Starmer turns away from Trump: We need EU more to prepare for war
Keir Starmer is to warn European Nato leaders that they need to rely less on the US and more on each other in preparing for possible war with Russia.
In a major speech at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday, the Prime Minister will pivot the UK closer to the Continent and away from Donald Trump.
He will also try to define a new era for the UK’s relationship with the EU, declaring that the country is no longer the “Britain of the Brexit years”.
Starmer will make clear that Trump’s repeated warnings over Nato spending and his threats to Greenland have changed the nature of the trans-Atlantic relationship, and that “greater European autonomy” from the US is in the best interests of British prosperity and security.
California vote may lead to kitchen stone ban
Exercise ‘as key as medication’ for older people’s health
Labour policies Burnham is plotting to U-turn on
Younger people more ill than past generations, study says
Jessie J ‘sobbed for hours’ after learning she’s cancer free
California vote may lead to kitchen stone ban
State officials in California have voted in favour of a ban on engineered stone kitchen worktops blamed for rising cases of silicosis.A US ban on the high-silica stone – also known as quartz – would follow Australia becoming the first country to outlaw engineered stone in 2024.
Health and safety regulators approve ban
California’s Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board has set in motion a ban on the making and installing of artificial worktop stone containing more than 1 per cent crystalline silica.When inhaled during cutting, quartz dust can cause the deadly lung disease silicosis, putting kitchen fabricators who work with the material at risk.
I have a deadly lung disease from killer kitchen dust. These worktops must be banned
Cases on the rise in California
Engineered stone silicosis has been identified in
cases in the state – 98 per cent of these are Latino and 99.8 per cent are male.
The first cases were diagnosed in 2018.
have died so far. There have been 58 lung transplants recorded.
The average age of death is 52, while the median age of diagnosis is 46.
What does it mean for the UK?
The i Paper launched the Killer Kitchens campaign in 2025. So far, it has led to a crackdown on deadly dust, including a nationwide campaign of 1,000 inspections by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and a new safety kitemark scheme.Unions have called for a full ban, which HSE has not completely ruled out. But UK authorities hope to be able to control the problem by enforcing a ban on “dry-cutting” without water-based tools to suppress dust.
Killer kitchen dust banned after lung disease deaths of young workers
Total ban on killer kitchen-worktop stone 'under consideration'
Just ban it, says silicosis sufferer
You can have all the water-fed tools in the world. There’s still going to be dust in the air and on your clothes
You can have all the water-fed tools in the world. There’s still going to be dust in the air and on your clothes
Ryan Fenton, 50, one of more than 50 British stonemasons diagnosed with the incurable disease, says a ban is the only way forward.Four men have died from silicosis in the UK, and the youngest sufferer, aged 23, is on the waiting list for a lung transplant.
Exercise ‘as key as medication’ for older people’s health
Exercise is just as important for keeping elderly people healthy as medicines, a new report from MPs suggests, with low activity levels linked to several killer diseases.
What did the report say?
A lack of exercise is a “major driver of ill health in later life”, linked to several common health conditions, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Taking more exercise can also help prevent frailty, dementia and disability. The report suggested yoga and swimming as moderate aerobic activity suitable for old people.
Lack of exercise can kill
A lack of activity is associated with
deaths in the UK.
It is estimated to cost the country
Prescribing exercise is not only cheaper than medicine , it can be even be more effective, according to experts.
Tell patients to exercise, say experts
Health professionals are a trusted source of advice, but too many people report never being encouraged to be active. [They] have an important role in encouraging and supporting people to include physical activity in the management of their health commons health and social care committee
Health professionals are a trusted source of advice, but too many people report never being encouraged to be active. [They] have an important role in encouraging and supporting people to include physical activity in the management of their health
Almost half of over-75s doing less than 30 minutes per week
Older people should aim for 150 minutes of moderate each week, focussed on muscle strength, balance and flexibility.The Care Quality Commission should make sure this is being provided in care homes, the report recommended. Councils should improve roads, crossings and toilets to encourage older people to get around.
I didn’t exercise for decades – now at 73 I teach acrobatics
Labour policies Burnham is plotting to U-turn on
As Andy Burnham sets out his bid for the Makerfield by-election, a debate is already underway behind the scenes as to how far he would depart from Sir Keir Starmer’s agenda if he were to replace him as PM. Here, The i Paper takes a look at what he could change.
