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Nicola Sturgeon has branded Labour a “pale imitation” of the Tories and called on Sir Keir Starmer to “find a backbone” and stand for something.

The former Scottish first minister refused to accept it was a given the SNP will lose seats to Labour at the next general election, as current polling predicts.

Speaking to broadcaster Iain Dale at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, she said there was “no point” in an opposition party that does not oppose the government.

Ms Sturgeon said: “I have spent my life opposing Tory governments who have never done anything good for Scotland. But what’s the point in a Labour Party that is just a pale imitation of the Conservatives?

“Every time you hear Keir Starmer open his mouth right now he seems to be at pains to agree with what the Tories are doing or to reduce the difference between them.

“You have to stand for something in politics or what’s the point of you. Find some backbone, that’s my advice to Keir.”

Labour sees taking back its former Scottish heartlands as crucial to winning the next general election.

More on Nicola Sturgeon

A by-election in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, triggered by the suspension of COVID rule-breaker Margaret Ferrier, has presented an opportunity for the party to re-establish its credentials north of the border.

But Labour has been on a charm offensive in Scotland ever since the sudden resignation of Ms Sturgeon in February and the ensuing turmoil in the SNP, which is facing a police probe into its finances.

Read more:
Nicola Sturgeon writing ‘deeply personal and revealing’ memoir
With the implosion of Johnson and Sturgeon, is Starmer the luckiest general alive in politics?

Ms Sturgeon has repeatedly maintained that her decision to stand down had nothing to do with subsequent developments in the investigation.

SNP police probe ‘traumatic experience’

Asked by Dale when she first realised the search of her home was happening, she said: “When it happened.”

Asked if that was “literally the knock on the door” she replied: “Yes. I’m not going to go any further into that, maybe one day I will be able to.”

Ms Sturgeon’s home, which she shares with her husband and former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, was searched in April with Mr Murrell arrested and questioned by police before being released without charge.

Ms Sturgeon was arrested, and also released without charge, in June.

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Sturgeon maintains her innocence in police probe

She said if she’d had “any idea about what was going to unfold” she would “not have been able to function” in the period between announcing her departure in February and leaving office at the end of March.

She added that it has “obviously been a really difficult, traumatic experience” but she had “faith” in the process.

“My touchstone I guess in all of it, all along, is I am confident in my own position. I am absolutely certain I have done nothing wrong.

“Therefore I need to and do trust in the process.

“The police are doing a job and therefore I have to have faith that everything they are doing in the process of that is justified.”

Reconciliation with Salmond not on the cards

Ms Sturgeon told the audience that her closest group of friends have been “utterly indispensable” in helping her get through the scandal.

But she said former SNP leader Alex Salmond was firmly not in that category as she ruled out a chance of reconciliation with her predecessor.

The pair had a well-publicised fall-out after Mr Salmond faced sexual harassment allegations but he said this week “never say never” when asked about the prospect of repairing their relationship.

However Ms Sturgeon said: “It doesn’t come from a place of anger any more, I have gone through the whole spectrum of emotions with Alex over the last few years and I am now at a place where there are other people I would rather spend time with.”

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Sir Keir Starmer set for Donald Trump trade talks as PM walks diplomatic line between EU allies and US on Gaza

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Sir Keir Starmer set for Donald Trump trade talks as PM walks diplomatic line between EU allies and US on Gaza

Gaza and transatlantic trade are set to dominate talks between Donald Trump and Sir Keir Starmer when the pair meet in Scotland on Monday.

Downing Street said the prime minister would discuss “what more can be done to secure the ceasefire [in the Middle East] urgently”, during the meeting at the president’s Turnberry golf course in Ayrshire.

Talks in Qatar over a ceasefire ended on Thursday after the US and Israel withdrew their negotiating teams.

Mr Trump blamed Hamas for the collapse of negotiations as he left the US for Scotland, saying the militant group “didn’t want to make a deal… they want to die”.

Sir Keir has tried to forge close personal ties with the president, frequently praising his actions on the world stage despite clear foreign policy differences between the US and UK.

The approach seemed to pay off in May when Mr Trump announced the agreement of a trade deal with the UK that would see several tariffs lowered.

The two leaders are expected to discuss this agreement when they meet, with the prime minister likely to press the president for a lowering of outstanding tariffs on imports such as steel.

Prior to the visit, the White House said the talks would allow them to “refine the historic US-UK trade deal”.

Extracting promises from the president on the Middle East may be harder though.

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Should aid be dropped into Gaza?

Despite some reports that Mr Trump is growing frustrated with Israel, there is a clear difference in tone between the US and its Western allies.

As he did over the Ukraine war, Sir Keir will have to walk a diplomatic line between the UK’s European allies and the White House.

