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Sir Keir Starmer has “no plans” to meet the Taliban at Cop29, Downing Street has confirmed.
The militant group will be attending the conference taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, following a year of devastating weather extremes and record heat waves.
The Taliban has been invited to the talks to “potentially participate in periphery discussion and potentially hold bilateral meetings”, according to a diplomatic source.
This comes despite the UN not recognising the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate leaders.
A Number 10 spokeswoman said Sir Keir has “no plans to meet with them”, adding that attendance is a “matter for the organisers”.
“It is obviously vital that we approach the talks and the event with [climate action and engagement at the] forefront of our mind.”
It comes as pressure increases on foreign secretary David Lammy over a past tweet about president-elect Donald Trump, in which he called him “deluded, dishonest, xenophobic, narcissistic”.
Ezra A. Cohen, Trump’s former acting under-secretary of defence for intelligence who may be seeking a role in the upcoming Trump administration, said on social media: “I look forward to David Lammy’s apology to the American people who overwhelmingly chose President Trump as our leader.”
Work and pensions secretary says figures are ‘holding economy back’
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: “2.8 million people – a near record number are locked out of work due to poor health. This is bad for people, bad for businesses and it’s holding our economy back.
“That’s why our Get Britain Working plan will bring forward the biggest reforms to employment support in a generation, backed by an additional £240 million of investment.
“While it’s encouraging to see real pay growth this month, more needs to be done to improve living standards too.
“So, from April next year, over three million of the lowest-paid workers will benefit from our increase to the national living wage, delivering a £1,400-a-year pay rise for a full-time worker.”
Holly Evans12 November 2024 07:39
Wage growth slows further as unemployment rises
Wage growth has fallen to its lowest level in more than two years while Britain’s jobless rate jumped by more than expected, according to official figures.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said average regular earnings growth eased back to 4.8 per cent in the three months to September, down from 4.9 per cent in the previous three months.
This marked the lowest level since the three months to June 2022.
Earnings growth continues to outstrip inflation, however, as pay increased by 2.7 per cent in the three months to September with Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation taken into account.
The ONS said the rate of UK unemployment rose to 4.3 per cent in the three months to September, up from 4 per cent in the previous three months
This was the highest level since the three months to May, although the ONS said the estimate should be treated with caution given ongoing low response rates to its jobs survey.
Holly Evans12 November 2024 07:37
Downing Street respond to potential use of Storm Shadow missiles by Ukraine
Downing Street said “no war was ever won by a single weapon” when asked whether the UK was speaking to Joe Biden about the potential use of Storm Shadow missiles by Ukraine within Russia before Donald Trump enters the White House.
Asked whether Britain was in talks with the outgoing US President, following suggestions that Mr Biden could be asked about giving permission for the weapons to be used, a Number 10 spokeswoman said: “Our position on Storm Shadow hasn’t changed.
“We’ve always aid that where we discuss our support for Ukraine, we do so in terms of broader strategy to ensure that Ukraine is in the strongest possible position going forwards, particularly in the winter, and we’ve also been clear that no war was ever won by a single weapon.”
Alex Croft12 November 2024 07:00
Starmer expected to travel from Paris to Azerbaijan for Cop29 talks
The latest UN climate talks kick off this week against a backdrop of devastating weather extremes, record heat and Donald Trump’s re-election as US President.
World leaders including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are heading to the opening summit of Cop29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where they face pressure over delivering finance for poor countries to cope with climate change, and increasing their ambitions on emissions cuts.
The meeting is being held in the wake of the latest deadly weather events including floods in Valencia and Hurricane Helene in the US, which scientific analyses show were made more likely and intense by rising temperatures.
This year is on course to break temperature records once again and, as countries prepare to submit new plans for climate action by early next year, the UN has warned that existing policies are falling so far short the world is on track for a “catastrophic” 3.1C of warming.
Countries will also be grappling with Mr Trump’s return to the White House, in what analysts say is a trend of climate scepticism in elections this year.
Alex Croft12 November 2024 06:00
ICYMI: UN climate talks start as experts warn 2024 is heading for record heat
The latest round of international climate talks have kicked off in Azerbaijan as the UN warns 2024 is set to be the hottest year on record.
Sir Keir Starmer, whose Labour Government has made clean energy a key plank of its plans for the UK, has headed to the Cop29 conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, although many leaders including the US and Chinese presidents and European heads of state are not attending the talks.
While the Taliban are among the delegations who are attending the conference, Downing Street said the Prime Minister had no plans to meet with them.
As the conference kicked off, the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation issued a “red alert” over the speed of climate change in a single generation, as it warned this year would break 2023’s record temperatures.
The WMO said the global average temperature for January to September 2024 was 1.54C above pre-industrial levels, based on analysis from six global datasets.
Read more:
Alex Croft12 November 2024 05:00
Watch: Defence secretary dismisses suggestion Farage could help government with Trump
Holly Patrick12 November 2024 04:00
Report: Assisted dying unites Kemi Badenoch and Diane Abbott in fears over safeguards
Opposition to a bill attempting to legalise assisted dying appears to be growing despite promises that it will include the toughest safeguards anywhere in the world by its proposer Labour MP Kim Leadbeater.
Health secretary Wes Streeting has already indicated he will oppose the legislation, which is a free conscience vote in parliament, and now he could be joined by an improbable alliance of Tory leader Kemi Badenoch and Labour leftwing veteran Diane Abbott.
Our political editor David Maddox reports exclusively:
David Maddox, Political Editor12 November 2024 03:00
Starmer and Macron vow to put Ukraine ‘in strongest possible position’ before Trump becomes president
In a show of European solidarity days after Trump’s election win, the two leaders held talks in Paris to mark Armistice Day and consider how best to continue supporting the wartorn country.
It comes amid suggestions that the UK and France could seek to persuade Joe Biden to grant Ukraine permission to use Storm Shadow missiles to strike into Russia before he leaves the White House.
The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke writes:
Millie Cooke, Political Correspondent12 November 2024 02:00
Report: Trump’s tariff plan ‘doomsday scenario’ for UK economy, senior Labour figure warns
Experts have warned of a looming trade war after Mr Trump himself said: “Tariff is my favourite word”.
Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
Kate Devlin, Whitehall Correspondent12 November 2024 01:00
Surprising alliance of Donald Trump, Viktor Orban and Pope Francis that could derail support for Ukraine
A surprising trinity of Donald Trump, Hungary’s right-wing prime minister Viktor Orban and Pope Francis could spell the end to hopes for continued support for Ukraine in fighting the war against Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
The Independent has spoken to Hungary’s ambassador to the Vatican, Eduard Habsburg-Lothringen, who has been critical in attempting to create an international coalition to find a “peace deal” to end the war.
He has spoken about how Pope Francis has played an important role in supporting a deal that will probably see Mr Trump push for Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky to cede territory to Russia.
Our political editor David Maddox reports:
David Maddox, Political Editor12 November 2024 00:00
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