\n<\/p>\n
Keir Starmer said the UK-India agreement was \u201cthe biggest and most economically significant\u201d trade deal Britain has made since Brexit.<\/strong><\/p>\n The prime minister said: \u201cLook, we both know this is the biggest and most economically significant trade deal that the UK has made since leaving the EU.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I think I can say that it\u2019s one of the most comprehensive deals that India has ever done.<\/p>\n \u201cSo thank you, prime minister, for your leadership and for your pragmatism.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.37 EDT<\/p>\n <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n <\/span>Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Narendra Modi said the UK and India are \u201cunited in the belief that there is no place for double standards in the fight against terrorism\u201d, as he thanked Keir Starmer for \u201cstrong condemnation of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Indian prime minister said: \u201cFriends, we thank the Prime Minister and his government for strong condemnation of the terrorist attack in Pahalgam.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are united in the belief that there is no place for double standard in the fight against terrorism.<\/p>\n \u201cWe also agree that the forces which espouse extremist ideologies should not be allowed to misuse democratic freedoms.<\/p>\n \u201cThose who misuse democratic freedoms to undermine democracy itself must be held to account.<\/p>\n \u201cOur security agencies will continue to enhance cooperation and coordination on matters such as the extradition of economic offenders.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Indian prime minister Narendra Modi said the UK-India trade deal was a \u201cblueprint for our shared prosperity\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n He said: \u201cToday marks a historic day in our bilateral relations. I am pleased to note that after many years of hard work, the comprehensive economic and trade agreement between our two countries has been concluded today.\u201d<\/p>\n He added: \u201c[It] is also a blueprint for our shared prosperity. On the one hand, Indian textiles, footwear, gems and jewellery, seafood, engineering goods will get better market access in the UK…<\/p>\n \u201cOn the other hand, people and industries in India will be able to access products made in the UK, such as medical devices and aerospace parts, at affordable and attractive prices.\u201d<\/p>\n The Indian prime minister thanked Keir Starmer for his \u201cwarm welcome and gracious hospitality.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n The trade deal is not the \u201cextent or the limit\u201d of Britain\u2019s co-operation with India, Keir Starmer said.<\/strong><\/p>\n The prime minister said: \u201cThis is not the extent or the limit of our collaboration with India.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have unique bonds of history, of family and of culture, and we want to strengthen our relationship further, so that it is even more ambitious, modern and focused on the long term.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the so-called India-UK Vision 2035 strategy, launched alongside the deal, sets out how the countries will work more closely on areas such as defence, migration, climate and health.<\/p>\n <\/span>Keir Starmer and Narendra Modi.<\/span> Photograph: Kin Cheung\/APShare<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.06 EDT<\/p>\n Britain has been seeking a trade deal with India for many years \u201cbut it is this government that got it done\u201d, Keir Starmer said.<\/strong><\/p>\n The prime minister said:<\/p>\n The UK has been negotiating a deal like this for many years, but it is this government that got it done, and with it, we\u2019re sending a very powerful message that Britain is open for business, and that is already generating huge confidence.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Keir Starmer said the UK-India agreement was \u201cthe biggest and most economically significant\u201d trade deal Britain has made since Brexit.<\/strong><\/p>\n The prime minister said: \u201cLook, we both know this is the biggest and most economically significant trade deal that the UK has made since leaving the EU.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd I think I can say that it\u2019s one of the most comprehensive deals that India has ever done.<\/p>\n \u201cSo thank you, prime minister, for your leadership and for your pragmatism.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.37 EDT<\/p>\n Keir Starmer hailed the UK-India deal as a \u201clandmark moment\u201d for both countries.<\/strong><\/p>\n Speaking alongside his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, the prime minister said: \u201cPrime minister Modi, it is a pleasure to welcome you to Chequers.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a historic day, a landmark moment for both of our countries.