British prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has warned that Europe faces a “once in a generation moment for our national security”.
Sir Keir told Norway's prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre that European countries must come together to ensure Euro-Atlantic security ahead of an emergency Ukraine summit in Paris on Monday.
It comes as No 10 confirmed Sir Keir will meet with US President Donald Trump next week, where he is expected to try to persuade Washington about the need for protecting Ukrainian and European security.
"The Prime Minister looks forward to meeting President Trump shortly to discuss how we can deepen the special relationship across trade, investment and security,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.
Earlier today, Sir Keir vowed he was willing to put British troops “in harm’s way” on the ground in Ukraine to face down Vladimir Putin’s forces.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Sir Keir said the UK was “ready to play a leading role” in Ukraine’s defence and security, including the commitment of £3bn a year until 2030.
Key Points
- UK faces ‘generational’ threat to security, PM warns
- Starmer to meet Trump next week in Washington
- Kemi Badenoch indicates support for defence spending boost
- Badenoch dubs diversity policies and climate activism ‘poison’
- UK companies 'planning biggest layoffs in a decade'
Live: Starmer meets European leaders for emergency Ukraine summit after US and Russia talks
14:31 , Alexander ButlerUK faces ‘generational’ threat to security, PM warns
14:28 , Alexander ButlerBritish prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has warned that Europe faces a “once in a generation moment for our national security”.
Sir Keir told Norway's prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre that European countries must come together to ensure Euro-Atlantic security ahead of an emergency Ukraine summit in Paris on Monday.
It comes as No 10 confirmed Sir Keir will meet with US President Donald Trump next week, where he is expected to try to persuade Washington about the need for protecting Ukrainian and European security.
"The Prime Minister looks forward to meeting President Trump shortly to discuss how we can deepen the special relationship across trade, investment and security,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.
General Sir Richard Shirreff: Starmer is right, we need to put boots on the ground in Ukraine
14:00 , Alexander Butler
Sir Richard Shirreff: Starmer is right, we need to put boots on the ground in Ukraine
Starmer to meet Trump next week
13:30 , Alexander ButlerSir Keir Starmer will meet with US President Donald Trump next week, No 10 has confirmed.
Asked about comments made by US vice-president JD Vance on free speech in the UK, the Prime Minister's spokesman said: "There's going to be a wide range of issues that we'll be working with the new US administration on."The Prime Minister looks forward to meeting
President Trump shortly to discuss how we can deepen the special relationship across trade, investment and security."He added: "The Prime Minister will travel to Washington DC next week."
Starmer urges increased European defence spending
13:00 , Alexander ButlerPrime minister Sir Keir Starmer has called on European governments to "step up" their defence capabilities and funding.
He said: "We need to step up in terms of our collective response in Europe, and by that I mean capability. By that, I mean playing our full part when it comes to the defence of the sovereignty of Ukraine if there's a peace agreement, and, of course, when it comes to funding and training.
"So, on all those fronts, I want the UK and all European allies to step up, and for the UK to play a leading part in that."
Asked about a commitment to spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence, Sir Keir replied: "We have to spend more on defence. That's the reality of the situation we find ourselves in.
"That's why we made a commitment to 2.5 per cent.
"We are going through a strategic review of defence at the moment, which is looking at the challenges and the capability, and then we'll set out that path.
Labours 2m NHS target just the start, Starmer says
12:27 , Alexander ButlerAn extra two million extra NHS appointments within Labour's first year in government is "just the foothills", Sir Keir Starmer has said.
Speaking at a diagnostics centre in Bristol, the Prime Minister told reporters on Monday: "I said that we would get two million extra appointments done in the first year of the Government and I'm really pleased that we've done that, we've hit the target and we've done it with seven months to spare.
"So, that is really good. It shows what you can do with a plan that you put into action, working with doctors and nurses, NHS staff.
"I do acknowledge it's the foothills. There's lots, lots more to do, but it is important, I think, to consider the human impact."
Starmer accused of living in 'fantasy land' over defence spending for Ukraine
12:00 , Alexander ButlerStarmer warning of 'considerable cost' of peacekeeping force
11:40 , Alexander ButlerA former army chief warned that the UK lacks forces and equipment as Sir Keir Starmer confirmed he was willing put a peacekeeping force into Ukraine if there is a deal to end the war with Russia.
Lord Richard Dannatt said Sir Keir was doing the "right thing" but warned it would come at a "considerable cost" and said Britain does not have the forces or equipment "to put a large force on to the ground for an extended period of time".
