British politics live: Starmer and Biden meet in Washington for intensive discussions on the Ukraine war

Sir Keir Starmer is meeting US president Joe Biden in Washington this evening, where he will discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The prime minister and Mr. Biden are believed to allow Kyiv to open a new front in the war with Russia by using Western Storm Shadow long-range missiles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pleading with his allies for months to allow the military to fire long-range US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles on Russian territory.

Britain has supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of about 155 miles, three times the range of missiles Ukraine has used so far, but cannot be used to fire on key targets in Russia.

Dame Esther Rantzen has made a direct plea to the prime minister to keep his promise to make time in parliament for a free debate and vote on assisted dying.

The founder of Childline had a phone conversation with Sir Keir Starmer earlier this year – before he entered number 10 – where he made a pledge on this issue.

Dame Esther’s latest comments came as the majority of members on the national jury said assisted dying should be allowed in the UK.

The broadcaster has previously been praised for her role in bringing difficult and sensitive conversations about assisted dying, after announcing in December that she had joined the Swiss clinic Dignitas because she was suffering from terminal cancer.

Without a change in the law, Dame Esther said she and other terminally ill people could face “ugly deaths” or their families would face police questioning and possible prosecution if they accompanied them to Dignitas.

Helping someone to end their life is now a criminal offense in England and Wales.

Dame Esther told Sky News: “What we want is the right time to discuss the issue, have a free vote and change this cruel law.

“I call it cruel, because not only at this moment it means that I have to suffer a terrible death, if cancer causes me, but my family cannot be with me if I decide to go to Dignitas. Because if not, they should be accused of killing me and was investigated by the police, so nothing was wrong and it was not as expected.

“So, please Mr. Keir, remember our conversation and let’s make time for this. It’s a matter of life and death.”

Sir Keir Starmer will meet US president Joe Biden in Washington on Friday where they will discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

The prime minister and Mr. Biden are believed to allow Kyiv to open a new front in the war with Russia by using Western Storm Shadow long-range missiles.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pleading with his allies for months to allow the military to fire long-range US ATACMS and British Storm Shadow missiles on Russian territory.

Britain has supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of about 155 miles, three times the range of missiles Ukraine has used so far, but cannot be used to fire on key targets in Russia.

Sir Keir Starmer has promised to release a picture of a new Siberian cat in Downing Street as he tries to avoid comments about “cats and dogs” inspired by Donald Trump during the recent presidential debate.

The prime minister is going to the White House for a major bilateral summit with Joe Biden on Ukraine and the Middle East but the trip has been overshadowed by the fallout from the US election.

Our political editor David Maddox has the full story:

Public approval ratings for Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves have plummeted, according to opinion polls.

As the government faces criticism for withdrawing winter fuel payments from all but the poorest pensioners, research this month found 32 per cent of people view the Prime Minister favorably, a six percentage point drop from August.

Those who see Sir Keir unfavorably increased by eight points to 46 percent at the same time, leaving a net score of minus 14 compared to a net score of zero last month.

The percentage who view Sir Keir does not match the highest level of negativity previously recorded for him by Ipsos after the Hartlepool election in 2021, which the Conservatives won from Labor with a swing of almost 16 percent.

The Chancellor, who has warned of tough choices ahead of the Budget on October 30, saw his approval rating fall by four points to 23 per cent, while his dislike rose by nine points to 44 per cent.

This resulted in a net score of minus 21 in September compared to a minus eight score in August.

The proportion of people who view the Labor Party favorably has fallen by four points to 36 per cent, while those who do not like it have risen by eight points to 45 per cent.

However, despite some internal party concerns about the future fuel allowance squeeze, positivity towards the prime minister and the party among Labor voters remained unchanged this month at 69 percent.

Meanwhile the Chancellor’s favorability has slipped by two points among Labor supporters to 46 percent, with those who see him as unfavorable increasing by four points to 21 percent.

The poll found that 39 per cent of the public supported a winter fuel allowance trial and 42 per cent opposed.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ grim warning about a £22bn “black hole” in the public finances is “unnecessary and probably uneconomic”, the former chief economist at the Bank of England has said.

Labor frontbenchers have issued a series of warnings about the financial mess they inherited from their Conservative predecessors when they won the July election, used by Juru as paving the way for tax increases and tight public spending decisions in the next Budget.

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Last week, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer suspended around 30 of Britain’s 350 arms export licenses to Israel, prompting a strong reaction.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy confirmed that the UK continues to support Israel, the decision was made because of the “clear risk” that the weapons provided by the UK are used to violate international humanitarian law, especially regarding the treatment of Palestinian prisoners and aid access to Gaza. .

The decision continues to fuel debate, with figures like Lord Carlile praising Starmer’s “courage” but criticizing Netanyahu for obstructing peace efforts. Overall, Britain’s role in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains controversial, both domestically and internationally.

Here’s what The Independent readers read:

Sharing revenge porn will be classified as the most serious type of online offense under the Online Safety Act, meaning social media platforms must now take proactive steps to remove it, the government said.

Changes in the law will see the sharing of intimate images without consent upgraded to be made a priority offense under the new online safety rules, which will come into force from the spring of next year.

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