PM announces inquiry into grooming gangs after resisting calls for probe
Sir Keir Starmer will launch a statutory inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal after resisting calls for months to implement a full national probe.
The Prime Minister said he had read 'every single word' of an independent report into child sexual exploitation by Baroness Louise Casey and would accept her recommendation for the investigation.
The Government has for months held off launching a statutory probe, saying its focus was on implementing the outstanding recommendations already made in a seven-year national inquiry by Professor Alexis Jay, which found institutional failings and tens of thousands of victims across England and Wales.
But speaking to reporters travelling with him on his visit to Canada, the Prime Minister said: 'From the start I have always said that we should implement the recommendations we have got because we have got many other recommendations… I think there are 200 when you take all of the reviews that have gone on at every level and we have got to get on with implementing them.'
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30 minutes ago
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Starmer resists recognising Palestinian state as unions' demand deepens Labour split
Sir Keir Starmer has indicated he will not agree to recognise a unilateral Palestine as a state, as a civil war over the issue threatens to erupt in his party. With tensions mounting in the Middle East, given the ongoing blockade of Gaza by Israel and the region on the brink of all-out war between Israel and Iran, Sir Keir made it clear that the UK government will not budge. The prime minister said: 'Our position on recognition of Palestine as part of the process hasn't changed for us. I hold very strongly to the belief that the only long-term solution to the conflict in the Middle East is a two-state solution. However hard that may seem at the moment in the current circumstances, that is the only way to peace. So that continues to be our position.' His comments came as the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Labour's biggest financial backer, issued a joint statement with its Canadian and French counterparts calling on the UK government to change its position. It makes three demands, including recognising Palestine's statehood. They are calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and for the government to ensure the Israeli government meets its obligations under international humanitarian law. The statement said: 'We urge our governments to formally recognise the State of Palestine now and to stand firm in their opposition to the atrocities committed in Gaza and in the West Bank. 'We welcome the recent joint statement by our heads of state calling for an immediate halt to Israel's assault in Gaza and for unimpeded access to humanitarian aid. 'These are critical first steps toward alleviating the suffering of civilians caught in the conflict. 'Our governments rightly acknowledged that permanent forced displacement is a breach of international humanitarian law, and we welcome their opposition to settlement expansion and the recognition that it is illegal and undermines the viability of a Palestinian state. However, words must be matched by action. 'As members of the G7, doing so would send a powerful signal – particularly in the lead-up to the UN conference co-chaired by France in mid-June. 'The time for decisive action is now. The need for justice, peace, and recognition has never been more urgent.' The text, seen by The Independent, comes as Sir Keir is in Canada meeting new PM Mark Carney for trade talks before attending the G7 summit where the Middle East crisis will be top of the agenda. It follows pressure from a number of senior Labour figures – including Commons foreign affairs chair Dame Emily Thornbury – for the UK to follow the example of Ireland, Spain and Norway last year to officially recognise Palestine as a state. Added pressure on the issue has even come from the Tories, with a group of Conservative MPs signing a letter from former minister Kit Malthouse demanding Palestine be recognised as a state. The Green Party and SNP have also long supported the policy. However, Jon Pearce, chair of the Labour Friends of Israel, which has a number of powerful cabinet allies, including the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, and the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, has pushed back against the growing demands in Labour for Palestinian recognition. He claims it would undermine Britain's position as an honest broker in the conflict. He told The Independent: 'Given the all-too-evident threat posed by Iran's nuclear and ballistic missiles programmes, and its support for terrorism and proxy armies, not just to Israel and the region but to our own national security, it is vital that the UK maintains its diplomatic influence and credibility with our allies. 'Last year, Ireland, Spain and Norway unilaterally recognised a Palestinian state, but it changed nothing on the ground. If Britain were to follow this course, we would inevitably damage our reputation as an impartial broker and reduce our ability to have an impact.' He added: 'The Oslo accords state that any dispute must be resolved through direct negotiations. If Britain and our allies abandon our commitment to this core principle underpinning the accords, this will be a gift to those in Israel and the Palestinian Territories who have always opposed them and risk unleashing unbearable consequences for both Israelis and Palestinians. 'Recognition is a card that can only be played once. It must be done when it will have maximum impact.'
