Early evening summary
Donald Trump has accused Vladimir Putin of letting him down in a joint press conference with Keir Starmer during which the US president piled criticism on his Russian counterpart. As Kiran Stacey and Pippa Crerar report, Trump said that he had hoped to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine soon after entering office, but that Putin’s actions had prevented him from doing so. His comments came during an hour-long press conference alongside Starmer which marked the culmination of a two-day state visit during which the president has largely steered clear of several points of tension between the two leaders. Trump largely avoided criticising the prime minister over Palestinian statehood or attacking Britain on free speech, though he caused awkwardness when he suggested Starmer could bring in the army to deal with irregular migration.
For a full list of all the stories covered on the blog today, do scroll through the list of key event headlines near the top of the blog.
Daniel Boffey has a good piece here on who sat next to whom at the state banquet last night.
Badenoch says Trump has endorsed her stance on need for more oil and gas extraction from North Sea
I have beefed up the post at 3.36pm, where Donald Trump was urging the UK to drill for more oil and gas from the North Sea, to include the full quote. You may need to refresh the page to get it to appear.
Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative party leader, says she is not surprised by Trump’s answer. She posted this on social media.
Not surprised Trump was so emphatic. It’s all we spoke about last night. We have to get our oil and gas out of the North Sea.
I’m serious about energy security cutting energy bills. We have to make the most of our natural resources. It’s mad to leave billions of £ in there.
And she included this picture.
This is from Shawn McCreesh from the New York Times’s blog.
It’s worth noting that President Trump hardly took any questions from American reporters who aren’t friendly to him. He gave two to Brian Glenn, the rightwing influencer who was seated with the president’s staff in the front row.
Brian Glenn was the reporter who asked about antifa terrorism (see 3.45pm), and the autopen non-scandal (see 3.47pm). He is also the reporter who famously berated Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House earlier this year for not wearing a suit.
For Starmer, taking questions only from reporters who are friendly to him is not really an option. No 10 tends to prioritise broadcast journalists at press conferences, and they tend to be neutral or right-leaning (GB News). The main national newspapers are disproportionately rightwing too.
Scotch whisky industry calls for meeting with government after state visit ends with no concessions on whisky tariffs
Severin Carrell is the Guardian’s Scotland editor.
The Scotch whisky industry wants an urgent meeting with the government after Trump and Starmer failed to do a deal to lift the 10% tariff on Scottish whisky imports into the US.
There had been growing optimism Trump would lighten or lift the tariff after he met John Swinney, the Scottish first minister, in the Oval Office earlier this month.
The US bought more than £970m worth of Scotch and single malt whisky last year and Swinney was amongst the guests at the state visit banquet at Windsor castle on Wednesday evening, where he again lobbied Trump over the tariffs.
During their 50-minute meeting at the White House, attended by Peter Mandelson, the then British ambassador to Washington, Swinney had briefed the president the tariff was costing the sector nearly £20m a month in lost exports to the US and hundreds of jobs.
Distillers such as Isle of Harris have suspended production, laying off staff, in part because they expect a sharp fall in sales in the US due to adding the cost of the tariffs to their products.
It was also directly hitting jobs and exports from the US bourbon and whiskey industry: Scottish whisky distillers buy around $200m worth of barrels from the US each year to mature Scotch and single malt whiskies in.
Mark Kent, chief executive of the Scotch Whisky Association, said:
While we are grateful for the efforts from both sides to secure a positive outcome, no deal has been announced on whisky tariffs.
The Scotch whisky and American whiskey industries have both benefited from zero-tariff trade over the past three decades and we urge governments to reach a zero-for-zero deal as soon as possible – an outcome which will benefit industries and communities on both sides of the Atlantic.
In the meantime, it is essential that distillers be supported in our home market by the UK government. In the upcoming autumn budget, it is critical that no further harm is done to the industry and that the domestic tax burden on the industry falls, in the wake of mounting international tariff pressures.
Starmer says Church of England has been 'my church ... all my life', given he was christened, even though he's now atheist
This is what Keir Starmer said at the press conference when he was asked by Beverley Turner from GB News if Britain was still a Christian country. He replied:
Look, I was christened. That is my church, has been all my life. That is wired into our informal constitution. Of course we celebrate many other faiths as well, and I’m really proud we are able to do so.
Starmer has described previously being brought up in the Church of England. In an interview when he was opposition leader, Starmer said he was atheist. He said:
I am not of faith, I don’t believe in god, but I can see the power of faith and the way it brings people together.
Raphael Boyd is a Guardian reporter.
Peter Mandelson has lost another job. The former ambassador to the US has now been stripped of his title as the high steward of Kingston upon Hull, as anger over his past ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein continue to grow.
Hull City councillors passed an emergency motion today to strip Mandelson of the honour – a ceremonial title bestowed by Hull council. Mandelson was made high steward in 2013, with the position having been vacant for almost four decades prior. The title had previously been held by his grandfather, Herbert Morrison, who was a prominent Labour during the war and in the subsequent Attlee government.
Following the Epstein revelations, which led to Mandelson being sacked as ambassador last week, Manchester Metropolitan University, of which he was the chancellor between 2016 and 2024, rescinding his honorary doctorate and commemorative medal following public pressure.
Starmer/Trump press conference - snap verdict
There is a lot of talk these days about the need for people in politics to be able to “disagree agreeably”, to use a phrase popularised by Alastair Campbell, describing the approach he adopts with Rory Stewart in their Rest is Politics podcast. Since Campbell and Stewart are centrists, they don’t have a lot to disagree on anyway, but it’s a noble idea, and a good phrase. And now it turns out that Donald Trump seems to have adopted it too.
