Page 16 - Britain

UK wage growth slows but remains high for Bank of England to curb inflation

The Office for National Statistics also said on Thursday it was delaying the switch to a new version of its Labour Force Survey which had been due to take place in September

UK inflation stays at 2% target in June, leaving rate cut on 'knife edge'

Inflation in the UK held steady at the Bank of England's target rate of 2% in the year to June, official figures showed Wednesday, in a development that could be enough for policymakers to cut borrowing costs next month. The Office for National Statistics said the largest upward contribution to the annualized inflation rate came from restaurants and hotels, with some economists attributing the increases to Taylor Swift's tour of the U.K. The biggest downward contribution came from clothing and footwear, with widespread sales during the month. The flat reading compared to June a year ago was a tad higher than expected. Most economists had anticipated a modest decline to 1.9%. The last time inflation was at 2% was in July 2021 before prices started to shoot up, first as a result of supply chain issues during the coronavirus pandemic and then because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which pushed up energy costs. Financial markets think it's going to be a close call as to whether the B

Ex-Rolls Royce design head Ian Cameron stabbed to death, suspect on run

Ian Cameron murder: The British car designer was stabbed at the doorstep of his $3 million mansion in Germany's Herrsching at Lake Ammersee on Friday evening

Trumpets & tradition on display as King Charles presides over Parl opening

King Charles III will officially open the new session of Parliament on Wednesday, donning his ceremonial robes and the crown of state to deliver a speech laying out the legislative program of the U.K.'s first left-leaning government in 14 years. The state opening of Parliament is one of the traditional set pieces of the political year, showcasing through carefully choreographed pageantry Britain's evolution from an absolute monarchy to a parliamentary democracy where real power is vested in the elected House of Commons. Here's a brief look at the history of the King's Speech and how it unfolds. What is the King's Speech? In simple terms, it is a speech that lays out the government's legislative program for the coming year. The speech is written by the elected government, currently led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and delivered by the king during a joint session of the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The event is a symbol of the monarch's constitutional role as head of

King Charles III to visit Australia, Samoa as he recovers from cancer

King Charles III is preparing to visit Australia and Samoa in October, an itinerary that will span 12 time zones and test the monarch's stamina as he recovers from cancer treatment. The trip, announced on Sunday by Buckingham Palace, marks a watershed moment for the 75-year-old king, who has been slowly returning to public duties after taking a break following his cancer diagnosis in early February. The decision to undertake such a long journey will be seen as a sign of Charles' recovery, even though the program in Australia will be limited. The visit to Australia will be a critical moment for the king as he tries to shore up support for the monarchy at home and abroad. The trip will mark the first time since he ascended the throne that Charles will visit one of the 14 countries outside the United Kingdom where the British monarch remains head of state, a link that is a source of pride for some but an unwelcome reminder of Britain's colonial dominance for others. While he will ...

New UK PM Starmer offers strong support for Ukraine at Nato summit

Newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is making his maiden appearance on the international stage with a strong signal of support for Ukraine as he attends the NATO summit in Washington. After he and other European leaders met American lawmakers, Starmer sat down with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday. They embraced and leaned in close, smiling, before holding private talks. Afterward, he reaffirmed Britain's full-throated backing for Kyiv as it battles Russia's invasion. Starmer said he and his new Labour government would use our opportunity here with our allies to make sure that that support is agreed by NATO's members. As he arrived for the summit, Starmer added that it was also important for him to "reinforce, in a sense as a message to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, the resolve of NATO bigger now than it's ever been, more united than it's ever been and absolutely clear-eyed about the threat of Russian aggression. Starmer will also meet one o

Ukraine can use UK missiles to strike inside Russia, says PM Starmer

Starmer agreed that it was up to Ukraine how it used the Storm Shadow missiles donated by the UK

'Get Britain building again': Reeves unveils Labour govt's growth plan

Some developers say the only solution to Britain's housing shortage is to build homes on the green belt, strips of countryside surrounding villages, towns and cities where building is prohibited

