‘It’s more incrementalism’: Starmer’s safe king’s speech fails to quell mutiny

For Keir Starmer’s Labour critics, his second king’s speech, in which the government set out what it would do in parliament over the next 12 to 18 months, was a crystallisation of everything that was wrong with the prime minister’s strategy.Over 34 bills and three draft ones, Starmer set out a programme he said would “make this country stronger and fairer”. But the package, which included limiting trial by jury, reshaping the NHS and moving the country closer to the EU, fell short of what some in the prime minister’s party feel is needed to win back voters’ trust.“Most of this is incrementalism,” said one Labour MP. “This sums up where we have gone wrong in the first two years in government

Starmer has ‘full confidence’ in Streeting despite health secretary’s allies saying he is planning to resign – as it happened

Downing Street has now confirmed that Wes Streeting is still health secretary. The PM’s spokesperson told reporters the prime minister has “full confidence” in the health secretary.Allies of Wes Streeting have said he is preparing to stand down as health secretary amid deep frustration with Keir Starmer’s leadership, and could mount a formal challenge for the leadership as early as Thursday.Keir Starmer has put long-promised changes to education, health and the courts at the heart of his agenda for the next year, as the embattled prime minister looks to prove he can enact the scale of change being demanded by Labour MPs and voters. There were 37 bills in the speech

Labour politicians should put the country before their party | Letters

As an active and loyal Labour member, I am infuriated by what is happening within the party (Burnham allies warn against quick ‘coronation’ of Streeting if Starmer quits, 12 May). The ongoing circus about the leadership is a terrible distraction from the numerous global and national issues that the government and the prime minister should be focused on. But the most infuriating aspect of the entire shambles is the relentless speculation and briefings from so-called “allies” of Andy Burham.No Labour member has an innate right to be selected as a parliamentary candidate. The assertion that a sitting Labour MP should give up the seat voters elected them to, necessitating a byelection so that Burnham can run, then assuming that he would automatically retain the seat, is arrogance beyond belief

Labour lost the vote of small business owners like me | Letter

Your report (Reform wins across northern England overturn decades of Labour control, 8 May) touched on Labour losing support among small business owners. I wanted to offer the perspective of a small independent business owner who has traditionally supported Labour.Labour’s poor local election results may reflect a growing frustration among small business owners who no longer feel recognised as “working people”. In hospitality, hair and beauty, retail and trades, there are thousands upon thousands of us keeping local economies alive while taking home increasingly modest incomes ourselves.Last year, our small independent restaurant in Margate turned over roughly £350,000

King’s speech might be the last word on Starmer as reluctant monarch does his duty | John Crace

The king looked fed up. His attempts to throw a sickie had come to nothing. Did the government really want to go ahead with the state opening? Apparently it did. Would it be OK if he phoned it in? He fancied a day working from palace. It wouldn’t be OK

Nigel Farage faces inquiry over £5m gift from crypto billionaire

Nigel Farage is facing a formal investigation by the parliamentary standards watchdog over a £5m gift from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne.The Reform UK leader received the money weeks before announcing he would stand as a candidate in the 2024 general election.Farage has said the gift, first revealed by the Guardian, was intended to cover his personal security costs and therefore did not need to be declared.However, other parties argue that the money from the Thailand-based businessman falls within rules requiring MPs to declare any potentially relevant gifts or donations received in the 12 months before entering parliament.Daniel Greenbergh, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, is understood to have begun an investigation under rule 5 of the code of conduct obliging MPs to “fulfil conscientiously” requirements relating to their registration of interests

EU proposes end to ‘five tabs, three apps and a prayer’ for cross-border train bookings

Cross-border train journeys through several European countries are the stuff of many a holidaymaker’s dreams.But the reality of trying to buy the tickets, navigating multiple websites without knowing who can help if a connection is missed, can prove less than relaxing. As one MEP puts it, it can often require “five tabs, three apps and a prayer”.Now, however, the European Commission has proposed that before the end of the decade passengers should be able to buy one ticket for one journey and be better protected when trains are late or cancelled.“Europeans will be able with the click of a button to plan, compare and purchase multimodal journeys across borders while benefiting from stronger rail passenger rights, greater transparency and better protection every step of the way,” the EU transport commissioner, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, said on Wednesday, as he published new rules intended to transform the “excessively complex” experience he said rail travellers met when booking tickets

The key questions for Nigel Farage over £5m gift from crypto-billionaire

Nigel Farage has been dogged by questions about his finances since the Guardian revealed he received a £5m gift from a donor in 2024.Although he insists the gift did not have to be declared, several important questions remain unanswered.The sum was given shortly before Farage decided to stand in the 2024 general election – and it came from a Reform UK mega-donor, the Thai-based crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne.In recent days, Farage has attempted to deflect attention away from the gift, saying on several occasions that the money was to pay for his personal security, and that he would rather talk about it another time.“Yeah, yeah, well we’ll talk about that any other time that you’d like,” Farage said, when asked as he celebrated Reform’s capture of its first London council, in Havering last week

The king’s speech: what is the government’s legislative agenda for the next 12 months?

Keir Starmer has laid out long-promised changes to education, health and the courts in the king’s speech, which maps out the government’s agenda for the next year.The speech delivered by King Charles cited bills to abolish NHS England, overhaul the provision of special educational needs teaching, limit trials by jury, introduce digital ID and end the leasehold system in England and Wales. It also included vehicles for closer alignment with the EU, and measures to boost the economy through the nationalisation of British Steel and pilot schemes to boost innovation in areas such as defence technology and AI-controlled ships.So, what are some of the key areas that the government’s legislative agenda will focus on over the next 12 months?Keir Starmer and his ministers have been talking with increasing emphasis in recent months about the damage done to the UK economy by Brexit and the need for a reset of relations with the EU. In the king’s speech we heard more about the European partnership bill, which will indeed contain the controversial powers to fast-track legislation to deliver a series of new agreements planned with the EU