THE TELEGRAPH: Donald Trump has pushed back on claims made by Xi Jinping that America is a “declining nation”.
The US president accepted that “tremendous damage” had been done to the US in recent years but blamed his predecessor Joe Biden.
“When President Xi very elegantly referred to the United States as perhaps being a declining nation, he was referring to the tremendous damage we suffered during the four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the Biden Administration, and on that score, he was 100% correct,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social ahead of the second day of talks. » | Emily Blumenthal. Connor Stringer Chief Washington Correspondent, Beijing. Allegra Mendelson Asia Correspondent, Taipei. Robert White | Friday, May 15, 2026
Xi Jinping is right, of course. A blind man could see that the US is in steep decline. The country shows all the signs of an empire in decline. It is rotting from within.
Trump is wrong, and very unfair to blame “Sleepy Joe” for the rot. The rot started for America long before Biden’s presidency. Fact is, America has never been the same since 9/11. That attack did more to damage America and its trajectory than is easy to describe in a few words. And when it comes to apportioning blame, Trump himself must share the lion’s share of the blame in recent years. His corrupt and ludicrous presidency has brought America’s decline forward. It has also brought it into sharp focus. — © Mark Alexander
May 15, 2026
Russia: New Restrictions on Reporting Drone Attacks, New Rules for Expelling Foreigners
May 14, 2026
Xi Warns Trump of Potential "Conflict" over Taiwan in Beijing Summit on Iran, Trade, Tech & More
May 14, 2026 | U.S. President Donald Trump is in Beijing for a highly anticipated summit with his Chinese counterpart President Xi Jinping. It is the first U.S. state visit to China since 2017, during Trump's first administration. Trade, the Iran war, artificial intelligence and the fate of Taiwan are some of the issues being discussed, although it's not clear if any new agreements are likely. Trump traveled to China with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, along with a delegation of top U.S. executives including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Elon Musk of Tesla and Jensen Huang of Nvidia.
The summit comes after years of rising hostility between the two superpowers, but leaders recognize the importance of improving the bilateral relationship, says Zhao Hai, director of international political studies at the Institute of World Economics and Politics in Beijing. "This is a very critical historical moment [at] a crossroad, and both sides now are working together to establish a stable relationship that will have a global ramification," he says.
We also speak with Jake Werner, a historian of modern China and director of the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He says the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and the resulting economic chaos have strengthened China's position.
"China has ties to all the countries in the region. It has acted in the past to help broker the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran," says Werner. "So it has some experience in this realm, sort of acting as a broker towards peace."
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
The summit comes after years of rising hostility between the two superpowers, but leaders recognize the importance of improving the bilateral relationship, says Zhao Hai, director of international political studies at the Institute of World Economics and Politics in Beijing. "This is a very critical historical moment [at] a crossroad, and both sides now are working together to establish a stable relationship that will have a global ramification," he says.
We also speak with Jake Werner, a historian of modern China and director of the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He says the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and the resulting economic chaos have strengthened China's position.
"China has ties to all the countries in the region. It has acted in the past to help broker the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran," says Werner. "So it has some experience in this realm, sort of acting as a broker towards peace."
Democracy Now! can be supported here.
Back to the Future of Brexit
One can but weep for this country! Brexit has put us into a fine old mess! Brexit has brought us impoverishment, no opportunities for economic growth, and nothing to look forward to. Britons’ rights as citizens have been stripped away, replacing them with a few feudal ‘rights’ as subjects of the King, and little else. Prior to that ridiculous, ill-thought-out Brexit, Britons had a decent future. They could move to any EU country and work there, start a business there, set up home there, avail themselves of free healthcare there, travel visa-free there, and for those who love their pets, because of the ‘EU Pet Travel Scheme’, they could even move there with their beloved dogs, cats, or ferrets! Now, just to travel there involves all manner of hurdles to jump. One could call it the steeplechase of the century!
One of the main architects of Brexit and all the troubles and travails that Brexit brought with it is, of course, that infamous, self-serving, self-enriching snake oil salesman, Nigel Farage. And how the naïve and ill-informed have been taken in by him! They have even gone and cast their vote for him in recent local elections, voting for the very man who has made them poorer! Talk about turkeys voting for Christmas, this was it! — © Mark Alexander
China’s Xi Warns Trump on Taiwan at Beijing Summit
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Xi Jinping, China’s leader, told President Trump that Taiwan, if handled poorly, could lead to a clash with the United States. The two leaders are also expected to discuss trade and the Iran war at the two-day summit.