New UK PM Starmer seeks to improve on 'botched' trade deal with EU

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is seeking to reset relations at home and abroad. During a visit Sunday to Edinburgh, that he billed as an immediate reset with the regional governments of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, Starmer said he would also seek to improve the UK's botched trade deal with the European Union. "I do think that we can get a much better deal than the botched deal that (former Prime Minister) Boris Johnson saddled the UK with, he said in reference to the pact negotiated after Brexit. Starmer said there were many discussions ahead to strengthen trading, research and defense ties with the EU. But he said those talks had begun as his top diplomat made his first visit abroad to Germany, Poland and Sweden. With two of Starmer's ministers in Europe ahead of a NATO meeting next week, the premier made a point of visiting the leaders of the regional governments in the UK following his party's landslide victory last week. Starmer, who said he has a mandate to do

India, UK to hold next round of talks on proposed trade pact this month

With the new government taking charge in Britain, senior officials of India and the UK will hold the next round of talks this month for the proposed free trade agreement to resolve the pending issues and close the negotiations, an official said. The India-UK talks for the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) began in January 2022. The 14th round of talks stalled as the two nations stepped into their general election cycles. The official said the two sides are in touch, and the next round would start this month only. Britain's newly-elected Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday and said he stood ready to conclude an FTA that worked for both sides. The two leaders agreed to work towards the early conclusion of a mutually beneficial India-UK FTA. There are pending issues in both the goods and services sectors. The Indian industry is demanding greater access for its skilled professionals from sectors like IT and healthcare in the UK market, besi

Former British Indian MP Alok Sharma takes seat in House of Lords

Indian-origin former Conservative Party member of Parliament Alok Sharma, who had chosen not to seek re-election in this week's general election, will now take his seat in the House of Lords after being conferred a peerage by King Charles III. The 56-year-old Agra-born MP, who was knighted as Sir Alok in the King's New Year's Honours list last year for his contribution to tackling climate change through his leadership as president of the COP26 climate summit over two years ago, now becomes Lord Sharma. Sharma was among seven nominations made by outgoing prime minister Rishi Sunak for his customary Dissolution Peerages, which also saw former Prime Minister Theresa May become a peer in the Upper House of the UK Parliament. Humbled to have been appointed to the House of Lords but so sorry to see many fine Conservative candidates lose, including in Reading West & Mid Berkshire, said Sharma in a post on X on Friday, as his party's disastrous general election results became evident. His

UK PM Starmer assembles Cabinet for 1st meeting, says 'now we get to work'

Prime Minister Keir Starmer held his first Cabinet meeting Saturday as his new government takes on the massive challenge of fixing a heap of domestic woes and winning over a public weary from years of austerity, political chaos and a battered economy. Starmer welcomed the new ministers around the table at 10 Downing St., saying it had been the honour of his life to be asked by King Charles III to form a government in a ceremony that officially elevated him to prime minister. We have a huge amount of work to do, so now we get on with our work, he said. Starmer's Labour Party delivered the biggest blow to the Conservatives in their two-century history Friday in a landslide victory on a platform of change. Among a raft of problems they face are boosting a sluggish economy, fixing a broken health care system, and restoring trust in government. Just because Labour won a big landslide doesn't mean all the problems that the Conservative government has faced has gone away, said Tim Bale,

North Bihar town celebrates Kanishka Narayan's victory in UK elections

The UK parliamentary elections may have disappointed a lot of Indians over Rishi Sunak losing power, but a north Bihar town is celebrating the success of a son of the soil. Kanishka Narayan, an MP of the Labour Party which has returned to power after a decade and a half, has his roots in Muzaffarpur, situated about 70 km from the state capital. "The mood is upbeat in our housing complex, where many distinctly remember having seen Kanishka as a toddler," said Jayant Kumar, Director of the city-based Shri Krishna Law College. Kumar's younger brother Santosh is the father of the 33-year-old MP representing Vale of Glamorgan, who entered politics after giving up a career in the British civil services. "We hail from a village in Goraul block of adjoining Vaishali district. A passion for law runs in our blood. Our late father Krishna Kumar had founded the law college here," said the proud uncle. He recalled Kanishka was born in Muzaffarpur and studied at a local school till standard III

