Newslinks for Wednesday 14th of May 2025

May 14, 2025

Labour policies falling flat, including with Trump’s team, China and Canada

“Donald Trump’s agriculture secretary has attacked Sir Keir Starmer’s inheritance tax raid on farmers. Brooke Rollins called on the Prime Minister to “put farmers first” and recognise they were “the backbone of your country”. She said Labour’s decision to impose inheritance tax on family farms would lead to farm closures and outsourcing to America. Ms Rollins’s comments come days after Mr Trump and Sir Keir signed a trade agreement that will lower the cost of American beef and bioethanol in the UK. The deal could drive some arable farmers who produce bioethanol in Britain out of business.” – Daily Telegraph

China warns Britain over US-UK trade deal – The Times
‘Not impressed!’ Mark Carney slams Keir Starmer in fiery Sky News interview – Daily Express
EU ‘reset’ could put back Britain’s ability to develop GM crops – The Times
Criminals to be released after a third of prison sentence – Daily Telegraph
Burberry to cut 1,700 jobs worldwide in disaster for Rachel Reeves – Daily Express
Net Zero tsar Ed Miliband’s wife joins ‘nimby’ campaigners against new housing development they claim has too many ‘noisy’ heat pumps – Daily Mail

Comment:

We now have the definitive proof Reeves and Rayner are destroying Britain – Annabel Denham, Daily Telegraph
The nation is in the grip of an immigration row – but this is the real story you should be paying all your attention to – Alex Brummer, Daily Mail
Selling out loyal Gibraltar could be Starmer’s next great betrayal – Robert Jenrick, Daily Telegraph
Rachel Reeves put UK on life support – now Angela Rayner will pull the plug – Harvey Jones, Daily Express
‘Property is theft’ dogma underlies the Labour Party’s war on landlords – Philip Johnston, Daily Telegraph

> Today: Damien Moore: Ministers must abandon this shameful plan to repeal legal protection for ex-servicemen

Assisted dying debate continues

“The controversial assisted dying bill is now in danger of failing, as fears grow among Labour MPs it could cost them votes. Sir Keir Starmer voted in favour of the bill, which is championed by backbench MP Kim Leadbeater, at its second reading last year. He had promised time would be made for the legislation and the Government would remain neutral. But Labour MPs are growing nervous after the issue was raised during the local election campaign, with voters accusing the party of trying to “kill us off”. And in a possible sign that Starmer is distancing himself from the idea, he will not be present on Friday when the bill is next set to be debated.” – The i

Scottish Parliament backs assisted dying – Daily Telegraph
What if Scotland backs assisted dying but England and Wales don’t? – The Times
At least five more MPs have decided to vote against UK assisted dying bill – The Guardian
Royal College of Psychiatrists pulls support for assisted dying bill – Sky News

Comment:

Assisted dying can’t be sanitised. Stop trying – Sarah Ditum, The Times

Immigration and Labour fallout

“Downing Street has robustly defended Keir Starmer’s language on immigration, which has been likened to that used by Enoch Powell, rejecting the direct comparison but saying the prime minister would not “shy away” from direct talk about the subject. A series of MPs criticised Starmer for his rhetoric when introducing a new policy paper on immigration on Monday, particularly his warning that the UK risked becoming “an island of strangers”, a near-direct echo of language used by Powell in his infamous 1968 “rivers of blood” speech. Asked about the controversy on Tuesday, Sadiq Khan, the Labour mayor of London, said he would not have used the phrase, while defending Starmer’s broader approach. Alf Dubs, the Labour peer who arrived in the UK as a child refugee fleeing the Nazis, also expressed alarm.” – The Guardian

Migrant clampdown paves way to softer Brexit deal – The i
Keir doubles down on migration pledge as new raft of small boats arrive hours after ‘take back borders’ promise – The Sun
Labour to spend millions on communities in Reform-voting regions – The Times
Davey – Starmer is echoing Enoch Powell on immigration – Daily Telegraph

Comment:

For too long, tolerant, hard-working Brits have been gaslit on immigration and branded ‘far right’ – enough is enough – Mercy Muroki, The Sun
Multiculturalism has done far more to fan racial tensions than Enoch Powell ever did – Quentin Letts, Daily Mail
How vampire bats explain Keir Starmer’s ‘strangers’ – Danny Finklestein, The Times
Starmer has admitted UK immigration policy has been a colossal failure – his new measures don’t go far enough – Alp Mehmet, The Sun
Keir Starmer is caught in yet another trap of his own making – Rafael Behr, The Guardian
Brits avoid the jobs migrants are doing – and I have the proof – Ben Kentish, The i

> Today: The self-defenestration of Sir Keir Starmer

> Yesterday:

Joe Tetlow: This is how we should reform Government to improve the immigration system

Whatever your immigration views, surely we deserve to know the true cost?

Starmer firebombs linked to hostile state

“Counter-terror police are investigating the possibility that a hostile state may have been behind the arson attacks against the Prime Minister. On Tuesday night, a 21-year-old man arrested on suspicion of targeting two properties and a car linked to Sir Keir Starmer was questioned by specialist detectives from Scotland Yard’s SO15 counter-terror command. Reflecting the seriousness with which police were treating the incident, the head of Counter Terrorism Command issued a rare statement urging any MPs who might be concerned to contact police. The suspect, whose nationality was not disclosed, was detained in the early hours of Tuesday morning at an address in Sydenham, south east London, following a police operation.” – Daily Telegraph

Keir Starmer’s security in focus in wake of arson attack – The Times
Keir Starmer’s sister-in-law lives at home where ‘arsonist’ with a ‘grudge’ set ‘door on fire & torched PM’s car’ – The Sun