Latest news with #KeirStarmer
New Statesman
22 minutes ago
- Sport
- New Statesman
The Lionesses' resilience is an example to us all
Photo by Florencia Tan Jun - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images We keep being told that Britain is broken. Tell that to the Lionesses, twice European champions, who don't know the meaning of 'submission', 'pessimism' or 'defeat'. They only led for just over four minutes during the knock-out stage of the Euros in Switzerland and were widely denounced after they lost their opening game to France. Their defender Jess Carter, who starred in the final against the world champions, Spain, endured sustained online racist abuse, but the support she received from her teammates and the Football Association was overwhelming. Before the tournament began, reports suggested that there were divisions in the squad and internal resistance to the Dutch coach, Sarina Wiegman. Mary Earps, the 2023 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and Millie Bright, a former captain, had made themselves unavailable for selection after being told they were no longer guaranteed first-team starters. But Wiegman knew what she was doing. The Lionesses are much more than a team of 11 named individuals: they are a squad, defined by an ethos, representing a nation. Patriotic players Throughout the tournament, they were defined by the resilience of their system, their determination and unabashed patriotism. 'I'm so grateful to wear the badge. So proud to be English,' said Chloe Kelly, in the immediate aftermath of victory in Basel. She had scored the decisive penalty in the nerve-shredding shoot-out, just as she had scored the extra-time winner at Wembley in 2022, when the Lionesses won their first European Championship title. 'We've got that grit, that English blood in us. We never say die,' said goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, who made two penalty saves to deny Spain. Churchill would have approved of her rhetoric. Which England do you believe in? The England of the cowardly anonymous online haters, the broken-Britain doomsters, the political defeatists. Or the England of the Lionesses: united in their diversity, committed to a plan, never entitled but resolute to the last, and powered by a belief in the common good. Keir Starmer, who likes football, would do well to study their example. Keir Starmer's search for a story One writer who has thought more deeply than most about the condition of England is James Graham, author of the play Dear England, which explores how Gareth Southgate changed the culture of the England men's football team and attempted to conquer their collective fear of the penalty shoot-out – something evidently not shared by the Lionesses. Dear England is being adapted into a four-part BBC series. One recent morning I had coffee with Graham at his house in south-east London and, as we chatted in the garden, we turned to Southgate, but also Starmer's Labour. Graham is a storyteller and believes the most successful politicians, business leaders and sports coaches are exemplary storytellers as well. Starmer is a leader in search of a story, Graham said. 'They need one and don't have one. You could see one threatening to emerge before the election – the stuff about national renewal, which I endorsed. It could have been a transformative moment, like 1945 and 1979, but it isn't, is it?' He referenced Margaret Thatcher, whom he had recently written a TV play about, Brian and Maggie, directed by Stephen Frears. 'By 1981, she was the most unpopular prime minister since the Second World War, and yet she changed the nation in a decade.' What does this tell us, I asked? 'That there's still time, but not much.' A new party of the left Meanwhile, a new left party is struggling to be born under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana, both MPs, both estranged from their old party. I was interested to read Andrew Murray's recent New Statesman piece about the unnamed party. Murray is a former chief of staff to Len McCluskey at Unite and senior adviser to Corbyn when he was Labour leader. As a communist, he comes from outside the Labour Party, and yet I always found him to be one of most thoughtful and approachable of the Corbynites. He has a theory of history and was an influential leader of the Stop the War movement; he also has a nice, dry sense of humour. He wrote that 400 people a minute were registering for Corbyn's party and 40 a minute were making donations. I've long believed there's space for a new party to Labour's left, perhaps aligned to the progressivist Greens, and although I don't share its politics, I welcome its arrival. Let a hundred flowers bloom, as Murray didn't quite say in his piece. [See also: The Lionesses make it cool to be English] Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related
New Statesman
22 minutes ago
- Politics
- New Statesman
Starmer's threat to recognise Palestine