Fiscal rules and tax promises to stay the same
Daily spending will continue to be funded by taxation as under Reeves
The public debt should fall over time, calming the bond markets
No rise planned for income tax, employee national insurance or VAT
Burnham's fight for No 10 could be in jeopardy – and it's down to one issue
What could he change?
Burnham has long opposed the student loan system. If elected, he would likely scrap tuition fees and replace them with a graduate tax.
He has also been outspoken in his criticism of David Lammy’s jury trial reforms, which he is expected to scrap entirely if he gets in. The measures involve getting rid of juries for crime with sentences of three years or less.
Net zero by 2030 and new North Sea drilling?
I am not saying that I have completely made a view, actually, on the North Sea.
I am not saying that I have completely made a view, actually, on the North Sea.
Though Burnham is said to be committed to the green targets of Ed Miliband, tipped to be his pick for chancellor, he has not ruled out issuing new oil and gas licenses.
Watch more from The i Paper
@theipaper Opinion | “In times to come, British politicians, historians and voters will try to figure out how, in the first quarter of the 21st century, Nigel Farage became one of the most powerful operators on these isles,” writes Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. “How did he lure and captivate so many? Why did they not question his fibs and postures?” Read Yasmins’s full piece on the @theipaper website. nigelfarage reformuk reform ukpolitics ♬ original sound – The i Paper – The i Paper
Opinion | “In times to come, British politicians, historians and voters will try to figure out how, in the first quarter of the 21st century, Nigel Farage became one of the most powerful operators on these isles,” writes Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. “How did he lure and captivate so many? Why did they not question his fibs and postures?” Read Yasmins’s full piece on the @theipaper website. nigelfarage reformuk reform ukpolitics
Younger people more ill than past generations, study says
The UK is experiencing a “generational health drift”, with younger people suffering poor health earlier than in previous generations, researchers say.An overview of health studies on people born between 1946 and 2001 found little improvement in health conditions, with some becoming more prevalent.
It implies that society is not reaching the biological limits of health improvement but rather seeing the consequences of preventable social and environmental exposures that have shaped population health over time and across generations. experts from University College London, King’s College London and the University of Oxford
It implies that society is not reaching the biological limits of health improvement but rather seeing the consequences of preventable social and environmental exposures that have shaped population health over time and across generations.
What did the study find?
Obesity, mental health and diabetes were all more common among today’s young people than in previous cohorts. The study looked at 88,500 people across 51 studies.
As life expectancy increases and birth rates decline, scientists are trying to understand healthy ageing to better be able to support an older population.
Watch more from The i Paper
@theipaper Would you trust a self-driving taxi or bus? The UK government is preparing to launch driverless transport trials later this year, despite recent complaints about autonomous cars getting stuck and blaring alarms. Tap the link above to read more ⬆️ #driverlesstaxis #Taxis #Transport #News ♬ original sound – The i Paper – The i Paper
Would you trust a self-driving taxi or bus? The UK government is preparing to launch driverless transport trials later this year, despite recent complaints about autonomous cars getting stuck and blaring alarms. Tap the link above to read more ⬆️ #driverlesstaxis #Taxis #Transport #News
Jessie J ‘sobbed for hours’ after learning she’s cancer free
Singer Jessie J has revealed she is officially cancer-free, saying she “sobbed for hours” after receiving the all-clear.The star, who had undergone treatment for breast cancer last year, returned to the stage in September after a break from performing.
Star in tears after receiving news
The 37-year-old shared the news on her Instagram, saying she “sobbed for hours and then exhaled for the first time in a year” when she got the scan results. She revealed she had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in June last year.In August, she said she had to undergo a second operation and postponed an upcoming tour.
Jessie J is the best singer of her generation – why didn't she become a superstar?
Top of the pops
Jessie J, real name Jessica Cornish, rose to fame in 2011 with the release of her hit single Price Tag. She won the Brit Award for rising star and won four Mobo awards that year.
Since then, she has released four more albums, most recently Don’t Tease Me With a Good Time in November last year, and been a judge on The Voice UK.