On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced his country would formally recognise a Palestinian state in September, the first member of the G7 to do so.

That move was dismissed by Mr Trump, who said it “doesn’t carry any weight”.

Read more from Sky News:
US and EU agree trade deal – with bloc facing 15% tariffs
Geldof accuses Israel of ‘lying’ about Gaza starvation

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Trump: ‘It doesn’t matter what Macron says’

The UK, French and German leaders spoke over the weekend and agreed to work together on the “next phase” in Gaza that would see transitional governance and security arrangements put in place, alongside the large-scale delivery of aid.

Under pressure from members of his own party and cabinet to follow France and signal formal recognition of Palestine, Sir Keir has gradually become more critical of Israel in recent months.

On Friday, the prime minister said “the starvation and denial of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, the increasing violence from extremist settler groups, and Israel’s disproportionate military escalation in Gaza are all indefensible”.

Government sources say UK recognition is a matter of “when, not if”, however, it’s thought Downing Street wants to ensure any announcement is made at a time when it can have the greatest diplomatic impact.

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Baby Zainab starved to death in Gaza

Cabinet ministers will be convened in the coming days, during the summer recess, to discuss the situation in Gaza.

The UK has also been working with Jordan to air drop supplies, after Israel said it would allow foreign countries to provide aid to the territory.

President Trump’s trip to Scotland comes ahead of his second state visit to the UK in September.

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Downing Street says Ukraine will also likely be discussed in the meeting with both men reflecting on what can be done to force Russia back to the negotiating table.

After the meeting at Turnberry, the prime minister will travel with the president to Aberdeen for a private engagement.

Mr Trump is also expected to meet Scottish First Minister John Swinney while in the country.

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Crypto isn’t crashing the American dream; it’s renovating it

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Crypto isn’t crashing the American dream; it’s renovating it

Crypto isn’t crashing the American dream; it’s renovating it

The US housing regulator’s decision to recognize crypto assets in mortgage applications marks a historic shift from exclusion to integration, opening new pathways to homeownership.

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Govt vows to protect ‘pavement pints’ and make it easier for pubs to extend their opening hours

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Govt vows to protect 'pavement pints' and make it easier for pubs to extend their opening hours

“A wave of new cafes, bars, music venues and outdoor dining” could come to the UK – as the government unveils plans to overhaul planning rules and “breathe new life into the high street”.

Under the proposals, ministers also want to reform licensing rules to make it easier for disused shops to be converted into hospitality venues.

In a statement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she planned to scrap “clunky, outdated rules… to protect pavement pints, al fresco dining and street parties”.

The reforms also aim to prevent existing pubs, clubs, and music venues from suffering noise complaints when new properties hit the market.

Developers who decide to build near those sites will be required to soundproof their buildings.

Customers drink in an outdoor seating area of a pub in London during pandemic in December 2021
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As part of dedicated “hospitality zones”, permission for al fresco dining, street parties and extended opening hours will be fast-tracked.

The government says the reforms aim to modernise outdated planning and licensing rules as part of its Plan for Change, to help small businesses and improve local communities.

More on Hospitality

The rough plans will be subject to a “call for evidence” which could further shape policy.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the proposals will “put the buzz back into our town centres”.

“Red tape has stood in the way of people’s business ideas for too long. Today we’re slashing those barriers to giving small business owners the freedom to flourish,” he said.

The hospitality industry has broadly welcomed the changes but argued tax reform was also essential.

Kate Nicholls, chairwoman of UKHospitality, described the proposals as “positive and encouraging”.

However, she added: “They can’t on their own offset the immediate and mounting cost pressures facing hospitality businesses which threaten to tax out of existence the businesses and jobs that today’s announcement seeks to support.”

Read more from Sky News:
Licensing reforms for London venues
Pubs forced to adapt to survive

While supporting the reforms, Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), had a similar message.

“These changes must go hand in hand with meaningful business rates reform, mitigating staggering employment costs, and a cut in beer duty so that pubs can thrive at the heart of the community,” she said.

In July, BBPA estimated that 378 pubs will shut this year across England, Wales and Scotland, compared with 350 closures in 2024, which it said would amount to more than 5,600 direct job losses.

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Pubs closing at a rate of one a day

Bar chain Brewdog announced this week that it would close 10 sites, partly blaming “rising costs, increased regulation, and economic pressures”.

Andrew Griffith MP, shadow business secretary, said: “Though any cutting of red tape for hospitality businesses is welcome, this is pure hypocrisy and inconsistency from Labour.”

He said the government was “crippling the hospitality industry by doubling business rates, imposing a jobs tax and a full-on strangulation of employment red tape”.

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