<\/p>\n \u201cThe UK-India deal is now signed, sealed and ready to be delivered , so it\u2019s a real pleasure to welcome you.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.35 EDT<\/p>\n Prof Tim Briggs, the NHS England national director for clinical improvement and elective recovery, has criticised the strike by resident doctors which starts on Friday.<\/strong><\/p>\n Speaking to BBC Radio 4\u2019s Today programme, he said:<\/p>\n As doctors, we are slightly different from other groups in that, yes, we have the right to strike, but we also have to make sure that we put the patient right at the centre of absolutely everything we do, and we must never harm patients.<\/p>\n This strike will harm patients, and for me, that is not acceptable.<\/p>\n When I speak to resident doctors, it\u2019s not about the core pay. It\u2019s about the non-pay, about their rotas of selection, the bottleneck and training, how they fund their courses, how they fund their exams and medical equipment.<\/p>\n And there has been a commitment by the secretary of state and the government to look at that in a very sympathetic way because they believe they can help that and smooth that pathway.<\/p>\n So I can\u2019t understand how we are in this position from the BMA.<\/p>\n He added:<\/p>\n If you look at the last 12 months, due to the hard work of all the 1.3 million NHS staff, we\u2019ve started to make real inroads into elective recovery, and we must not lose that.<\/p>\n This time, we will be covering the emergency services and we will be doing as much of elective cares as we can, and that is absolutely the right thing to do.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.12 EDT<\/p>\n Keir Starmer described the signing of a trade agreement between Britain and India as a \u201chistoric day\u201d.<\/strong><\/p>\n As the prime minister met with Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at the country estate Chequers, Starmer said they had agreed in autumn to make a \u201cstep change\u201d in the two countries\u2019 relationship.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cSo I\u2019m really pleased and privileged to welcome you here today on what I consider to be a historic day for both of our countries, and the delivery of the commitment that we made to each other.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/span>(L-R) Jonathan Reynolds, Narendra Modi, Keir Starmer and Piyush Goyal.<\/span> Photograph: Chris J Ratcliffe\/EPA<\/p>\n Modi, speaking via a translator, described the UK and India as \u201cnatural partners\u201d and said the nations were \u201cwriting a new chapter\u201d in a shared history.<\/p>\n Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds and his Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal then formally signed the trade agreement in the great hall of Chequers.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a007.05 EDT<\/p>\n Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds blamed Donald Trump\u2019s tariffs and competition from China for the slump in vehicle manufacturing.<\/strong><\/p>\n He told BBC Breakfast he was \u201cvery concerned\u201d about the industry, which he described as the \u201cjewel in the crown\u201d of British manufacturing.<\/p>\n British car output fell 7.3% in the first six months of the year, while van and other commercial vehicle production plummeted by 45.4%, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).<\/p>\n Reynolds said:<\/p>\n I\u2019m very concerned about automotive, the pressures on the system which come from the US trade agenda, but also an incredible increase in capacity from China.<\/p>\n It\u2019s why as a government we\u2019ve adopted so many measures specifically around the automotive sector.<\/p>\n So that\u2019s everything from the industrial strategy, which reduces the energy costs for British automotive factories making vehicles – cars, vans and buses.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also why we changed the regulation that we inherited from the previous government on the transition to electric vehicles, why we negotiated the automotive quota with the US – a key market for us in that regard – and also why we\u2019ve just announced an incentive program for… electric vehicles made in the UK, which will bring the cost down for British consumers.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n The biggest rail workers\u2019 union has warned that raising the state pension age would be met with protests and direct action.<\/strong><\/p>\n The Rail, Maritime and Transport union said a government review had sparked fears of a big increase in the pension age.<\/p>\n RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said:<\/p>\n The UK state pension is already one of the worst in the entire developed world, which is a direct result of decades of governments transferring both our national and personal wealth to the super rich.<\/p>\n Any decision to squeeze more out of working people by forcing us to work even longer would be a national disgrace.