Newslinks for Sunday 4th January 2026

Trump to run Venezuela after capturing Maduro

“Donald Trump said the US would “run” Venezuela after special forces captured the president in a daring helicopter raid on the capital. The US president said Washington would take control of the South American nation after detaining its dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife and flying them to the US in the early hours of Saturday. “We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Mr Trump said oil companies would be sent in to “fix” the infrastructure and “start making money”. He refused to rule out putting US troops on the ground during the transition.” – Sunday Telegraph

• Maduro in US custody as Trump claims to run Venezuela – Sunday Times
• Venezuelan leader jailed in New York after he was captured in US attack – Observer
• Maduro in US – Sun on Sunday
• Britain not involved in US Venezuela attack, says Starmer – Observer
• PM says he ‘shed no tears’ over Trump seizing Maduro – Sun on Sunday
• Starmer must condemn Trump over Venezuela, say Labour MPs – Sunday Telegraph
• Labour civil war as MPs slam Starmer’s ‘shameful and reckless’ Venezuela statement – Sunday Express

Comment

>Today:

Starmer 1) Cost-of-living drive won’t save Starmer, warn Labour MPs

“Sir Keir Starmer’s cost-of-living reset will not save him from Nigel Farage, Labour MPs fear. The Prime Minister will launch a new year “reset” next week and shift his focus to the cost-of-living crisis, with a series of interventions designed to capture support from Reform UK. On Monday, he will set out his plans to lower bills, arguing that Britain is “turning the corner” and that 2026 is the “year more people will feel renewal becoming reality”. He will then tell his Cabinet on Tuesday that they must find savings for households in their day-to-day departmental work. The cost-of-living drive is part of a last-ditch Downing Street effort to recapture Labour voters before local and devolved elections in May, when Scotland and Wales will go to the polls.” – Sunday Telegraph

• Starmer faces rebellion by scores of MPs as he and leadership rivals signal closer EU ties – Mail on Sunday
• PM scrambles for cost-of-living strategy amid threat from Reform – Mail on Sunday
• Desperate Starmer launches do-or-die cost of living strategy – Sun on Sunday
• Starmer reeling as Labour civil war erupts over fresh Brexit question – Sunday Express
• Mass migration ‘storing up future problems’, warns former border tsar – Sunday Telegraph

Comment

• If Starmer wanted to put cash back in taxpayers’ pockets he would reduce size of state, slash welfare budget & cut taxes – Editorial, Sun on Sunday
• A year that will dictate Starmer’s fate as PM – Camilla Cavendish, FT

Starmer 2) ‘I’ll be PM this time next year,’ Starmer insists

“Sir Keir Starmer has dismissed concerns about his leadership and said he will still be prime minister this time next year. In an exclusive interview with the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the prime minister said he believes forthcoming elections in Scotland, Wales and England in May are not a “referendum” on his government. His comments come after a difficult 2025 for Sir Keir, who has been battling slowing economic growth, poor poll ratings and speculation he could face a leadership challenge. In his recent New Year’s Day message, the PM promised to “defeat the decline and division offered by others” and insisted 2026 would see people feel “positive change” in their lives.” – BBC News

Starmer 3) Patel: Starmer’s silence on Iran is shocking

“Iran’s malign influence is one of the biggest threats to global security and to British security. The regime in Tehran is deliberately, malevolently undermining the international order upon which our security and prosperity are built, while brutally repressing its own people and destroying the lives of their youth, women and girls. For years it has given weapons, money and training to its extremist proxies. From Hamas in Gaza to Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen, these are all Iranian-backed terrorist organisations and hell-bent anti-Semites. And yet, against this long-established threat, Keir Starmer’s embattled Government refuses to back our allies and act over the ongoing and escalating threats from Iran.” – Sunday Telegraph

Farage considers scrapping OBR

“Nigel Farage is considering scrapping the UK’s budget watchdog if Reform wins the next general election. The Reform leader told The Telegraph that the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) had reached such a position of influence that it was “effectively dictating” policy. Closing the OBR would amount to the biggest overhaul of independent scrutiny of the Government’s taxation and spending plans for a generation. The body of economists was created by the Conservative-led coalition in 2010 to take over from the Treasury the production of economic and fiscal forecasts. However, it has come under increasing political pressure, with senior Tories and Labour figures raising fears that its forecasts bind Budget decisions too much. Mr Farage, whose party is leading the polls, said he was not sure the watchdog had a future”. – Sunday Telegraph

• Reform council leader’s firms collapsed owing £1.5 million – Sunday Times
• Davey says Lib Dems are best placed to take on Reform – FT
• Reform UK says it would impose whole-life jail terms on child rapists – Observer
• From Labour to Reform, bosses have ‘lost trust in all politicians’ – Sunday Times

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