Starmer 1) The Prime Minister will act as a ‘bridge’ to Trump in Ukraine peace talks

“Sir Keir Starmer will seek to convince President Trump not to abandon Ukraine as he positions Britain as uniquely placed to influence the US at a meeting with European leaders. The prime minister will travel to Paris for a hastily arranged meeting on Monday with Europe’s biggest military spenders as they scramble to respond to Trump starting peace talks with Russia. Starmer will seek to act as a “bridge” between Europe and the US, believing that Britain stands a better chance of convincing Trump to maintain security guarantees for Kyiv and involve President Zelensky in talks to end the war. Starmer has also said that he’s “ready and willing” to commit British troops to Ukraine for peacekeeping purposes.” – The Times

• What Trump wants from a Ukraine peace deal with Russia – and the problems he will face – The I
• Talks this week may mark in turn in the rhetoric of East-West relations. But nothing will be achieved by overlooking the brutal realities of Putin’s autocracy – Editorial, The Times
• Europe’s greatest test is fast approaching – Editorial, The Daily Telegraph
• Keep calm, this isn’t another Munich sell-out – Matthew Parris, The Times
• Starmer should thank his lucky stars for Trump – Kamal Ahmed, The Daily Telegraph
• His Trump strategy is dull and infuriating – and it’s working – Ian Dunt, The I

Starmer 2) He is “ready and willing” to put British troops in Ukraine

“Sir Keir Starmer has announced he is “ready and willing” to put British troops on the ground in Ukraine to enforce any peace deal. In an exclusive article for The Telegraph, the Prime Minister said he had not taken the decision to consider putting British servicemen and women “in harm’s way” lightly. It is the first time he has explicitly said he is considering deploying British peacekeepers to Ukraine, and comes ahead of a meeting with European leaders in Paris…The emergency gathering was called by Emmanuel Macron, the French president, after it emerged that European leaders had not been invited to early Ukraine peace talks between the US and Russia, and senior members of Donald Trump’s administration signalled that US security support for Europe would be scaled back.” – The Daily Telegraph

• He ‘ignores calls’ from military chiefs to increase defence budget – The Sun
• Give us ‘national arsenal’ of hi-tech weapons to beat Putin, says Army – The Daily Telegraph
• Where Britain should spend its defence budget – and why it won’t be enough – The I
• Potentially putting Britons in harm’s way is a huge responsibility – but we must be ready to do our bit for Europe – Keir Starmer, The Daily Telegraph
• Starmer must hike UK defence spending soon to have any credibility – Harry Cole, The Sun
• Munich shows times has run out. The UK must expand its armed forces – Richard Dannatt, The Daily Telegraph
• This is watershed moment in Europe’s history – Andrew Neil, The Daily Mail
• Starmer should keep his Ukraine aid promise – Priti Patel, Daily Express
• Ukraine is gradually losing faith in a West that has failed to deliver on its promises – Lord Ashcroft, The Daily Telegraph

>Yesterday:

• Video: Reynolds on defence spending row: ‘I genuinely don’t recognise that story whatsoever’

Starmer 3) Labour has hit their NHS appointments target, he says

“Sir Keir Starmer says the NHS has turned a corner, boasting of hitting the goal of two million extra appointments. The prime minister also insisted that the waiting list was “on the way down”. Labour’s manifesto promised an extra two million NHS appointments a year, and on Monday Starmer will set out data showing that, between July and November, 2.2 million more routine appointments were carried out than in the same period in 2023. “We said we’d turn this around and that’s exactly what we’re doing — this milestone is a shot in the arm for our plan to get the NHS back on its feet and cut waiting times,” Starmer said. However, he stressed that he was “not complacent”, promising to go “further and faster” as ministers draw up a reform plan.” – The Times

• Labour ‘claims victory’ as NHS sees two-million more appointments in second half of 2024 than same period in 2023 – The Sun
• It is impossible to mend the NHS without tackling the crisis in social care – Editorial, The Times

Reeves warned UK inflation will push public sector unions to seek higher pay rises…

“Rachel Reeves has been warned public sector unions will demand higher pay increases to compensate for accelerating inflation, heaping pressure on the chancellor to find billions of pounds in extra funding. The government made recommendations in December for a 2.8% pay rise for teachers, NHS staff and other public sector workers for the financial year beginning in April, saying it was a “reasonable amount” given forecasts for the economy. However, inflation is expected to rise by more than anticipated amid a renewed squeeze on the cost of living for households. Figures this week are expected to show inflation climbed to 2.8% in January from 2.5% in December, and the Bank of England says inflation will keep rising towards 3.7% this year.” – The Guardian

