Latest news with #ex-Tory
Daily Mirror
14-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Keir Starmer responds to Donald Trump's '51st state' attacks on Canada
After Trump described Canada as 'the 51st state' of America, Keir Starmer defended the country as an 'independent, sovereign nation' and 'a much-valued member of the Commonwealth' Keir Starmer tonight defended Canada as an "independent, sovereign nation" after Donald Trump's 51st state of America attacks. As he jetted to Ottawa for key meetings with the country's PM Mark Carney ahead of the G7 summit, Mr Starmer said Canada was also "a much-valued member of the Commonwealth". Last year the US President referred to Mr Carney's predecessor - Justin Trudeau - as "governor" and Canada as "the 51st state" of America. Asked whether he called out the threats, Mr Starmer told reporters: 'Canada and the US are our allies. Canada is an independent, sovereign nation, and quite right, too. "And that's the basis on which I've approached my discussions with all of our partners. I'm not going to get into the precise conversations I've had, but let me be absolutely clear: Canada is an independent, sovereign country and a much-valued member of the Commonwealth." He added: 'And we work closely with Canada on any number of issues, whether that is defence and security – particularly the training in Ukraine, it's been something where Canada and the U.K. have worked very closely together." It comes as Mr Starmer looks set to hail Britain's "proud status" as a free trading nation as he discusses boosting trade and security ties with Canada. Two-year talks over a possible UK-Canada trade deal were suspended by ex-Tory PM Rishi Sunak's government last year amid a row over beef and cheese imports. On Sunday, the PM will seek further economic ties between the two "like-minded countries". No10 said Mr Starmer will use the visit to argue the "UK must retain its proud status as a free and open trading nation" and reduce barriers to trade. It will be seen as a veiled swipe at the US President whose damaging tariffs regime sparked market mayhem across the globe earlier this year. It also follows a hat-trick of trade deals struck by Mr Starmer in recent weeks, including with India, the European Union, and the US to mitigate the impacts of recent tariffs. The PM, who held a private dinner tonight with Mr Carney, became the first PM to visit Canada in over years, as he prepares to head to the G7 tomorrow. But the conflict in the Middle East and fears of an all-out war risks overshadowing the summit - the first G7 meeting attended by Mr Starmer. Ahead of the visit, Mr Starmer said: 'The interests of British citizens – delivering for working people – is what guides me throughout all my conversations with international leaders. "And everywhere I go, from the factory floor at Jaguar Land Rover to meeting submariners aboard a nuclear-powered submarine, I'm reminded of why that is the right approach. Because the decisions we make in government, whether at home or abroad, have profound impacts on the day to day lives of working people." He added: 'And in these dangerous times, I am determined to forge a unique path to secure and renew Britain in an era of global instability.'
Press and Journal
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Press and Journal
I'm not interested in mulling over north-east Reform defections, Kemi Badenoch says
UK Tory chief Kemi Badenoch warned north-east councillors who have switched to Reform are not true conservatives and she is 'not interested' in worrying about Nigel Farage's party. The Conservative chief took aim at the seven ex-Tory defectors across Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen in an exclusive interview with The Press and Journal. 'There are some people who just want to be politicians, and are doing it for themselves,' she said. 'I think we need to start asking why are we talking about people who clearly don't care about values and policies, but just care about winning?' Ms Badenoch spoke to the P&J after her speech to Tory members at the party's conference in Edinburgh on Friday. 'We can't have a party of people who believe different things,' she told us. 'We need to be very clear about who we are and what we stand for.' The Tory leader told journalists she was happy with Mr Farage picking off councillors who want to defect. 'If Nigel Farage is taking out of the Conservative Party people who are not conservatives, then I'm quite fine with that,' she said. Earlier this week Russell Findlay exclusively told the P&J that Reform defectors were 'opportunistic' and would come to regret their decision. Ms Badenoch told the P&J: 'Many of the people who go in there don't like what they see, and come out of it, and that's a warning for them. 'It's not my warning – it's just clearly what's going on.' The Tory leader referenced former Reform MP Rupert Lowe, who has since quit the party and heavily criticised leader Mr Farage. She added: 'I'm not really that interested in talking about Reform. 'I know it might be an interesting media story, I'm really worried about what's happening to all of those people out there losing their jobs.' Six Aberdeenshire Tories have joined Reform, while Aberdeen councillor Duncan Massey switched allegiance last week during Mr Farage's visit to the city. The most recent defector, Huntly councillor Lauren Knight, jumped ship on Thursday. Ms Badenoch's speech to Tory members was heavily focused on the north-east as she called for Labour to scrap the oil and gas windfall tax. The levy was originally introduced by the Conservatives in 2022, when Rishi Sunak was chancellor. But Ms Badenoch said she was looking to the future. 'I said I disagreed with it, but I wasn't the prime minister,' she told the P&J. 'I can't go back into the past and be the prime minister. 'I can only tell people what I can do under new leadership. 'The north-east of Scotland is an area that is suffering particularly right now. 'That's why we're talking about it.'
