UK politics live: Kemi Badenoch talking ‘rubbish’ over trade deal criticisms, say Indian officials

Sir Keir Starmer has hailed as a ‘landmark’ an agreement to strike Britain’s biggest post-Brexit trade deal with India.

Ministers say the move which will see tariffs reduced on UK whisky, gin, cars and cosmetics, will boost trade by £25.5bn and add £4.8bn a year to the UK economy, as well as boosting wages by £2.2bn annually.

It comes as the prime minister hopes to secure a trade deal with the US, in a bid to offset some of Donald Trump’s tariffs, which have triggered global economic chaos.

But will it offset the impact of Trump’s tariffs? In a word – no.

No matter the carve out for individual UK sectors or Britain in general in any potential US trade deal, the UK will still be forced to weather the havoc the US tariffs wreak on the global economy.

Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:

Anger over the local election results and the fear of Reform seizing power at the next election has brought despair to many Labour MPs.

One MP told The Independent: “I’m not exactly experiencing the sunny uplands at the moment.”

Another darkly added: “It feels very Weimar Republic at the moment. Post hyperinflation, but pre Nazi.”

The Red Wall group of around 45 Labour MPs has warned that Sir Keir Starmer’s response to the local elections – that he would “go further and faster” in delivering his plans – had “fallen on deaf ears”.

They warned that voters across the UK had told the Labour Party “loudly and clearly that we have not met their expectations”.

“Responding to the issues raised by our constituents, including on winter fuel, isn’t weak it takes us to a position of strength,” a statement added, urging the prime minister to “break the disconnect between Westminster and the Red Wall areas”.

The Red Wall is made up of areas in the Midlands and Northern England which have typically supported the Labour Party.

New YouGov polling for The Times and Sky News has put Reform UK at its highest recorded vote share, sitting seven points ahead of Labour.

According to the pollsters, Nigel Farage’s party was on 29 points, while Labour was on 22. Lagging behind were the Tories on just 17 points, while the Liberal Democrats were on 16.

Sir Keir Starmer is under growing pressure from his own MPs and political opponents to reverse last year’s decision take away winter fuel payments from around 10 million pensioners.

The row has exploded after Reform’s huge surge in the local elections last week causing panic among many MPs that Nigel Farage’s party could win their seats.

But it has also fuelled speculation that the prime minister will have to do a reshuffle soon with question marks over whether Rachel Reeves can survive as chancellor.

One Labour source suggested: “Rachel is running out of friends. It is just not working.”

Others have suggested that if Sir Keir is to reverse the decision on winter fuel then Ms Reeves “would need to be replaced first”.

Millie Cooke and David Maddox report:

One benefit of Donald Trump ripping up agreements and driving a dagger into the world’s trading system is that it has highlighted the benefits of free trade. Deals are getting done.

The latest pact secured by the UK is with India, a truly enormous market, and one with huge potential for those able to access it.

Talks had previously been stuck in quicksand, dragging on for three years. The rope that has pulled them out of the swamp? You could easily slap on a “Made in Trump Towers” sticker.

The government has been urged to end arms sales to India and Pakistan.

Green Party MP Ellie Chowns (North Herefordshire) asked: “Can I ask the Minister to tell the House whether he has sought assurances that UK manufactured weapons and military equipment have not been used in attacks against civilians, and can I ask him now to explicitly rule out supplying any UK made weaponry to either side in a bid to increase pressure on all parties to engage in much needed dialogue?”

Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer replied: “We have some of the toughest arms export rules in the world, and they will be fully adhered to in this case.”

Independent MP for Blackburn, Adnan Hussein, said: “Every day we witness the collapse of international limits on force, diplomatic norms and humanitarian law, institutions built by nations after two world wars to secure a more peaceful world.

“Now with two nuclear powers clashing, an escalation that could easily trigger a third world war, I ask the Minister to confirm the UK’s unwavering and unconditional commitment to international law.”

Mr Falconer replied: “I’m focused on de-escalation and regional stability and of course, the UK continues to stand by the importance of international humanitarian law and rules based international order.

“International humanitarian law governs the actions of all states towards necessity and proportionality, and we expect all of our friends and indeed every nation state to abide by them.”