Tag: News Story

STORY

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer held a significant call with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on 8 January 2026 to coordinate the alliance’s response to escalating security challenges in the North Atlantic and the High North. The conversation followed a flurry of diplomatic activity, including the ‘Coalition of the Willing’ meeting in Paris, and comes amid heightened tensions regarding regional territorial integrity and the future of Ukrainian security.

The two leaders began the discussion by paying tribute to British military personnel who have been engaged in critical operations in the North Atlantic and Syria over the recent days. These missions have been described as vital for protecting both UK national interests and wider Euro-Atlantic security against evolving threats.

A primary focus of the call was the increasingly contested High North region. Both the Prime Minister and Mr Rutte agreed that while NATO allies have successfully increased their presence in the Arctic and North Atlantic, more robust action is required to deter Russian aggression in these waters. They welcomed ongoing strategic discussions on how the alliance can further protect the region from Russian maritime and hybrid threats, which have intensified throughout the winter months.

Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, the Secretary General provided an update on the morning’s North Atlantic Council meeting. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to securing a just and lasting end to the war, stressing that any potential peace settlement must be underpinned by strong security guarantees. This dialogue follows the Prime Minister’s recent political declaration alongside France and Ukraine concerning the deployment of deterrent forces and the establishment of military hubs to support Kyiv’s long-term defensive capabilities.

The call also touched upon the importance of maintaining a unified alliance posture following reports of American interest in Greenland. Sir Keir, who also spoke with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen today, reiterated the UK’s firm support for Danish sovereignty and the self-determination of the Greenlandic people.

STORY

The Labour Party has called for Reform UK to expel Chris Parry for comments that he made on social media. The party said in a statement:

“Nigel Farage should stop being so weak and throw Chris Parry out of Reform UK today.”

The row centres on comments made by Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry, Reform UK’s candidate for the Hampshire and the Solent mayoral election. Parry apologised after Nigel Farage, the party leader, suggested that he should.

Referring to a post he had made about David Lammy, the Deputy Prime Minister, being forced to “go home”, Parry said:

“It was a clumsy tweet, there’s no question about that.”

STORY

Renee Nicole Macklin Good, the 37-year-old shot dead by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis, has become the centre of a fast-moving political storm as President Donald Trump defended the killing and officials offered sharply different accounts of what happened.

Good, a US citizen originally from Colorado, was driving with her partner after dropping her six-year-old son at school when she encountered ICE agents during an enforcement operation. Bystander video shows an officer approaching her car, trying to open the door and another officer firing multiple shots at close range as the vehicle begins to move.

The Trump administration has claimed Good tried to ram or run over an officer, with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem describing it as “domestic terrorism”. Trump echoed that narrative, saying she had violently run over an agent and that the officer appeared to have shot her in self-defence, effectively backing the use of lethal force before any independent findings were released.

But video footage circulating online does not show an officer being run over, instead appearing to show the driver reversing and pulling away as shots are fired, fuelling demands for an external investigation and intensifying criticism of the administration’s immigration crackdown.

STORY

Local councils in England are set to be handed new powers to crack down on pavement parking, with ministers ruling out a single national ban in favour of a locally led system that allows restrictions to be introduced area by area.

Publishing its long awaited response to a 2020 consultation, the Department for Transport said it wants pavements to be safer and more accessible, particularly for wheelchair users, blind and partially sighted people, older people and parents with pushchairs who can be forced into the road by blocked footways.

Under the plans, local transport authorities would be enabled “at the next legislative opportunity” to prohibit pavement parking across their areas, with powers sitting with strategic authorities in areas that have them outside London. In the meantime, ministers say they will enable councils to enforce against unnecessary obstruction of the pavement, aiming to make it easier to act where problems are worst without requiring lengthy street by street legal processes.

The consultation, which drew more than 15,000 responses, found strong support for action, with 81% of individuals and 96% of organisations saying pavement parking was a problem in their area. Transport minister Lilian Greenwood said the approach is intended to balance safety and accessibility with local parking realities, with exemptions possible where authorities judge them necessary.

STORY

Reform UK has selected Westminster City councillor Laila Cunningham as its candidate for the next London mayoral election, due to be held in 2028. Party leader Nigel Farage announced the decision at a press conference in the capital, where Cunningham appeared alongside to set out her priorities for the campaign.