When Theresa May was PM, she had an excruciating press conference with Trump at Chequers when he half-heartedly played down an interview he had given to the Sun implying she he did not rate her much. The lack of repect was obvious. There was none of that today. The president did not try undermine Keir Starmer in any way, and although he acknowledged that they have a different view on Israel and Gaza, it was cordial and rational. Other potential disagreements did not arise, or were glossed over. Trump, unusually, was diplomatic.
This meant the news quotient was on the low side. On Russia, Trump dropped hints about a new initiative against Russia, but it was hard to tell how serious it was. His analysis of the conflict backed up what his friend Christopher Ruddy was telling the Today programme this morning. (See 10.11am.) There were no big announcements here.
The declaration that Trump wants to buy or lease Bagram airbase from the Taliban was certainly novel. (See 4.28pm.) But is that much more than fantasy? Perhaps he’s just floating this potential territorial acquisition because he has finally accepted that his plans to annex Canada and Greenland aren’t going anywhere.
Trump may have been at his most diplomatic, but that did not mean he had given up on shameless half-truths. His “Peter who?” response to the question about Mandelson will have caused much amusement at Westminster, and in the US his suggestion that Jimmy Kimmel was just fired for his ratings will be dismissed as a lie.
Starmer’s answers on most topics were predictable, but his declaration that the Church of England has been “my church … all my life” was not something I think he has said publicly before. He is an athiest, and his election last year even promoted a debate in religious circles about whether having an athiest PM was a problem. Half a day with a Maga president, and is Starmer finding his faith? Probably not. But it was interesting anwyay. I will post the full words shortly.
(If non-British readers find this confusing, it is worth pointing out that atheism and a loose allegiance to the Church of England are not at all incompatible.)
Trump says he wants to US to regain Bagram air base in Afghanistan, implying Taliban may negotiate its handover
During the press conference Donald Trump said that the US is going to try to regain control of the Bagram air base in Afghanistan.
In response to a question about Ukraine, he said the US departure from Afghanistan under Joe Biden was a “total disaster”. He went on:
[We were] going to leave Afghanistan, but we were going to leave it with strength and dignity, and we were going to keep Bagram, the big air base, one of the biggest air bases in the world. We gave it to them [the Taliban] for nothing.
We’re trying to get it back, by the way. That could be a little breaking news. We’re trying to get it back, because they need things from us. We want that base back.
One of the reasons we want the base is, as you know, it’s an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.
Trump says he is willing to do more against Russia, but not if Europeans keep buying Russian oil
Q: Was it a mistake to invite Putin to Alaska? What action will you be taking against him now?
Starmer said there were some European countries that were “too reliant on energy from Russia”.
There was no silver bullet, he said.
He said it was important to put Ukraine in the strongest position now.
Trump said if the price of oil comes down, Putin “is going to have no choice, he’s going to drop out of that war”.
But European countries are buying oil from Russia, he said.
He said he had sanctioned India to get them to stop buying oil from Russia.
He went on:
I’m willing to do other things, but not when the people that I’m fighting for are buying oil from Russia. If the oil price comes down, very simply, Russia will settle.
And that was the last question.
Trump claims not to know Mandelson, or why he was fired as ambassador to US
Q: [From Sky’s Beth Rigby] What was your reaction to Peter Mandelson being fired for his links with Jeffrey Epstein? Did you have some sympathy for him?
Trump says he does not know about that. He refers it to Starmer.
(At this point, on the BBC feed, the audio suddenly starts sounding crackly.)
Starmer says new information came to light, and Mandelson was removed. He swiftly moves on.
UPDATE: Here is Trump’s reply in full. He claimed not to know Mandelson – even though they had met a few times. Trump said:
I don’t know him, actually. I had heard that. I think maybe the prime minister would be better speaking of that. That was a choice that he made. I don’t know. [To Starmer] What is our answer to that?
Updated
Trump says Jimmy Kimmel fired for 'bad ratings' and 'lack of talent', claiming this not freedom of speech case
Q: [From ITV’s Robert Peston] To Trump – You alone have the power to stop Israel’s attack on Gaza. When will you?
Trump asks Peston if he understands what happened on 7 October.
Peston says he is a Jew, and he does.
Trump says the hostages have to be released first.
Q: Why do you back the firing of Jimmy Kimmel if you support free speech?
Trump says Kimmel was fired for “bad ratings”.
Jimmy Kimmel is not a talented person. He had very bad ratings, and they should have fired him a long time ago. So, you know, you can call that free speech or not. He was fired for lack of talent.
Updated
Q: If you feel so strongly about recognising Palestine, why don’t you do it now, intead of waiting until Trump last left the country. And won’t this reward Hamas?
Starmer says he knows where he stands on Hamas. They are a terrorist group. He says the 7 October attack was the worst attack (on Jews) since the war.
And he says the Palestinian recognition decision is not related to the state visit.
Updated
Q: Is there any update on the autopen scandal?
(This is the Maga conspiracy theory that Joe Biden was not really taking decisions, and that his supposedly leftwing officials were running the country, using the White House autopen machine to get his signature on laws and orders.)
Trump gives a rambling answer arguing that Biden did not know what was happening. He says it is a shame that using the autopen was not illegal.
Updated
Q: Will you label antifa terrorists, as Trump has done?