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Around one in 10 people aged 16 and over in England and Wales were victims of at least one of the crime types of domestic abuse, sexual assault or stalking in the year to March, new estimates suggest.<\/strong><\/p>\n The figure is closer to one in eight for women, while for men it is slightly lower at about one in 12.<\/p>\n It is the first time an estimate has been made of the combined prevalence of domestic abuse, sexual assault and stalking.<\/p>\n The figures have been published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) using data collected as part of the Crime Survey for England and Wales.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Donald Trump will receive a \u201cwarm welcome\u201d from the UK government when he touches down in Scotland on Friday, Scottish secretary Ian Murray has said.<\/strong><\/p>\n The US president is expected to visit both his golf clubs north of the border – in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire – during the four-day visit.<\/p>\n The PA news agency understands Murray is expected to meet Trump as his plane arrives in Scotland.<\/p>\n The president is also expected to meet prime minister Keir Starmer and Scottish first minister John Swinney.<\/p>\n The Scottish secretary told BBC Radio Scotland the UK will extend a \u201cwarm welcome\u201d to the president, given the historic ties between the two countries.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Keir Starmer\u2019s government is \u201cdeeply committed\u201d to recognising a Palestinian state, cabinet minister Jonathan Reynolds said.<\/strong><\/p>\n The business secretary stressed that such a move would have to be meaningful and come as part of a \u201cgenuine move towards a two-state solution and a long-term peace settlement\u201d with Israel.<\/p>\n The prime minister is under increasing pressure to fulfil Labour\u2019s promise to recognise Palestine.<\/p>\n Reynolds told LBC Radio:<\/p>\n We are deeply committed to the recognition of Palestine as a state, that was part of our manifesto, but obviously we want that to be meaningful.<\/p>\n Now, at the minute, there is not a Palestinian state there. There is not political agreement between the two principal Palestinian territories in the West Bank and Gaza.<\/p>\n We have taken other steps in relation to the intolerable situation in Gaza. We\u2019ve obviously sanctioned two Israeli cabinet ministers. I myself have ended arms exports to Israel that could be used in the conflict in Gaza.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve ended our talks with Israel on a more enhanced trade agreement and trade relationship. So we have taken those immediate steps.<\/p>\n And we do want to see Palestine recognised. I want that to be meaningful. I want that to be working with partners, other countries around the world.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n The police and government are ready to respond if violent protests over the asylum system spread following events in Epping, a cabinet minister has said.<\/strong><\/p>\n Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said he could understand people\u2019s frustrations at hotels being used to house asylum seekers but insisted that had come down from around 400 hotels to \u201cjust over 200\u201d.<\/p>\n Asked if he was worried about unrest spreading in the way riots broke out around the country last summer, he told Sky News:<\/p>\n All the government, all the key agencies, the police, they prepare for all situations.<\/p>\n So I wouldn\u2019t want you to be talking this up or speculating in a way which is unhelpful. Of course, the state prepares for all situations.<\/p>\n But I think what we\u2019ve got to talk about is: why are people unhappy with, say, the asylum system? Are they reasonable? Are they upset for legitimate reasons? Yes, we share those as a government. That is why we are sorting it out.<\/p>\n And I understand the frustrations people have, but ultimately, you solve those frustrations and solve the problem by fixing and getting a grip of the core issue, which is what we\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Rowena Mason<\/span><\/p>\n The Labour government needs to ramp up the creation of green jobs or risk workers being tempted to vote for parties opposing the shift to net zero, two major unions have said.<\/strong><\/p>\n The GMB and Prospect, who between them represent tens of thousands of energy workers, said there needs to be more of a focus on increasing green jobs as the fossil fuel industry is increasingly phased out.<\/p>\n They said without more tangible progress there is a danger of public support for the transition to clean energy being undermined \u2013 and potentially voters opting for a new government that does not support net zero.<\/p>\n Their intervention comes after Reform UK pledged to rip up green energy contracts if the party wins power and the Conservatives also shifted away from support for net zero earlier this year, showing the political arguments over the shift to green jobs are not settled.