I deplore Brexit, German chancellor admits as he signs new treaty with Starmer
He added that "it is together that we respond to the major challenges of our time''.
The UK and Germany have agreed to collaborate on migration, trade and security in the biggest treaty between the two countries since the end of the Second World War.
Sir Keir and the German leader also agreed to "work ever more closely" on a range of issues.
Under the deal, Germany will close a loophole to allow police to seize small boats being used by migrants to cross the Channel.
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Metro
23 minutes ago
- Metro
Eurostar-style train to directly connect UK with Berlin and two more cities
Whether it's buzzing nightlife, an inclusive LGBTQ+ scene, historical sites or just a really good Currywurst, Berlin arguably has everything you'd need from a city break. And now, if you're looking for a greener way to travel to the German capital, plans for a direct train from London have been announced – and it could significantly chop journey times. Last week, Keir Starmer signed a 'first of its kind' treaty with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which, as well as strengthening the relationship between the UK and Germany, also plans to establish a direct route between the capital and three German cities. Building the Eurostar-style links between London, Frankfurt and Cologne will be first on the list, while Berlin will be the final stop added across the roughly decade-long plan. At the moment, those looking to travel between the two cities need to take a Eurostar train from St Pancras to Bruxelles-Midi, changing for a service to Cologne and, finally, to Berlin Hauptbahnhof. While there are undoubtedly stunning views along the way, it takes between 10 and 11 hours door-to-door. Frankfurt isn't much better, as it can take up to nine hours, though it's hoped that the new route will shorten this to around five. This isn't the first time officials have looked at establishing a direct route between London and Frankfurt. In 2010, Deutsche Bahn tried (and failed) with proposals for the Inter City Express, but it shelved the plans after it encountered a mass of red tape and complications, including differences in train voltage, crossing borders and even tunnels. While we don't have any specifics right now, the plans have the potential to change how millions of people travel between the UK and Germany, with an estimated 3,200,000 Brits having visited in 2023. Transport secretary Heidi Alexander said that the government is 'determined to put Britain at the heart of a better-connected continent,' describing it as a 'landmark agreement.' 'A new task force will bring our nations closer together and create new opportunities for tourism, business and cultural exchange, building on a landmark deal we signed earlier this year to explore introducing direct services to Switzerland,' she added. And, as well as improving the transport links between the two, it's hoped that the London-Berlin line will support the economy in creating jobs and strengthen existing trade links, both of which are 'central' to the UK's 'Plan for Change.' Need inspiration on how to fill your time once your train arrives? Berlin is famous for its nightlife scene – but be warned, the Berghain is notoriously difficult to get into. Rumour has it that if you wear all-black, your chances of getting in are higher. If you don't manage to charm the bouncers, though, there's also the famous KitKat, a hedonistic sex club complete with a swimming pool and countless sex swings, or more PC options available at SchwuZ and Sisyphos. If you do go out on a Friday, though, you could end up partying until Monday, as the famous Berlin clubbing mantra goes. First opening its doors in 1985, the Schwules Museum (AKA, the Gay Museum) has long been a mainstay for documenting LGBTQ+ life. Found in one of the city's historic queer neighbourhoods, Regenbogenkiez is known as the Rainbow District, and has been a hub for LGBTQ+ Berliners since the 1910s. Writer Christopher Isherwood famously moved to Berlin in 1929, and local theatre Metropol (formerly the Neues Schauspielhaus) was a favourite haunt of his. Later transformed into the club, throughout the 1980s it was frequented by the likes of Depeche Mode, Morrissey, and the Human League. When it comes to foodie spots, if you're after a life-changing Currywurst, you'll be sure to find it at Konnopke's Imbiß, which started off as a sausage cart and later went on to serve East Berlin's first Currywurst in 1960. And of course, Burgermeister is known for its mouthwatering menu. If you want our recommendation, it has to be the chilli-cheeseburger. History buffs will be well acquainted with Checkpoint Charlie, a central crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin throughout the Cold War that famously appeared in multiple spy films, including James Bond's Octopussy and The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. While the final crossing between the two divided cities was made in June 1990, these days it's possible to visit the original booth that stood there at the Allied Museum. A photograph of a US soldier towers above the site, and there's more information on display at the Mauer (which means wall in German) Museum, as well as the Trabi Museum and Cold War BlackBox. More Trending Housed inside the former home of the East German secret police, the Stasi Museum displays the various objects used by the Stasi to control the residents of the DDR, including bugs, hidden cameras, and propaganda. A hugely emotive experience, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe documents the horror of the Nazi regime. The granite network is comprised of 2,711 concrete slabs measuring 19,000 square metres, with each stone remembering the 6,000,000 Jewish people who were murdered during the Holocaust. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Our Travel Editors' picks of underrated destinations in the easyJet summer 2026 sale MORE: Fans slam 'atrocious' immersive Elvis Presley show with tickets up to £300 MORE: I stayed in one of Europe's grandest hotels — a time warp of Old World glamour