Starmer says the UK will take decisions for itself. He will not comment on the president’s decisions.
Starmer invites Trump to call questions now. He calls Beverley Turner from GB News. She asks about free speech, and whether the UK is a Christian country.
Starmer says he was christened. He says the church has been part of his life, and is an informal part of this country’s constitution.
And he says he supports free speech, but thinks there must be limits.
Starmer urges Trump to increase pressure on Putin over Ukraine
Q: [From the Economist’s Matthew Holehouse] Have negotiations with Russia run out, and what are your next steps?
Trump says again Putin has let him down.
Russian soldiers are being killed at a faster rate than Ukrainians, he says.
He claims the Ukraine war would not have happened if he had been president.
He repeats the claim about stopping seven war.
Coming back to Ukraine, he says “I hope we’re going to have some good news for you coming up”.
Starmer says Trump needs to put pressure on Putin.
He says Putin is either emboldened, or reckless.
That is why allies need to ramp up action against him, he says.
European action, with a US guarantee, is an example of Europe stepping up to the plate.
Trump says at one point it was “heading to a third world war”. Now that is not the case.
Trump urges Starmer to use more oil and gas
Q: Why do you think you are right and Trump is wrong on energy?
Starmer says he has taken a mixed approach to energy – using renewables, but also continuing with oil and gas.
Starmer wants to move on, but Trump jumps in. He says his “drill, baby, drill” policy is right. And he attacks wind energy.
UPDATE: Trump said:
We had the worst inflation in the history of our country and we had an expression that I used a lot: drill, baby, drill.
And as you know, we brought fuel way down. The price is way down. And we don’t do wind because wind is a disaster. It’s a very expensive joke, frankly, and we got our energy prices way down.
That brought the inflation way down and now we have very little inflation and we have a very, very strong economy.
So that was very important. Drill, baby, drill. And you have a great asset here … it’s called the North Sea. The North Sea oil is phenomenal.
Updated
Trump says UK should consider using military to stop illegal immigration
Q: [From Jack Elsom from the Sun] To Trump, have you any advice for Starmer on immigration?
Trump says he has got illegal immigration into the US down to zero.
This was one of the issues that made him run for president.
He says he told Starmer to stop it. They could use the military, he suggests. But it does not matter how – you have to stop it.
Starmer says this is a problem across Europe. There have been 35,000 returns now – the highest number for years.
Today a flight went off at 6.15am taking the first person back to France under the new returns deal.
He says this is “proof of concept”, showing this can work.
UPDATE: Trump said:
I think your situation [with illegal migration] is very similar …
I told the prime minister I would stop it, and it doesn’t matter if you call out the military, it doesn’t matter what means you use, but … it destroys countries from within.
Updated
Trump says one of his 'few disagreements' with Starmer is over Palestinian state recognistion, which UK backs
Starmer says he is going to call two or three questions, and then let Trump call questions.
Q: [From the BBC’s Chris Mason] To Trump, what can you do to stop the war in Gaza? And why are you opposed to the UK recognising a Palestinian state. And, to Starmer, is this just gesture politics?
Starmer says he and Trump spoke, one to one, for about an hour on foreign policy.
He argues Palestinian state recognition will be a step towards the two-state solution.
Trump says the hostages told him that no humanity was shown to them.
One hostage was in for 451 days, he says.
He says he always asks if there was any humanity shown. People say no.
He says 7 October was one of the worst days in the history of the world. He saw the tapes of the Hamas violence. He wishes he had not.
He wants the fighting to stop.
Hamas says they will put the hostages in front of any attack.
He says he has a “disagreement” with Starmer on Palestinian state recognition, “one of our few disagreements, actually”.
Updated
Trump is now praising Charlie Kirk, the activist shot in the US.
Trump says Putin has 'really let me down' over Ukraine
Trump is boasting now about the amount of investment coming into the US. That is due to tariffs, he says. And if they win a certain court case, the amount could go up even more.
He claims to have “solved” seven wars.
(The last time he was in the UK he claimed to have solved six. As this article shows, that claim did not stand up.)
Trump says he thought the easiest one to solve would be Russia/Ukraine, because of his relationship with Vladimir Putin.
But that has not happened. He says Putin has “really let me down”.
Trump says US and UK have done 'more good on planet than any two nations in history'
Donald Trump is speaking now.
He thanks Starmer for his hospitality, describing it as “quite the place”.
He says he will never forget this trip. He says:
The United States and the United Kingdom have done more good on this planet than any two nations in human history.
The two countries are “forever joined” and will forever be friends.
He says that is why he did his first trade deal with the UK. He calls Starmer a “tough negotiator”, and says it may have been a better deal for the UK than the US.
Starmer butts in, saying tactfully it was “a good deal for both of us”.
Starmer says the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US will be celebrated next year.
The partnership of the US and the UK has “shaped the world”, he says.
Starmer says the UK and the US are working on a comprehensive plan for peace in Gaza.
And they are working together to help Ukraine. Today they discussed building their defences further, supporting Ukraine, and increasing the pressure on Vladimir Putin.
He claims Trump has “led the way” in support for Ukraine.
Starmer says investments from tech deals should create 15,000 jobs in UK
Starmer says the two countries were first partners in defene and trade.
But now they are first partners in science too, he says.
He says the new investment has broken all records. It is expected to create 15,000 jobs in the UK.
Starmer says UK and US have renewed special relationship for new era
Keir Starmer starts by saying it is a pleasure to welcome Donald Trump to Chequers.
They have “renewed the special relationship for a new era”, he says.