The National
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
SNP are in desperate need of a leader with fire in their belly
We agreed that hopefully they would still win despite their completely stupid, pointless, campaign message. We have to ask why John Swinney put all his time and effort into arranging the truly ludicrous 'Stop Reform' event when, if he had all this time and energy, he should surely have been arranging a 'We Demand to Save Grangemouth' event to be followed by a citizens' assembly for independence. READ MORE: Mairi McAllan: I'm back and I want quick progress on housing emergency Perhaps, though, it simply tells us everything we need to know about his and his party's priorities these days? With the SNP completely failing the people in regards to independence despite promising it, is it any wonder everyone is fed up to the back teeth with the whole bloody lot of these parties north and south of the Border, who simply lie through their teeth come election time promising us the world and then deliver Sweet Fanny Adams? This is the real reason why Reform UK are making such gains, and woe betide any of the political parties of the status quo who for decades have let us all down so badly, and who ignore this at their peril. People have genuinely had enough of being completely trampled on, lied to and abused by both Tory parties, both red and blue, and the SNP, as we in this enormously resource-rich nation have to sit back and watch it being systematically destroyed. We should be even madder at the way we are being abused! READ MORE: SNP leadership challenge would not be a good idea, says John Swinney We simply have to ask if there is anyone with even a modicum of intellect in the SNP to advise John Swinney. Perhaps there is no-one to hit the 'avoid making a fool of the party' button and this is why the SNP since 2014 have missed one open goal after another when it comes to demanding independence for the people who voted them in for just this reason. John Swinney seems a decent enough guy, but he is never in a month of Sundays the leader needed to take this country to its rightful goal of independence. Unless the people in the SNP wake up and realise indy supporters are every bit as intelligent as they are, the SNP will almost certainly go down in history as the biggest political failures of all time. Just take a look at the chasm between Yes support and the SNP, who for the last four years or so have been an embarrassment to indy supporters and who seem to now have a built-in self-destruct button. READ MORE: John Swinney and Anas Sarwar clash over reports of SNP secret meeting For every decent thing they do, the SNP then come out with ideas that ruin any credibility they may have just earned with caring, damage-reducing policies to try protect people from Westminster's idiotic, ill-thought-out rulings. The SNP need to wake up, or the man who was very much the instigator in bringing us all the financial calamity and life-ruining Brexit – the wee ex-Tory, City spiv with his very own property empire who incredibly pretends he is 'anti-establishment' as he counts his millions, yes, Nigel Farage – may very well be the next prime minister. So let's hope we somehow miraculously find a leader with fire in their belly, who will not accept any rulings that damage our lives here in Scotland, who will not accept 'no' when it comes to independence and who has the vision and intellect to set the foundations in place for an independent Scotland with its own currency and proper land reforms. We badly need both of those things right now but have to sit back and watch the SNP elect one dud after another as leader when far more capable people are right under their noses. Iain K Dunoon
North Wales Chronicle
12-06-2025
- North Wales Chronicle
Lord Brittan's widow says closure of police misconduct probe ‘undermines trust'
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said last week it had stopped the investigation into former Met deputy assistant commissioner Steve Rodhouse after a 'large volume of relevant material was recently disclosed to the IOPC by the Metropolitan Police'. Mr Rodhouse was due to face a disciplinary hearing for potentially breaching police professional standards of behaviour for honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct. The allegations centred around comments made to the media in March 2016 concerning his beliefs about the honesty of two witnesses to Operation Midland – a Met investigation into allegations of non-recent sexual abuse. They also involved remarks he is alleged to have subsequently made to former High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques, who had been commissioned to carry out an independent review of the handling of Operation Midland in August 2016. In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Lady Diana Brittan said she had hoped the investigation would bring a sense of 'closure'. She said: 'My husband was a high-profile individual, but at every level of society there are people who are falsely accused, and for them (also) it's the ruining of reputation, it's the anxiety that goes with it. 