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, delivered a warning on Taiwan to President Trump as the two leaders began their summit in Beijing on Thursday, saying that the issue, if handled poorly, could lead to conflict and “an extremely dangerous situation.”
The two men met in the Chinese capital in a ceremony laden with pageantry and pleasantries. But Mr. Xi’s warning was a stark reminder that Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by China, is a red line.
The two-day summit, the first U.S. presidential visit to China in nearly a decade, could determine whether a détente that has prevailed between the two countries will continue — and what concessions, if any, either side is willing to make.
Mr. Xi greeted Mr. Trump on Thursday morning outside the Great Hall of the People. They shook hands before walking together past an honor guard and rows of cheering children. As “The Star-Spangled Banner” played, a 21-gun salute echoed across Tiananmen Square.
Inside the Great Hall, Mr. Xi called for the two countries to work together to confront an increasingly “complex and turbulent world.”
“We should be partners, not adversaries,” he said.
Mr. Trump emphasized his personal relationship with Mr. Xi, and said the two leaders speak to each other on the phone to work out problems. “You’re a great leader,” he told Mr. Xi.
But Mr. Xi made clear that Taiwan had the potential to spoil the relationship. “If handled poorly, the two countries will collide or even clash, putting the entire U.S.-China relationship in an extremely dangerous situation,” he said while referring to Taiwan, according to a readout from Xinhua, China’s official news agency.
One of China’s related priorities is persuading the United States to curtail its arms sales to Taiwan.
Aside from Taiwan, Mr. Xi and Mr. Trump discussed trade, the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula, according to Xinhua. Details about the talks were not immediately released and there was little indication of whether there had been any breakthroughs. Live Updates » | Lily Kuo and David E. Sanger | David E. Sanger reported from the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. | Thursday, May 14, 2026
China’s leader, Xi Jinping, delivered a warning on Taiwan to President Trump as the two leaders began their summit in Beijing on Thursday, saying that the issue, if handled poorly, could lead to conflict and “an extremely dangerous situation.”
The two men met in the Chinese capital in a ceremony laden with pageantry and pleasantries. But Mr. Xi’s warning was a stark reminder that Taiwan, a self-governing island claimed by China, is a red line.
The two-day summit, the first U.S. presidential visit to China in nearly a decade, could determine whether a détente that has prevailed between the two countries will continue — and what concessions, if any, either side is willing to make.
Mr. Xi greeted Mr. Trump on Thursday morning outside the Great Hall of the People. They shook hands before walking together past an honor guard and rows of cheering children. As “The Star-Spangled Banner” played, a 21-gun salute echoed across Tiananmen Square.
Inside the Great Hall, Mr. Xi called for the two countries to work together to confront an increasingly “complex and turbulent world.”
“We should be partners, not adversaries,” he said.
Mr. Trump emphasized his personal relationship with Mr. Xi, and said the two leaders speak to each other on the phone to work out problems. “You’re a great leader,” he told Mr. Xi.
But Mr. Xi made clear that Taiwan had the potential to spoil the relationship. “If handled poorly, the two countries will collide or even clash, putting the entire U.S.-China relationship in an extremely dangerous situation,” he said while referring to Taiwan, according to a readout from Xinhua, China’s official news agency.
One of China’s related priorities is persuading the United States to curtail its arms sales to Taiwan.
Aside from Taiwan, Mr. Xi and Mr. Trump discussed trade, the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula, according to Xinhua. Details about the talks were not immediately released and there was little indication of whether there had been any breakthroughs. Live Updates » | Lily Kuo and David E. Sanger | David E. Sanger reported from the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. | Thursday, May 14, 2026
Labour Leadership Contest Could 'Plunge Country into Chaos', Says UK Chancellor | BBC News
May 14, 2026 | Chancellor Rachel Reeves said in an exclusive interview with the BBC that any Labour leadership contest would "plunge the country into chaos".