No 10 publishes text of 'technology prosperity deal'
Or if you want something else to read while we wait, here is the full text of the “technology prosperity deal”.
While we wait, this is fun, from the Times’ George Grylls.
Sensational stuff from the French embassy media office here pic.twitter.com/foaLvqEZ3k
— George Grylls (@georgegrylls) September 18, 2025
France was an ally to the US when it fought a war with Britain after independence.
If you are interested in UK politics, but don’t want half an hour of Donald Trump, you could instead read this letter from Zarah Sultana – which reveals her alliance with Jeremy Corbyn to set up a new leftwing party is in tatters, because she has fallen out with some of the Corbyn allies involved in it. She says they have been operating like a “sexist boys’ club”.
Updated
Starmer and Trump to hold press conference
According to the BBC, the Starmer/Trump press conference will last for about 40 minutes. There will be opening statements, and then questions, alternating between UK and US media.
Donald Trump had very little opportunity to speak to the media yesterday, and it is possible he may be keen to make up for that today. Some of his press events go on for ever, and his last event on UK soil with Starmer (at Turnberry) lasted for about an hour.
But Trump was the host on that occasion. Keir Starmer is the host today, so (in theory) he will have the chance to bring proceedings to an end.
Some of these press conferences with international leader only involve two questions from each side. Reporters have been told that this time there will be a few more questions than that. But no one is expecting a Trump never-ender, and if people start asking about Jeffrey Epstein both leaders may be keen to wrap it up asap.
The Princess of Wales and Melania Trump have hosted Scouts who received sandwiches made with honey from Kate’s beehive, PA Media reports. The princess and the US first lady joined 20 Squirrel Scouts taking part in nature activities on the Windsor Castle estate to earn their Go Wild badges.
The Starmer/Trump press conference was originally due to start at 2.30pm, but it is running later. It is now expected to start closer to 3pm.
At Chequers the two leaders, and their wives, are standing outside ready to watch a parachute display by the Red Devils.
Charles found Trump and his entourage 'very easy to deal with', royal source claims
King Charles found Donald Trump and his entourage “very easy to deal with” when they stayed at Windsor Castle, a “royal source” has told PA Media. The source said:
It was very pleasing to see the way the state visit has been warmly received both by the guests and the media on both sides of the Atlantic.
It’s a clear sign of soft power and diplomacy.
The visiting party was very easy to deal with and very appreciative of the hospitality.
All elements of the pomp and pageantry created an awesome spectacle.
You can tell from the expression of the principals how much they appreciated it.
In truth, it is hard to know what monarchs ever think about the political figures they meet because they are extremely discreet. Guessing what King Charles, or Queen Elizabeth, really thinks or thought about anything is a national sport. But Trump will no doubt be pleased with this briefing. He was furious last year when a book was published saying the late Queen found him “very rude”.
The business event at Chequers where Keir Starmer and Donald Trump signed the “tech prosperity deal” was attended by British and American business leaders including the chief executives of Nvidia, Microsoft, Rolls-Royce, Boeing, BAE Systems, GlaxoSmithKline, Alphabet, BlackRock and Citi Group, PA Media says. PA says:
The tent was decorated with union flags and Stars and Stripes bunting.
Also in attendance were Chancellor Rachel Reeves, foreign secretary Yvette Cooper, business and trade secretary Peter Kyle, US secretary of state Marco Rubio, US treasury secretary Scott Bessent and US commerce secretary Howard Lutnick.
Donald Trump joked with his treasury secretary Scott Bessent and commerce secretary Howard Lutnick as he signed the US-UK tech deal alongside Keir Starmer, PA Media reports. He said
Should I sign this Howard? Scott? If the deal’s no good I’m blaming you.
Starmer and Trump sign 'tech prosperity deal'
At one point Trump seemed to be referencing a script, but now he is just rambling about what he says are his achievements.
He says the US is ahead of China on AI.
The US will be the UK’s best partner, he says.
He says the king of Saudi Arabia recently said that, under Trump, the US had become “the hottest country anywhere in the world”.
He says the US economy is thriving.
The border has been “totally closed”, he says.
And he claims inflation is “virtually non-existent”.
(Like much of what Trump says, that last claim is not true.)
Trump says he has slashed regulations, even more than in the past. There will still be some regulation, but it will be '“sane regulation” he says.
And he claims no one has ever seen anything equivalent to his recent, tax-cutting so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill”.
(That is true, sort of. The bill has been described as “the most unpopular major legislation in decades”.)
After Trump finishes speaking, he and Starmer pose for a picture with signed copies of the “tech prosperity deal”.
Trump again pays tribute to the business leaders in the audience.
He says he wanted his first trade deal to be with the UK because “the bond is so strong and the relationship so long”.
It will create opportunities for farmers in the US worth billions, he says.
He says the UK has a world-class aerospace supply sector. A lot of people don’t undersand how important it is, he says.
Both countries are building up industrial capacity, he says.
And the tech agreement is historic, he says.
Trump says bond between US and UK 'unbreakable'
Donald Trump is speaking now.
He says “this is what I do for a living” – referring to his pre-presidential career as a businessman. Addressing business leaders is what he is used to, he suggests. And he tells the audience: “You’re the best in the world.”
He says he and Melania will be forever thankful to the king for the “fantastic” evening last night.
The ties between the UK and the US are “priceless”, he says.
It’s an unbreakable bond we have. Regardless of what we’re doing today, I think it’s unbreakable.