• Mass job cuts loom ahead of Reeves’s £25 billion tax raid – The Daily Telegraph
• Benefits cuts and higher taxes – how Reeves could raise defence spending – The I
• Half of farmers ‘consider quitting industry’ after Reeves’s inheritance raid – Daily Express
• Yet another disastrous consequence of Reeves’s Budget – it makes the assisted dying bill even more dangerous – Dominic Lawson, The Daily Mail

…as Treasury ‘seeks clarity’ on cost of Thames Water renationalisation

“The Treasury is seeking greater clarity on the cost of renationalising Thames Water ahead of a crucial court judgment this week that could decide the future of Britain’s largest water supplier. Thames Water, which provides water and sewage services to about a quarter of the UK’s population, is on a knife edge, with a key decision on Tuesday about whether a judge will approve an emergency £3bn loan from creditors to buy the indebted utility time to raise equity and restructure its finances. If judges reject the plan, Thames Water is widely expected to be catapulted into the special administration regime, an unprecedented temporary renationalisation of a water company. The Treasury is seeking clarity on the impact of a SAR on the government’s finances ahead of the Spring Statement…” – The Financial Times

Vance is wrong, says Reynolds, in first government on attack on free speech comments

“JD Vance was wrong to say that the “threat from within” to free speech poses a greater danger to Europe than Russia, a Cabinet minister has said. Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, said he disagreed that free speech was “in retreat” in Britain, in the first ministerial pushback to the Vice-President’s tirade last week. Mr Vance told the Munich Security Conference on Friday: “The threat that I worry the most about vis-à-vis Europe is not Russia, it’s not China, it’s not any other external actor. “What I worry about is the threat from within. The retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values: values shared with the United States of America.”… His comments marked the first response of a Cabinet minister to Mr Vance’s comments about Britain…” – The Daily Telegraph

Hermer ‘defended terrorist’ who plotted to bomb Manchester shopping centre

“The Attorney General defended an Islamist terrorist who was just days from carrying out a bombing attack on a Manchester shopping centre, it has emerged. Lord Hermer described MI5’s case against Abid Naseer, the ringleader of an Al-Qaeda terror cell based in the north east, as “pitiful” and “far-fetched”. The Pakistani student was later found guilty in a US court of plotting to detonate a car bomb outside Manchester’s Arndale Centre and then kill hundreds of Easter shoppers by placing suicide bombers at the exits. A decision not to charge him in the UK by the Crown Prosecution Service, which at the time was led by Sir Keir Starmer, was criticised by police and politicians as having put lives at risk.It is the latest in a string of disclosures about controversial clients…” – The Daily Telegraph

• Labour ministers’ ‘knives are out’ for Starmer’s law chief they call the ‘Herminator’ – The Daily Mail

Badenoch and Farage to ‘vie for attention’ of Trump allies at London summit

“Influential rightwingers from around the world are to gather in London from Monday at a major conference to network and build connections with senior US Republicans linked to the Trump administration. The UK opposition leader, the Conservatives’ Kemi Badenoch, and Nigel Farage of the Reform UK party, her hard-right anti-immigration rival, will compete to present themselves as the torchbearer of British conservatism. Conservatives from Britain, continental Europe and Australia attending the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (ARC) conference will seize on the opportunity to meet and hear counterparts from the US, including those with links to the new Trump administration. The House speaker, the Republican Mike Johnson, had been due to attend in person…” – The Guardian

• Badenoch won’t find the voters she needs in Reform – Robert Colvile, The Times
• Farage may not be the greatest danger facing the Tories – Iain Dale, The Daily Telegraph

>Today:

• ToryDiary: Does Badenoch actually want to lead the Conservative Party?
• Alexander Bowen’s Column: To celebrate 50 years of Thatcher becoming leader, lets agree not to celebrate it anymore

>Yesterday:

• Video: ‘Look, I’m not even going to go there’ – Patel on possible Johnson return

News in Brief:

• Has Farage missed the immigration vibe shift? – Patrick O’Flynn, The Spectator
• ‘Remigration’ is the selling point for AfD voters – Ido Vock, UnHerd
• Deepfake dystopia – Sarah Kuszynski, The Critic 
• There’s no such thing as a free breakfast – David Smith, CapX
• Labour’s Reformation – Andrew Marr, The New Statesman

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