MPs say Starmer’s UK-EU reset lacks ‘direction, definition and drive’
Keir Starmer’s efforts to reset the UK’s relationship with the EU are lacking in “direction, definition and drive”, parliament’s foreign affairs committee has said,A report based on months of expert witness testimony found the summit between the UK and the EU at Lancaster House last May had “substantially improved the overall political relationship” after years of Brussels-bashing by the Conservatives,But it concluded the UK “lacks clear strategic priorities”, which in turn results in “the appearance that the EU has achieved more concrete progress towards their most pressing demands than the UK”,Emily Thornberry, Labour MP and chair of the committee, said: “Sadly, we found that despite progress in some areas, the government’s reset is languishing, suffering from a lack of direction, definition and drive,It feels as though we are on a journey with no clear destination.
“In many areas, the government has failed to provide timelines, milestones or priorities, and it does not appear to have an ambitious, strategic vision for the UK’s new relationship with the EU.”The report said that unless the government provides a structure and clear vision with goals, it will repeat “these mistakes” when it enters the second set of negotiations after a second bilateral summit due to be held in early July.Last May’s summit was hailed as a “historic” moment and resulted in a formal agreement to improve the Brexit deal sealed by Boris Johnson’s government, with goals including a youth mobility scheme, rejoining the Erasmus student programme and an agriculture agreement to reduce barriers for food exporters.So far all that has been announced is a deal on Erasmus, with several key areas including the regulation of chemicals, conformity of standards, mutual recognition of professional qualifications and concessions for touring musicians not on the negotiating table.The report said progress “has not been helped by the EU changing the goalposts recently by demanding a financial contribution to the economic development of lower-income EU countries, a request not mentioned at last year’s summit”.
It also criticised what it described as the “exorbitant” €2bn (£1,7bn) price tag on the UK’s participation in the first round of the EU’s new €150bn Security Action for Europe (Safe) defence procurement initiative,The report welcomed the UK-EU security and defence partnership but urged both sides and individual member states “to go further and faster”,It is understood the UK is in talks over a deal on a second potential fund to help Ukraine with military equipment and with budgetary matters such as salaries for teachers, doctors and other public servants,The €90bn fund is based on loans raised via the EU’s AAA credit rating, which would be repaid by Russia in the form of reparations or frozen assets.
The UK is reportedly prepared to contribute several hundred million pounds to help pay the interest on the loan in exchange for arms contracts for British firms.The committee’s report also criticises the deliberate “secrecy” surrounding talks and urges the government to lay out its plans for the next phase in a white paper.“Despite setbacks, the government must keep pushing.Fortune favours the bold and showing ambition now will reap rewards later,” it said.The report, From a Common Understanding to Common Ground: Building a UK-EU Strategic Partnership Fit for the Future, was published on Wednesday.
Rachel Reeves should scrap the North Sea windfall tax now
The chancellor’s failure to reform or remove the energy profits levy (EPL) – AKA the North Sea windfall tax – in her spring forecast was a case of “political expediency and more to do with putting one byelection result before the economic needs of the country”. Who said that? Some Tory or Reform politician being opportunist as war in Iran puts the UK’s energy import dependency in the spotlight?Actually, no, it was the general secretary of the GMB union, Gary Smith, on Wednesday, demonstrating once again that views on the North Sea oil and gas do not fit neatly into a left-right divide. He has been making the principled case for an orderly transition in energy for ages, warning that decarbonising via deindustrialising costs jobs and will end up pushing voters rightwards.As it happens, one suspects Rachel Reeves’ silence on the EPL in her statement – despite heavy Westminster rumours that something was in the offing – was probably also motivated by war in Iran and spikes in the prices of oil and gas. It is harder, politically speaking, to reform a windfall tax if there is a chance that windfall conditions are returning
How will war in the Middle East affect your finances?
The war in the Middle East is thousands of miles away, but gyrations in financial markets and surging energy prices threaten a new cost of living crisis in the UK.Here is how it could affect your finances.Mortgage holders benefited from cheaper home loans in recent months after the Bank of England cut interest rates four times in 2025 to bring the base rate down to 3.75%. But that could be about to change
Sam Altman admits OpenAI can’t control Pentagon’s use of AI
OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, told employees on Tuesday that his company does not control how the Pentagon uses their artificial intelligence products in military operations. Altman’s claims on OpenAI’s lack of input come amid increased scrutiny of how the military uses AI in war and ethics concerns from AI workers over how their technology will be deployed. “You do not get to make operational decisions,” Altman told employees, according to reports by Bloomberg and CNBC.“So maybe you think the Iran strike was good and the Venezuela invasion was bad. You don’t get to weigh in on that,” Altman reportedly said
Elon Musk takes witness stand in trial over Twitter takeover
Elon Musk testified Wednesday in a trial brought by Twitter investors, who allege the billionaire committed securities fraud as he was buying the social media company in 2022. The class-action lawsuit alleges Musk agreed to buy Twitter but then waffled for months, attacking the company with the goal of bringing down the stock price to get a better bargain.After contentious legal wrangling, Musk did eventually buy Twitter for $54.20 a share, his original offer, totalling around $44bn. His lawyers have argued that he did not aim to lower Twitter’s stock price or hurt its investors
‘It’s a generous deal’: McIlroy’s surprise at Rahm not accepting DP World Tour offer
Dust was yet to settle on Luke Donald’s commitment to a third successive stint as Europe’s Ryder Cup captain when Rory McIlroy highlighted the elephant in the locker room.McIlroy, in a sentiment shared by other European players, finds it hard to fathom why Jon Rahm has not reached agreement to make his participation at Adare Manor next September straightforward. Rahm’s Ryder Cup involvement sits in serious jeopardy amid a dispute with the DP World Tour. McIlroy calmly warned that the biennial contest matters more than any single individual.In news first revealed by the Guardian on Wednesday morning, Donald will seek to back up successful captaincies in Rome and New York with Europe’s Adare defence in 2027
Lou Holtz, legendary college football coach and broadcaster, dies at age of 89
Lou Holtz, one of the most revered coaches in the history of college football, has died at the age of 89. He had entered hospice care in January, shortly after his birthday.A statement from his family said Holtz would be “remembered for his enduring values of faith, family, service and an unwavering belief in the potential of others”.Holtz, whose affable personality helped him build a successful broadcasting career after his retirement from coaching, led Notre Dame to a national championship in 1988. He also had a successful career at Arkansas, where he went 11-1 in his debut season in 1977, upsetting Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl
War in Middle East ‘could wipe out growth in UK living standards’
European stock markets rally after report of ‘secret outreach’ by Iran to try to end war
Small investors turn on James Watt after BrewDog co-founder admits ‘many mistakes’
Maritime and port workers: how is the Middle East conflict affecting you?
Labor says Australia won’t run out of fuel due to the Iran conflict. So how much do we have and how long will it last?
UK oil firm fined £13m for repeatedly publishing inaccurate financial results