Updated
Starmer says US-UK investments announced as part of state visit have broken all records
At Chequers Keir Starmer and Donald Trump are speaking at a reception for business leaders.
Starmer says the US-UK investments announced this week have broken all records. He says:
Just look at what we’re achieving today together. The deals and investment that you’re announcing today break all records.
What a day £250bn flowing both ways across the Atlantic.
It is the biggest investment package of its kind in British history by a country mile.
Here is the No 10 news release about the investments. (The No 10 release talks about £150bn investment into the UK. Starmer seems to have produced a bigger figure by including UK investment into the US.) And here is the overnight Guardian story about this.
Updated
Universities in England to face Ofsted-style judgments, Office for Students says
Richard Adams is the Guardian’s education editor.
Universities in England will face Ofsted-style summary judgments, with those failing to pass minimum quality standards likely to be punished, according to proposals published this morning by the Office for Students (OfS).
The OfS’s revised Teaching excellence framework (Tef) will see all universities given gold, silver, bronze or “requires improvement” ratings every three to five years, based on measures of student outcomes such as completion rates and graduate employment – with each university paying £25,000 for the assessment.
Those given bronze or “requires improvement” grades face a range of potential punishments including restrictions on their ability to award degrees or recruit students.
The OfS’s decision to link overall judgments to sanctions comes as Ofsted is moving in the opposite direction for schools in England, having just replaced overall grades such as outstanding or requires improvement with a new “report card” summary of its inspections.
It comes as a new survey by YouGov found that two-thirds of students in England and Wales said the standard of university education and graduate wage levels “are not enough to warrant the cost of English [or] Welsh university degrees”.
However, 80% of the 900 students surveyed said they were satisfied with the quality of their degree course, and 78% said their degree would lead to a good job.
Council spending in England on emergency housing for homeless families up 25% in past year, figures show
Patrick Butler is the Guardian’s social policy editor.
In one of the starkest indicators of the housing crisis, new official figures have revealed English councils spent £2.8bn providing housing emergency housing for homeless families last year, an annual increase of 25%.
The bill for so-called temporary accommodation – short-term lets and bed and breakfast hostels – has doubled in the last five years, and is and a growing threat to the financial viability of some councils.
Private landlords have been accused on “cashing in” on the crisis – a third of the 2024-25 bill (£844m) went on putting up families in bed and breakfast rooms, with a further £1bn spent on nightly paid short-term lets.
A Guardian investigation earlier this year found private landlords and hotel owners were charging councils up to 60% more than normal market rents for properties that were often dirty, overcrowded and unsuitable for families.
Spiralling rent, insecure tenures, shortages of social housing, and housing benefit freezes have driven an explosion in family homelessness in recent years, with some councils now spending over half their budget on temporary accommodation.
As of 31 March there were 131,000 households in temporary accommodation. These included 169,000 children – a figure some estimates predict will rise to nearly 200,000 by the end of the decade.
“Private providers are cashing in on this crisis, charging eyewatering sums for rooms where children are forced to eat, sleep and do their homework on beds shared with siblings,” said Mairi MacRae, director of campaigns at housing charity Shelter.
In the Royal Library at Windsor Castle, Queen Camilla and Melania Trump inspected a display case with drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and Holbein.
Among the other items they looked at were a prayer book belonging to Queen Elizabeth I and Charles I’s copy of Shakespeare’s second folio, which he read before his execution in 1649.
Updated
Robert Peston from ITV News has posted some footage on social media showing where the journalists are being held at Chequers as they wait for the Trump/Starmer press conference.
Walled garden for hacks at Chequers pic.twitter.com/zWBpHRZWY2
— Robert Peston (@Peston) September 18, 2025
Ahead of the state visit, the Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy (see 10.11am) hosted a party attended by senior rightwing British politicians. In an article for the Daily Telegraph, Gordon Rayner says the event degenerated into a row between the senior Tories over record of the last government.
After [Nigel] Farage, [Marco] Rubio and [Scott] Bessent had left to attend another event, the Tory big beasts and a smattering of Reform bigwigs sat down to an evening of dinner and civil war.
[Boris] Johnson, [Liz] Truss, former transport secretary, Mark Harper, and broadcaster, Andrew Neil, argued about the Tories’ record in government, particularly on immigration, and what the future direction of travel should be.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, who could be regarded as the current standard-bearer of uniting the Right, (he even attended the Reform conference this month), tried and failed to argue that they should all work together for the good of the country. Reform members smiled wryly as they watched the Tories tear lumps out of each other.
There is a lot of talk in the UK at the moment from people how think the right can only win the next election if the Conservatives and Reform UK can somehow work together. The former Tory minister Steve Baker said only this week he thought some sort of deal was unacceptable.
But Rayner suggests that will be difficult. Referring to Boris Johnson, he quotes a “senior Reform figure” as saying:
[Johnson] elicits a visceral emotion in our members. One of the most consensual opinions among Reform members is that he was a disaster, and has already claimed the title of the man who ended the Conservative party’s chances of ever regaining power.
If we let him join Reform, there would be an exodus of 99.9% of our members.
Updated
UK pharma sector awaits further details from Trump on tariff concessions from US
Lisa O’Carroll is a senior Guardian correspondent covering trade.
Deals on steel and tech are sealed, but two other sectors caught in the cross hairs of Donald Trump’s UK tariff deal are anxiously waiting for promises to be delivered by the US president today.
The US pledged a “significantly preferential” treatment of the UK’s pharma sector in June, which had yet to materialise.
