Unity Project accuses Coun. Stevenson of using public letter for ‘reputational attack' on homelessness agency
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Globe and Mail
14 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
One year in, Keir Starmer's government is in turmoil
A year ago this week, Keir Starmer was celebrating a sweeping election victory and vowing that his new Labour government would deliver change, a fresh era and responsive government in Britain. But as he approaches the anniversary of his first year as Prime Minister on Friday, Mr. Starmer's government is in turmoil and Labour's popularity has plummeted so low that the party now trails upstart Reform UK in most opinion polls. Mr. Starmer's economic policies have failed to deliver much growth, the government's finances are in disarray and he's facing so much opposition from his own MPs that he's been forced to backtrack on several key measures. On Wednesday, he had to fend off questions about the future of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, who was in tears during a debate in the House of Commons. 'I don't think many Labour supporters could have imagined quite how badly Starmer's first year has played out,' said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London. The government, he added, has 'not yet got many concrete achievements they can point to, the Prime Minister's and the party's polling numbers are plumbing new depths, and the parliamentary party is in open rebellion. No one ever said government would be easy, but few believed it would get this bad this quickly.' The latest humiliation for Mr. Starmer came this week when more than 120 Labour MPs threatened to vote against the government's welfare reforms, which would have cut some benefits. The changes were finally pushed through the House of Commons late Tuesday but only after Mr. Starmer agreed to water down the legislation so much that all of the proposed savings of £5.5-billion, or $10.2-billion, were wiped out. Even then, 49 Labour MPs voted against the changes. Mr. Starmer had already reversed course on a plan to reduce eligibility for a winter fuel allowance paid to low-income pensioners after confronting a similar backbench revolt. That change was also designed to save money, but the government is now scrambling to figure out how to pay for both policy reversals. The Prime Minister has said funding for the welfare benefits and winter fuel allowance will be announced in the budget this fall by Ms. Reeves. Canada, U.K. commit to trade talks after Carney and Starmer meet But analysts say the Chancellor has little room to manoeuvre. She has promised not to raise taxes again after hiking several charges in her last budget. She also has to find money for the government's plan to sharply increase spending on defence and she has set several fiscal targets that give her almost no leeway. After the recent climb downs, 'the government is effectively returning to the drawing board,' said Helen Miller, deputy director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, a London-based economic think tank. She added that spending on social security alone will be higher than Ms. Reeve forecasted and departmental spending has been set – all of which means 'tax rises would look increasingly likely,' she said. Mr. Starmer caused more uncertainty on Wednesday when he sidestepped questions in the House of Commons about whether he would replace Ms. Reeves, who appeared to be crying at one point during the proceedings. Her office later said she was dealing with a personal matter and Mr. Starmer's spokesperson issued a statement saying: 'The chancellor is going nowhere. She has the prime minister's full backing.' That did little to ease the sense of tumult in the government. 'The PM might be keeping his options open at this stage, but the Chancellor is a strange choice to axe from a market perspective,' said Kathleen Brooks, research director at London broker XTB. She added that the prospect of replacing Ms. Reeves with a more left-leaning Chancellor had spooked financial markets. Opinion: Make Britain great again? Keir Starmer is making Britain depressed Financial issues aren't the only challenges for Mr. Starmer. He recently caved to calls from Reform leader Nigel Farage and Elon Musk for a national inquiry into gangs that groom young women for sex after saying for months that enough work had been done on the issue. He's also coming under pressure to address the record number of asylum seekers crossing the English Channel in small boats, something Mr. Starmer attacked the former Conservative government for failing to tackle. Away from home, Mr. Starmer has managed to achieve some success on the international stage. He has negotiated a trade deal with India and reached a new economic understanding with the European Union. He's also the only world leader who has been able to get U.S. President Donald Trump to reduce tariffs on imports. Mr. Starmer still has four years before he must call an election, which gives the government time to turns things around. But Dr. Bale said there remain questions about his leadership. 'Is Starmer, his authority dented by the welfare bill debacle and his ability to connect emotionally with voters still woefully inadequate, really the man to do it?'
CTV News
15 hours ago
- CTV News
U.K. lawmakers approve ban of Palestine Action as terrorist group
LONDON -- British lawmakers voted on Wednesday to ban pro-Palestinian campaign group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, after its activists broke into a military base and damaged two planes in protest at what it says is Britain's support for Israel. Palestine Action, which describes itself as a direct action movement that uses disruptive methods, has routinely targeted companies in Britain with links to Israel, including Israeli defence firm Elbit Systems, which it has called its 'main target.' Britain's Labour government accused the group of causing millions of pounds of damage through action at a Thales factory in 2022, an Elbit site last year and at the Royal Air Force base in southern England last month - the trigger for the decision to ban, or proscribe, the group. Proscription would officially designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organization on a par with Islamic State or al Qaeda under British law, making it a crime to support or belong to the groups. Britain's proscription order will reach parliament's upper chamber, the House of Lords, on Thursday. If approved by lawmakers there, Palestine Action's ban would become effective in the following days. The group, which has called its proscription unjustified and an 'abuse of power,' has challenged the decision in court and an urgent hearing is expected on Friday. United Nations experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council have urged Britain to reconsider its move, arguing that acts of property damage without the intention to endanger life should not be considered terrorism. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, Britain's interior minister, says that violence and criminal damage have no place in legitimate protest, and that a zero-tolerance approach was necessary for national security. On Tuesday, the group said its activists had blocked the entrance to an Elbit site in Bristol, southwestern England, and that other members had occupied the rooftop of a subcontracting firm in Suffolk, eastern England, it said had links to Elbit. Israel has repeatedly denied committing abuses in its war in Gaza, which began after Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. In addition to Palestine Action, the proscription order approved by Britain's parliament includes neo-Nazi group Maniacs Murder Cult and the Russian Imperial Movement, a white supremacist group which seeks to create a new Russian imperial state. The vote on the three groups was taken together, meaning all three had to be banned or none of them. (Reporting by Sachin Ravikumar; Editing by Alison Williams)
CTV News
19 hours ago
- CTV News
National pride on Canada Day
Ottawa residents displayed their Canadian pride on Canada Day, dismissing talk of Canada as the 51st U.S. state. CTV's Josh Marano reports.