'I feel that it would have at least put a closure, to use that odd word, on the whole episode if somebody had been held to account, either for misconduct, or even for incompetence.' Operation Midland was launched off the back of lurid and false allegations made by fantasist Carl Beech – later jailed for 18 years for what a judge called 'cruel and callous' lies. The Metropolitan Police's 16-month investigation into fake claims of a VIP paedophile ring saw raids on the homes of Lord Brittan, as well as D-Day veteran Lord Bramall and ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor. The probe ended in 2016 without a single arrest after Beech made a series of baseless allegations, including of three murders. The force was heavily criticised for believing Beech too readily despite inconsistencies in his evidence, including naming witnesses who did not exist. The IOPC said there was 'no evidence' within the material provided from the Met that there was 'any inappropriate motivation in Mr Rodhouse's comments to the media' or which 'supports that he made those remarks during Sir Richard's review'. Mr Rodhouse said the allegations made against him were 'ill-founded and incorrect'. Mr Proctor said he was 'appalled' by the 'disgraceful decision' not to proceed, adding he would be writing to Sir Mark Rowley, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, to 'demand a meeting and an explanation'. Lady Brittan said she felt her husband's legacy had been permanently tarnished by the episode, telling the BBC: 'What I really feel very sorry about is the fact that my husband was a great public servant. 'When he died, his obituaries referred to all of this.' In response to Lady Brittan's comments, an IOPC spokesperson said: 'Our recent decision does not change our finding that – by failing to follow Sir Richard Henrique's recommendation to investigate the witnesses in his independent review of the Met's handling of Op Midland – the Met's service was unacceptable and its subsequent reviews concluding no investigation was needed were flawed. 'During our investigation we reported a potential crime to the Met, which is being actively investigated by another force.'
South Wales Guardian
12-06-2025
- South Wales Guardian
Lord Brittan's widow says closure of police misconduct probe ‘undermines trust'
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said last week it had stopped the investigation into former Met deputy assistant commissioner Steve Rodhouse after a 'large volume of relevant material was recently disclosed to the IOPC by the Metropolitan Police'. Mr Rodhouse was due to face a disciplinary hearing for potentially breaching police professional standards of behaviour for honesty and integrity and discreditable conduct. The allegations centred around comments made to the media in March 2016 concerning his beliefs about the honesty of two witnesses to Operation Midland – a Met investigation into allegations of non-recent sexual abuse. They also involved remarks he is alleged to have subsequently made to former High Court judge Sir Richard Henriques, who had been commissioned to carry out an independent review of the handling of Operation Midland in August 2016. In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Lady Diana Brittan said she had hoped the investigation would bring a sense of 'closure'. She said: 'My husband was a high-profile individual, but at every level of society there are people who are falsely accused, and for them (also) it's the ruining of reputation, it's the anxiety that goes with it. 'I feel that it would have at least put a closure, to use that odd word, on the whole episode if somebody had been held to account, either for misconduct, or even for incompetence.' Operation Midland was launched off the back of lurid and false allegations made by fantasist Carl Beech – later jailed for 18 years for what a judge called 'cruel and callous' lies. The Metropolitan Police's 16-month investigation into fake claims of a VIP paedophile ring saw raids on the homes of Lord Brittan, as well as D-Day veteran Lord Bramall and ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor. The probe ended in 2016 without a single arrest after Beech made a series of baseless allegations, including of three murders. The force was heavily criticised for believing Beech too readily despite inconsistencies in his evidence, including naming witnesses who did not exist. The IOPC said there was 'no evidence' within the material provided from the Met that there was 'any inappropriate motivation in Mr Rodhouse's comments to the media' or which 'supports that he made those remarks during Sir Richard's review'. Mr Rodhouse said the allegations made against him were 'ill-founded and incorrect'. Mr Proctor said he was 'appalled' by the 'disgraceful decision' not to proceed, adding he would be writing to Sir Mark Rowley, commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, to 'demand a meeting and an explanation'. Lady Brittan said she felt her husband's legacy had been permanently tarnished by the episode, telling the BBC: 'What I really feel very sorry about is the fact that my husband was a great public servant. 'When he died, his obituaries referred to all of this.' In response to Lady Brittan's comments, an IOPC spokesperson said: 'Our recent decision does not change our finding that – by failing to follow Sir Richard Henrique's recommendation to investigate the witnesses in his independent review of the Met's handling of Op Midland – the Met's service was unacceptable and its subsequent reviews concluding no investigation was needed were flawed. 'During our investigation we reported a potential crime to the Met, which is being actively investigated by another force.'