While the presence of a GSK boss at last night’s banquet may indicate movement on a deal, the question is not just whether the UK gets a further discount on a 10% blanket tariff, but what is included.
The detail on the EU side has yet to materialise with Irish deputy prime minister Simon Harris telling the Guardian “a big body of work” has yet to be done to establish what exactly the 15% tariff would apply to.
Trump locked in a 15%top tariff rate for pharmaceuticals exported from the EU as part of the joint statement released at the end of August, with a zero or close to zero rate on “generic pharmaceuticals and their ingredients and chemical precursors”.
“We don’t have that list of what the generics is or for medical devices,” Harris said.
Trump’s decision to impose 15% tariffs on imports of pharma from EU is already breaching a World Trade Organization agreement that tariffs are not imposed on most medicines for public health reasons.
There is also an expectation both in the EU and in London that exports of wine and spirits will return to pre-Trump, rates when spirits were rated zero on import to the US and wine was rated between 0.5% and 1.8%.
Updated
First migrant deported to France under ‘one in, one out’ deal
The first migrant has been sent back to France under the “one in, one out” returns deal, government sources have said. PA Media says:
The man from India was on board an Air France plane to Paris on Thursday, according to The Telegraph.
It comes as the government has faced fresh pressure over the migrant returns agreement, and reports of planned flights for removals being cancelled earlier this week.
Trump welcomes cancellation of US TV show over Charlie Kirk comments - after praising 'free speech' at king's state banquet
Donald Trump and Keir Starmer are likely to face questions about freedom of speech at their press conference later.
The Trump administration has regularly accused European governments, including Britain’s, of suppressing free speech, particularly in the way they enforce hate speech laws against people posting on social media.
Despite reports that Trump would use his speech at the state banquet to make the case for free speech, the president only included a relatively brief reference to it. He said:
The legal, intellectual, cultural and political traditions of this kingdom have been among the highest achievements of mankind; there has really never been anything like it. The British Empire laid the foundations of law, liberty, free speech and individual rights virtually everywhere.
But later he delivered a quite different intervention on the subject. In a post on his Truth Social social media network, which he sent out later last night from Windsor Castle, Trump welcomed the news that the ABC has indefinitely suspended the show Jimmy Kimmel Live! over remarks the comedian made about the killing of the far-right commentator and activist Charlie Kirk.
Amy Sedghi has more on this story on our US politics live blog.
Here is BBC footage of President Trump’s arrival at Chequers.
US President Donald Trump arrives at Chequers for meeting with UK PM Keir Starmer
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) September 18, 2025
Follow live: https://t.co/eOB3X23efL pic.twitter.com/nWJsb7O3QP
MoD announces £1.5bn 'strategic partnership deal with US tech firm Palantir
The Ministry of Defence has announced a £1.5bn “strategic partnership” with the American tech company Palantir.
In a news release, the MoD says:
[The partnership] will see Palantir invest up to £1.5bn to help make the UK a defence innovation leader and create up to 350 new jobs, making defence an engine for growth.
The new partnership, signed today by defence secretary John Healey, will help the UK military develop the latest digital tools and harness AI technology to accelerate decision making, improve targeting and keep the British people safe from evolving threats. Palantir has also announced plans for London to become the base for Palantir’s European defence business, establishing Britain as a hub for defence technology innovation across Europe.
The arrangement will also support the growth of British Defence Tech companies across the supply chain, with Palantir helping to mentor and develop UK companies. This will include helping British defence start-ups and SMEs to expand into US markets, including an offering on a pro bono basis.
Trump arrives at Chequers
Donald Trump has arrived at Chequers.
Donald Trump and his wife Melania posed for a photograph with King Charles and Queen Camilla in the grand grand Green Corridor at Windsor Castle before Trump headed to the PM’s country residence Chequers, PA Media reports. PA says:
The four posed for a joint photograph together in the atmospheric corridor which is lined with gilt edged historic paintings and antique furniture.
Outside at the sovereign’s entrance, the Kkng said a solo goodbye with Trump shaking his hands warmly and placing his other hand on top. The president said “thank you very much, everybody. He’s a great gentleman and a great King”.
The Windsor Castle detachment of The King’s Guard turned out in the Quadrangle outside to mark Trump’s departure. Although Melania attended the official parting of ways, she is in fact staying behind to carry out joint engagements, first with Camilla, and then the Princess of Wales.
She was joining the Queen for a tour of Queen Mary’s Doll’s House and the Royal Library in Windsor Castle.
President Trump is now leaving Windsor Castle. He will be flying to Chequers by helicopter.
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Zelenskyy offers 'deepest thanks' to King Charles for his 'steadfast support' for Ukraine in state banquet speech
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president, has thanked King Charles for what he said at the state banquet last night strongly supporting the Ukrainian cause.
In a post on social media, Zelenskyy said:
I extend my deepest thanks to His Majesty King Charles III @RoyalFamily for his steadfast support. Ukraine greatly values the United Kingdom’s unwavering and principled stance.
When tyranny threatens Europe once again, we must all hold firm, and Britain continues to lead in defending freedom on many fronts. Together, we have achieved a lot, and with the support of freedom-loving nations—the UK, our European partners, and the US—we continue to defend values and protect lives. We are united in our efforts to make diplomacy work and secure lasting peace for the European continent.
In his speech Charles said:
Our countries have the closest defence, security and intelligence relationship ever known. In two world wars, we fought together to defeat the forces of tyranny.
