Starmer aiming to ‘pass emergency legislation in one day’ to save British Steel – as it happened

The government will “pass emergency legislation in one day” to protect the British Steel plant in Scunthorpe, Starmer said.Speaking in Downing Street, the Prime Minister said:We will act with urgency. Now, we should be clear this situation and our response is unique.While it is true that we are facing a new era of global instability, our concerns about this plant and negotiations to protect it have been running for years.This moment could have happened at any time, but it has happened now, and I will not stand by

Labour MPs urge ministers to focus on rebuilding trading relationship with EU

Ministers should focus on rebuilding bridges with the EU, Labour politicians have said, after a senior adviser to Donald Trump downplayed the prospect of a breakthrough with the US.MPs said the government should “prioritise our trading relationship with the EU” and “get a sugar rush of growth” instead of banking on the prospect of preferential treatment from Washington.Trump imposed 10% tariffs on all UK exports this month, with several other markets, including the EU, facing steeper rates. After financial markets plummeted, the US president announced a temporary reprieve on Wednesday, reducing tariffs on almost all other countries to his baseline of 10%. Car, steel and aluminium imports continue to face a higher tariff of 25%

Rules of engagement for family rows over politics | Letters

Simon Usborne’s article made me reflect (The one change that worked: I quit fighting about politics with my friends and family, 7 April). Having been brought up to enjoy debate and argument, a good old “ding dong at dinner parties” was always fun. It wasn’t, however, lost on me that it could lead to frayed friendships, even if, in most circumstances, bridges were rebuilt. At work, winning the argument and driving change was all – regardless of the cost.More problematically though, as a “good parent”, who wanted to impart the skill of debate, ensure knowledge of the facts and set clear boundaries for my son, especially as he moved into his teens, I found myself easily triggered to defend a position or argue a point – calmly – thinking that I was helping in some way

Labour MP apologises for not declaring donation from firm he praised in Commons

A Labour MP has apologised and referred himself to the standards commissioner after promoting a company in the Commons without declaring it had given him a £10,000 donation.Steve Yemm, the Labour MP for Mansfield, spoke in a debate about construction standards last month and praised the electrical utility company Power Saving Solutions as “a company that is enabling reduced reliance on diesel-generated power on building sites”.Yemm cited Power Saving Solutions and the construction company JCB as “two great examples of private-sector firms enfranchising themselves in our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower”.He had received a £10,000 donation from Power Saving Solutions in April last year but did not mention this in his speech. The MP’s code of conduct states: “Members must declare any relevant interests when speaking in the house

‘Parade of political flunkies’: MPs critical as Sunak awards Michael Gove a peerage

Michael Gove has been awarded a peerage by Rishi Sunak in a resignation honours list described by opposition parties as an “ID parade of political flunkies”.The veteran Conservative politician and editor of the Spectator, who retired as an MP at the last election, was one of seven allies of Sunak to receive peerages on Friday afternoon. His ennoblement opens the door to a potential return to Conservative politics in the future.Others given seats in the House of Lords include Mark Harper, the former transport secretary, and Simon Hart, the former chief whip.Hart sent shockwaves through Westminster earlier this year with the publication of his memoirs, which lifted the lid on the sexual misadventures of Tory MPs and infighting during the Johnson and Sunak governments

Trump’s economic adviser dampens Starmer’s hopes of tariffs relief

A senior economic adviser to Donald Trump has said it would take “an extraordinary deal” for any country, including the UK, to improve on the 10% tariff rate the US has imposed almost worldwide, pouring cold water on Downing Street’s hopes for a breakthrough.Trump succumbed to pressure from plunging financial markets on Wednesday and temporarily reduced “retaliatory” tariffs on all countries’ goods to 10%, except those from China, which face a rate of 145%.For the UK, this is no change from the levy imposed when Trump announced his “liberation day” agenda, but Keir Starmer’s government still hopes a free trade deal with the US can be reached to mitigate the impact of the tariffs. The UK also faces a 25% tariff on steel and cars exported to the US.Speaking to CNBC, Kevin Hassett, an economist and adviser to Trump, said any deal that would persuade the president to go below 10% would need to be “extraordinary”