Keir Starmer, you claim huge and damaging cuts are vital so we can buy arms and defend ourselves. Prove it | Owen Jones
Splurging the cash is not the answer to Europe’s security jitters. Let’s ignore the hyperbole and decide what’s actually needed
Britain is now on a “war footing”, we are told. Earlier this year, Nato’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, demanded that European nations start hiking defence spending at the expense of pensions, health and social security. Fail to do so, he warned, and the only recourse would be to “get out your Russian language courses or go to New Zealand”.
In this increasingly feverish atmosphere, it becomes ever more difficult to ask for a bit of perspective, but it is necessary. European elites are panic-stricken after Donald Trump hit the accelerator away from US hegemony, a trend already long under way. Meanwhile, Labour figures openly brief that this could be Keir Starmer’s “Falklands moment”, using Ukraine’s agony to transform the government’s calamitous polling, speaking to a grubby political opportunism. Britain’s current trajectory could raise a much graver menace than Russian invasion: domestic social turmoil and an ascendant radical right that threatens democracy itself.
Continue reading...
Read more at The Guardian
Topics
-
Keir Starmer to carry out largest cut to UK overseas aid in history
NGOs accuse prime minister of following US by accepting ‘false choice’ of cutting aid to fund defence. Sir Keir Starmer is to take UK overseas aid to its lowest level as a percentage of national ...The Guardian - 5d -
Anneliese Dodds resigns over Keir Starmer’s decision to cut aid budget
Exclusive: International development minister warns it will be ‘impossible’ to retain funding in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine. Anneliese Dodds: soft left intellectual pushed to resign How much does ...The Guardian - 5d -
Keir Starmer faces backbench rebellion over ‘shortsighted’ cuts to aid budget
MPs ask ‘what will be left of Labour programme?’ amid calls for rethink and plan to speak out against decision. Labour MP Emily Darlington: ‘International aid is as vital as defence spending – ...The Guardian - 3d -
U.K.'s Keir Starmer pledges $2 billion to help Ukraine buy missiles
European leaders were meeting in London on Saturday hoping shore up support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after President Donald Trump berated him live on television, calling into ...NBC News - 3d -
Starmer’s cuts are a huge mistake – foreign aid is an investment, not an expense | Halima Begum
At the height of the cold war, the west advanced its soft power through aid and development spending. If we cut that now, who will fill the vacuum?. Halima Begum is the chief executive of Oxfam ...The Guardian - Feb. 26 -
What can Keir Starmer say at the White House that Donald Trump might listen to? | Andrew Rawnsley
The stakes couldn’t be higher and the risks couldn’t be greater when the prime minister visits Washington this week. For British prime ministers, with their ideas about the world shaped by the ...The Guardian - Feb. 23 -
Starmer embraces Zelensky after Trump spat: ‘We stand with you’
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer offered a warm embrace of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after a Friday clash with President Trump which prompted questions about future U.S. support for ...The Hill - 4d -
How far back can the IRS claim you owe money?
The IRS can't collect most back taxes indefinitely. Here's how long the agency has to collect on money you owe.CBS News - 6d -
The AfD are circling like vultures. But in Berlin, I found a new, young left rising against them | Owen Jones
On election night, as the far right rose nationwide, Die Linke made crucial gains in the capital. But its supporters see the hard road ahead. Will democracy still prevail in the west in a decade? ...The Guardian - 2d
More from The Guardian
-
Macron warns Russian aggression ‘knows no borders’ in televised address
French president says Europe must prepare for a future without guaranteed US support, warning Russian threat could extend beyond Ukraine. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has warned that ...The Guardian - 6h -
Trump posts fresh ultimatum to Hamas as US enters direct talks with group
US president tells group to ‘release all of the Hostages now ... or it is OVER for you’ as White House enters negotiations. Donald Trump has posted a fresh ultimatum to Hamas, telling the group to ...The Guardian - 4h -
Trump temporarily spares carmakers from US tariffs on Canada and Mexico
After a call with top executives at GM, Ford and Stellantis, president approves one-month exemption from tariffs. US politics live – latest updates Donald Trump has temporarily spared ...The Guardian - 8h -
Canada goose fights off bald eagle in rare, symbolism-laden battle on ice
Photographer captures 20-minute clash between birds emblematic of Canada and US amid high trade tensions. For the second time in weeks, a Canadian icon has emerged as the unlikely victor in an ...The Guardian - 8h -
Harvey Elliott stuns PSG as Liverpool weather storm to snatch dramatic win
Alisson had rarely been mentioned in the story of Liverpool’s old guard rediscovering peak form and propelling Arne Slot’s team towards glory this season. One night in Paris changed that. The ...The Guardian - 5h
More in World
-
National Endowment for Democracy Sues Top Trump Aides Over Funding Freeze
The nonprofit has enjoyed bipartisan support since its founding in the Reagan era, but it finds itself under pressure from the Trump administration.The New York Times - 11m -
New Zealand’s high commissioner to the UK loses job after Trump comments
Phil Goff questioned Donald Trump’s grasp of history at a Chatham House event in London, prompting the foreign minister to say his position is ‘untenable’. New Zealand’s high commissioner to the ...The Guardian - 26m -
Senate Democrats condemn Russia over Ukraine war and dare Republicans to object – live
Democrats introduce resolutions on Senate floor, as Trump veterans affairs chief defends plans to cut 80,000 staff. Donald Trump and Justin Trudeau will speak today, Reuters reports, citing a ...The Guardian - 30m -
At Ukraine’s Trump-Themed Cafe, Patrons Demand a Name Change
At a pizza and coffee joint in Kyiv named for the U.S. president, patrons are having second thoughts about its moniker after President Trump suspended military aid to Ukraine.The New York Times - 1h -
Protests turn violent as Greece's government battles censure motion over deadly train crash
Protesters have launched gasoline bombs and fireworks in clashes with police outside Greece's parliamentABC News - 1h