Today, as tyranny once again threatens Europe, we and our allies stand together in support of Ukraine, to deter aggression and secure peace. And our Aukus submarine partnership, with Australia, sets the benchmark for innovative and vital collaboration.
Donald Trump is likely to become “much more aggressive” towards Russia in support of Ukraine, one of his allies has claimed.
Christopher Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax, a rightwing news organisation in the US, was a guest at the state banquet last night. In an interview with the Today programme, Ruddy, who has been a friend and informal adviser to the president for years, predicted that Trump would soon harden his stance against Russia. He said:
President Trump is not against Ukraine, like some people might think, and he’s moved a long way in his posture. And I think we’re going to see much more aggressive action in the weeks and months ahead.
Ruddy conceded that Trump was not in favour of sending US troops into action.
I think the president is highly reluctant to put troops on the ground. That’s nothing to do with Ukraine. He just doesn’t like American troops put in harm’s way. He doesn’t like physical engagements. He’ll do these kinetic strikes from time to time, you saw that in Iran, but it’s still not really deploying American troops and putting them in a lot of risk.
Instead, Trump sees this as “an economic battle”, Ruddy said.
He’s been pushing for [lower oil prices]. He wants sanctions. He wants Nato countries to stop buying Russian oil. So he sees this in economic war, as a businessman.
Asked about Trump’s views on Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, Ruddy said Trump viewed him as “a bad guy, even though he won’t say that publicly”.
Trump thought it was worth trying to win Putin round, Ruddy said. But Trump has now decided that’s “not going to work”, Ruddy claimed.
Putin hasn’t talked to anyone. He hasn’t talked to any American president – reluctant, won’t do anything. So Trump looks at this and says, let me see if I can be his friend. I’ll reach out. I’ll be overly generous, I’ll be overly kind.
And he tried that. I think he really honestly thought it was going to work.
And I think he’s coming to the conclusion that it’s not going to work and that he needs to do [things] and that’s why he’s ramping up talk about tariffs and secondary tariffs on India and China.
Four men bailed over projection of Trump and Epstein images on to Windsor Castle
Four men who were arrested after images of Donald Trump with Jeffrey Epstein were projected on to Windsor Castle have been bailed, PA Media reports. PA says:
A 60-year-old man from East Sussex, a 36-year-old man from London, a 37-year-old man from Kent and a 50-year-old man from London were arrested on suspicion of malicious communications on Tuesday night after the stunt at the Berkshire royal residence, Thames Valley police (TVP) said.
They were released on conditional bail on Wednesday night until December 12 while inquiries continue, according to the force.
“Those arrested are being investigated for a number of possible offences including malicious communications and public nuisance,” a spokesperson for TVP said.
The nine-minute film created by British political campaign group Led By Donkeys went over the history of the US president’s links to Epstein, including the recent release by US legislators of documents said to include a letter from Trump to the paedophile financier to celebrate his 50th birthday.
The film was projected from a hotel room with a direct view over the castle as an act of “peaceful protest”, a Led By Donkeys spokesperson said on Wednesday.
“My colleagues were arrested for malicious communications, which seems ridiculous, because we’ve done 25 or 30 projections before, no-one’s ever been arrested,” the spokesperson told PA.
“So suddenly, because it’s Trump, you get this reaction, which is surprising, disappointing and very heavy-handed from police. I think they’ve been arrested for embarrassing Donald Trump.”
Clegg describes US AI investments in UK announced during state visit as 'crumbs from Silicon Valley table'
Back to Nick Clegg (see 8.56am), and this is what the former deputy PM told the Today programme about why he was not over-impressed by the US tech investments in the UK that have been announced alongside the state visit. He said:
Of course it’s great there’s investment in the UK, and it’s better still that a young, London-based company like Nscale is involved.
But these really are crumbs from the Silicon Valley table.
If you consider that the total compute capacity in the UK is estimated to be around 1.8 gigawatts, withI’ve read ambitions to reach six gigawatts by 2030. Well, that is about the same as one single data centre being built by my former employer Meta in Louisiana.
And so I just think some sort of perspective needs to be applied to all the hype that comes from the government and the tech companies at times like this, especially when we are never going to compete with the Chinese and America on infrastructure. We’re never going to develop our own frontier foundation models – the base layer of the AI industry.
Where we can complete is how you deploy AI in the workplace innovatively through new applications and so on.
And, crucially, none of this does anything to deal with our perennial Achilles heel in technology in the United Kingdom, which is we’re a very innovative place, with great entrepreneurs, scientists, people who create new companies. But the moment those companies start developing any momentum, they have to go to Palo Alto, to the VC [venture capital] firms there to get money. They then say, well, you’ve got to move to the West Coast if you’re going to take our money.
So not only do we import all their technology, we export all our good people and good ideas as well.
And that’s why I just think it’s worth keeping some of the hyperbole at moments like this in context.
Clegg said everyone in the UK was using phones designed in America, run with US software and US operating systems, with the data stored on American cloud infrastructure
I sometimes wonder how we would react as a body politic if all that infrastructure, all of that technology that we depend on for every sort of minute detail of our lives, were produced by the French. I think there’d be absolute uproar from Nigel Farage and others.
Yet because of the very close partnership we’ve had with the United States, understandably so in the cold war period, I think we’ve been quite relaxed about this very heavy dependency … both in the public and the private sector, on American technology.
Here is a Guardian explain on what the US-UK tech deal actually involves.
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UK to start talks soon with EU about participating in Europe's defence loans scheme
Jennifer Rankin is the Guardian’s Brussels correspondent.
