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World leaders meet in the UK for diplomatic talks on the fate of Ukraine after the Trump-Zelensky meeting and the removal of US military aid. The government try to show the economic benefits of an increased defence budget whilst responding to comments from Vice President of America J.D. Vance. Labour plans to provide free breakfast clubs for primary schools.
Ukraine-US Relations
The government has kept up its efforts to secure peace between Ukraine and Russia. Efforts have recently been thrown into uncertainty by worsening US-Ukrainian relations. Last Friday, President Zelensky met with President Trump in the Oval office. The meeting went badly when President Trump and Vice President Vance argued with Zelensky, who was asked to leave the White House. Trump later claimed that Ukraine was not ready for peace.
The Prime Minister later commented that “we need to do everything we can to ensure that the US, Europe and Ukraine are working together on lasting peace.” Starmer held a UK-Canada-European summit over the weekend “intensify his efforts in pursuit of a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.” Kemi Badenoch, Leader of the Opposition, welcomed the Prime Minister’s efforts and his ability to “keeping a cool head under very difficult circumstances.”
Badenoch was concerned “that the United States has instructed Britain to suspend intelligence sharing with Ukraine.” Earlier this week, the US suspended military aid to Ukraine. Just hours after PMQs, the US announced that it would also stop sharing intelligence with Ukraine, confirming Badenoch’s fears.With voices from across the political divide, Parliament is united in its support of Ukraine. Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrat’s, Plaid Cymru and the SNP were united in wanting to achieve a solution. The Prime Minister’s Questions are normally a raucous event and good spectator sport, however the mood in the house this week was solemn and unsmiling in its discussion Trump and Ukraine.
Defence
Labour MP for Stevenage Kevin Bonavia was keen to point out the benefits of a boost in defence spending to the economy. Bonavia stated “that increase in defence spending will boost jobs and growth.”
The government recently pledged to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP and have outlined plans for growth and innovation in the defence industry.
The Chancellor Rachel Reeves MP issued a statement: “In the world we face, national security and economic growth are going to go hand in hand. High-skilled, well-paid jobs across the UK will both make our country safer and put pounds in people’s pockets.” The government also want to boost small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the increase in defence spending.
The Prime Minister has said that British troops could be deployed in Ukraine to support a peace deal. Talking on the subject of a security grantee the Vice President of America, J.D Vance, criticised the reliability of the UK, that it is “some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years”. Only the UK and France have said they would deploy their armies but, the Vice President deniesthat he was referring to either long standing American allies. Both Britian and France fought alongside the US in Afghanistan and Iraq while the UK is currently deployed with American soldiers on Operation Prosperity Guardian. The Prime Minister opened his remarks at PMQs by commemorating British service personnel killed while on patrol in Afghanistan in 2012.
Breakfast Clubs
Paul Davies MP for Colne Valley addressed how “Labour is rolling out free breakfast clubs in primary schools.” The government is introducing a pilot scheme of 750 trial schools across the country to receiving free breakfast clubs and, have promised £30 million for the scheme from 2025-26.
A recent government study and a 2016 IFS report showed the positive impact that breakfast clubs can have for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Breakfast clubs also allow parents to get into work saving them an estimated £450 per year. Although some sources have predicted that this won’t improve attendance and there is simply not enough funding from the government to feed the children.
Edited by Elizabeth Strassheim
Image: Sir Keir Starmer MP, The Prime Minister (Holborn and St Pancras, Labour) by House of Commons via Flickr // CC BY 2.0
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