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Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he will not allow the UK to become a “rule-taker” after his comments suggesting he did not want to diverge from EU rules sparked criticism.

The Labour leader immediately rejected suggestions from the Conservatives that he wanted to take the UK back into the EU, telling reporters: “There is no case for going back into the EU, and that includes the single market and customs union.”

“Equally, we will not be a rule-taker,” he continued. “The rules and laws of this country will be made in parliament according to the national interest.”

However, he added: “But that does not mean that a Labour government wants to lower standards on food, wants to lower standards on people’s rights at work.

“The Labour Party has been completely consistent on those issues for many many years – there is no surprise here. Incidentally, this is also government policy.”

His remarks come after the Labour leader declared “we don’t want to diverge” from EU rules in footage of a conference of centre-left leaders in Canada seen by Sky News.

Read more: Labour is ‘obsessed with getting into power’ – politics latest

Sir Keir argued Britain’s relationship with the EU could be much stronger, while still remaining outside the bloc and outside the single market, “the more we share a future together”.

The comments have triggered a fresh discussion over how Labour would approach Brexit, with the Tories immediately seizing the opportunity to accuse Sir Keir of wanting to take the UK back into the EU.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said the remarks had shown “the real Keir Starmer” and claimed the Labour leader wanted to “return us into the EU” and “re-run the Brexit agonies of the past”.

Earlier on Friday, a Labour frontbencher told Sky News there would “clearly be ways” in which the UK does diverge from the EU, including through individual trade deals.

James Murray, Labour’s shadow financial secretary to the Treasury, said his party had been “very clear throughout” about any “red lines” there would be with the EU post-Brexit.

He said “we don’t want to be in the single market, we don’t want to be in a customs union, we don’t want to bring back freedom of movement – but we do want a better trading relationship”.

Mr Murray hit back at the criticism from the Conservatives and said they had “no plan to make Brexit work”.

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 Mark Spencer accused Sir Keir of ‘another flip flop’.

Asked how the UK could maximise the advantage of Brexit if it did not diverge from EU rules, Mr Murray told Sky News: “Well, there will clearly be ways in which we do diverge in terms of striking our own trade deals with other countries and so on.

“But the conversation that we’re having today is focused on UK standards and I think what Keir was saying is we have no interest in weakening or watering down UK standards when it comes to things like food standards, consumer protection, workers rights and so on.”

His remarks were echoed by London mayor Sadiq Khan, who said Sir Keir is “right to say, ‘look, the current deal we have with the European Union has got big problems in it’. Some characterise it – I would – as an extreme, hard Brexit deal.”

He said it’s “right” that Sir Keir would seek to “look into having a better deal” when the current deal, negotiated by Boris Johnson, is up for review in 2025.

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Do Labour want EU rules?

Mr Murray said there would still be areas where a Labour government would diverge from Brussels, for example by striking trade deals around the world.

He added: “All we’re seeing under the Conservatives is extra red tape on businesses, which means that it’s impacting on economic growth, which means it’s deepening the cost-of-living crisis.”

Sir Keir’s statement was made just days after he was forced to shut down speculation he might join an EU quota system on migrants after he said he would talk to the bloc about a returns deal – prompting the Conservatives to brand him “Mr Open Borders”.

His statement on Saturday evening came in response to a question from John McTernan, a former aide to Sir Tony Blair, at a conference for progressive leaders in Montreal.

Sir Keir said: “Most of the conflict with the UK being outside of the EU arises in so far as the UK wants to diverge and do different things to the rest of our EU partners.

“Obviously the more we share values, the more we share a future together, the less the conflict. And actually different ways of solving problems become available.

Read more:
Starmer sets his sights on closer relationship with Europe
Sir Keir fails to rule out tax burden rise under Labour

“Actually we don’t want to diverge, we don’t want to lower standards, we don’t want to rip up environmental standards, working standards for people that work, food standards and all the rest of it.

“So suddenly, you’re in a space where, notwithstanding the obvious fact that we’re outside the EU and not in the [European Economic Area], there’s a lot more common ground than you might think.”

A Labour spokesperson said following the remarks that the UK had “left the European Union and we’re not going back in any form”.

“Any decisions on what standards we follow will be made in the UK parliament,” they added.

“The Tories have not used Brexit to diverge on food, environmental or labour standards and if they have a plan to do so then they should come clean with people.”

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Billionaire investor would ‘not be surprised’ if Trump postpones tariffs

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<div>Billionaire investor would 'not be surprised' if Trump postpones tariffs</div>

<div>Billionaire investor would 'not be surprised' if Trump postpones tariffs</div>

Crypto-friendly billionaire investor Bill Ackman is considering the possibility that US President Donald Trump may pause the implementation of his controversial proposed tariffs on April 7.

“One would have to imagine that President Donald Trump’s phone has been ringing off the hook. The practical reality is that there is insufficient time for him to make deals before the tariffs are scheduled to take effect,” Ackman, founder of Pershing Square Capital Management, said in an April 5 X post.

Trump may postpone tariffs to make more deals, says Ackman

“I would, therefore, not be surprised to wake up Monday with an announcement from the President that he was postponing the implementation of the tariffs to give him time to make deals,” Ackman added.