The Prime Minister is joining European leaders for emergency talks in Paris as they scramble for a strategy in response to US President Donald Trump's push for a deal with Russian president Mr Putin and fears the US will reduce its defence commitments in the continent.
Sir Keir said the crisis was a "once in a generation moment" and an "existential" question for Europe.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, the Prime Minister said the UK was "ready to play a leading role" in Ukraine's defence and security, including the commitment of £3 billion a year until 2030.
But he said that along with military aid to Ukraine "it also means being ready and willing to contribute to security guarantees to Ukraine by putting our own troops on the ground if necessary".
"I do not say that lightly. I feel very deeply the responsibility that comes with potentially putting British servicemen and women in harm's way," Sir Keir said.
Jordan Peterson speaks at major right-wing summit
11:22 , Alexander Butler
Starmer to act as ‘bridge’ between Europe and US on Ukraine peace talks
11:00 , Alexander Butler
Starmer to act as ‘bridge’ between Europe and US on Ukraine peace talks
General Sir Richard Shirreff: Starmer is right, we need to put boots on the ground in Ukraine
10:41 , Alexander ButlerSir Richard Shirreff: Starmer is right, we need to put boots on the ground in Ukraine
Kemi Badenoch indicates support for defence spending boost
10:08 , Millie CookeKemi Badenoch has indicated her support for increasing Britain's spending on defence, saying a failure to do so "is not peacemaking, it is weakness".
"It only emboldens their threats to democracy and global stability", Mrs Badenoch told the ARC conference in London.
She added: "So how do we defend? The Conservatives are the guardians of Western civilisation. We do need to defend what we have, but many have forgotten how to do so."
Her remarks come just hours before Sir Keir Starmer joins European leaders for emergency talks in Paris as they scramble for a strategy in response to Donald Trump’s push for a deal with Vladimir Putin and fears the US will reduce its defence commitments in the continent.
Sir Keir announced he was willing to put British troops “in harm’s way” on the ground in Ukraine in the event of any ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, and pledged an increase in defence spending.
Kemi Badenoch dubs diversity policies and climate activism ‘poison’
10:02 , Millie CookeKemi Badenoch has dubbed diversity policies and climate activism “the real poison of left-wing progressivism”.
Giving a speech which saw her argue that “western civilisation is in crisis”, the Tory leader claimed: “We are distracted, too busy critiquing and deconstructing what previous generations built, rather than making sure that the very best of our inheritance is left intact for the next generation.
“This is the real poison of left wing progressivism, whether it's pronouns or DEI [diversity, equality and inclusion] or climate activism - these issues aren't about kindness, they are about control.
“We have limited time, and every second spent debating what a woman is a second lost from dealing with these challenges.”
John Major accuses Donald Trump of ‘cuddling’ up to Vladimir Putin
10:00 , Alexander Butler
John Major accuses Donald Trump of ‘cuddling’ up to Vladimir Putin
Kemi Badenoch hits out at 'hatred of Western history and culture'
09:59 , Millie CookeWestern civilisation is in crisis, Kemi Badenoch has warned, claiming there is now a “hatred of Western history and culture”.
Speaking at the right-wing Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in London, alongside right-wing Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson, the Conservative leader claimed there is a “crisis of confidence” in the Western World.
This, she claimed, “manifests as an embarrassment of the West’s legacy” and a “hatred of Western history and even its culture”.
Badenoch and Farage to speak at major right wing conference
09:41 , Alexander ButlerTory leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK’s Nigel Farage are set to vie for attention at a major gathering of right-wing leaders.
Badenoch will give a speech at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference this morning.
ARC was co-founded in 2023 by the Canadian psychologist and self-help author Jordan Peterson.
Farage is set to be interviewed by Peterson on stage on Tuesday.
About 4,000 people from 96 countries are due to attend this year, compared with 1,500 last year.
Among those attending include Republican house speaker Mike Johnson, and Vivek Ramaswamy.
Starmer says he is delivering on promise to fix NHS
09:30 , Alexander ButlerThe NHS is on the “road to recovery”, ministers claimed after meeting a pledge to deliver two million extra appointments.
Sir Keir Starmer said the Government knows “the job isn’t done” and promised further reforms to deliver faster treatment.
NHS England figures showed that between July and November 2024 there were almost 2.2 million more appointments compared with the equivalent period in 2023.
