Starmer aims to break cabinet away day curse

Published

2 days ago

July 12, 2025

admin

Sir Keir Starmer was hoping to break the curse of the cabinet away day as he summoned his ministers to Chequers for the launch of a summer “refresh” of his troubled government.

The aim: to plot a course for a recovery during Labour’s second year in power after a first 12 months blighted by economic woes, rows over freebies, humiliating U-turns and rebellions.

In the past, the away day rules from the No 10 high command have included no woolly jumpers and no sandwiches. This time, the rule to ministers was: “Don’t call it a reset.”

Politics latest: Unite union votes to suspend Angela Rayner

The curse of this away day could turn out to be the threat of a looming ministerial reshuffle, which some MPs predict could come as early as next week. Could some of those present face the axe?

According to the official readout of Sir Keir’s away day, the prime minister chaired a session on how the government will use AI “to turbocharge its Plan for Change”. But that was just a small part of the discussions.

Top of the agenda for a “political cabinet”, without civil servants, were the storm clouds over the economy and the options for Chancellor Rachel Reeves in her make-or-break autumn budget.

And based on the experience of previous cabinet away days, from Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown to Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, the omens were not good. Away days may seem like a good idea at the time, but most end badly.

The idea of Chequers away days has been to hold a brainstorming session in the privacy of the Buckinghamshire countryside without distractions or prying photographers, reporters or TV crews.

But over the years, like most family get-togethers, there have been personality clashes, squabbles about what to eat and what to wear, disputes about who takes centre stage, and even backstabbing and walkouts.

The last Chequers cabinet away day, held by Mr Sunak in January 2023, took place with two senior figures facing official investigations.

Tory chair Nadhim Zahawi was engulfed in a tax scandal and deputy prime minister Dominic Raab was facing bullying allegations. Mr Zahawi was out within a week after this away day and Mr Rabb within three months.

Without doubt, the most disastrous cabinet awayday at Chequers was in July 2018, when Ms May thought she’d persuaded her cabinet to back her Brexit deal. Then, as now, the heat was sweltering.

But two days later, David Davis quit as Brexit secretary and Mr Johnson – who was said to have proposed a champagne toast to the prime minister at Chequers – resigned as foreign secretary the following day.

Ms May thought she had a deal that would keep the UK closely tied to the EU’s customs union and single market. But it was doomed even during that away day.

It was reported that ministers were warned that anyone who resigned would have to walk a mile down the drive and get a lift home with the local taxi firm, whose cards had been left in the foyer.

When he resigned, Mr Davis was said to have been livid about hostile briefing from senior figures in Downing Street about how the Brexiters would be treated at Chequers, including the taxi threat.

And Mr Johnson not only launched a “Chuck Chequers” campaign opposing Ms May’s deal, but also a campaign to chuck her out of Downing Street and seize her job for himself.

As prime minister, he also held a cabinet awayday, not at Chequers, but at a pottery in the heart of the “red wall” in Stoke-on-Trent, in 2022. The venue might have been different, but that was cursed too.

Just weeks later Mr Johnson’s cabinet shattered like broken Wedgwood china following the resignations of Mr Sunak and Sajid Javid.

👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈

The modern trend for cabinet away days was started by Sir Tony – who else? – in 1998. The rules for ministers were laid down by his chief of staff Jonathan Powell, now Sir Keir’s national security adviser.

In a memo to cabinet ministers attending, he wrote: “TV will film people arriving and going, so there can be no woolly jumpers.”

Mr Powell was rebuffed by Sir Tony, however, when he suggested in a memo to the prime minister that Mr Brown should start the meeting with a discussion on the economy. “No,” Sir Tony replied bluntly in a handwritten note.

Peter Mandelson, now Britain’s ambassador in Washington, demanded “something nicer than sandwiches” for lunch and got his wish when a buffet was laid on.

Sir Keir’s Chequers away day also began with lunch, then the short formal cabinet meeting with the discussion about AI, then the political cabinet, which was the real reason for the away day.

No need for woolly jumpers in the 32C heat. Just don’t call it a “refresh”.

UK

Palace confirms dates of Trump’s state visit – as King and Queen to host him at Windsor Castle

Published

8 hours ago

July 14, 2025

admin

Palace confirms dates of Trump's state visit - as King and Queen to host him at Windsor Castle

The dates for Donald Trump’s state visit to the UK have been announced, with the US president due to be welcomed by the King from 17 to 19 September.

Buckingham Palace also confirmed that President Trump and first lady Melania will be hosted by the King and Queen at Windsor Castle.

It was expected that the three-day state visit would take place in September after Mr Trump let slip earlier in April that he believed that was when his second “fest” was being planned for.

Windsor was also anticipated to be the location after the US president told reporters in the Oval Office that the letter from the King said Windsor would be the setting. Refurbishment works at Buckingham Palace also meant that Windsor was used last week for French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit.

This will be Mr Trump’s second state visit to the UK, an unprecedented gesture towards an American leader, having previously been invited to Buckingham Palace in 2019.

He has also been to Windsor Castle before, in 2018, but despite the considerable military pageantry of the day, and some confusion around inspecting the guard, it was simply for tea with Queen Elizabeth II.

Further details of what will happen during the three-day visit in September will be announced in due course.

On Friday, Sky News revealed it is now unlikely that the US president will address parliament, usually an honour given to visiting heads of state as part of their visit. Some MPs had raised significant concerns about him being given the privilege.