It comes as Angela Rayner, seen as a potential challenger to PM Keir Starmer, was cleared by HMRC of wrongdoing over her tax affairs after settling £40,000 in unpaid stamp duty, saying she had been "exonerated" of the accusation she had "deliberately sought to avoid tax".
On Wednesday, allies of Health Secretary Wes Streeting said they expected him to launch a challenge as soon as today.
It comes as Angela Rayner, seen as a potential challenger to PM Keir Starmer, was cleared by HMRC of wrongdoing over her tax affairs after settling £40,000 in unpaid stamp duty, saying she had been "exonerated" of the accusation she had "deliberately sought to avoid tax".
On Wednesday, allies of Health Secretary Wes Streeting said they expected him to launch a challenge as soon as today.
May 13, 2026
A Speech to Europe 2026 by Anne Applebaum
May 13, 2026 | For A Speech To Europe 2026, historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Anne Applebaum will address whether Europe’s time has come and what characterises this historic moment in her lecture:
»The European Moment«. Applebaum is among the most prominent voices on the rise of authoritarianism and the fragility of liberal democracy, and she puts the challenge squarely to her audience:
»This is the hour of Europe — but do the Europeans even know it?«
Since 2019, A Speech to Europe, initiated by the ERSTE Foundation, has provided a fundamental reflection on the present and future of Europe. The venue is Vienna’s Judenplatz, which serves as a reminder that Europe can only be understood in the mirror of its history. The speech will be held in English. This event is free of charge and takes place outdoors at the Judenplatz Vienna.
A wonderful and very important speech. Erudite, hard-hitting, informative, interesting, and inspiring. Thank you, Anne Applebaum! — © Mark Alexander
»The European Moment«. Applebaum is among the most prominent voices on the rise of authoritarianism and the fragility of liberal democracy, and she puts the challenge squarely to her audience:
»This is the hour of Europe — but do the Europeans even know it?«
Since 2019, A Speech to Europe, initiated by the ERSTE Foundation, has provided a fundamental reflection on the present and future of Europe. The venue is Vienna’s Judenplatz, which serves as a reminder that Europe can only be understood in the mirror of its history. The speech will be held in English. This event is free of charge and takes place outdoors at the Judenplatz Vienna.
A wonderful and very important speech. Erudite, hard-hitting, informative, interesting, and inspiring. Thank you, Anne Applebaum! — © Mark Alexander
Face à un Donald Trump pressé par le temps, la Chine joue la montre
LE FIGARO : DÉCRYPTAGE - Xi Jinping reçoit avec faste son homologue américain enlisé au Moyen-Orient, pour arracher un répit stratégique et des garanties sur Taïwan.
À Pékin, Xi Jinping offre un accueil impérial à Donald Trump, sans jamais déroger. Le président chinois accompagnera son hôte jeudi sur les dalles de pierre du Temple du Ciel, là où les empereurs accomplissaient jadis les rites confucéens en quête de récoltes propices et de certitudes face au chaos du monde.
Après la Cité interdite, en 2017, la Chine déroule à nouveau le tapis rouge au président américain, dans un autre haut lieu de son histoire, à l’occasion de la première visite d’un président américain depuis près d’une décennie, sur fond de rivalité stratégique au long cours.
Face aux caméras, la promenade des dirigeants projettera la force tranquille d’une seconde puissance mondiale tenant tête au trublion de l’Amérique d’abord, en pleine convulsion géopolitique au Moyen-Orient. La Chine entend travailler avec les États-Unis « sur un pied d’égalité » afin de développer la coopération, de gérer les différends et d’injecter « plus de certitude dans un monde instable et interdépendant », a déclaré Guo Jiakun, un porte-parole du ministère des Affaires étrangères, à la veille de cette visite qui débute ce 13 mai. » | Par Sébastien Falletti, correspondant en Asie | mercredi 13 mai 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
À Pékin, Xi Jinping offre un accueil impérial à Donald Trump, sans jamais déroger. Le président chinois accompagnera son hôte jeudi sur les dalles de pierre du Temple du Ciel, là où les empereurs accomplissaient jadis les rites confucéens en quête de récoltes propices et de certitudes face au chaos du monde.
Après la Cité interdite, en 2017, la Chine déroule à nouveau le tapis rouge au président américain, dans un autre haut lieu de son histoire, à l’occasion de la première visite d’un président américain depuis près d’une décennie, sur fond de rivalité stratégique au long cours.