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33 minutes ago
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World leaders will still talk trade at the G7. They ‘can't afford not to'
President Donald Trump and other heads of state are set to gather in Canada for the annual G7 summit just days after Israel's unprecedented strike on Iran. Ordinarily, such a development would dominate the high-level discussions, but this time around, world leaders will likely need to also focus on another pressing issue: trade. 'You can't afford not to talk about it, from any country's perspective,' said Josh Lipsky, chair of international economics at the Atlantic Council. It's less than a month until July 9, President Donald Trump's self-imposed deadline for when dozens of countries, including several present at the meeting, could face higher tariffs unless they ink trade deals that avert further escalation. If no trade deal has been negotiated before that deadline, it's unclear whether Trump would revert to imposing his so-called 'reciprocal' rates — some of which were as high as 50% — or whether countries could face even higher rates. Trump also raised the possibility of extending the pause even further, though Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testified last week that may only be offered for countries 'who are negotiating in good faith.' 'They are not going to throw out the [G7] agenda unless the security situation becomes world-threateningly grave,' Maurice Obstfeld, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said, referring to conversations world leaders are likely to have at the summit revolving around trade. Already, the 10% tariff Trump levied on practically every country's exports to the US, and the extra 50% tariff on steel and aluminum and 25% on cars, is starting to take a toll on some foreign countries' economies. For instance, United Kingdom data published last week indicated its economy in April shrank at rates not seen in nearly two years as exports to the US fell by a record amount. And it may only be a matter of time before other economies take a hit, with the World Bank projecting the weakest decade of global economic growth since the 1960s, according to a report the group released last week citing Trump's trade policies as a major catalyst. In particular, the World Bank predicts the US and Europe will suffer some of the sharpest growth declines compared to what it forecast earlier this year as a result of reduced trade and uncertainty regarding tariffs, which are expected to stymie economic activity. There's little doubt every world leader traveling to the summit in the Canadian Rockies would like to depart with a plan to avoid facing higher tariffs. But it's less certain whether that will happen. On a Friday call with reporters previewing Trump's agenda for the summit, a senior US official said trade, among other topics, including international security, will be discussed. 'The president is eager to pursue his goals in all of these areas, including making America's trade relationships fair and reciprocal,' the official said. Already, Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters on Friday his one-on-one meeting with Trump at the summit will center around ongoing trade negotiations. But Lipsky isn't holding his breath for a trade deal announcement with Japan, or any other country present at the meeting. (In addition to leaders from G7 countries — Japan, the US, the UK, France, Germany, Canada and Italy — leaders of the European Union, Australia, India, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, South Africa and Ukraine will also be attending. 'Even if they're close to one, I don't think it makes sense in front of your colleagues to say, 'Here's the baseline I created with the Trump administration,' and give him that leverage point toward them.' That said, he's anticipating Trump and Ishiba could convey that they're close to finalizing a deal. Discussions with the EU are shaping up to be the biggest wild card. Two weeks ago, Trump threatened to hike tariffs to 50% on EU exports to the US at the start of this month, saying discussions with EU leaders were 'going nowhere.' Then, after speaking with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen days later, he backed off. 'Countries would be happy to reach some deal with the US that lowers tariffs and involves some concessions that they can live with,' Obstfeld said. But the EU is 'certainly not going to modify their VAT (value-added tax) to get a deal with US.' Trump has repeatedly demanded the EU abandon these taxes, which he claims unfairly hurt American exports there. Even though Trump will probably meet with France's President Emmanuel Macron, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni following their recent visit to the White House, trade isn't likely to be a major topic of discussion with them, given von der Leyen is the lead negotiator, said Lipsky. 'This creates a strange dynamic during the meetings.'