But the House of Commons will not be sitting at the time of Mr Trump’s visit as it will rise for party conference season on the 16 September, meaning the president will not be able to speak in parliament as President Macron did during his state visit this week. However, the House of Lords will be sitting.

In February this year, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer presented the US president with the letter from the King inviting him to visit during a meeting at the White House.

After reading it, Mr Trump said it was a “great, great honour”, adding “and that says at Windsor – that’s really something”.

In the letter, the King suggested they might meet at Balmoral or Dumfries House in Scotland first before the much grander state visit. However, it is understood that, although all options were explored, complexities in both the King and Mr Trump’s diaries meant it wasn’t possible.

This week, it emerged that Police Scotland are planning for a summer visit from the US president, which is likely to see him visit one or both of his golf clubs in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire, and require substantial policing resources and probably units to be called in from elsewhere in the UK.

Precedent for second-term US presidents, who have already made a state visit, is usually tea or lunch with the monarch at Windsor Castle, as was the case for George W Bush and Barack Obama.

UK

Fireball at Southend Airport after small plane crashes

Published

16 hours ago

July 13, 2025

admin

Fireball at Southend Airport after small plane crashes

A small plane has crashed at Southend Airport in Essex.

Essex Police said it was at the scene of a “serious incident”.

Images posted online showed huge flames and a large cloud of black smoke, with one witness saying they saw a “fireball”.

A police statement said: “We were alerted shortly before 4pm to reports of a collision involving one 12-metre plane.

“We are working with all emergency services at the scene now and that work will be ongoing for several hours.

“We would please ask the public to avoid this area where possible while this work continues.”

It has been reported that the plane involved in the incident is a Beech B200 Super King Air.

According to flight-tracking service Flightradar, it took off at 3.48pm and was bound for Lelystad, a city in the Netherlands.

One man, who was at Southend Airport with his family around the time of the incident, said the aircraft “crashed headfirst into the ground”.

John Johnson said: “About three or four seconds after taking off, it started to bank heavily to its left, and then within a few seconds of that happening, it more or less inverted and crashed.

“There was a big fireball. Obviously, everybody was in shock in terms of witnessing it. All the kids saw it and the families saw it.”

Mr Johnson added that he phoned 999 to report the crash.

Southend Airport said the incident involved “a general aviation aircraft”.

Four flights scheduled to take off from Southend this afternoon were cancelled, according to its website.

Flightradar data shows two planes that had been due to land at Southend were diverted to nearby airports London Gatwick and London Stansted.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service said four crews, along with off-road vehicles, have attended the scene.

Four ambulances and four hazardous area response team vehicles are also at the airport, as well as an air ambulance, the East of England Ambulance Service said.

Its statement described the incident as “still developing”.

David Burton-Sampson, the MP for Southend West and Leigh, posted on social media: “I am aware of an incident at Southend Airport. Please keep away and allow the emergency services to do their work.

“My thoughts are with everyone involved.”

Local councillor Matt Dent said on X: “At present all I know is that a small plane has crashed at the airport. My thoughts are with all those involved, and with the emergency services currently responding to the incident.”

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the latest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

UK

Heidi Alexander says ‘fairness’ will be government’s ‘guiding principle’ when it comes to taxes at next budget

Published

22 hours ago

July 13, 2025

admin

Heidi Alexander says 'fairness' will be government's 'guiding principle' when it comes to taxes at next budget

Another hint that tax rises are coming in this autumn’s budget has been given by a senior minister.

Speaking to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander was asked if Sir Keir Starmer and the rest of the cabinet had discussed hiking taxes in the wake of the government’s failed welfare reforms, which were shot down by their own MPs.

Trevor Phillips asked specifically if tax rises were discussed among the cabinet last week – including on an away day on Friday.

Politics Hub: Catch up on the latest

Tax increases were not discussed “directly”, Ms Alexander said, but ministers were “cognisant” of the challenges facing them.

Asked what this means, Ms Alexander added: “I think your viewers would be surprised if we didn’t recognise that at the budget, the chancellor will need to look at the OBR forecast that is given to her and will make decisions in line with the fiscal rules that she has set out.

“We made a commitment in our manifesto not to be putting up taxes on people on modest incomes, working people. We have stuck to that.”

Ms Alexander said she wouldn’t comment directly on taxes and the budget at this point, adding: “So, the chancellor will set her budget. I’m not going to sit in a TV studio today and speculate on what the contents of that budget might be.

“When it comes to taxation, fairness is going to be our guiding principle.”

👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne’s on your podcast app👈      

Afterwards, shadow home secretary Chris Philp told Phillips: “That sounds to me like a barely disguised reference to tax rises coming in the autumn.”

He then went on to repeat the Conservative attack lines that Labour are “crashing the economy”.

Mr Philp then attacked the prime minister as “weak” for being unable to get his welfare reforms through the Commons.

Discussions about potential tax rises have come to the fore after the government had to gut its welfare reforms.

Sir Keir had wanted to change Personal Independence Payments (PIP), but a large Labour rebellion forced him to axe the changes.

With the savings from these proposed changes – around £5bn – already worked into the government’s sums, they will now need to find the money somewhere else.

The general belief is that this will take the form of tax rises, rather than spending cuts, with more money needed for military spending commitments, as well as other areas of priority for the government, such as the NHS.