On April 2, Trump signed an executive order establishing a 10% baseline tariff on all imports from all countries, which took effect on April 5. Harsher reciprocal tariffs on trading partners with which the US has the largest trade deficits are scheduled to kick in on April 9.

Ackman — who famously said “crypto is here to stay” after the FTX collapse in November 2022 — said Trump captured the attention of the world and US trading partners, backing the tariffs as necessary after what he called an “unfair tariff regime” that hurt US workers and economy “over many decades.” 

Following Trump’s announcement on April 2, the US stock market shed more value during the April 4 trading session than the entire crypto market is currently worth. The fact that crypto held up better than the US stock market caught the attention of both crypto industry supporters and skeptics.

United States, Donald Trump

Source: Cameron Winklevoss

Prominent crypto voices such as BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes and Gemini co-founder Cameron Winklevoss also recently showed their support for Trump’s tariffs.

Related: Trump tariffs squeeze already struggling Bitcoin miners — Braiins exec

Ackman said a pause would be a logical move by Trump — not just to allow time for closing potential deals but also to give companies of all sizes “time to prepare for changes.” He added:

“The risk of not doing so is that the massive increase in uncertainty drives the economy into a recession, potentially a severe one.”

Ackman said April 7 will be “one of the more interesting days” in US economic history.

Magazine: New ‘MemeStrategy’ Bitcoin firm by 9GAG, jailed CEO’s $3.5M bonus: Asia Express

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Labour suspends MP Dan Norris after arrest

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Labour MP Dan Norris arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences

The Labour Party has suspended its MP Dan Norris after “being informed of his arrest”.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Dan Norris MP was immediately suspended by the Labour Party upon being informed of his arrest.

“We cannot comment further while the police investigation is ongoing.”

Mr Norris defeated Jacob Rees-Mogg to win the new seat of North East Somerset and Hanham in last year’s general election.

He has also lost the party whip in the House of Commons.

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Satoshi Nakamoto turns 50 as Bitcoin becomes US reserve asset

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Satoshi Nakamoto turns 50 as Bitcoin becomes US reserve asset

Satoshi Nakamoto turns 50 as Bitcoin becomes US reserve asset

Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous creator of Bitcoin, marks their 50th birthday amid a year of rising institutional and geopolitical adoption of the world’s first cryptocurrency.

The identity of Nakamoto remains one of the biggest mysteries in crypto, with speculation ranging from cryptographers like Adam Back and Nick Szabo to broader theories involving government intelligence agencies.

While Nakamoto’s identity remains anonymous, the Bitcoin (BTC) creator is believed to have turned 50 on April 5 based on details shared in the past.

According to archived data from his P2P Foundation profile, Nakamoto once claimed to be a 37-year-old man living in Japan and listed his birthdate as April 5, 1975.

Satoshi Nakamoto turns 50 as Bitcoin becomes US reserve asset

Source: Web.archive.org

Nakamoto’s anonymity has played a vital role in maintaining the decentralized nature of the Bitcoin network, which has no central authority or leadership.

The Bitcoin wallet associated with Nakamoto, which holds over 1 million BTC, has laid dormant for more than 16 years despite BTC rising from $0 to an all-time high above $109,000 in January.

Satoshi Nakamoto turns 50 as Bitcoin becomes US reserve asset

Satoshi Nakamoto statue in Lugano, Switzerland. Source: Cointelegraph

Nakamoto’s 50th birthday comes nearly a month after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a Digital Asset Stockpile, marking the first major step toward integrating Bitcoin into the US financial system.

Related: Bitcoin at 16: From experiment to trillion-dollar asset

Nakamoto’s legacy: a “cornerstone of economic sovereignty”

At 50, Nakamoto’s legacy is no longer just code; it’s a cornerstone of economic sovereignty,” according to Anndy Lian, author and intergovernmental blockchain expert.

“Bitcoin’s reserve status signals trust in its scarcity and resilience,” Lian told Cointelegraph, adding: 

“What’s fascinating is the timing. Fifty feels symbolic — half a century of life, mirrored by Bitcoin’s journey from a white paper to a trillion-dollar asset. Nakamoto’s vision of trustless, peer-to-peer money has outgrown its cypherpunk roots, entering the halls of power.”

However, lingering questions about Nakamoto remain unanswered, including whether they still hold the keys to their wallet, which is “a fortune now tied to US policy,” Lian said.

Related: Bitcoin’s next catalyst: End of $36T US debt ceiling suspension

Is Satoshi Nakamoto wealthier than Bill Gates?

In February, Arkham Intelligence published findings that attribute 1.096 million BTC — then valued at more than $108 billion — to Nakamoto. That would place him above Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on the global wealth rankings, according to data shared by Coinbase director Conor Grogan.

Satoshi Nakamoto turns 50 as Bitcoin becomes US reserve asset

Satoshi’s new addresses. Source: Conor Grogan

If accurate, this would make Nakamoto the world’s 16th richest person.

Despite the growing interest in Nakamoto’s identity and holdings, his early decision to remain anonymous and inactive has helped preserve Bitcoin’s decentralized ethos — a principle that continues to define the cryptocurrency to this day.

Magazine: 10 crypto theories that missed as badly as ‘Peter Todd is Satoshi’

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