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Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
On the second day of the row over the Chagos Islands, Sir Keir Starmer has defended the government’s decision to hand over the territory to Mauritius.
During a speech today at a glassmaking factory, the prime minister claimed the UK-Mauritius deal ensures continued security of the US-UK Diego Garcia military base.
Labour has been under fire following the deal to return the territory in exchange for a 99-year lease on the crucial base.
Argentina quickly capitalised on the decision, vowing to secure “full sovereignty” over the Falklands, with foreign minister Diana Mondino hailing the Chagos deal a victory and promising to take “concrete action” on the disputed territory next.
The geopolitical fallout followed the prime minister to Cheshire, where Labour ministers pledged nearly £22 billion to develop carbon capture projects in Merseyside and Teesside.
Sir Keir promised workers that the new investment would create thousands of jobs and attract private investment while helping the UK meet its net zero targets.
He described today’s investment announcement as a demonstration of “the politics of renewal in action” and declared the new political divide between Labour and the Tories is ‘investment or decline’.
Key Points
- PM defends Chagos Islands handover after backlash
- Starmer hails carbon capture is ‘national renewal in action’
- Argentina says it will take ‘full sovereignty’ of Falklands after Chagos Islands return
- UK envoy rejects ‘hooey’ claims of Chinese base in Chagos
- Diego Garcia blame game deepens as Liz Truss hits out at Boris Johnson for island ‘surrender’
EXCLUSIVE: High-flying women suffer from same workplace problems 30 years on
Gender equality in the workplace has stalled as women report experiencing many of the same challenges as they did nearly 30 years ago, a new survey of high-flyers suggests.
The group is calling for higher salaries and more effort to tear down the ‘glass ceiling’, the invisible barriers that hold women back, saying it was “deeply concerning” that many felt too little had changed since the Nineties.
Our Whitehall correspondent has the full story below:
Businesswomen say gender equality in the workplace has stalled
Survey of high-flyers shows many ‘still feel they face the same workplace challenges as they did in the Nineties’
Salma Ouaguira4 October 2024 14:00 1728046423ANALYSIS | Can Starmer convince the public that carbon capture will deliver?
Sir Keir Starmer’s £22 billion carbon capture investment is being framed as a cornerstone of the UK’s green future, with promises of safeguarding jobs in industries like glassmaking.
But the prime minister faces a tough challenge in convincing a skeptical public and environmental critics that this technology is more than just a greenwash.
While carbon capture offers a solution for decarbonising energy-intensive industries without job losses, green activists are unconvinced.
A group of climate scientists recently warned energy secretary Ed Miliband that carbon capture is still largely unproven, particularly at the scale needed to make a real impact.
Timing adds another layer of complexity.
The government’s ambitious plans for Teesside and Merseyside won’t materialise until the next election, and with the 2050 net-zero targets looming, doubts remain whether this technology can deliver quickly enough.
Beyond the environmental angle, Sir Keir’s announcement suggests a possible shift in Labour’s fiscal approach.
With speculation mounting that chancellor Rachel Reeves could loosen borrowing rules for capital investment, Labour will need to prove that these big-ticket investments can deliver real benefits to struggling households.
Nadhim Zahawi ‘went looking for fights’ as a young football hooligan
Former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has admitted that he used to be a football hooligan and would “go out looking for fights”.
The 57-year-old, who served under Boris Johnson, revealed he was a member of Liverpool Football Club’s firm as a younger man.
Speaking at the Henley Literary Festival, a partner of The Independent, Mr Zahawi said: “I was part of Liverpool’s firm and would go out looking for fights as a football hooligan.”
You can read the full story below:
Former chancellor admits football hooligan past: ‘I went out looking for fights’
Zahawi was sacked by Rishi Sunak as Tory party chairman over his tax affairs
Salma Ouaguira4 October 2024 13:40 1728044418COMMENT | I know who should win the Tory leadership… and who actually will
The final four candidates made their pitches to Tory party conference – and none could match what David Cameron showed up with in 2005, says the former PM’s sister-in-law, Emily Sheffield.
