Nato ally”.
He added: “As we open what I think will be a new era in Britain’s relations with the EU, our close friendship and partnership with Italy, it is more important than ever for me to come so early on in my term as Prime Minister.”
It comes as Starmer has said he is “interested” in learning about Italy’s scheme to send migrants rescued at sea to Albania to process their asylum claims.
The pair have been discussing ways of reducing arrivals by sea.
The Italian premier told a press conference that she and Starmer had signed a joint communique including “very tangible, important points, and is evidence of the deep relation between our two countries.”
Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, has said the Government has a “moral imperative” to reduce small boat crossings.
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Diane Abbott slams Starmer over meeting with ‘fascist’ Meloni
Why is @starmer meeting with Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, a literal fascist, to discuss immigration? What does he hope to learn from her? pic.twitter.com/nThfvibxAV
— Diane Abbott (@HackneyAbbott) September 16, 2024
Starmer says his Government has returned to ‘British pragmatism’ on migration
Keir Starmer speaking to press in Rome
PA
Sir Keir Starmer has suggested he was more interested in Italy’s work preventing migrants from reaching the country than its Albania deal.
The Prime Minister claimed his Government had returned to “British pragmatism” on migration.
He said Italy’s reduction in unauthorised migrant numbers was “more likely attributable to the work that the prime minister (Giorgia Meloni) has done upstream”.
The Labour leader added: “I have always made the argument that preventing people leaving their country in the first place is far better than trying to deal with those that have arrived in any of our countries. I was very interested in that.
“In a sense, today was a return – if you like – to British pragmatism.
“We are pragmatists first and foremost. When we see a challenge we discuss with our friends and allies the different approaches that are being taken, look at what works, and that is the approach we have taken today, and it has been a very productive day.”
Giorgia Meloni said UK had shown ‘great interest’ in the Italian government’s migration deal
Giorgia Meloni
PA
The Italian premier told a press conference in Rome that she and Sir Keir Starmer had signed a joint communique including “very tangible, important points, and is evidence of the deep relation between our two countries.”
She said they had discussed the Albanian deal, adding: “The UK Government has shown great interest in this agreement.”
Meloni said they both want “to enhance this very good relationship between Italy and the UK” and “increase co-operation with the EU while of course respecting the post-Brexit rules”.
“I am very satisfied with this meeting today,” she added.
Tories call on Parliamentary Standards Commissioner to investigate into Starmer’s failure to declare donations
The letter, written by a Conservative MP to commissioner Daniel Greenberg, said: “In August it was then reported that Lord Alli had been given a temporary Downing Street security pass despite having no formal government role.
“It was reported that he had played an active role in selecting Cabinet (and other) appointments.
“It has now emerged that at the same time Sir Keir Starmer failed to declare a substantial gift of designer clothes, tailoring and a personal shopper bought for his wife by Lord Alli, both prior to the general election on July 4 2024 and following it.”
The letter also states: “There must be a full investigation into this scandal given this is not the first instance of the Prime Minister failing to declare donations and abiding by parliamentary rules.”
Starmer breaks silence on clothing donation row – ‘It is really important that the rules are followed’
Starmer and his wife Victoria stepping out in the sunshine
PA
Sir Keir Starmer could face a probe into a possible breach of parliamentary rules after initially failing to declare that some of his wife’s high-end clothes were bought for her by his biggest personal donor, Lord Alli.
Speaking in Rome, the Prime Minister said: “Let me shed a bit of light on this.
“It’s very important to me that the rules are followed. I’ve always said that. I said that before the election, I’ve reinforced it after the election.
“And that’s why, shortly after the election, my team reached out for advice on what declaration should be made so it’s in accordance with the rules.
“They then sought out for further advice more recently, as a result of which they made the relevant declarations.
‘But for me it’s really important that the rules are followed. That’s why I was very pleased my team reached out proactively, not once but twice, because it is very important that we have transparency, very important that you and others can see the rules are being followed.”
Government needs to take ‘an international approach to an international challenge’ on migration, says Downing Street
The Government needs to take “an international approach to an international challenge” on migration, Downing Street said amid concerns about the treatment of migrants in countries such as Tunisia.
There have been reports that some migrants have been abandoned in the North African nation.
Asked whether there were concerns about such reports, a Number 10 spokeswoman said: “Obviously we take that incredibly seriously and want to be working more closely with countries upstream.
“The principles that we’ll be following in everything that we do is that it is workable, affordable and in line with international humanitarian law.
“But it is vital that we stop people from starting these journeys, we’ve seen far too many deaths in the Mediterranean as well as the Channel.
“So it’s incumbent on us to take an international approach to an international challenge, to stop more lives being lost at sea, not just from the Channel, but also in the Mediterranean.”
Keir Starmer meets Italian Prime Minister in Rome
Keir Starmer arrives at Villa Doria Pamphilj in Rome, Italy
Reuters
Keir Starmer shakes hands with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni
Reuters
Victim of hammer-wielding attacker furious as Labour prison policy grants freedom after just six months
Claudia Bryan and her 70-year-old friend were attacked by a hammer-wielding man
GB News/ PA
The victim of a hammer-wielding attacker has urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to “rethink” Labour’s early release prison policy after being told that her perpetrator has been let out after a matter of months.
Claudia Bryan and her 70-year-old friend were caught up in a case of mistaken address when an Albanian man and his accomplices kicked down the door of their AirBnb in Kent.
Bryan was forced to escape from a two-storey window and call the police as the attacker held a hammer to her friend’s head.
Prime Minister ‘very worried’ about second attempted assassination of Donald Trump
Donald Trump previously arriving at courtREUTERS
Sir Keir Starmer has shared his reaction to the news of an apparent second attempted assassination of former US president Donald Trump.
