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Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, addressed delegates at the Labour party conference in Liverpool who had been issued with little flags of the home nations to wave. He said Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, ‘doesn’t like Britain, doesn’t believe in Britain’. He had earlier put forward the difficult argument that Farage’s party was ‘racist’ in its migrant policy while Reform supporters were not racist but ‘frustrated’. Asked seven times whether there would be VAT rises, he repeated that ‘the manifesto stands’. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, promised to keep ‘taxes, inflation and interest rates as low as possible’. Ofgem raised the energy price cap by 2 per cent.
The government announced the introduction of a digital identity system that would be compulsory for anyone to work. It would be stored on smartphones, like the NHS App or a digital bank card. The government said the scheme would curb illegal immigration. More than 2.5 million people signed a petition on the UK parliament website against such a scheme. The population of the United Kingdom rose by 755,254 from 68.5 million in mid-2023 to 69.3 million in mid-2024, driven by immigration. Two women died off the French coast as 100 people set off for England in a boat; a child died after falling from another boat. In a single day, 895 migrants reached Kent, of whom 125 were crammed into one dinghy. GP practices in England must now offer online booking for appointments. The Scottish government said that schools must provide separate lavatories for boys and girls.
Jaguar Land Rover said it would resume some production after being paralysed by a cyber-attack in August. The Metropolitan Police said it had recovered 61,000 bitcoin worth more than £5 billion after a Chinese woman called Zhimin Qian, also known as Yadi Zhang, pleaded guilty to illegally acquiring and possessing the cryptocurrency. Lord (Ming) Campbell of Pittenweem, leader of the Liberal Democrats from 2006 to 2007, died aged 84. Sir Terry Farrell, the architect who designed the MI6 HQ, died aged 87. Martin Neary, organist and Master of the Choristers of Westminster Abbey from 1988 to 1998, died aged 85. Brian Patten, the poet, died aged 79. Baroness Manningham-Buller, a former head of MI5, said others ‘may be right in saying we’re already at war with Russia’. She added: ‘It’s a different sort of war, but the hostility, the cyber attacks, the physical attacks, intelligence work is extensive.’
Abroad
A Russian aerial bombardment lasting more than 12 hours killed at least four people in Kyiv and wounded 70 across Ukraine. The Princess Royal visited Ukraine. Denmark banned all civilian drones this week ahead of the European Union summit on defence in Copenhagen; drones had been seen near military facilities in the country and there were possible sightings in Germany, Norway and Lithuania. The pro-EU Party of Action and Solidarity won elections in Moldova with 50.1 per cent of the vote; the pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc won 24.2 per cent. In a Swiss referendum, 50.4 per cent of those who voted said yes to a plan for voluntary electronic identity cards.
President Donald Trump of the United States met Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, at the White House, and announced a 20-point peace plan for Gaza; Trump would be head of a ‘board of peace’ on which Sir Tony Blair would serve. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia and Pakistan said they were ready to engage with America to finalise and implement the deal. The US government shut down after senators failed to pass a last-minute funding bill. Trump authorised the sending of troops to Portland, Oregon, where there were protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Pete Hegseth, the US Defense Secretary, rallied more than 800 military officers and announced a ban on beards in the armed forces. Four died in a shooting at a Mormon church that was set on fire in Grand Blanc, Michigan; the suspected gunman was shot dead by police. Scientists at Oregon Health and Science University made early-stage human embryos by manipulating DNA taken from human skin cells and fertilising it with sperm.
The Taliban closed down the internet in Afghanistan. At least 40 people died in a crush at a rally for the actor-turned-politician Vijay in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu; Allahabad High Court was found to be facing a backlog of a million cases. Canadian postmen went on strike. CSH
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