But there was still a clear, and surprising, champion:
I know who should win the Tory leadership… and who actually will
The final four candidates made their pitches to Tory party conference – and none could match what David Cameron showed up with in 2005, says the former PM’s sister-in-law, Emily Sheffield. But there was still a clear, and surprising, champion
Salma Ouaguira4 October 2024 13:20 1728043200Your Tory Party conference questions answered by John Rentoul
This year’s Conservative Party conference in Birmingham provides a pivotal moment for reflection and debate.
It stands in stark contrast to the 2023 gathering, when Rishi Sunak’s government made a series of last-minute policy announcements, including offshoring prisoners, cutting civil servants, and controversially scrapping HS2.
As the conference unfolds, our chief political commentator John Rentoul has been answering your burning questions on the leadership contest, the fallout from the election defeat, and more.
Catch up on the full Ask Me Anything Q&A here.
Salma Ouaguira4 October 2024 13:00 1728042318Pictured: Ed Davey visits Down syndrome support charity Stepping Stones
Fears raised over future of Falklands after Chagos Islands deal
Concerns have been raised over the future of the Falkland Islands after the UK gave up control of a remote archipelago - a move which has since been dubbed a “strategic disaster”.
The government on Thursday said it had reached a political agreement with Mauritius over the Chagos Islands following negotiations which began in 2022.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has the full story below:
Fears over future of Falklands after Chagos Islands deal dubbed ‘strategic disaster’
Former Armed Forces minister Mark Francois warned the Chagos deal will embolden Argentina in its mission
Salma Ouaguira4 October 2024 12:32 1728040482Boris Johnson slams Chagos Islands decision as ‘political correctness’
The former prime minister has slammed Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, branding it a product of “sheer political correctness”.
Mr Johnson told GB News: “Get out your maps, get out your atlases, check out the Chagos Islands, see where they are, see where Mauritius is. A long way away.
“What is this claim? It’s nonsense, it’s total nonsense. Why are we doing this? Sheer political correctness, desire to look like the good guys, a desire to look as though we are unbundling the last relics of our empire. It’s nonsense.”
20 ex-Tory MPs back James Cleverly as next leader
A group of 20 former Tory MPs have thrown their weight behind James Cleverly to become the next Tory leader, our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports.
The former foreign secretary, at the centre of a row over the Chagos Islands, has the experience needed they argue.
The group, who all lost their seats at this summer’s general election write: “As James has said, now is not the time for an apprentice.
He is easily the most experienced candidate, having been party chairman, foreign secretary and home secretary.
As party chairman, he helped Boris Johnson deliver the 80-seat majority that broke the deadlock and got Brexit done. He knows what we need to do to get back to winning ways.”
Salma Ouaguira4 October 2024 11:59 1728039505Keir Starmer announces £21.7 billion funding for carbon capture in speech
With the prime minister’s speech on Labour’s new vision for carbon capture over, let’s take a look back at what has been announced.
- ‘National renewal’: The prime minister hailed the government’s plans for two carbon capture clusters in Merseyside and Teesside “politics of national renewal in action”.
- Job Creation: Announcing the plans at a glassmaking factory in Cheshire, Starmer promised the investment would create 4,000 direct jobs and lead to up to 50,000 jobs in the wider supply chain.
- End of Coal Era: The PM highlighted the significance of this week, marking the closure of the last coal-fired electricity plant. He said: “I know what we lost when we lost coal. But I also know how we can rewrite our story in the ink of the future.”
- Chancellor’s remarks: Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a substantial £21.7 billion investment for the projects, calling it a “massive opportunity” to attract further investment.
- ‘Historic shift’: Energy secretary Ed Miliband praised the end of coal-fired electricity as a “historic week for Britain’s energy system” and condemned the “dither and delay” of the Tories.
- Future focus: Starmer concluded the speech by claiming that the UK is poised to compete globally in clean energy, adding: “We’re putting ourselves in the position not just to be in that global race, but to win that global race.”
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