Welcome and opening summary
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics for Thursday. Here are the headlines:
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The prime minister has said that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas will be seen as a moment of “profound relief”. Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has echoed Keir Starmer’s sentiment, saying the UK “stands ready to play our part” in implementing a peace plan, whe she said should be “implemented as swiftly as possible”.
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Starmer said he and India’s prime minister Narendra Modi discussed the need for a “just and lasting peace in Ukraine”, as well as “breaking away from dependence on fossil fuels” during the Labour leader’s visit to the country.
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Environment minister Emma Hardy said she understands the public’s anger, after five water firms were provisionally granted permission to raise their bills by between 1% and 5%.
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Cabinet ministers have been told they will not be able to use the Treasury reserve to fund public sector pay rises and cannot access it unless there are exceptional circumstances.
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Justice secretary David Lammy has ruled out reintroducing charges for employment tribunals after a backlash from unions over the proposals.
It is Martin Belam back with you today – long time no see. Do drop me a line via email if you spot typos, errors or omissions to martin.belam@theguardian.com.
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Cooper to head to Paris to discuss Gaza peace plan implementation
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has said that later today she will travel to Paris for discussion about the implementation of a peace plan for Gaza.
Speaking at Hillsborough Castle, where she is hosting a summit on the western Balkans today, she said:
The agreement on the first phase of President Trump’s peace initiative is a moment of profound significance, relief and hope. And I want to pay tribute to the negotiators.
After two years of the most devastating suffering, with tens of thousands of lives being lost, with the pain of hostages held for so long, and with the humanitarian crisis taking place, the agreement now to a ceasefire, to the restoration of humanitarian aid and to the release of all the hostages is immensely important and must be implemented as swiftly as possible.
Later today I will be travelling from here with the German foreign minister, my colleague, to Paris for the discussions later today about how all nations can support the immense work that has been done thus far on President Trump’s peace initiative, but also how we make sure that we take it forward.
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Starmer: Gaza peace plan a moment of ‘profound relief’ for the world
Israel and Hamas’ agreement to the initial phases of a plan to end fighting in Gaza is a “moment of profound relief that will be felt around the world”, the prime minister has said.
Responding to the news during his trip to India, Keir Starmer said:
I welcome the news that a deal has been reached on the first stage of President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza.
This is a moment of profound relief that will be felt all around the world, but particularly for the hostages, their families, and for the civilian population of Gaza, who have all endured unimaginable suffering over the last two years.
This agreement must now be implemented in full, without delay, and accompanied by the immediate lifting of all restrictions on life-saving humanitarian aid to Gaza.
We call on all parties to meet the commitments they have made, to end the war, and to build the foundations for a just and lasting end to the conflict and a sustainable path to a long-term peace. The UK will support these crucial immediate steps and the next stage of talks to ensure the full implementation of the peace plan.
Keir Starmer welcomes first phase of Gaza deal with ‘profound relief’ – videoShare
Welcome and opening summary
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of UK politics for Thursday. Here are the headlines:
-
The prime minister has said that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas will be seen as a moment of “profound relief”. Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has echoed Keir Starmer’s sentiment, saying the UK “stands ready to play our part” in implementing a peace plan, whe she said should be “implemented as swiftly as possible”.
-
Starmer said he and India’s prime minister Narendra Modi discussed the need for a “just and lasting peace in Ukraine”, as well as “breaking away from dependence on fossil fuels” during the Labour leader’s visit to the country.
-
Environment minister Emma Hardy said she understands the public’s anger, after five water firms were provisionally granted permission to raise their bills by between 1% and 5%.
-
Cabinet ministers have been told they will not be able to use the Treasury reserve to fund public sector pay rises and cannot access it unless there are exceptional circumstances.
-
Justice secretary David Lammy has ruled out reintroducing charges for employment tribunals after a backlash from unions over the proposals.
It is Martin Belam back with you today – long time no see. Do drop me a line via email if you spot typos, errors or omissions to martin.belam@theguardian.com.
Share
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