The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Who is Nigel Farage's latest Reform recruit? From drink driving conviction to ‘chav shooting' post
Welsh Senedd member Laura Anne Jones has defected from the Conservatives to Reform UK, becoming the party's highest-profile defection in Wales. Nigel Farage announced the news at the Royal Welsh Show, with Ms Jones – who was first elected in 2003 – saying she could longer justify Conservative policies on the doorstep. Standing alongside Mr Farage, she said: "I've just suddenly felt that the Conservative Party was unrecognisable to me. It wasn't the party that I joined over three decades ago." She said Reform, meanwhile, was "listening to the people of Great Britain". Ms Jones is the latest in a growing list of high-profile Tories to have defected to Reform, following former Conservative Party chairman Sir Jake Berry earlier this month, as well as Dame Andrea Jenkyns and former Wales secretary David Jones. Her defection means the Conservatives are down to 14 politicians in the Welsh Parliament, ahead of crunch elections next year. But who is Ms Jones? From waitressing to the Welsh Assembly Ms Jones was first elected to the then-National Assembly in 2003, becoming the joint-first Welsh Conservative female assembly member (AM). She had the backing of the Conservative Party despite a conviction for drink-driving in 2002, which saw her banned from driving for 12 months and fined £75. Jones said after the hearing: "I've never justified drink-driving and the decision is one I deserve. I've never done it on purpose." She had been earning £5 per hour as a waitress before she was elected. Ms Jones served one term, until 2007, before returning in 2020 after the death of Mohammad Asghar. She was re-elected in 2021, for South Wales East. She once used a racist slur in a WhatsApp chat Ms Jones hit the headlines last year when it emerged she had used a racist slur about Chinese people in a WhatsApp group chat. The Senedd member used the offensive term in an exchange about the Chinese-owned video app TikTok, writing: "No c****y spies for me!" She later apologised and issued a statement, saying the word was "unacceptable and I deeply regret using it". "I sincerely apologise for any offence this has caused," she added. She apologised for saying she wanted to shoot chavs In 2021, she was forced to apologise over old Facebook posts, in which she said she 'would like to do a spot of Chav shooting", and added it is "a shame that isn't legal." She also joked about shooting the then Labour leader, Ed Miliband, saying she would become the "perfect shot" if she had "ol' Red Ed to aim at." When she wrote the posts she was not an elected politician, although she had previously served as a member of the Senedd.
The Independent
23 minutes ago
- The Independent
Teenager to run Reform-led county council with multimillion-pound budget
Nigel Farage 's Reform UK party has put a teenager in charge of a major county council, overseeing hundreds of millions of pounds of public spending. George Finch, 19, took over temporarily after the previous council leader, also a member of Reform, resigned just weeks after being elected. Now he has been voted in as the leader of Warwickshire County Council, which has £1.5bn of assets and a budget of around £500m. Before the vote, Labour MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, Preet Gill, criticised his position, saying the people of Warwickshire 'frankly deserve better'. 'This is not work experience,' she told the BBC. 'This is not about learning on the job.' Reform is the largest party on the council, but did not have an outright majority. The BBC reported that on Tuesday that Conservative members abstained from the final round of voting, leading to a tie with the Liberal Democrat nominee, Jerry Roodhouse, which was ultimately broken by the council's chairman, Reform's Edward Harris. As he voted to install Finch as leader, Mr Harris said he was "disappointed and excited at the same time". "It [the tie] is not something I take lightly at all, and something I would rather not have happened," he added. Last month, Reform's Rob Howard said it was with 'much regret' that he was quitting as the council's leader, citing health challenges which he said prevented him from 'carrying out the role to the level and standard that I would wish'. His resignation came in the wake of the chaos that followed Reform's success at the local elections, when it took hundreds of seats across England. One newly elected councillor resigned from the party just days after being elected. As she left, Donna Edmunds also called for the ousted Reform MP Rupert Lowe to establish a challenger party on the right of the party and said Mr Farage 'must never be prime minister '. Another councillor, Wayne Titley, who was elected in Staffordshire, quit after just two weeks in the wake of criticism over a Facebook post about small boats arriving in Britain. And another Reform councillor's failure to declare that he worked for the council forced a by-election to be announced in Durham just a week after the election. While the chaotic scenes appeared to do little to dent Reform in the opinion polls, a leading pollster has now suggested that support for the party has 'topped out', and that the momentum that was leading it to soar in the polls has ground to a halt. Conservative peer Robert Hayward told The Independent that the results of recent council by-elections, which Reform lost while defending seats, coupled with a small fall in the party's national polling figures, suggest that the march of Mr Farage to Downing Street at the next general election could be facing a setback.