Face aux caméras, la promenade des dirigeants projettera la force tranquille d’une seconde puissance mondiale tenant tête au trublion de l’Amérique d’abord, en pleine convulsion géopolitique au Moyen-Orient. La Chine entend travailler avec les États-Unis « sur un pied d’égalité » afin de développer la coopération, de gérer les différends et d’injecter « plus de certitude dans un monde instable et interdépendant », a déclaré Guo Jiakun, un porte-parole du ministère des Affaires étrangères, à la veille de cette visite qui débute ce 13 mai. » | Par Sébastien Falletti, correspondant en Asie | mercredi 13 mai 2026
Réservé aux abonnés
Is the US Empire in the Middle of a Long Decline? | The Bottom Line
May 11, 2026 | When the United States threatens to take over countries and destroy civilisations, “these are the wild gesticulations of a sinking enterprise”, argues Richard Wolff, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Massachusetts.
Wolff tells host Steve Clemons that US leaders refuse to face the reality that the US empire is in decline. Around the world, he adds, people are “deeply internalising” the lessons from the US's inability to defeat Iran.
The people in the US are becoming “bitterly angry” at their situation, where the richest 10 percent of Americans own 80 percent of corporate stocks, making the stock market “utterly irrelevant” to the masses.
Trump is a dunce in clown’s clothing! — © Mark Alexander
Wolff tells host Steve Clemons that US leaders refuse to face the reality that the US empire is in decline. Around the world, he adds, people are “deeply internalising” the lessons from the US's inability to defeat Iran.
The people in the US are becoming “bitterly angry” at their situation, where the richest 10 percent of Americans own 80 percent of corporate stocks, making the stock market “utterly irrelevant” to the masses.
Trump is a dunce in clown’s clothing! — © Mark Alexander
Violent Tobacco Black Market Wipes $6b from Federal Budget
FINANCIAL REVIEW: The booming illicit tobacco market has wiped $6 billion from the federal budget bottom line in just five months and revenue from tobacco excise is now forecast to plummet to just over $2 billion a year by 2030.
The government raked in more than $16 billion from tobacco taxes in 2020, but the continued raising of the excise sparked a violent black market trade run by criminal gangs that has decimated the legitimate market and resulted in a massive fall in revenue.
The government is now spending hundreds of millions of dollars on dealing with the fallout, including $14 million in the budget to boost the ability of states to disrupt the illicit tobacco and e-cigarette markets.
In the mid-year budget update, the government expected to raise $5.5 billion in tobacco excise in 2025-26. Five months later, that figure is now $4.1 billion, or 24 per cent lower than expected, and will fall to $2.1 billion by June 2030.
Legal cigarettes cost about $50, of which $34 is tax and excise, while the readily available illicit product is priced at about $15. NSW Premier Chris Minns in 2025 called on Chalmers to consider lowering the excise, saying it was contributing to the illegal tobacco industry, while economist Chris Richardson has labelled the continued raising of the excise one of the worst policies this century.
“We’ve cratered the tax take, stalled the fall in smoking rates, and invited organised crime into the everyday lives of more than a million Australians,” Richardson wrote in The Australian Financial Review in April.
The budget expert said the failure by successive governments to do anything about the issue meant it would now be much harder to fix.
“Organised crime will fight tooth and nail,” he said. “They’ve been a huge success at that already: after all, they fought the law, and the law lost. Given we’re now handing them a tasty $5 billion a year in risk-free revenue, they’ll be cashed up and cranky if serious efforts are made to reverse course.” » | Ronald Mizen | Political correspondent | Wednesday, May 13, 2026
And so it will be here in the UK with Starmer's stupid, undemocratic, illiberal, and ridiculous generational smoking ban! Mark my words! That law will have to be REVERSED, REPEALED! Free up the people! You will enchain them at society's PERIL. — © Mark Alexander
The government raked in more than $16 billion from tobacco taxes in 2020, but the continued raising of the excise sparked a violent black market trade run by criminal gangs that has decimated the legitimate market and resulted in a massive fall in revenue.
The government is now spending hundreds of millions of dollars on dealing with the fallout, including $14 million in the budget to boost the ability of states to disrupt the illicit tobacco and e-cigarette markets.
