Politics latest: Starmer accused of using 'Trumpian' language to describe civil servants; PM strikes £500m train deal (2025)

Key points:
  • PM accused of using 'Trumpian' language to describe civil service
  • Starmer refused to be drawn on the comments
  • Government to review murder sentencing after Nottingham attacks
  • Tory peer to appeal stripping of CBE
  • Hitachi strikes £500m deal to save 700 rail jobs
  • Justin Welby apologises for 'further distress' caused by farewell speech
  • Exclusive:Tory co-chair accuses Elon Musk of trying to 'buy' Reform UK
PM's 'plan for change'
  • Keir Starmer has unveiled his 'plan for change', with 'measurable milestones' for the NHS and new homes
  • PM insists immigration a priority despite not being on missions list
  • Starmer says his milestones are 'really bold' and 'really risky'
  • Listen:Milestones or millstones for Keir Starmer?
Expert reaction
  • Beth Rigby: Starmer knows he needs an answer to Reform
  • Ed Conway: Has the budget sunk Labour's growth target?
  • Ali Fortescue: Can the PM get a grip of his muddled plot line?
  • Ashish Joshi: Waiting lists goal creating tension with NHS bosses

17:37:58

That's all for today

That's all for today.

Thank you for joining us in the Politics Hub for live coverage of today's political events.

Scroll down for full live coverage of the day in politics - or see the main news and analysis in the key points above.

17:25:21

PM 'really pleased' with deal to help 'world class' factory

The prime minister has been speaking to reporters this evening after a £500m deal between Hitachi and rail operator FirstGroup was struck.

The agreement has offered hundreds of workers at a train factory in County Durham a lifeline after concerns were raised that dwindling orders could see them jobless. You can read more about this in our 15.32 post.

Sir Keir Starmer says he is "really pleased" the deal has been made, pointing out that he made a promise to workers before the election to "do everything" to make sure one was agreed.

"This Hitachi factory is world class. I'm really please that this has now happened. It's really good for the sector, it's really good for train building, it's really good for the country," he adds.

"What I've just said to the workforce here... is that on a human level it's so important for them, their jobs, their family.

"I'm really pleased that we were able to get on the pitch and help fight for this."

17:24:13

Starmer probed on 'Trumpian' remarks about civil servants

While speaking to reporters, the prime minister has been asked abut a letter from the head of the union for senior civil servants which urged him to work to "immediately rebuild trust" with members.

Sir Keir Starmer was accused by the FDA of using "Trumpian" language to describe civil servants - you can read more about this in our 16.03 post.

Asked what he thought about that characterisation of remarks from a speech he made on Thursday, he says: "Many civil servants have said to me this is great, we really do need to get on, make this change of this technology and this AI, different ways of not just the service that we are providing to voters, which is hugely important, but the very way we are running government.

"I do intend to drive through this reform to make sure we are delivering better for the country and, as I say, civil servants bring something very special to work, which is that sense of public service.

"It is not just a good job for them, it is also something additional they bring and I think in that spirit we will show them the leadership to make this change, and those benefiting from this change will be people who are watching who need the services of good government."

16:03:52

PM accused of using 'Trumpian' language to describe civil service

Dave Penman, the general secretary of the FDA union for civil servants, has criticised Sir Keir Starmer for his speech yesterday - in which he took aim at many of the people working in Whitehall.

The prime minister said that while he did not think there was a "swamp to be drained here", he did believe "too many people in Whitehall are comfortable in the tepid bath of managed decline".

"Draining the swamp" of bureaucrats, special interests and lobbyists was something Donald Trump vowed to do in his first term in office.

Speaking to Sky presenter Matt Barbet, Mr Penman said he believed the prime minister was using the "same tactics" as the previous government, which also derided the civil service "blob" as inefficient and unproductive.

"This government's only five months in, Keir Starmer stood up and talked about what he wanted to achieve and used the word reform an awful lot yesterday - but he didn't explain how he wants to reform public services of the civil service.

"I don't know how you can say he's been blocked from something that hasn't even started.

"It felt more just about trying to invoke some of that kind of Trumpian language, to kind of boost his standings.

"It was really disappointing. I mean, if you want to reform government, then you need to take the people who are trying to deliver crucial public services with you, and you don't do that by denigrating and insulting them - no leader does that."

15:32:43

Hitachi strikes £500m deal to save 700 rail jobs in County Durham

Hundreds of workers at a train factory in County Durham have handed a lifetime following a £500m deal between Hitachi and rail operator FirstGroup.

The deal, announced today, will see Hitachi's Newton Aycliffe plant build 14 new trains, with an option for an additional £460m investment.

There had been uncertainty as to whether the plant would survive and the 700 people there would keep their jobs due to declining orders.

Before the election, Sir Keir Starmer visited the factory to accuse the then-government of leaving Britain's rail manufacturing sector "teetering on the brink".

He is expected to raise the deal in a press conference he is due to give shortly.

Under the deal with Hitachi, FirstGroup will lease 14 new trains, a total of 70 carriages, for use on its new Carmarthen-London route as well as Hull Trains and East Coast Mainline services.

Jim Brewin, UK and Ireland chief director for Hitachi Rail, said the contract was "a positive step forward" and "just recognition for the hard work and patience of our teams".

15:19:32

Justin Welby apologises for 'further distress' caused by farewell speech

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has apologised for causing "further distress" to survivors of prolific child abuser John Smyth following a speech he gave in the House of Lords that was heavily criticised.