<\/p>\n Launching a new campaign group called Climate Jobs UK, Gary Smith, the general secretary of GMB union, said: \u201cHow the UK makes the transition to net zero is hugely important. The voices of those working in the energy sector day in, day out, who have vast experience of dealing with change, need to be front and centre of the process. If not, it\u2019s doomed to fail.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the moment, the transition feels like something being done to workers \u2013 that can\u2019t continue. People need to see real jobs created where they live, and their local economy boosted, or we\u2019re going to see more and more tempted by the siren calls of those who deny the reality of climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Eleni Courea<\/span><\/p>\n Kemi Badenoch has said she aspires to become Britain\u2019s version of Javier Milei, the Argentinian far-right, chainsaw-wielding president whose driving mission is slashing the size of the state.<\/strong><\/p>\n Asked whether the UK needed its own Milei and whether she herself fit that role, Badenoch, whose party is languishing in third place in the polls, said: \u201cYes and yes.\u201d<\/p>\n Milei is a self-described anarcho-capitalist who came to power in 2023 promising to dramatically cut state spending. He has often expressed admiration for Margaret Thatcher.<\/p>\n In an interview with the Financial Times, Badenoch said Milei would be the \u201ctemplate\u201d for her government. She said the Conservatives \u201ccannot be a repository for disenchantment\u201d and must be about \u201coffering hope\u201d, unlike Nigel Farage\u2019s Reform UK.<\/p>\n But she admitted that \u201cthe public are not yet ready to forgive\u201d the Tories after the political chaos of the last few years and that Reform was \u201cstealing everyone\u2019s oxygen\u201d.<\/p>\n Badenoch argued the public would eventually tire of Farage\u2019s \u201cbullshitting\u201d and claimed he was positioning his party to the left of the Conservatives on issues such as benefits.<\/p>\n She said her own programme, which she is under pressure to set out in more detail, would not be \u201cnot about cutting bits of the state\u201d but rather \u201clooking at what the state does, why it does it\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n The brother of a British man who has been detained overseas since 2017 has said he is putting his faith in the prime minister ahead of a meeting between Keir Starmer and the Indian prime minister.<\/strong><\/p>\n Talks between Starmer and Narendra Modi of India are seen as being a \u201cunique opportunity\u201d to seek a resolution to the case of Jagtar Singh Johal.<\/p>\n Johal, a Sikh activist from Dumbarton near Glasgow, was arrested while in India for his wedding, and has been held ever since \u2013 despite having been cleared of one of the cases against him earlier this year.<\/p>\n But he still faces charges at a federal level, which his supporters \u2013 who claim an initial confession he made was as a result of torture \u2013 fear could take years to come to a conclusion.<\/p>\n However, campaigners at Reprieve, who have been working to free Johal, say the talks between the UK and Indian leaders could be a \u201crare chance to make progress\u201d in the case.<\/p>\n The Indian prime minister is visiting London to sign a landmark, free trade agreement between his country and the UK.<\/p>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.57 EDT<\/p>\n Hello and welcome to the UK politics blog. I\u2019m Tom Ambrose and I will be bringing you all the latest news lines throughout the day.<\/p>\n We start with the news that India\u2019s prime minister, Narendra Modi, is visiting London to sign a landmark free trade agreement between his country and the UK<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Modi, who arrived yesterday, is expected to sign the long-awaited deal later on Thursday, which will see tariffs cut on goods and increase market access for both countries.<\/p>\n He is also due to speak with prime minister Keir Starmer and meet King Charles before leaving for the Maldives.<\/p>\n For Britain, eager to score a post-Brexit win, the \u00a34.8bn deal is its most economically significant trade agreement since leaving the EU. For India, it marks its first major free trade pact outside Asia. For both, analysts say, the agreement signals a long-term economic partnership.<\/p>\n \u201cThe UK and India, in many ways we have complementarities. We have had a historical relationship. It\u2019s good to have a deeper trade relationship,\u201d said Indian economist Sanjaya Baru.<\/p>\n India stood firm on key demands during negotiations, winning concessions on work visas, recognition of professional qualifications, and exemptions from national insurance contributions for Indian nationals working temporarily in the UK, all longstanding sticking points.<\/p>\n Modi, accompanied by his commerce minister, Piyush Goyal, who led the negotiations, can claim India held its ground while the UK compromised, bolstering his message of India\u2019s rising global clout.<\/p>\n However, the deal must still be ratified by both parliaments, likely delaying implementation until mid-2026.