Starmer 1) The Prime Minister is to promote ‘unproven carbon capture technology’ in eco deal with Norway

“Sir Keir Starmer is to promote what critics have said is unproven carbon capture technology in a deal with Norway. Sir Keir will meet Jonas Gahr Støre, Norway’s prime minister, to sign a new “green industrial partnership” under which the two countries will work closely to capture industrial carbon dioxide emissions and store them in deep geological formations under the North Sea. Carbon capture usage and storage (CCUS) technology removes CO2 emissions before it reaches the atmosphere and stores it safely beneath the seabed. Critics warn carbon capture may not be as environmentally friendly as its proponents believe, and that it could simply prolong the use of fossil fuels. They also say the technology is expensive and has not been proven to work on a large scale.” – The Daily Telegraph

• Starmer: Norway deal could end Putin’s hold on energy bills – The Times
• Energy bill stealth charges to surge – The Daily Telegraph

Starmer 2) Ukraine urges him to take a lead, not just to follow the US

“Sir Keir Starmer has abandoned British leadership on Ukraine since coming to power, a former foreign minister of Ukraine has said. Dmytro Kuleba, who was at the heart of President Zelensky’s government for four years, said that Labour’s policy on Ukraine was to “follow the Americans”. He said his first “unpleasant” conversation with British officials came shortly before his resignation in September, when Labour refused to let Ukraine use Storm Shadow long-range missiles to strike Russia without approval from President Biden. Ukrainian troops are retreating at an alarming rate before the inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20… More than five months since his election, Starmer has not visited Ukraine and concern has grown in Kyiv…” – The Times

Starmer 3) His Brexit reset risks failure without major concessions, EU insiders warn

“Sir Keir Starmer has been warned by European diplomats that he needs to make major concessions to the EU or risk seeing his Brexit reset fail. Brussels is preparing to name a high price if the Prime Minister wants to get his desired deals on security and trade. EU negotiating documents leaked over the weekend showed that Brussels is preparing to drive a hard bargain, demanding a new fishing deal as a precondition to reset negotiations even beginning. The document also shows the EU wants to make the UK adopt the bloc’s laws to get a veterinary agreement – a key plank of Starmer’s plan – and easier youth migration between the two sides. European diplomatic sources warned that most of the EU is happy with the current status quo and so Starmer faces difficult negotiations ahead.” – The I

• Starmer has ‘Surrender Squad’ ready to junk Brexit for closer EU ties, experts claim – The Sun
• Johnson says Starmer is taking us ‘for fools’ with EU plans – Daily Express
• Eurocrats in Brussels will be licking their lips over Starmer’s proposed ‘Economic Reset’ with EU – Editorial, The Sun

Cooper refuses to set timetable for cutting dangerous small boat crossings

“Yvette Cooper has refused to set a timetable for reducing small boat arrivals despite admitting current levels are “far too high”. The Home Secretary declined to say when Channel crossings would start going down after last week saw the busiest December day on record. A total of 609 people reached Britain in nine dinghies on December 12, also marking the highest daily total since October 18. More than 34,000 migrants have now arrived by small boats this year and the scale of last week’s arrivals raised fresh questions about Sir Keir Starmer’s vow to “smash the gangs”… Mr Sunak, Sir Keir’s predecessor, made an ill-fated pledge to “stop the boats” in January 2023 when he announced his five priorities in government.” – The Daily Telegraph

• Labour pledges to curb small boats as 13,000 migrants sent back – The Times
• She is urged to end ‘cruel’ pause on Syrian asylum decisions – The Guardian
• Home Office in row with Burnham and Labour councils over homeless asylum seekers – The I
• She says small boat crossings would be ‘thousands higher’ under the Tories – The Guardian

>Yesterday:

• Video: “We will look at whatever works” – Cooper open to asylum claims to the UK being processed in other countries
• Video: “I don’t think that people want a date snatched out of the air” – Eagle won’t say when the boats will be stopped

Mayors to get powers to stop planning delays in England, Rayner to say

“Mayors will be given sweeping powers to unblock planning delays for major building projects in England, Angela Rayner has announced, as she promised a “devolution by default” approach to handing down authority…The pledge set out in the white paper to be unveiled this week will give regions more planning powers over housing numbers and will identify key developments and infrastructure needed to support growth, from roads to major junctions, water reservoirs, freight and logistics. The document will propose creating strategic authorities across England to hold new devolved powers, though the organisational shake-up is likely to cause a backlash from smaller district councils. The devolution announcement comes a week after…a major overhaul of…planning policy…” – The Guardian

• New homes plan puts councils on ‘collision course’ with Labour – The Times
• She sets businesses and unions on collision course over six pay reforms – The Daily Telegraph
• Abolishing councils is ‘the opposite of devolution’, Rayner warned – The Times
• Giving regional mayors more power could backfire spectacularly – Kitty Donaldson, The I
• Miliband’s solar farm building spree will reuin our countryside for ever – Richard Tice, The Daily Telegraph

Lammy announces £50 million aid for Syria and has made ‘diplomatic contact’ with rebels

“The UK has confirmed it has made “diplomatic contact” with the rebel group that controls Syria. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – which took control of the country following a lightning offensive last week that overthrew its President Bashar al-Assad – remains proscribed in Britain but “as you would expect” the Government has spoken to the organisation. Lammy also announced that Britain would be sending £50 million humanitarian aid to support its vulnerable citizens across the Middle East. It comes as the Foreign Office announced emergency support will be delivered to people in Syria through the UN and NGO agencies and to Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Jordan.” – The I