The UK will recognise Palestinian statehood in September unless Israel abides by a ceasefire, commits to a two-state solution and agrees not to annex the West Bank. Yesterday, Keir Starmer marked a clear shift on the UK's position on the Israel Gaza war. However, this has prompted backlash from all sides. So what is there to gain? Megan Gibson is joined by George Eaton and Megan Kenyon. Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related
Telegraph
22 minutes ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
My five days on the road with Trump revealed a man in complete control
When President Donald Trump flies aboard Air Force One he is accompanied at all times by a travelling press pool. A TV crew, plus a handful of print reporters, photographers and a radio broadcaster have the responsibility of filing details of the president's day to the thousands of journalists who cover the White House. It is their job to grill Mr Trump when he pauses under the wing to take questions or when he sits down with a foreign leader. Last Friday, The Telegraph joined the travel pool for the first time, accompanying the president on his working trip to Scotland, where he visited his two golf courses, negotiated a major trade deal and met Sir Keir Starmer. This is what it is like to ride on Air Force One and travel in Mr Trump's whirlwind. If you have the stamina for it, there is no better way to understand his administration. Friday Trump M&M's and Fox News 7.50am Air Force One glistens in the morning sun as the 13 members of the travelling press pool walk across the apron. We climb the rear stairs and find our places in the rear cabin, which is reserved for journalists. Think basic business class. Decent sized seats, but they only recline so far. The two TVs are on the wall at the front of the cabin. They are tuned to Fox News. Newbies scramble for the boxes of Air Force One M&Ms, embossed with the presidential seal and the president's signature. They replaced presidential packs of cigarettes years ago. 'Is there wifi?' asked one new member of the pool. Not for us. That is just for the security-screened officials in the rest of the plane. We have access to a phone that connects to the White House switch board and is for emergencies only – to alert the world that we are diverting to Ukraine, for example, or there's some kind of urgent health issue. Air Force One waits for no-one 9.36am We are already more than an hour late by the time Marine One, the presidential helicopter lands. President Donald Trump has already spoken to journalists before boarding – and he makes a beeline for the Air Force One steps. Air Force One is wheels up 11 minutes later. Once Potus is on board, this plane waits for no one. We are quickly served breakfast. Tacos filled with chorizo, avocado and cheese with salsa on the side. Strict Air Force One rules preclude members of the press from taking photos on board unless they are of a president during a briefing meaning no photograph of the aforementioned meal is forthcoming. The food is good, but the pooler's worst fear is that the president decides this is the right time to appear in the press cabin for a chat. He does not. Touchdown: A tricky balance 8.27am The plane touches down beneath grey skies at Glasgow, Prestwick, airport. The 13 journalists of the pool pile out of the rear doors to wait beneath the wing for Mr Trump to exit down the front steps. We wait under the wing – and Trump wants to talk. It's a tricky balance. We'll be with Mr Trump for the next five days and don't want to infuriate him to the point where he stops talking to us, but nor can we lob softballs his way. In eight minutes, he covers Gaza, recognising the Palestinian state, his relationship with Sir Keir Starmer, The Open returning to Turnberry, the Epstein files and Ghislaine Maxwell, immigration, and 'windmills.' And we are just getting started. Motorcade rolling 8.52am Our motorcade rolls out of Prestwick for the drive to Turnberry. The visit is a big deal in these parts. People stand by the side of the road almost all the way along the route. 'Trump is a legend,' reads one banner. The number of well-wishers seems, by my amateur count, to outnumber detractors. Other people are just there to take video and catch a glimpse of the Beast. Saturday That's a lid 9.05am The White House calls a 'lid'. That means the president has no more public events for the day. That doesn't mean we won't be seeing him at all. Photographers in the dunes outside Turnberry spot him on the fourth hole, driving his own golf cart. He gives them a wave, as he plays past with his son Eric and his ambassador to London. Sunday 'Where we off tae?' 12.02pm The burly Glaswegian driver hops into 'press bus three' with a cheery: 'Where we off tae then?' His breezy greeting sparks anxious grimes among my American colleagues in the White House pool waiting to depart the Glasgow hotel where we