In the mid-year budget update, the government expected to raise $5.5 billion in tobacco excise in 2025-26. Five months later, that figure is now $4.1 billion, or 24 per cent lower than expected, and will fall to $2.1 billion by June 2030.
Legal cigarettes cost about $50, of which $34 is tax and excise, while the readily available illicit product is priced at about $15. NSW Premier Chris Minns in 2025 called on Chalmers to consider lowering the excise, saying it was contributing to the illegal tobacco industry, while economist Chris Richardson has labelled the continued raising of the excise one of the worst policies this century.
“We’ve cratered the tax take, stalled the fall in smoking rates, and invited organised crime into the everyday lives of more than a million Australians,” Richardson wrote in The Australian Financial Review in April.
The budget expert said the failure by successive governments to do anything about the issue meant it would now be much harder to fix.
“Organised crime will fight tooth and nail,” he said. “They’ve been a huge success at that already: after all, they fought the law, and the law lost. Given we’re now handing them a tasty $5 billion a year in risk-free revenue, they’ll be cashed up and cranky if serious efforts are made to reverse course.” » | Ronald Mizen | Political correspondent | Wednesday, May 13, 2026
And so it will be here in the UK with Starmer's stupid, undemocratic, illiberal, and ridiculous generational smoking ban! Mark my words! That law will have to be REVERSED, REPEALED! Free up the people! You will enchain them at society's PERIL. — © Mark Alexander
Steve Rosenberg: "Powerful Missiles" & "Downgraded Growth Forecasts" in Today's Russian Papers
Has the Iran War Destroyed Saudi Arabia’s Mega Project "Vision 2030"? | DW News
May 12, 2026
US Borrowing Exceeds GDP: What Does It Mean for the Economy? | This Is America
May 6, 2026 | For the first time since World War II, the United States national debt has exceeded the size of its economy.
Now standing at around $39tn, decades of deficit spending have pushed borrowing to historic levels. The government is spending about $1tn a year just on interest payments. Economists warn the debt trajectory is unsustainable, with projections showing it will continue to rise.
Higher borrowing costs are already affecting Americans through mortgages and loans. There are also concerns that global investors could lose confidence in US debt markets. If that happens, it could trigger a financial crisis with far-reaching consequences. So, how serious is the risk, and can Washington bring the debt under control?
Now standing at around $39tn, decades of deficit spending have pushed borrowing to historic levels. The government is spending about $1tn a year just on interest payments. Economists warn the debt trajectory is unsustainable, with projections showing it will continue to rise.
Higher borrowing costs are already affecting Americans through mortgages and loans. There are also concerns that global investors could lose confidence in US debt markets. If that happens, it could trigger a financial crisis with far-reaching consequences. So, how serious is the risk, and can Washington bring the debt under control?
Steve Schmidt: Trump Will Accelerate America's Decline
How Americans could have been so stupid and reckless as to elect, and even re-elect, this most unsuitable man into the White House is beyond belief! As I have said many times before, the man belongs in clink. And if Americans cannot bring themselves to incarcerate him, the least they should do is gag him, and enchain him to a rocking chair with a view over the ocean! Whilst this man holds the reins of power in the Occident, the Orient, and actually the whole wide world will remain unstable. — © Mark Alexander
Inflation Accelerates After Weeks of War in Iran
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Consumer Price Index rose 3.8 percent in April from a year earlier, as increasing energy costs replaced tariffs as the driver of higher prices for Americans.
Consumer prices in the United States rose last month at the fastest rate since May 2023, as sharp increases in energy costs caused by war in the Middle East made life more expensive for American consumers.
The Consumer Price Index rose 3.8 percent in April from a year earlier, the Labor Department reported on Tuesday, up from a 2.4 percent annual increase before the conflict started in February and a 3.3 percent increase in March.
The increase was driven largely by energy prices, up 3.8 percent since the previous month. But the “core” index, stripping out volatile food and energy prices, also rose 2.8 percent over the year in April, up from 2.6 percent in March. Live Updates » | Lydia DePillis | Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Consumer prices in the United States rose last month at the fastest rate since May 2023, as sharp increases in energy costs caused by war in the Middle East made life more expensive for American consumers.