Cunningham, who represents Lancaster Gate on Westminster City Council, has previously worked as a prosecutor and joined Reform after leaving the Conservative Party. Reform said she will also play a prominent role in the party’s London-wide local election campaigning this year.

In remarks during the launch, Cunningham focused heavily on public safety, arguing that crime should be tackled more aggressively in the capital and criticising Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan’s record. Farage echoed those themes, presenting Cunningham as a candidate who would prioritise policing and enforcement.

Labour said in a statement:

“Cunningham has made a habit of talking London down, repeatedly portraying our city as broken while opposing the multiculturalism that makes it the best city in the world.”

STORY

Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has begun a two-day visit to Washington DC, travelling at the invitation of US Vice President JD Vance as the UK steps up its involvement in ‘America 250’, the programme marking 250 years since the signing of the US Declaration of Independence.

The Ministry of Justice said Lammy will use the trip to underline the UK-US ‘special relationship’, with discussions expected to cover economic growth and Europe’s role in securing “sustainable, long-term peace” in Ukraine. He is also due to speak at an America 250 event at Mount Vernon, reflecting on his own experiences studying and working in the United States and looking ahead to future UK-US cooperation.

A central moment of the visit will be the UK’s contribution to a time capsule that is due to be buried under the Washington Monument. The government said the exchange follows the burial of a ‘sister’ time capsule in Trafalgar Square last year. The capsule, designed by architect Lord Norman Foster, is intended to be reopened on 4 July 2276.

STORY

Madeleine Campbell has been appointed as a board member of the Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) for a four-year term, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced. Campbell’s appointment runs from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2029.

Campbell is Professor of Veterinary Ethics at the University of Nottingham and is recognised as a specialist in animal welfare science, ethics and law. DCMS said she holds a number of senior welfare and ethics roles across equestrian and racing bodies, including chairing the British Equestrian Federation’s Ethics and Welfare Advisory Group and the Greyhound Board of Great Britain’s Welfare and Veterinary Standing Committee, as well as serving on the British Horseracing Authority’s Ethics Panel.

The HBLB is responsible for collecting the statutory Horserace Betting Levy from bookmakers and distributing the proceeds to support and improve British horseracing, horse breeding and veterinary science and education.

STORY

The UK and France have signed a “declaration of intent” on deploying forces to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer met European and American allies alongside President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Paris. Starmer said the Coalition of the Willing is focused on helping to deliver “a peace that can last” and working with the United States to guarantee Ukraine’s long-term security.

Downing Street said the declaration would pave the way for a legal framework under which British, French and partner forces could operate on Ukrainian soil, including securing Ukraine’s skies and seas and supporting the future regeneration of Ukraine’s armed forces. Starmer said that following a ceasefire the UK and France would establish “military hubs” across Ukraine and build protected facilities for weapons and equipment to support Ukraine’s defensive needs.

Starmer also said coalition partners had agreed further steps including participating in US-led monitoring and verification of any ceasefire, supporting the long-term provision of armaments for Ukraine’s defence and working towards binding commitments to support Ukraine in the event of a future armed attack by Russia. He said a peace deal would require compromises from Vladimir Putin, arguing Russia was “not showing that he is ready for peace”, and pledged further support for Ukraine’s defence in 2026 alongside additional measures targeting oil traders and “shadow fleet” operators that the UK says help fund Russia’s war effort.

STORY

Axel Heitmueller has been appointed as the new Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit and will also serve as an Expert Adviser on Delivery, Downing Street has announced. The role is a full-time Direct Ministerial appointment and will be paid.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Heitmueller will advise ministers and “drive forward the Government’s vision for national renewal”, with a focus on ensuring people “get help with the cost of living” and see changes in bills, communities and the health service.

Heitmueller previously worked as the Prime Minister’s Expert Adviser on Health and has held senior NHS-related roles, including Chief Executive of Imperial College Health Partners and Executive Director of Strategy at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust.

STORY

Sir Keir Starmer has spoken to Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre ahead of a meeting of the so-called ‘Coalition of the Willing’ in Paris, Downing Street said.

According to the UK readout, the Prime Minister said the Paris meeting would provide a further chance to integrate US planning with the coalition’s work on the “cessation of hostilities”, with both leaders agreeing it was vital to keep up momentum towards what they described as a just and lasting peace.

The two leaders also discussed maritime security in the High North, building on what the statement called already close UK–Norway cooperation, and said they looked forward to speaking again in Paris.