PM Modi speaks to UK counterpart Starmer, both agree to work for early FTA

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday spoke to newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer as the two leaders agreed to work towards an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial India-UK free trade agreement, a statement said. Modi congratulated him on assuming charge and a remarkable victory of his Labour Party in the election. The statement said both the leaders recalled the historic relations between the India and the UK and reaffirmed their commitment to further deepen and advance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the countries. Appreciating the positive contributions of the Indian community in the social, economic and political development of the UK, they agreed to continue to promote the close people-to-people ties. Modi also extended an invitation to Starmer for an early visit to India as the two leaders agreed to remain in touch, the statement said. In a post on X, Modi said, "Pleased to speak with @Keir_Starmer. Congratulated him on being elected as

David Lammy becomes new UK Foreign Secy; may visit India before end of July

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday named David Lammy as his foreign secretary, as the newly-appointed premier started the process of forming a Labour Party government after winning the general election. The 51-year-old Labour politician and lawyer who is a backer of strong bilateral ties with India, last month said that he would be visiting New Delhi if his party is voted to power on July 4. Many Diwalis have come and gone without a trade deal and too many businesses have been left waiting," said Lammy, referring to the missed Diwali 2022 deadline set by former prime minister Boris Johnson for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA). "My message to [Finance] Minister [Nirmala] Sitharaman and [Trade] Minister [Piyush] Goyal is that Labour is ready to go. Let's finally get our free trade deal done and move on, he said, adding he will be in Delhi before the end of July if elected to government on July 4. Describing India as a priority for the party and an economic, technological and

World leaders congratulate Starmer after Labour's victory in UK election

We will continue the work begun with the UK for our bilateral cooperation, for peace and security in Europe, for the climate and for AI, said French President while congratulating Keir Starmer

Starmer to be UK's new prime minister, Sunak concedes election defeat

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak may be on course for a bruising defeat with his Labour Party rival Keir Starmer set for a landslide win, according to the definitive election night exit poll released on Thursday as polling stations across the country closed in the landmark UK general election. According to the exit poll, which is often quite close to the final tally, Labour could win as many as 410 seats, comfortably crossing the halfway 326 mark and notching up a 170-seat majority with the incumbent Tories down to just 131 seats. Sunak's future as leader of the Conservative Party now hangs in the balance, hours after the British Indian leader and the man who wants his job -- Starmer -- were among the first few voters to cast their votes along with millions in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty walked hand-in-hand to their local polling booth on a sunny day in his constituency of Richmond and Northallerton in Yorkshire, northern England

'Big beasts' slayed as Conservative party suffers UK election bloodbath

Anger at economic stagnation, political scandals and a crisis in public services after years of government spending cuts, saw voters desert the Conservative Party

The UK election winner only becomes PM when King Charles III says so

The Labour Party has won Britain's general election, bringing a new party to power for the first time in 14 years. But Labour leader Keir Starmer won't actually become prime minister until a carefully choreographed ceremony on Friday during which King Charles III will formally ask him to form a new government. It's a moment that embodies the fact that, technically at least, the right to govern in the United Kingdom is still derived from royal authority, centuries after real political power was transferred to elected members of Parliament. The process is swift, if somewhat brutal for departing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Here's how the ceremonial events will unfold. History meets the modern world While Britain is a constitutional monarchy where the king's power is strictly limited by law and tradition, much of what happens here has echoes of the past. In this case, the process harkens back to a time when the king exercised supreme power and chose his preeminent minister the prime .

Challenges ahead for UK's next PM Keir Starmer: All you need to know

Starmer has ruled out rejoining the EU single market or customs union but his party has said it is still possible to remove some trade barriers with bloc