Keir Starmer’s government is expected to soon begin talks with the EU to negotiate Britain’s entry into the EU’s €150bn (£130bn) defence loans scheme.
The negotiations can start because EU member states on Wednesday agreed a negotiating mandate for the European Commission, but must conclude quickly if British companies are to be involved.
The scheme, called Security Action for Europe (Safe), provides EU member states with cheap EU-backed loans to finance defence equipment, either for their armies or for Ukraine. The UK is not applying for a loan, but would like the biggest possible role for British companies in winning contacts.
The first loans are expected to be disbursed in early 2026, with member states due to submit spending plans to the commission by the end of November.
Europe minister Nick Thomas-Symonds made clear the deadline was on his mind when he spoke at a conference in Brussels on Wednesday. Asked by politics professor Anand Menon whether the UK could miss out on the first round, he said:
I profoundly hope not ... But my sense on this is that you’re absolutely right to emphasise the deadline.
The Guardian reported this week that France has called for a 50% ceiling on the value of UK components in projects financed by Safe. The final EU negotiating mandate leaves the point vague, giving EU negotiators flexibility.
The EU and UK must also negotiate a British entry fee to cover administrative costs. EU sources have suggested the fee will be linked to the level of British participation.
Asked about the French position, Thomas-Symonds said the UK and EU were in a live negotiation, without commenting on details. He said:
The bigger picture here is the real importance, when we have seen the return of war to our continent, that what we are doing is making sure we don’t fragment European defence production at this moment.
Anti-slavery watchdog says home secretary's claims about abuse of Modern Slavery Act put 'lives at risk'
Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, has been accused of putting lives at risk by the anti-slavery watchdog.
Yesterday Mahmood said the use of modern slavery legislation to block deportations of migrants made a “mockery of our laws”. Rajeev Syal and Diane Taylor have the story.
Today the independent anti-slavery commissioner Eleanor Lyons condemned the Home Secretary’s comments. She told Radio 4 comment like this “have a real-life impact on victims of exploitation, who may now be more scared to come forward and talk about what’s happened to them”.
She went on:
The Home Office are the deciders in this country on whether someone is a victim of modern slavery. They have the final decision-making.
Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords select committees have looked at this issue in recent years, and they found there’s no misuse of the system.
It puts vulnerable lives at risk when the Home Secretary is claiming that is the case.
ABC barred from Trump’s UK press conference after his clash with Australian journalist John Lyons
The ABC has been barred from attending Donald Trump’s press conference near London this week after a clash between the broadcaster’s Americas editor, John Lyons, and the president in Washington DC over his business dealings, Amanda Meade reports.
Starmer and Trump to hold talks as PM warned UK faces ‘huge dilemma’ over relationship with US
Good morning. It’s day two of the state visit and, after the pomp, today we’re on to the policy. Donald Trump is leaving Windsor Castle and heading for Chequers where he will have private talks with Keir Starmer before the two leaders hold a press conference.
In his speech at the state banquet last night, Trump used some uncharacteristically sophisticated and lovely similes to describe the US/UK relationship. He said:
We’re joined by history and faith, by love and language and by transcendent ties of culture, tradition, ancestry and destiny.
We’re like two notes in one chord or two verses of the same poem, each beautiful on its own, but really meant to be played together.
Starmer defends his use of flattery diplomacy with Trump on the grounds that it delivers for Britain and, with No 10 announcing US investments in the UK worth £150bn there is evidence to suggest it’s working.
But, to return to Trump’s analogy, there are others who suspect that, if anything is being “played” in all of this, it’s us.
On the Today programme this morning Nick Clegg came close to expressing this view. As a former Lib Dem deputy prime minister in the 2010-15 coalition government, and a former president of global affairs at Meta, he is very well placed to comment on the relationship. Clegg told Today that the AI investments being anounced for the UK were “crumbs from the Silicon Valley table”. He said he thought the UK had become over-dependent on American technology. And he went on:
Because of the very close partnership we’ve had with the United States, understandably so in the cold war period, I think we’ve been quite relaxed about this very heavy dependency … both in the public and the private sector, on American technology.
I just so happen to believe that is now changing because the rupture – notwithstanding the pomp and ceremony of the state visit by Donald Trump this week – the transatlantic rupture, in my view, is real.
I think the Americans – and we’ve been on notice for this for ages – are turning their attention to the Pacific. They have much less attachment to the transatlantic relationship.
So my view is, over time, British governments need to learn to ask themselves different questions to how we can roll out the red carpet to American investment, welcome as that is. We need to ask ourselves questions about how we can develop and grow … our own technology companies to the size the need to be.
Clegg said the UK faced “a huge dilemma”.
We’ve got to learn, technologically, as much as in so many other walks of life, to stand more on own two feet, rather than just cling on to Uncle Sam’s coattails.
While that served us well for a while, I think that’s no longer going to be the paradigm that works for us going forward.
Today I will be focusing mostly on the Trump visit, although I will cover some other UK politics too. Here is the agenda for the day.
10am: Donald Trump leaves Windsor Castle
Morning: Melania Trump and Queen Camilla visit Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House in Windsor and Frogmore Gardens
10.45am: Trump is due to arrive at Chequers, where he will hold bilateral talks with Keir Starmer. The two leaders are also speaking at an event for business leaders, and viewing items from the Winston Churchill archive at the mansion, the official country residence of the PM. And there will be a parachute display by the Red Devils.
Around 2.30pm: Starmer and Trump hold a press conference at Chequers.
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