The Prime Minister said: “I was very worried by the news about this attempt. Looks like an assassination attempt, very worried about it.”
“Obviously, there’s now an investigation going on so I won’t say much more about the details, but I think it is really important that we’re all very, very clear that violence has no part to play at all in any political process.
“So, deeply troubled. Let the investigation take its place. But absolute clarity: violence, no place in political discussion at all, anywhere.”
Starmer says Italy’s ‘dramatic’ reduction in migrants is down to ‘upstream work’
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer looks at screens showing the maritime traffic off the Italian coast during his visit to the National Coordination Centre in Rome
PA
The Prime Minister said Italy’s migrant scheme has helped create “dramatic reductions” following”upstream work that’s been done in some of the countries where people are coming from”.
When asked how Britain could replicate Italy’s Albania deal, the Sir Keir Starmer told broadcasters in Rome: “I’m here to have discussions, here at this co-ordination centre and with the prime minister (Giorgia Meloni) about how we deal with unlawful migration.
“Here there’s been some quite dramatic reductions. So I want to understand how that came about.
“It looks as though that’s down to the upstream work that’s been done in some of the countries where people are coming from.”
He added: “I’ve long believed, by the way, that prevention and stopping people traveling in the first place is one of the best ways to deal with this particular issue.
“So I am very interested to know how that upstream work went, looking, of course, at other schemes, looking forward to my bilateral with the prime minister this afternoon, but we’ve already got a shared intent to work together on this trade, this vile trade, of pushing people across borders.”
Home Secretary says deal with Albania is ‘very, very different’ from Rwanda scheme
Yvette Cooper
PA
Yvette Cooper insists that Italy’s planned third-country processing deal with Albania is a “a very, very different approach” to the Tory Government’s Rwanda deal.
The Prime Minister has said he is “interested” in learning about Italy’s scheme to send migrants rescued at sea to Albania to process their asylum claims.
“It’s very, very different. So the arrangement that they have in place – and look, it’s not working yet, so we don’t know how it will play out – but it is a very, very different approach,” the Home Secretary told Good Morning Britain.
“First of all, this is Italian processing taking place in Albania. It has UNHCR oversight, so it is being monitored to make sure that it meets international standards.
“It’s being done in cooperation between those two countries, and what they’re actually doing is looking at those people who arrive in Italy, who have come from predominantly safe countries, and they’re using it as a way to try and fast-track decisions and returns.
“Now we think there is another way we can fast-track decisions and returns for people who arrive from predominantly safer countries.
“We should be fast-tracking those cases. We should be making sure you don’t have people spending years in the asylum system, which ends up being hugely costly, hugely chaotic. That’s the system we’ve inherited.”
Sir Keir Starmer unveils new Border Security Commander to help ‘smash the gangs’
A Border Security Commander has been appointed to help Sir Keir Starmer ‘smash the gangs’
PA
A Border Security Commander has been appointed to help the Government “smash the gangs” behind the small boats crisis in the Channel.
The news comes following the deaths of eight men off the coast of France on Saturday night. Six people were taken to hospital, including a ten-month old baby.
Electric blanket sales SOAR after cut confirmed as Labour blasted for leaving pensioners ‘distressed’
Electric blanket sales appear to have increased following the ending of universal Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners
PIXELS/PA
Sales of electric blankets have soared across the UK in the immediate aftermath of Labour’s decision to means test the Winter Fuel Allowance, GB News can reveal.
John Lewis & Partners has told GB News it has seen a 173 per cent increase in the sales of heated blankets compared to the same time last year.
Analysis of internet search data conducted by this broadcaster indicates there was a sudden explosion in Google searches for electric and heated blankets across the UK from September 10.
Starmer on the economy: ‘We are taking the difficult decisions early on’
Starmer in Rome
PA
Sir Keir Starmer told Italian business leaders the Government is taking “the difficult decisions early” regarding the economy to create the conditions for more foreign investment.
Talking to representatives of companies at a breakfast meeting, he said he wanted a “low-friction relationship in terms of business,” adding: “The relationship between Italy and the UK is a good, strong, historic relationship. We are very close allies, obviously partners in the G7, partners in Nato, very strong bilateral relations.
“And I’m looking forward to seeing the prime minister (Giorgia Meloni) later on today.”
The new Prime Minister said the Government’s “top priority” is growth and wealth creation, which is “why we put so much focus on economic stability, making sure that we create conditions for you to be partners, to invest.”
He added: “You will be familiar with this in your businesses, if you’re turning around business, if you’re turning around the company, and you know there are difficult decisions to make, it’s better to do them early on.”
Sir Keir said his administration is “absolutely going to tackle issues like planning, which is holding up a lot of projects in the UK,” adding: “We want to make sure that this is a low-friction relationship in terms of business.”
Angela Rayner in stand off with Cabinet colleague over radical employment plans
Angela Rayner
PA
Angela Rayner is at odds with Cabinet colleagues over whether to give workers full employment rights from day one in their new job.
The Deputy Prime Minister has reportedly clashed with Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds over how far reforms should go, amid worries that changes could deter companies from hiring and stifle growth.
It is part of Labour’s wider push to overhaul workers’ rights within their first 100 days of government -which gives them now just a fortnight to reach an agreement.
Rayner wants staff to receive full employment rights, which includes protection against unfair dismissal, sick pay, and parental leave.
Currently, workers must be employed for at least two years to qualify for these rights.
Reynolds is understood to be in favour of shortening the period, however still wants a probation period of one year to be in place.
“Day one rights is proving very difficult,” a Whitehall source said. “Angela is less keen on a longer probation period, Reynolds thinks nine months is reasonable. It’s unclear if an agreement will be reached.”
Discussions about how the new probationary periods will work have been described as “intense”.