The Consumer Price Index rose 3.8 percent in April from a year earlier, the Labor Department reported on Tuesday, up from a 2.4 percent annual increase before the conflict started in February and a 3.3 percent increase in March.
The increase was driven largely by energy prices, up 3.8 percent since the previous month. But the “core” index, stripping out volatile food and energy prices, also rose 2.8 percent over the year in April, up from 2.6 percent in March. Live Updates » | Lydia DePillis | Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Gericht stoppt Trump-Zölle: US-Regierung fürchtet Rückzahlungswelle
BERLINER ZEITUNG: Ein Urteil stoppt die globale Zehn-Prozent-Abgabe bislang nur für drei Kläger. Doch das US-Justizministerium warnt vor tausenden Erstattungsanträgen.
Die US-Regierung will das Urteil gegen Präsident Donald Trumps globale Zehn-Prozent-Zölle bis zum Ende des Berufungsverfahrens aussetzen lassen. Einen entsprechenden Antrag stellte das Justizministerium am Montag beim US-Außenhandelsgericht in New York. Darüber berichtet die Nachrichtenagentur Reuters. Wird dem Antrag stattgegeben, müssen die drei vom Urteil begünstigten Kläger die Zölle weiter zahlen, bis ein Berufungsgericht entschieden hat.
Urteil gilt bislang nur für drei Kläger
Das Außenhandelsgericht hatte die Zölle am 7. Mai mit zwei zu einer Stimme für rechtswidrig erklärt. Die Erhebung stoppte es zunächst aber nur für drei Kläger: die Importeure Basic Fun! und Burlap & Barrel sowie den Bundesstaat Washington. Für alle anderen Importeure gelten die Zölle laut Reuters weiter. » | Peter Steiniger | Dienstag, 12. Mai 2026
Die US-Regierung will das Urteil gegen Präsident Donald Trumps globale Zehn-Prozent-Zölle bis zum Ende des Berufungsverfahrens aussetzen lassen. Einen entsprechenden Antrag stellte das Justizministerium am Montag beim US-Außenhandelsgericht in New York. Darüber berichtet die Nachrichtenagentur Reuters. Wird dem Antrag stattgegeben, müssen die drei vom Urteil begünstigten Kläger die Zölle weiter zahlen, bis ein Berufungsgericht entschieden hat.
Urteil gilt bislang nur für drei Kläger
Das Außenhandelsgericht hatte die Zölle am 7. Mai mit zwei zu einer Stimme für rechtswidrig erklärt. Die Erhebung stoppte es zunächst aber nur für drei Kläger: die Importeure Basic Fun! und Burlap & Barrel sowie den Bundesstaat Washington. Für alle anderen Importeure gelten die Zölle laut Reuters weiter. » | Peter Steiniger | Dienstag, 12. Mai 2026
Britain’s Starmer Says He Will Not Resign
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Prime Minister Keir Starmer vowed to continue in office as he met with cabinet members. Dozens of Labour Party lawmakers had urged him to step down after heavy losses in local elections.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain dared his critics on Tuesday to formally challenge him if they had the support to do so, opening a high-stakes cabinet meeting by telling ministers that he intends to get on with the business of governing.
“The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and that has not been triggered,” Mr. Starmer said, according to a statement from his office. “The country expects us to get on with governing. That is what I am doing and what we must do as a cabinet.”
Mr. Starmer was facing a fast-moving rebellion within his party after it suffered major losses in last week’s local elections in England, and in parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales. Dozens of Labour Party lawmakers have publicly urged him to set out a timetable for his resignation to allow a contest to find his successor.
Miatta Fahnbulleh, a junior minister, resigned from the government just as the cabinet meeting started, writing in a post directed at Mr. Starmer on social media that “the public does not believe that you can lead this change — and nor do I.”
But the prime minister appears unwilling to go quietly. In his remarks to his cabinet, he repeated comments from a speech on Monday in which he warned that a leadership fight would not be good for the country.
If Mr. Starmer refuses to quit under pressure, his critics would need to gather at least 81 Labour lawmakers to coalesce around a potential rival. That would formally trigger a leadership contest. It was unclear on Tuesday morning whether they had enough support to make that happen.