Some 62 per cent of the additional activity was made up of outpatient appointments, 26 per cent diagnostic tests and 12 per cent elective operations.
The extra NHS appointments, delivered in part by extra evening and weekend working, means Labour’s manifesto commitment for two million a year was met seven months early.
The Prime Minister said: “This isn’t just about numbers. It’s about the cancer patients who for too long were left wondering when they’ll finally start getting their life-saving treatment.
“It’s about the millions of people who’ve put their lives and livelihoods on hold – waiting in pain and uncertainty as they wait for a diagnosis.
UK ready to put troops in Ukraine, Starmer says
09:00 , Alexander Butler
Starmer says he is ready to put UK troops in Ukraine to face down Putin
Voters see Reform as more trustworthy than Tories, poll suggests
08:28 , Alexander ButlerVoters consider Reform UK more trustworthy than the Tories, a poll revealed.
A YouGov survey showed that just 11 per cent of voters believe the Tories are trustworthy.
This was compared to 19 per cent saying Reform were trustworthy, according to Sky News.
Business confidence slumps to record low outside of pandemic, survey finds
08:13 , Andy GregoryA survey has found that confidence among small businesses hit its lowest recorded level outside the pandemic in the final quarter of last year.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said its survey of almost 1,400 firms found that those in accommodation and food services were the least optimistic.
Tina McKenzie, of the FSB, said: “The fourth-quarter blues reported by small firms underline how urgently the government’s growth push is needed. Small firms are understandably nervous about their prospects as 2025 gets underway.”
'Premature' to talk about how many troops could be sent to Ukraine, says Streeting
08:10 , Andy GregoryWes Streeting has said it is “premature” to talk about how many British troops could be sent to Ukraine after Sir Keir Starmer said he was prepared to send a peacekeeping force if there is a deal to end the war with Russia.
The health secretary told Times Radio: “The prime minister will be travelling to France to meet with other European Nato leaders to discuss what is a once-in-a-generation moment for the collective security of our continent, which isn't just about the future of Ukraine, it is an existential question for Europe as a whole.
“That's why the gathering today is important. Next week, he'll be travelling to Washington to meet with President Trump, no doubt relaying the outcome of some of those discussions today.”
Asked what the scale of a potential peacekeeping force could be and if the Government would be prepared to carry out a recruitment drive, he said: “I think it's premature to be talking about numbers.”
He reiterated plans to be “on a path to 2.5 per cent” when asked if spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence was the limit or if the government could go higher.
Streeting says 'hell of a lot more to do' after meeting manifesto pledge on NHS appointments
08:08 , Andy GregoryHealth secretary Wes Streeting has said there is “a hell of a lot more to do” in the NHS after meeting a manifesto pledge to deliver two million more appointments.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Streeting denied the figure was affected by the previous Conservative government's policies, and said: “Look at the size of the waiting lists overall.
“It's come down four months in a row. That's progress, but there's still a lot more to do.
“Look at what we've seen in the NHS over the course of winter, with ambulance response times and corridor care – a hell of a lot more to do there. Mental health is in a dire state. There’s a huge amount more to do there.”
He added: “We're reporting back to reassure the public that politics can make a difference, that government can be a force for good, and that this government is delivering on the promises we made to the country.”
UK companies planning biggest layoffs in a decade outside pandemic, survey suggests
08:03 , Andy GregoryRachel Reeves is facing a double whammy of economic blows as employers warn of the dire impact of her Budget tax hikes.
The number of companies planning to make staff redundant has reached its highest level in a decade outside the Covid pandemic, according to a new survey. Meanwhile, confidence among small businesses has hit a new record low.
Ms Reeves’s national insurance hike has prompted widespread plans to increase redundancies and cut hiring, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said.
A survey of more than 2,000 employers by the organisation found nine in 10 businesses expect their employment costs to rise. Of these, a third said they plan to reduce staff through redundancies or recruiting fewer workers – and two in five warned they will raise prices.
Peter Cheese, the chief executive of the CIPD, said: “These are the most significant downward changes in employer sentiment we've seen in the last 10 years, outside of the pandemic. Employer confidence has been impacted by planned changes to employment costs, and employment indicators are heading in the wrong direction.”
Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
Reeves’s tax hikes ‘triggering redundancies and record low in business confidence’
Good morning, we’ll be using this blog to bring you the latest updates on UK politics, as businesses continue to warn of challenges following chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Budget.