are spending the weekend. And with that, our convoy pulls out into the drizzle for the one-hour journey down to Turnberry, where Mr Trump is due to meet Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, for trade talks. Golf first, diplomacy second 2.45pm An hour and a half later we pull up to the golf club. The Beast is moving through the car park near the club house, and 20 or so golf carts are drawn up around the 18th green. We drive past in a flash, but I'd say the president was finishing up his round. Unusually for a foreign trip, Mr Trump is without his secretary of state, chief of staff and other heavy hitters, reinforcing the idea that this is a golfing break first, diplomatic visit second. Oval Office 2.0 4.54pm The meeting takes place in the Donald J Trump ballroom, a cavernous space edged with huge windows looking down across the golf course, and with ceiling space for eight glittering chandeliers. At its centre, staff have recreated the Oval Office. After 24 minutes of questions we are ushered out by White House press assistants (known to all as 'wranglers') and back to our holding room, wondering what would come next. 'We're going back in!' 6.31pm 'We're going back in!' came the shout. The unlucky European press pack have already been bussed back to their hotel. 'We have reached a deal,' Mr Trump declares , back in the green velvet armchair. He spells out how the EU will buy $700bn of energy, invest an extra $600bn in the US and buy military equipment, in return for tariffs going down to 15 per cent. Monday Cursing the bagpipes 12.18pm Sir Keir Starmer's Range Rover scrunches up the red gravel drive way to the Turnberry hotel entrance. He hops out with his wife Lady Starmer who is making a rare public appearance. Mr Trump is at the top of the steps to greet them while a bagpiper fills the air with a Highland skirl. The three of them make small talk and Mr Trump can be heard talking about Ailsa Craig. Members of the media are crammed together by the flower beds. I am ready with a question. Does the president agree with the Prime Minister that recognition of a Palestinian state would be a concrete step to lasting peace in the Middle East? 'I'm not going to take a position. I don't mind him taking a position,' he said. 'I'm looking to getting people fed right now. That's the number one position, because you have a lot of starving people.' That's news. Has Mr Trump just given Sir Keir a tacit green light to go ahead and recognise Palestine? We can hear it loud and clear but newsdesks around the world are cursing the bagpipes, which have overpowered the television audio feeds. Trump being drowned out by bagpipes. — Molly Ploofkins (@Mollyploofkins) July 28, 2025 The thousand-yard stare 1.52pm We hurry into the ballroom, where Mr Trump and Sir Keir are already seated. After 24 minutes or so we know we are in for the long haul. Mr Trump is happy and rested after two days of golf and the success of a big trade deal. He takes questions on everything while Sir Keir almost disappears for minutes at a time. For once his expressionless face serves him well, although after an hour and 12 minutes his poker face has become a thousand-yard stare. Air Force One (again) 5.09pm We run to get under the wing of Air Force One. Mr Trump and Sir Keir have already climbed the steps and are waving goodbye to the west coast of Scotland. We scurry to the steps at the back of the plane and are barely in our seats when the presidential plane starts rolling up the runway. A gift for Sir Keir 6.01pm We land at Lossiemouth, the Royal Air Force base in the North East of Scotland, and are back under the wing by the time the two leaders descend the steps. Behind them Don Jr's kids come racing down, followed by the president's eldest sons, Eric and Don Jr, accompanied by their wife and partner. Marine One is waiting, its engines whirring. The two leaders chat amiably as they walk across to it and climb aboard. The pool is riding in one of four Chinook helicopters, which carry other staff and Secret Service agents. I take my seat – an uncomfortable canvas platform – opposite Varun Chandra, Sir Keir's business adviser. He has a huge gold parcel on his lap, wrapped in purple ribbon with the presidential seal – a gift from the president to the Prime Minister. At his feet is a paper bag crammed with boxes of M&Ms from Air Force One, which also carry the seal. I balance my laptop on my knees and try to write my second story of the day. Air and wind 6.46pm Marine One comes into view over the trees of Mr Trump's Menie estate. We landed minutes earlier, swooping in low with a clear view of the huge array of wind turbines just off the Aberdeenshire coast. This is the development that Mr Trump fought and lost, igniting his hatred of wind power. Tuesday Words of wisdom 10.35am Mr Trump is late for his own opening. The introductory speeches ended 30 minutes ago. The reason, we learn, is that the president is hitting a few balls on the driving range. Who can blame him? No one wants to fluff their drive from the first tee with the world's media watching. He is in fine form when he arrives. Even the towering wind turbines out to sea cannot kill the spring in his step, as he thanks his family, staff and local dignitaries. He even, remarkably, has warm words for us. 