UK politics live: Starmer seeks ‘once-in-a-generation’ deal in Germany to reset post-Brexit EU relationship

Sir Keir Starmer has met German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Bellevue Palace in Berlin.

The prime minister signed the palace guestbook in the entrance hall, which had been decorated with red, white and blue flowers, before holding a private bilateral meeting with Mr Steinmeier at the start of a day of meetings in the German capital.

Sir Keir is the first British Prime Minister to visit Bellevue Palace, the official residence of the German president, since David Cameron in 2015.

He came at the invitation of Mr Steinmeier after the pair met at the Euros earlier this year.

Energy firm bosses are expected to meet the government today to discuss support for vulnerable households ahead of the winter.

Executives from Centrica, EDF, E.On, Octopus Energy, Scottish Power, Good Energy, Rebel Energy, Ovo, So Energy, Ecotricity and Utility Warehouse are expected at the roundtable event.

Industry body Energy UK, the regulator Ofgem, and Citizens Advice will also attend the meeting with minister Miatta Fahnbulleh.

The average household energy bill is to increase by £149 from October after Ofgem said it was increasing its price cap as homes approach the winter months.

At the same time, the Government is withdrawing winter fuel payments from millions of pensioner households not in receipt of benefits.

The meeting on Wednesday is expected to cover the measures suppliers will take this winter to help those already in energy debt and stop others from falling into it.

Ministers hope and expect suppliers to commit to go substantially further than the voluntary measures they offered last winter.

The Government’s policy on winter fuel payments, aimed at filling a black hole in the public finances, will stop the handouts for people in England and Wales who are not in receipt of Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits.

The Tories have warned Sir Keir Starmer is planning to hike capital gains tax and inheritance tax and a raid on pensions.

The prime minister said the nation is bracer for a “painful” October Budget and claimed the country must accpet “short-term pain” for “long-term good” in a speech from Downing Street.

Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott hitting out at the speech said: “Starmer’s speech has made it clear. Ruinous tax rises, which he’s always planned, are on the way.

“Pensions, investments, homes – nothing will be safe. And, when introduced, he will have broken his election promise to the British people.”

Sir Keir Starmer delivered a keynote speech from Downing Street rose gardens on Tuesday. The prime minister addressed the nation ahead of parliament return next week.

Here are the key takeaways from the major speech:

• Sir Keir Starmer has warned that the Government’s Budget will be “painful” as he asked the country to “accept short-term pain for long-term good”.
• The prime minister drew parallels between the clean-up of the riots, and the work his Government is proposing to improve the country.
• He said his government has done more in seven weeks than the Tory government did in seven years.
• The PM warned “Things are worse than we ever imagined” as Labour discovered a £22 billion black hole in the public finances.
• He blamed the Conservative government of having “relied on easy gimmicks and bad ideas”.
• Sir Keir said he will not shy away from making “unpopular decisions” following criticism of his plans to impose restrictions on winter fuel payments.
• He said there is a need to be “honest with people about the choices that we face”.

‘Remember the photos of the wine and the cheese just over there,’ cried Starmer, his arm sweeping over the patio in a rare moment of animation. ‘Well, this garden and this building are now back in your service.’ Shame it felt more like a funeral service, writes Joe Murphy

The blunt subtitle of Sir Anthony Seldon’s account of our shortest-serving prime minister’s brief time in office says it all, writes Simon Walters – ‘How Not to Be Prime Minister’:

Bahrain’s crown prince hailed Sir Keir Starmer’s garden speech “a very ambitious roadmap for the future”, when the pair met to discuss investment and defence in Downing Street.

Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa met the Prime Minister at Number 10, hours after Sir Keir claimed to have inherited “not just an economic black hole (but) a societal black hole” from the Conservatives.

“Having come into this office myself a while, a few years, ago, I do remember looking at what was inherited and then seeing what I could do to improve it,” the crown prince said, after having taken office as Bahrain’s prime minister in 2020.

He added: “Thank you for taking the time to receive myself and my delegation. I’d like to congratulate you on your speech today, laying out a very ambitious roadmap for the future.”

Sir Keir said: “Obviously, there’s a long and very important history between our countries that we’re very proud of and very keen to build on, whether that’s investment, defence, people-to-people. So, it’s very good to have this early opportunity.”

He added: “I think being clear about the inheritance is really important, and then clearing it away. The example I gave this morning was, the example of, sort of, clearing the garden but not really doing the weeding properly and you know where it’s going to end up.

“But I think there’s huge potential for us and our countries working together, I mean, particularly investment, particularly the defence work, already difficult.

“And thank you so much for the role that you play particularly in the Red Sea.” The crown prince replied: “Not at all.”

Top doctors have called for legislation aimed at tackling youth vaping to include a total ban on disposable e-cigarettes and all flavours apart from tobacco.

The British Medical Association (BMA) urged ministers to “take bold and brave actions” to protect the health of children and young people amid a “vaping epidemic”.

Former prime minister Rishi Sunak introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill earlier this year, which included plans to ban disposable e-cigarettes and introduce restrictions on flavours and packaging.

However, it was shelved after the General Election was announced in May.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer revived the Bill following Labour’s victory at the July 4 vote, although details on the measures included in the proposed legislation are yet to be published.

Dr Penelope Toff, chair of the BMA’s public health medicine committee, called on the current Government “to go even further” than the plans outlined by Mr Sunak.

She described the BMA report – Taking our breath away: why we need stronger regulation of vapes – as a “blueprint” of the actions that should be taken by ministers.

It calls for a ban on the sale of disposable vapes “on the grounds of disproportionate and harmful use by children and young people and their adverse impact on the environment”.

The BMA also suggests all vape flavours apart from tobacco should be banned, with measures introduced to prohibit the use of imagery, colouring and branding on packaging and e-cigarettes, as well as further restrictions on all advertising and marketing.

Tory leadership hopeful Tom Tugendhat has called for the military to be involved in tackling illegal migration in the way the Royal Navy helped stop slavery.

The shadow security minister said it was not “wrong or nasty to be against illegal migration” and tackling human trafficking gangs was the “moral thing to do”.

He said the UK’s national security “demands the same level of commitment” the Royal Navy showed “in the fight against slavery almost 200 years ago” – which cost the equivalent of around £50 billion a year.

A recording of Mr Tugendhat’s speech, delivered at Kensington, Bayswater, Chelsea and Fulham Conservatives association on 14 August, was obtained by The Times.

The newspaper reported that he told Tory members: “Human trafficking is costing thousands of lives and being weaponised by the Kremlin and its proxies. The UK must show the same determination and commitment to fighting this evil trade as we did in fighting slavery.

“We need to see our military engaged in fighting this threat.”