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35 minutes ago
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Joint Statement by Prime Minister Carney and Prime Minister Starmer
OTTAWA, ON, June 15, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada, and Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK), met in Ottawa to reaffirm the profound friendship and shared values that unite both nations. The Canada-UK partnership, rooted in a common history and enduring people-to-people ties, continues to grow stronger, with a focus on delivering prosperity and security for the working people of Canada and the UK alike. The two leaders discussed the many geopolitical challenges currently facing the world, including in the Middle East and tensions in the Indo-Pacific region, and reaffirmed their steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russia's illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression. The two leaders underscored the importance of a fair, open and predictable global trading system; reiterated their commitment to a rules-based international order underpinned by respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity; and committed to advancing peace and trans-Atlantic security. They agreed the following joint initiatives aimed at strengthening economic growth and prosperity and enhancing collective security and defence: Growth and Innovation Partnership Canada and the UK are committed to delivering economic growth for their people. The two Prime Ministers today announced further collaboration on trade, science, technology and innovation. Through their Partnership, Canada and the UK will work together to: Trade: Strengthen trade ties as trusted, reliable partners. This will include expanding trade under the Canada-UK Trade Continuity Agreement. We will establish a new structured UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group to deepen our existing trading relationship further, including to address existing market access barriers, to expand existing arrangements into new areas, such as digital trade, and to explore cooperation in the development of critical minerals and sovereign artificial intelligence infrastructure. The working group will report back to both Prime Ministers within six months. Canada will seek to introduce legislation this autumn to ratify the UK's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership. Semiconductors: Deliver industrial R&D projects to enhance both nations' complementary strengths in semiconductors, photonics, emerging materials and chip design. They will deepen connections between the innovation rich semiconductor ecosystems in Canada and the UK to help build resilient supply chains and accelerate breakthroughs in this key sector that is driving economic growth. Quantum: Announce a joint commitment to develop secure, transatlantic communications based on quantum technologies, allowing us to connect our national systems and lay the groundwork to create a truly global, next-generation network, with applications across our financial and telecoms sectors. Digital: Mutually reinforce nation-building digital public infrastructure by co-developing policy levers and standards, and common technology components. Artificial Intelligence: Deepen and explore new collaborations on frontier AI systems to support our national security. This will include a partnership agreement to strengthen existing collaboration on AI safety and security between the Canadian AI Safety Institute and UK AI Security Institute, and new Canadian and UK MOUs with leading Canadian AI firm Cohere. Under the Canadian MOU, Cohere will collaborate with the Canadian AI Safety Institute and develop their commitment to building cutting-edge data centres in Canada. Under the UK MOU, Cohere will expand their UK presence to support the delivery of the UK AI Opportunities Action Plan. Both MOUs reflect ongoing collaboration on the application of AI tools in security and intelligence and are rooted in Cohere's strong foundations in Canada and ongoing commitment to the UK. Biomanufacturing: Strengthen collaboration to deliver economic growth and be better prepared for future health emergencies, including a joint investment of $14.8 million to support joint biomanufacturing research and development that will grow the talent and skills pipeline in both countries, and to help businesses scale. Civil Nuclear: Develop a world-leading fusion energy collaboration and deepen cooperation on nuclear energy from fission to reduce the influence of Russia on our international fuel supply chains. Critical Minerals: Intensify bilateral cooperation by conducting a strategic mapping exercise to pinpoint key critical minerals, infrastructure, production and processing capacities. They will identify projects for joint investment to support secure and sustainable critical minerals supply chain development and leverage all available financial tools to mobilize funding and drive production to strengthen our manufacturing and mining sectors. Enhanced Defence and Security Partnership The two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation – both bilaterally and through the NATO Alliance and Five Eyes partnership – to safeguard democratic values advance global stability and ensure the safety of our people in an increasingly complex world. To achieve this, they committed to: Ukraine: Further support Ukraine in its self-defence against Russia's war of aggression. This will include continued support for the Coalition of the Willing and respective efforts to support Ukraine's domestic defence industrial production. The UK and Canada will continue to work together to support the Air Force Capability Coalition and develop cutting edge aircraft weaponry technology in support of Ukraine. Military Cooperation: Position the Canada-UK defence relationship for further growth across military operations, industrial collaboration, and defence innovation, catalyzed by Canada's newly announced defence investment trajectory and the UK's Strategic Defence Review. Canada and the UK will work towards a new permanent arrangement for the long-term and sustainable use of British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) through the "BATUS Future Project". The Project will deepen the Canada-UK relationship on defence and showcase CFB Suffield as a multi-purpose facility for the development and testing of new equipment and cutting-edge technology which are vital to maintaining our shared security and prosperity. Intelligence: Build on the long history of deep and productive collaboration between our security and intelligence organizations by launching coordinated operational campaigns to combat terrorism and violent extremism, and deepening collaboration on enhanced intelligence collection, including by expanding officer exchange programs. National Security: Tackle evolving state threats together, including sabotage, transnational repression, foreign interference, malicious cyber activity, information manipulation and economic coercion, all of which seeks to undermine our national security and that of our Allies and partners. This will include joint work to invest in civil society organizations actively working to counter digital transnational repression through the Joint Canada-UK Common Good Cyber Fund, a first-of-its-kind multilateral fund aimed at supporting civil society actors at high risk. To kickstart this fund, Canada and the UK are providing $5.7 million in seed funding to the Fund, which will be disbursed over 5 years. They also agreed to strengthen bilateral development and delivery of secure communications products and cutting-edge cryptography and explore new research partnerships to address gaps in AI security and evolve AI models to support national security. Border Security: Strengthen bilateral cooperation to tackle transnational organized criminal organizations engaged in the illicit movement of goods and narcotics, and bolster our response to combat irregular migration, migrant smuggling and human trafficking, including through deeper bilateral information and knowledge exchange. 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