I’ve always had obscure health issues that (doctors) can’t figure out. Nothing has broken me. I believe I’ve gone through all the things I have to help people JESSIE J, SPEAKING IN DECEMBER
I’ve always had obscure health issues that (doctors) can’t figure out. Nothing has broken me. I believe I’ve gone through all the things I have to help people
Starmer will describe Europe – including the UK – as a “sleeping giant” that has the collective economic and defence capabilities to dwarf those of Russia, but that currently adds up to “less than the sum of its parts”.
‘We are not the Britain of Brexit’
European Nato allies have been under pressure to work more closely on security and defence since the start of the second Trump term a year ago, when Trump warned they had to spend more to repel Russia.
But Starmer’s speech still marks a significant shift in how the UK regards its position as a “bridge” between Europe and the US.
Experts said the Prime Minister was also sending a message to fellow European leaders to allow the UK to join SAFE, the joint Security Action for Europe fund, which pools spending on major defence projects.
In his Munich speech, Starmer will say that in the face of the looming threat from Russia, Europe must shift from overdependence on the United States and towards a “more European Nato”, underpinned by deeper links between the UK and the EU.
The Prime Minister will add: “We are not the Britain of the Brexit years anymore. Because we know that, in dangerous times, we would not take control by turning inward – we would surrender it. And I won’t let that happen.
“There is no British security without Europe, and no European security without Britain. That is the lesson of history – and it is today’s reality too.”
Starmer will say that while the US remains an indispensable ally, and they have made an unparalleled contribution to European security, their own national security posture is evolving.
This means Europe must shift from overdependence to interdependence and forge a new path towards sovereign deterrence and hard power, he will add.
Last month the Trump administration published a new US national security strategy which no longer described Russia as a threat.
Europe is a sleeping giant
Starmer will say: “I’m talking about a vision of European security and greater European autonomy that does not herald US withdrawal, but answers the call for more burden sharing in full, and remakes the ties that have served us so well.
“As I see it – Europe is a sleeping giant. Our economies dwarf Russia’s 10 times over.
“We have huge defence capabilities. Yet too often, all of this has added up to less than the sum of its parts.
“Across Europe, fragmented industrial planning and long, drawn out procurement mechanisms have led to gaps in some areas – and massive duplication in others.”
Starmer – who has been fighting for his premiership amid the threat from Labour rivals, Reform and the Greens – will also take a swipe against his opponents for offering “easy answers”.
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said: “Keir Starmer has a habit of handing away sovereignty and now he is once again rolling the pitch for greater EU integration and less control for the UK.”
Anand Menon, director of the UK in a Changing Europe think-tank, said Starmer’s speech appeared designed to appeal to EU leaders not to cut the UK out of its defence plans.
Menon said that while it was a “pretty rational thing to say we are going to have to do more burden sharing otherwise we will anger the Americans”, Starmer was “dressing it up in security language” to urge the EU to let the UK forge closer defence ties with the bloc.
The PM’s comments should also be seen against the backdrop of the “beauty parade of the Labour leadership contest”, Menon said, adding: “It is very good politics in two ways: one, because you make the case to other European leaders that this is a security issue and it is in our interests for them to see our relationship as a security issue, and two, because it is a message at home, to clear up the mess from the Tories on Brexit.”
UK ‘could fight tonight’
Meanwhile in Munich, Defence Secretary John Healey told The i Paper the UK military could “fight tonight” if required, amid concerns over the readiness of the British Armed Forces and the growing threat from Russia.
The head of the British Army General Sir Roly Walker has previously warned that the UK had to be ready to fight or deter a war by 2027, when threats from Russia, China, North Korea and Iran would “converge”.
But just a year away, senior military leaders have warned the UK is not prepared for full-scale conflict, with a £28bn funding gap for the Armed Forces and ahistory of missed recruitment targets.
An uplift in defence funding to 2.5 per cent of GDP, funded by slashing the international aid budget, does not come into force until 2027.
But Healey insisted that the UK was ready for conflict, saying: “If our forces have to fight, they’ll fight tonight.
“They are ready to respond if required. That has been the case – that is the case – and it will continue to be the case.”
Healey said he has been personally assured by the US that it is committed to Nato and coming to the aid of allies if they are under fire.
“At no point has the US – in my discussions with [US Secretary of War] Pete Hegseth, Keir [Starmer’s] discussions with President Trump, or in discussions with Nato allies – indicated that their commitment to Nato is diminished,” he said.