<\/p>\n For more detail, see our full report here:<\/p>\n And for a full analysis of the deal, see my colleague Eleni Courea\u2019s<\/em> piece:<\/p>\n In other news:<\/p>\n Newly appointed shadow housing secretary<\/strong> James Cleverly has criticised the prime minister for a \u201cdisconnect from reality\u201d when it comes to housing asylum seekers. <\/strong>The Tory MP and former home secretary said asylum hotels are being reopened and that more asylum seekers are likely to be sent to an accommodation centre in his own constituency of Braintree.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Essex police have denied claims officers \u201cbussed\u201d counter-demonstrators to a protest outside a hotel housing asylum seekers in Epping last week. <\/strong>The claims have promoted a call from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage for the force\u2019s chief constable to resign. Clacton MP Farage earlier posted a video on X, saying: \u201cThis video proves EssexPoliceUK transported left-wing protesters to The Bell hotel in Epping. There is no way Chief Constable BJ Harrington can stay in position.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n A record number of police officers were sacked from forces in England and Wales in the past year, new figures show. <\/strong>Latest Home Office data reveals 426 officers were dismissed or had their contracts terminated in the 12 months to March. This is up 17% year on year from the previous record of 365 and more than double the number fired at the start of the decade, when 164 officers were dismissed in 2019\/20.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Kemi Badenoch blamed Labour for the strains on social cohesion highlighted by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner. <\/strong>The Conservative leader said: \u201cI\u2019m surprised it\u2019s taken her this long to actually understand what is going on.\u201d Speaking in north-west London she said Hillingdon council had a \u00a317m deficit because it has had asylum seekers \u201cdumped on their doorstep\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Charities have warned of the increasing danger to asylum seekers posed by far-right protesters after small boat arrivals were moved from their usual landing place in Dover to further along the coast to avoid clashes. <\/strong>The Guardian understands that Home Office officials received intelligence that some of those participating in what was billed the Great British National Protest in Dover on Saturday afternoon could have been planning to target Kent Intake Unit, where small boat arrivals are initially processed after being escorted to shore in Dover by the Border Force.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Reform UK councillors have been accused of hypocrisy after voting to spend \u00a3150,000 on hiring political advisers at a county council despite pledging to cut waste and save money. <\/strong>The plans were put forward by Reform councillor George Finch, a 19-year-old who was narrowly elected as the leader of Warwickshire county council during a meeting on Tuesday, which was picketed by protesters.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Share<\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.40 EDT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" UK-India trade deal biggest since Brexit, says Starmer Keir Starmer said the UK-India agreement was \u201cthe biggest and most economically significant\u201d trade deal Britain has made since Brexit. The prime minister said: \u201cLook, we both know this is the biggest and most economically significant trade deal that the UK has made since leaving the EU.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12061,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[752,5615,696,5613,132,124,5614,1347,430,5612],"class_list":{"0":"post-12060","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-politics","8":"tag-biggest","9":"tag-brexit","10":"tag-deal","11":"tag-economically","12":"tag-live","13":"tag-politics","14":"tag-significant","15":"tag-starmer","16":"tag-trade","17":"tag-ukindia"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12060","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12060"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12060\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12060"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12060"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12060"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}UK-India trade deal biggest since Brexit, says Starmer<\/h2>\n
NHS England director criticises resident doctors’ strike due to start on Friday<\/h2>\n
Starmer: signing of India trade deal a ‘historic day’<\/h2>\n
UK government ‘deeply committed’ to recognising a Palestinian state, says business secretary<\/h2>\n
Labour must create green jobs or lose voters to parties who oppose net zero, unions warn<\/h2>\n
Indian prime minister makes official UK visit to sign landmark trade deal<\/h2>\n
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