Mr Welby made his final speech in the House of Lords on Thursday and referenced a 14th-century beheading which prompted laughter from some peers.

He said it was "clear" he had to quit after a damning review into the Church of England's handling of a sexual abuse scandal and that he acknowledged the situation "required a head to roll".

The Archbishop resignedafter the independent Makin review found Smyth - the most prolific serial abuser to be associated with the Church - might have been brought to justice had Mr Welby formally reported him to police in 2013.

His comments and the tone of his speech were criticised by a bishop as well as abuse survivors.

In a fresh statement today, Mr Welby said: "Yesterday, I gave my farewell speech in the House of Lords, as part of a debate on housing and homelessness.

"I would like to apologise wholeheartedly for the hurt that my speech has caused.

"I understand that my words – the things that I said, and those I omitted to say – have caused further distress for those who were traumatised, and continue to be harmed, by John Smyth’s heinous abuse, and by the far-reaching effects of other perpetrators of abuse.

"It did not intend to overlook the experience of survivors or to make light of the situation – and I am very sorry for having done so."

14:43:45

Tory peer to appeal stripping of CBE

As we reported earlier, Conservative peer Lord Rami Ranger has had his CBE taken away.

Read more in the 12.29pm post.

Lord Ranger has now issued a statement through a spokesperson.

They said: "Lord Ranger has not committed any crime nor has he broken any law, where the majority of the people who have had their honour revoked in this way have committed a crime or broken the law.

"Lord Ranger is devastated that the CBE awarded to him for his services to British business and for promoting community cohesion has been taken away.

"It is a sad indictment that the honours system which is designed to empower individuals who go the extra mile and, as a result, contribute a great deal to the nation should be used to curtail the basic fundamental rights of free speech and thought process."

The spokesperson added that Lord Ranger had apologised and undertaken rehabilitative work regarding complaints that had been made against him.

They said the decision would "encourage individuals to make spurious complaints about others".

They added: "Despite the actions of the committee, Lord Ranger will continue to make the significant contribution that he has over the last 30 years and that led to him originally receiving his honours.

"He is looking at all options for redress via various legal avenues open to him and will challenge this unjust decision in order to vindicate himself and clear his name in the UK and abroad. Lord Ranger was a worthy recipient of his CBE.

"The manner in which it has been taken from him is shameful."

14:38:09

Scottish praise a rare win for Starmer and Number 10

Sir Keir Starmer is not accustomed to receiving much praise so he'll take it where he can.

And today it came from an unlikely source, his political opponents.

Speaking at the British-Irish Council summit, SNP leader and Scottish First Minster John Swinney, described a change in atmosphere since Labour took office.

He told journalists: "The Scottish Government and the United Kingdom government today are incomparably better than they were immediately before the general election.

"The relationship with the last United Kingdom government latterly… was awful. They could not have been more disrespectful.

"Sir Keir Starmer came to see me Sunday after the election and we've had a number of one to one meetings."

His Northern Irish counterpart, Michelle O'Neill was equally withering about the previous administration.

She said: "The tenure of the Tories in government was one of disrespect, one that drove an austerity agenda that decimated our public services, one that very much left people behind.

"So, I welcome the fact that there is a determination for a reset. It's early days and that will be tested, of course, over time."

The comments were the culmination of one area where the plan has been delivered.

For all the new government's announcements about their priorities, they have quietly made devolution one, as promised during the election campaign.

Sir Keir Starmer is the first UK prime minster to attend this summit since 2007.

And before that, Number 10's engagement with devolved leaders has been stepped up since day one.

Clearly it has been noted and Downing Street will no doubt take this as a rare win.

14:06:14

UK govt sending £300,000 to Syrian humanitarian group

The UK government is sending £300,000 to the White Helmets, a humanitarian group in Syria.

The country is currently engulfed in fighting after the civil war which gripped it in the 2010s reignited.

Hamish Falconer, the minister for the Middle East, said: "I was pleased to meet representatives from the White Helmets earlier this week.

"The White Helmets carry out invaluable work across Syria, saving countless civilian lives and providing essential access for humanitarian aid.

"Today, I am announcing an additional £300,000 to support the White Helmets at this critical time. This funding will help the White Helmets meet the humanitarian challenges arising from the ongoing escalation.

"We continue to call for urgent de-escalation in Syria, maintaining the protection of civilians and provision of humanitarian aid."

This £300,000 follows £2m given over the last year.

According to the UK, the funding will be used to "support search and rescue operations, facilitate humanitarian access, allow the expansion of the White Helmets' existing ambulance system and enable the safe removal of unexploded weapons."

Since the conflict restarted last week, some 48,000 people have been internally displaced, the UK government added.

13:44:26

Listen: Milestones or millstones for Keir Starmer?

👉 Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app 👈

As Sir Keir Starmer sets out the "six milestones" his government wants to hit before the next general election, Beth, Ruth and Harriet discuss if leaving immigration off the list was a wise move for the prime minister.

Plus, as middle-class women of a certain age, they have some thoughts on the allegations against MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace.

Email us at electoraldysfunction@sky.uk, post on X to @BethRigby, or send a WhatsApp voice note on 07934 200 444.

Politics latest: Starmer accused of using 'Trumpian' language to describe civil servants; PM strikes £500m train deal (2025)

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