• Foreign Secretary announces humanitarian aid and says: ‘We want to see a representative government’ – The Daily Telegraph

Reeves’s inheritance tax raid to cost more than it makes

“Rachel Reeves’s inheritance tax raid on family businesses and farms will backfire by costing the Treasury over £1bn more than it makes, economists have said. A drop in investment caused by the Chancellor slashing tax relief risks outweighing the extra income the Exchequer expects to gain from the changes, according to analysis by CBI Economics. Its report says the Treasury has “underestimated the impact” of changes to business property relief (BPR), with the majority of family businesses forced to cut investment because of the raid. Analysts estimate that 125,678 jobs will be lost as a result. Overall, the loss of economic activity will lead to a £2.6bn reduction in income from taxes such as corporation tax, income tax and national insurance over the next five years…” – The Daily Telegraph

• She puts pension review on hold to avoid extra burden on UK business – The Financial Times
• Economists and policy experts warn Reeves against City deregulation – The Guardian

Britain becomes first European nation to join Pacific trade bloc

“Britain became the first European nation to join an Indo-Pacific trade bloc on Sunday, although the estimated £2bn “long-run” benefits to the UK economy will be dwarfed by Brexit-related loss of trade with the EU. Kemi Badenoch, former Conservative trade minister and now Tory leader, who signed the deal in 2023, said membership of the Pacific bloc was a crucial post-Brexit trade agreement, attaching Britain to the fastest-growing region in the world. Jonathan Reynolds, the current trade secretary, has also endorsed the deal, which he argues will bring benefits to UK exporters in fields such as food and drink, automotive and financial services. Britain becomes the 12th member of the trade club… Prime Minister Keir Starmer has ruled out a return to the customs union in any event.” – The Financial Times

• Farage is surging. Starmer is flailing. Can Badenoch survive? – Kamal Ahmed, The Daily Telegraph

Government offers train drivers £600 payments to work overtime

“Labour is to offer train drivers payments of £600 to work overtime in a deal signed off by the new Transport Secretary. Heidi Alexander last week approved plans for Aslef, the train drivers’ union, to offer the extra payments to hundreds of their members for working Saturday and Sunday shifts. Ms Alexander has been in post for just over a fortnight after Louise Haigh, her predecessor, quit following her admission that she pleaded guilty to misleading the police a decade ago. Train drivers on services running from London Euston to Birmingham and Liverpool are in line for £580 to work overtime shifts between Mondays and Fridays. This will rise to £600 for overtime weekend shifts…in what will be seen as a victory for Mick Whelan, the general secretary of Aslef.” – The Daily Telegraph

Reform ‘will name alleged Chinese spy linked to Prince Andrew’…

“Reform UK has said it will name the alleged Chinese spy who had a close business relationship with the Duke of York. The alleged spy, banned from entering Britain on national security grounds, has been identified only as “H6”, after challenging a decision by two judges to name him. Pressure is growing for the anonymity order to be lifted, with suggestions he could be named in Parliament…H6 has already been identified on social media and by an American news organisation which publishes English-language coverage of Asia. He was a “close confidant” of the Duke, according to court documents, and was connected to the Chinese branch of the Duke’s Pitch@Palace venture… MPs and peers are legally immune from prosecution for breaching the Official Secrets Act…” – The Daily Telegraph

• New security laws could be set out this week after Prince Andrew ‘spy’ row – The I
• Who is H6, the Chinese businessman with links to Prince Andrew? – The Guardian
• King urged to ban Andrew from Christmas walk over China scandal – The I
• Scrutinise Prine Andrew’s China contacts, Labour peer demands – The Times
• Why Chinese spy must be unmasked? – Editorial, The Daily Mail

>Yesterday:

• Video: Reform UK Chairman says he “can’t price the probability” of a Musk donation
• Video: Shadow Home Secretary “deeply concerned” by China’s infiltration in the UK

…as Farage ‘refuses to take parliament’s anti-bullying training’

“Five MPs including Nigel Farage have not taken up anti-bullying training put on for them by parliament. New and returning MPs are invited to attend seminars designed to explain behaviour rules on issues including harassment and sexual misconduct. Falling foul of the rules carries a range of sanctions, from being forced to apologise to a suspension from the Commons which, if it is longer than ten days, can trigger a by-election. There are 637 MPs who have completed the course, according to figures published by parliament after the general election. An additional eight were on the waiting list, while five had not attended the training. Among those who have not taken up the offer is Farage, the leader of Reform and MP for Clacton.” – The Times

Sturgeon ‘knows nothing more’ about police SNP probe 18 months after arrest

“Nicola Sturgeon has claimed that she knows “nothing more” about the police investigation into SNP finances since her arrest more than 18 months ago. The party’s former leader said she was “getting on with my life as best I can at the moment”, with the criminal investigation into her conduct yet to be resolved. Detectives raided the home Ms Sturgeon shares with her husband, the former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, in April 2023 – weeks after she resigned as Scotland’s first minister. She was arrested on June 11 last year, and Mr Murrell was charged with embezzlement of party funds the following April. However, there have been few developments in the investigation made public since police submitted a report to prosecutors in August.” – The Daily Telegraph

• She rues descent into ‘toxic’ debate on topics such as equal marriage – The Guardian

News in Brief:

• When will Reagan get the respect he deserves? – Andrew Roberts, The Spectator
• The private police patrolling London – Fred Skulthorp, UnHerd
• The grand Budapest hotel – Tom Jones, The Critic
• It’s time to build, whether politicians want to or not – Marc Sidwell, CapX

The post Newslinks for Monday 16th December 2024 appeared first on Conservative Home.