Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
The president-elect has hinted at military action to take Greenland and the Panama Canal under US control
Independent Premium
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
David Lammy has warned that Donald Trump’s “intense” rhetoric over his ambitions to buy Greenland can be “destabilising”, but stopped short of condemning the US president-elect.
Trump has said that he would not rule out using military or economic action to acquire the overseas Danish territory after he takes office on January 20.
In response, Mr Lammy told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think that we know from Donald Trump’s first term that the intensity of his rhetoric and the unpredictability sometimes of what he said can be destabilising.”
Earlier, he told Sky News that the comments were “classic Donald Trump” and that he was “not in the business of condemning our closest ally,” adding that he believed his words were prompted by concerns about US economic security.
Meanwhile, Liz Truss has issued Sir Keir Starmer with a cease and desist letter, warning him to stop saying she “crashed the economy”.
The former prime minister’s lawyers have said the remarks – made since the lead up to the general election – are likely to “cause serious harm to her reputation”, claiming they are “false and defamatory”.
The Independent’s Political Correspondent Millie Cooke reports:
Foreign secretary also hit back at Trump’s demands that the UK double its defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP
Shamima Begum will not be returning to the UK, David Lammy said following calls from Donald Trump’s incoming counter-terrorism chief for the repatriation of British members of so-called Islamic State being held in Syrian prison camps.
Sebastian Gorka said any nation which wishes to be seen as a “serious ally” of the US should commit to the international fight against the extremist group by taking back citizens currently languishing in Syria.
But the Foreign Secretary told ITV’s Good Morning Britain the Government would “always put British security interests first and the safeguarding of our population”.
He said: “Shamima Begum will not be coming back to the UK. It’s gone right through the courts. She’s not a UK national.
“We will not be bringing her back to the UK. We’re really clear about that.
“We will act in our security interests. And many of those in those camps are dangerous, are radicals.”
Some of them, if they were to return to the UK “would have to be, frankly, jailed as soon as they arrived”.
Steve Reed is set to meet farmers on Thursday morning as he is expected to deliver a speech insisting that the primary purpose of farming should be food production.
In a speech to the Oxford Farming Conference on Thursday, the Environment Secretary will also say farmers must be supported to restore nature and diversify their incomes to achieve long-term food security.
The speech comes in the wake of a furious backlash to the new Government from farmers over measures in last year’s budget, including introducing inheritance tax for agricultural businesses worth more than £1 million and a faster phaseout of EU-era subsidies in favour of environmental payments.
This week’s report into the winter flu situation in the UK hospitals is set to be released at 9:30am.
The report will reveal figures including how many patients are in hospital with flu, norovirus or Covid-19. It comes after top NHS doctors warned the peak of the flu season is yet to come as hospitals wards across England are “full to bursting”.
This week, several NHS trusts declared critical incidents because of sustained pressure in A&E departments, with people being treated in corridors and a patient at one hospital forced to wait 50 hours to be admitted to a ward.
Liz Truss has issued Sir Keir Starmer with a cease and desist letter, warning him to stop saying she “crashed the economy”.
The former prime minister’s lawyers have said the remarks – made since the lead up to the general election – are likely to “cause serious harm to her reputation”, claiming they are “false and defamatory”.
They also suggest that assertions made by the Labour leader before the July general election contributed to Ms Truss losing her South West Norfolk seat.
Sir Keir has repeatedly claimed Ms Truss crashed the economy, referring to the weeks after her 2022 mini-budget, which sparked gilt market freefall and a run on sterling after she introduced unfunded tax cuts.
Read the full story by The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke:
The former prime minister’s lawyers claim the frequently-made criticism is “false and defamatory”
The “intensity” of the “rhetoric” from US President-elect Donald Trump can be “destabilising”, the Foreign Secretary has suggested.
David Lammy told the BBC that he believed Mr Trump’s words on Greenland this week come from his concerns about US economic security.
Asked whether the US should be allowed to buy Greenland, Mr Lammy told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think that we know from Donald Trump’s first term that the intensity of his rhetoric and the unpredictability sometimes of what he said can be destabilising.
“He did it with Nato. But in fact, in practice, he sent more troops to Europe under his administration. He sent the first javelins and weapons to Ukraine under his administration.
“Here, I suspect on Greenland what he’s targeting is his concerns about Russia and China in the Arctic, is his concerns about national economic security.
“He recognises I’m sure that in the end Greenland today is a kingdom of Denmark. There is a debate in Greenland about their own self-determination. But behind it I think are his concerns about the Arctic.”
Jess Phillips has said “nothing is off the table” as she pledges to listen to what victims of the grooming gang scandal want in regards to a national inquiry.
On Wednesday night, a Conservative Party amendment calling for a national inquiry on grooming gangs was rejected in the Commons.
However, government figures have hinted Labour could U-turn on the decision, if a new victims panel called for an inquiry.
“Nothing is off the table,” Ms Phillips said. “If victims come forward to me in this victims panel and they say, ‘actually, we think there needs to be a national inquiry into this’, I’ll listen.
“I don’t need to wait for a national inquiry to tell me there are people who should have lost their jobs, people who should probably go to prison.”
The manufacturers of engines used on small boats to cross the Channel could be among those in line for financial sanctions under a new regime, the Foreign Secretary has suggested.
Speaking to Times Radio on Thursday morning, David Lammy said: “What I’m announcing this this morning and today is a new sanctions regime.”
He added: “Let’s go after the manufacturers of those engines, many of whom are in China. Let’s deal with the organised criminals who are not just trafficking people, but they traffic guns and other things.
“Let’s go after them and their bank accounts, freeze their bank accounts, freeze their assets, as we’ve been able to do with oligarchs, kleptocrats and others seeking, particularly to pursue this war in Ukraine.
“So this is a new tool that I am using, and it’s to cripple people smuggling people across our country.”
He said that is is the “first time in history” that this has been done, and believes that others could follow the example in the future.
“So that we can target the bank accounts, freeze the assets, and deal with the supply chains that equip those individuals who are smuggling, people across our borders, and across the Channel.”
Foreign Secretary David Lammy has defended the records of the Prime Minister and Jess Phillips as he said that the Government is “moving forward” on dealing with the issue of grooming.
He was asked about the interventions of Elon Musk in the debate, and speaking to BBC Breakfast on Thursday morning, he said: “I’ve known Keir Starmer for a very long time, he led on this issue as chief prosecutor when he first brought the cases against those in Rochdale and reformed the CPS.
“Jess Phillips has done a considerable job standing up for women.
“We’ve had this debate. We’re moving forward and we’re dealing with the horrendous, horrific crimes of paedophilia against young people, young children – vulnerable young children often – and going after those who commit it, I’ve no doubt about that”.
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in
