Starmer says he remains committed to manifesto pledge not to raise income tax, VAT or employee NICs
Q: Will you stick to your pledge not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT?
Starmer says that is a commitment he will keep.
He says the government cannot just reach for taxes when it needs money; it must promote growth.
Key events
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Starmer says UK will need more steel and ‘all options on the table’ to protect Scunthorpe steel plant
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Starmer says he remains committed to manifesto pledge not to raise income tax, VAT or employee NICs
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Starmer resists call to cancel Trump’s state visit invitation, saying it’s not in UK’s interest to ‘rip up’ relationship with US
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Starmer says further measures to help car sector and life sciences to come
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Starmer says he will cut time needed to get licences for clinical trials, to help life sciences sector
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Starmer says global consequences of Trump tariffs ‘could be profound’
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Starmer tells car sector ‘we are going to back you to the hilt’
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Starmer gives speech on Trump tariffs and car industry
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Inquiry into Southport murders has started, chaired by former appeal court judge Adrian Fulford, Yvette Cooper says
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Trump will use tariffs as ‘big negotiating tool’, Nigel Farage claims
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No 10 refuses to say whether or not government thinks Trump might reverse tariff policy
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No 10 confirms it’s still opposed to rejoining customs union, saying Trump tariffs have not led to rethink on EU policy
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No 10 won’t say if Starmer urged other countries to avoid retaliatory tariffs in talks over weekend
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Does Starmer have a strategy for dealing with Trump tariffs?
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Starmer says his ‘only priority’ is ‘people of Britain, and what makes them better off’
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Rights groups urge Starmer to dial down anti-migrant rhetoric
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Green party says Labour ‘wrong to apply brakes on sale of EV cars’
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Heidi Alexander says EV rule changes were planned anyway, but Trump tariffs brought ‘renewed urgency’ to announcement
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Decision to ease EV rules for car firms will have ‘negligible’ impact on carbon emissions, says transport secretary
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‘Tinkering’ and ‘not giant leap required’ – Starmer fails to impress car sector with plan to help it cope with tariffs
Starmer says UK will need more steel and ‘all options on the table’ to protect Scunthorpe steel plant
Q: What measures will the government take to protect the Scunthorpe steelworks? Will you consider nationalisation?
Starmer says he will not discuss particular measures for steel.
But he says the car announcements today are “not the extent of my ambition when it comes to car manufacturing or any other business or sector”. He goes on:
I think we can go further and faster, and we will do so.
I’m not indicating there a particular measure. But I am indicating an openness of mind to go further.
On steel in particular, he said it was “part of our heritage”. He went on:
Our plans for growth are going to require more steel, and therefore the demand for steel is going to go up, not down, and that’s why it’s important that we support our steel industry.
I’m really pleased that in Port Talbot, we were able to ensure there was a better deal.
I’m really pleased that we’ve set aside £2.5bn pounds for the future of steel. I’m very pleased that we’re working with and discussing the situation in Scunthorpe, which is extremely worrying … and all options are on the table.
Mark Brown has filed a good article today on what the closure of the steelworks would mean for Scunthorpe.
