Sir Keir Starmer has today pledged to make Holocaust education a “truly national endeavour” as the world marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
Monday 27 January 2025 08:26, UK
Our political correspondent Mhari Aurora is now joining Kay Burley on Sky News Breakfast to discuss Sir Keir Starmer’s call with Donald Trump on Sunday.
She says: “Keir Starmer and Donald Trump yesterday had this phone call, and we got a read-out from Downing Street giving us some highlights.”
In the 45-minute phone call, we know that Mr Trump and Sir Keir discussed the war in the Middle East, while the newly-inaugurated president shared his condolences for the loss of the prime minister’s brother.
Mhari says: “They then went on to talk about trade and UK-US relations, and what was really interesting to me was where the PM said ‘we are deregulating to boost growth’.
“That will have been music to Donald Trump’s ears, we know that deregulation is something that he really wants to focus on to improve the US economy.
“But nonetheless it’s not something that you would necessarily hear from a left-wing government – a Labour government – which is why I think Keir Starmer is trying to please Donald Trump and perhaps show that they have some level of common ground in trying to boost both nations’ economies.”
But Mhari notes there was a “slightly different tone” in the White House read-out.
“That ended by saying they discussed how both countries could promote a fair, bilateral economic relationship.”
She says this is “less emotive” than the British rendition.
“But nonetheless I think Downing Street will be quite pleased with the tone of the language we’ve heard from Donald Trump about the UK.”
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Sky News’ deputy political editor Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy look at the day ahead in British politics.
The week beings on Holocaust Memorial Day, marking 80 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. For that reason, there are no big government announcements today, but Sam and Anne will take you through Westminster’s agenda for the week – a big one for Rachel Reeves.
The future of the economy is likely to dominate again with the chancellor giving a speech on Wednesday. An announcement on a third runway at Heathrow is expected.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has been praising Sir Keir Starmer after a long chat and Sam and Anne breakdown just how important that is.
You can send us a WhatsApp on 07511 867 633 or email us: jackandsam@sky.uk
Ministers have pledged to end “throwaway society” as laws paving the way for a bottle-return scheme come into force on Monday.
The European-style initiative will see people charged a deposit when buying a plastic, steel or aluminium container before receiving the money back when they hand it in for recycling at a collection point.
New parliamentary regulations have now been introduced to enable the appointment of a managing body for the scheme in April this year ahead of its scheduled launch in October 2027.
The UK government has looked to countries such as Germany, Sweden and Ireland, the former of which has seen an estimated 98% return rate under its own deposit return scheme (DRS), in developing the programme.
Ministers hope the scheme, covering England and Northern Ireland, will reduce littering in waterways and on streets, boost recycling and help protect wildlife.
Environment minister Mary Creagh said: “This government will clean up Britain and end the throwaway society.
“This is a vital step as we stop the avalanche of rubbish that is filling up our streets, rivers and oceans and protect our treasured wildlife. Turning trash into cash also delivers on our Plan for Change by kickstarting clean growth, ensuring economic stability, more resilient supply chains and new green jobs.”
By Nick Martin, people and politics correspondent
The Scottish government is scrapping its plans to create a National Care Service.
It is an embarrassing but perhaps predictable end to years of ambitious talk about finally coming up with a solution to the social care crisis.
In a statement at Holyrood, the government tore up parts of the bill that would require major structural changes to the Scottish social care system.
The downfall of the plan wasn’t money or lack of ambition necessarily.
And there was cross-party agreement on what needed to be done. The problem was a frustrating lack of consensus on how to get there.
It is also the end of the process that has been costly too.
More than £30m has already been spent on planning the policy cover the last three years.
It was one of the boldest public service reforms of the SNP’s 17 years in power, with the scheme forming a key policy of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon’s administration.
House of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has dropped into the Emmerdale bistro, as production added him into an episode after being unable to use footage of him last year because of the general election.
Sir Lindsay’s cameo sees him enter the fictional Yorkshire village’s Hide Bar & Bistro in a tweed jacked and wellies as a Lancastrian rambler, and compliment his Yorkshire tea after ordering it.
He said: “Incredibly, Emmerdale has been on our screens for more than half a century – shining a light on the lived experience of others; entertaining viewers with its hard-hitting storylines, while also making a major economic contribution to the North.