Some of Mr. Starmer’s fiercest critics do not want him to leave office immediately, but rather to announce that he will step down in the fall. That would give the party time to organize a contest to succeed him that might include Andy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, who appears to have political momentum behind him. But Mr. Burnham would need to win a seat in Parliament first in a special election, something that was certain to take weeks if not months. Live Updates » | Michael D. Shear and Stephen Castle | Reporting from London | Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain dared his critics on Tuesday to formally challenge him if they had the support to do so, opening a high-stakes cabinet meeting by telling ministers that he intends to get on with the business of governing.
“The Labour Party has a process for challenging a leader and that has not been triggered,” Mr. Starmer said, according to a statement from his office. “The country expects us to get on with governing. That is what I am doing and what we must do as a cabinet.”
Mr. Starmer was facing a fast-moving rebellion within his party after it suffered major losses in last week’s local elections in England, and in parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales. Dozens of Labour Party lawmakers have publicly urged him to set out a timetable for his resignation to allow a contest to find his successor.
Miatta Fahnbulleh, a junior minister, resigned from the government just as the cabinet meeting started, writing in a post directed at Mr. Starmer on social media that “the public does not believe that you can lead this change — and nor do I.”
But the prime minister appears unwilling to go quietly. In his remarks to his cabinet, he repeated comments from a speech on Monday in which he warned that a leadership fight would not be good for the country.
If Mr. Starmer refuses to quit under pressure, his critics would need to gather at least 81 Labour lawmakers to coalesce around a potential rival. That would formally trigger a leadership contest. It was unclear on Tuesday morning whether they had enough support to make that happen.
Some of Mr. Starmer’s fiercest critics do not want him to leave office immediately, but rather to announce that he will step down in the fall. That would give the party time to organize a contest to succeed him that might include Andy Burnham, the mayor of Manchester, who appears to have political momentum behind him. But Mr. Burnham would need to win a seat in Parliament first in a special election, something that was certain to take weeks if not months. Live Updates » | Michael D. Shear and Stephen Castle | Reporting from London | Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Putin Hints Ukraine War "Is Coming to an End." Do Today's Russian Papers Agree?
Pressure on Starmer Mounts as Dozens of Labour Lawmakers Call on Him to Quit
THE NEW YOTK TIMES: The chances of a leadership challenge against Prime Minister Keir Starmer appeared to rise sharply on Monday as several government aides announced their resignations.
Screenshot taken from this NYT article. | Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Monday. “I get it. I feel it. And I take responsibility,” he said of last week’s results. | Carl Court/Getty Images
Dozens of Labour Party lawmakers called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign on Monday, effectively rejecting their leader’s efforts to quell a mutiny in the party ranks and raising the likelihood of a bruising leadership battle.
Mr. Starmer began the day with a speech he hoped would quiet the brewing rebellion, acknowledging the anger expressed by voters last week when they overwhelmingly rejected Labour Party candidates in elections across England, Scotland and Wales.
“That hurts and it should hurt,” he said. “I get it. I feel it. And I take responsibility.”
But the speech appears to have done little to appease Labour Party members who blame Mr. Starmer’s deep unpopularity with voters for historic defeats in the contests for municipal council seats and control of the Scottish and Welsh parliaments.
By the end of the day on Monday, news organizations had tallied more than 70 Labour lawmakers who publicly said they wanted a fresh start. Several junior government aides resigned to protest his decision to stay on. » | Michael D. Shear | Reporting from London | Monday, May 11, 2026
Dozens of Labour Party lawmakers called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to resign on Monday, effectively rejecting their leader’s efforts to quell a mutiny in the party ranks and raising the likelihood of a bruising leadership battle.
Mr. Starmer began the day with a speech he hoped would quiet the brewing rebellion, acknowledging the anger expressed by voters last week when they overwhelmingly rejected Labour Party candidates in elections across England, Scotland and Wales.
“That hurts and it should hurt,” he said. “I get it. I feel it. And I take responsibility.”
But the speech appears to have done little to appease Labour Party members who blame Mr. Starmer’s deep unpopularity with voters for historic defeats in the contests for municipal council seats and control of the Scottish and Welsh parliaments.
By the end of the day on Monday, news organizations had tallied more than 70 Labour lawmakers who publicly said they wanted a fresh start. Several junior government aides resigned to protest his decision to stay on. » | Michael D. Shear | Reporting from London | Monday, May 11, 2026
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)