'Thank you everybody, and thank you to the media,' he said in one of the shortest speeches I've ever seen him deliver. 'The media has been terrific, believe it or not! Fake news not one time today. 'Today, they're wonderful news.' He cuts a ribbon and then, with a smark of his driver, sends his ball sailing down the centre of the fairway. That's our cue to leave. One last gaggle 6.20pm The TVs at the front of the cabin of Air Force One switch to show the presidential seal with a red, white and blue background. Mr Trump is coming to talk to us on the flight back to Washington. A sound man sits on the floor with his microphone in the air; photographers stand on seats or an upturned bin; and I tuck into a cramped position just under where I imagine the president's nose will be. After an agonising wait he appears. He describes how he spent yesterday having good discussions with Sir Keir, 'although I see something came up today which is interesting.' That is trademark Trump understatement. As Mr Trump left his new golf course in the North East of Scotland, Sir Keir announced his government would recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel announced a ceasefire in Gaza and committed to long-term peace talks that would deliver a two-state solution. Did he know this was coming, I asked. What was his reaction? 'We never discussed it surprisingly,' said Mr Trump. 'It was never discussed, maybe a little in the news conference but he was sort of discussing it with you.' It went on like this for 32 minutes, and more than 37 questions. Somewhere in the galley our lamb chop and asparagus dinner was being kept warm by the patient cabin crew. In four years travelling with Joe Biden, I was never once lucky enough to see him in the press cabin. We could nap over the Atlantic, confident that we would not be missing anything. Over five days, Mr Trump had turned six events into press conferences, taking questions for 162 minutes - just short of three hours. For those travelling with him, it offered an extraordinary insight into the mind of the most powerful man in the world. It is a highly effective media strategy. We can ask whatever we want but it also ensures the president retains a lot of control. The Wall Street Journal had been kicked off the trip days earlier, as Mr Trump went to war with Rupert Murdoch, its proprietor, for the way it had covered his relationship with Epstein. Travelling with Mr Trump is a test of stamina and ingenuity. If he had stuck around any longer I might have run out of questions.
Daily Mail
22 minutes ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
MARK DUBOWITZ: Trump can end Gaza 'genocide' with four words and finally reveal truth of Israel-Hamas war
If Western governments and their partners in the Arab world truly cared about feeding hungry Palestinians in Gaza, their response to the current humanitarian crisis in the coastal enclave would look very different than it does today. On Tuesday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom may soon follow the lead of French President and officially recognize a Palestinian State, if – by September – does not agree to a ceasefire with and allow more aid to flow into Gaza.
Egypt Independent
27 minutes ago
- Politics
- Egypt Independent
Sisi welcomes UK PM's statements on recognizing Palestine
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi praised UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's statements regarding the UK's move to recognize Palestine as a state. President Sisi affirmed on his Facebook page that 'Britain's announcement of this decision is the right step towards restoring the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.' 'I look forward to the UK taking this historic decision as soon as possible, unconditionally,' reiterating Egypt's firm position that a just and comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian issue is the only way to achieve sustainable peace in the Middle East. Earlier on Friday, Egypt hailed French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement of his country's intention to officially recognize the State of Palestine. Egypt previously emphasized the importance of concerted regional and international efforts to end the suffering of the Palestinian people. It emphasized the moral and legal responsibility of all members of the international community and the Security Council to intervene to halt the genocide perpetrated by Israel within the occupied Palestinian territories, thereby preserving regional and international peace and security.