“It has been an honour to help the cast celebrate the 10,000th episode of this enduring Yorkshire-based soap, with a visit to the Woolpack.
“As a Lancastrian, I am hugely impressed by the talent and warmth of our friends on ‘the other side’ of the Pennines.”
Sir Lindsay visited the ITV soap as they celebrated their 10,000th episode back in May 2024, but producers were unable to use his footage of him because of restrictions on political coverage shortly before the election last June.
He was gifted wellies and met the cast, with ITV saying “with the magic of post-production Sir Lindsay was back in the Hop (Hawksford Outdoor Pursuits) in relevant time and making his order, for posterity”.
Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump “stressed the importance of the close and warm ties” between their countries and “agreed to meet soon” in a phone call, Downing Street has said.
During the conversation on Sunday, the prime minister congratulated the president on his inauguration and paid tribute to his “role in securing the landmark ceasefire and hostages deal in Gaza”, according to a Number 10 spokesperson.
The two leaders “discussed the importance of working together for security in the Middle East” as well as “trade and the economy”.
Sir Keir told the US leader how he plans to deregulate the UK economy to boost growth, and the president spoke of his “respect and affection for the Royal Family”.
Mr Trump also gave his condolences to Sir Keir over the loss of his brother, who died on Boxing Day.
Sir Keir Starmer has today pledged to make Holocaust education a “truly national endeavour” as the world marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
The prime minister said the atrocities of the Second World War, in which six million Jews were killed by the Nazi regime, should be remembered – and the truth should be defended against “anyone who would deny it”.
He said: “But as we remember, we must also act. Because we say ‘never again’ – but where was never again in the genocides of Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur – and where is never again as antisemitism kills Jewish people still?
“Today, we have to make those words mean more. We will make Holocaust education a truly national endeavour.
“We will ensure all schools teach it and seek to give every young person the opportunity to hear a recorded survivor testimony, because by learning from survivors we can develop that empathy for others and that appreciation of our common humanity, which is the ultimate way to defeat the hatred of difference.
“It happened, it can happen again: that is the warning of the Holocaust to us all. And it’s why it is a duty for all of us to make ‘never again’ finally mean what it says: never again.”
Good morning!
Welcome back to the Politics Hub on Monday, 27 January.
Last night, Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump “stressed the importance of the close and warm ties” between their countries and “agreed to meet soon” in a phone call.
Downing Street said Mr Trump also gave his condolences to Sir Keir over the loss of his brother, who died on Boxing Day.
Today is Holocaust Memorial Day, and the prime minister has vowed to make “Holocaust education a truly national endeavour”.
“We will ensure all schools teach it,” he says, and give “every young person the opportunity to hear a recorded survivor testimony”.
Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi will today appear at the COVID-19 inquiry in central London.
They will provide evidence to module four of the public inquiry, which focuses on vaccines, and therapeutic and anti-viral treatment across the UK.
And House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle last night appeared on Emmerdale. The footage of Mr Hoyle enjoying a cup of tea was not used last year due to the general election.
Joining us this morning will be:
Follow along for the very latest political news.
We’ll be back early on Monday for all the latest from Westminster.
Until then, you can scroll through the page for all the highlights from today.
That includes interviews with Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch on Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips.
Thanks for joining us!
By Joely Santa Cruz, data journalist, and Faye Brown, political reporter
A record number of children are living in B&Bs beyond the legal limit as England’s homelessness crisis pushes councils to breaking point.
MPs said there is a “dire need” for housing reform, with the lack of affordable homes forcing cash-strapped local authorities to haemorrhage their funds on temporary accommodation.
The “crisis situation” means there is less money in the pot to focus on homelessness prevention, the cross-party Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said.
Councils are instead having to prioritise short-term solutions which can include putting families in bed and breakfasts – the fastest rising temporary accommodation type over the past decade, a Sky News analysis of government data found.
Temporary accommodation is meant to be a short-term solution for people who are homeless while they wait for more suitable and long-term housing options.
But the rising number of homeless households in England, driven by a shortage of social or otherwise affordable housing to move on to, means that increasingly this fix is anything but temporary.
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