Good morning. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is set to land in China shortly, having spoken to journalists aboard his flight. As often occurs when a British leader travels overseas, domestic political concerns have followed him across continents, refusing to be left behind.
Starmer's Byelection Challenge Against Reform UK
As political editor Pippa Crerar reports, Starmer was questioned about the forthcoming Gorton and Denton byelection. Yesterday, Reform UK announced its candidate: Matt Goodwin, a GB News presenter and hard-right commentator. Starmer asserted that only the Labour Party can defeat Reform in this constituency.
He stated emphatically: "There’s only one party to stop Reform and that’s the Labour party. We can already see what the byelection is going to be about, which is Labour values which are about delivering on the cost of living with a strong record in that constituency of what we’ve already done versus Reform."
Starmer went on to criticise Reform UK's approach, saying: "You can see from their candidate what politics they’re going to bring to that constituency: the politics of division, of toxic division, of tearing people apart. That’s not what that constituency is about, it’s not what Manchester is about, so this is a straight fight between Labour and Reform."
Not everyone concurs with this assessment. The Green Party would certainly dispute Starmer's characterisation, and bookmakers' odds suggest a more complex electoral landscape than a simple two-party contest.
Human Rights on the Agenda in Beijing
Alongside domestic political manoeuvring, Starmer confirmed he intends to address sensitive international matters during his visit. He pledged to "raise the issues that need to be raised" on human rights when he meets Chinese leader Xi Jinping tomorrow.
This commitment comes amid ongoing diplomatic efforts concerning Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, whose case has drawn significant international attention and calls for his release.
Today's Political Diary
The political landscape remains busy both at home and abroad. Here is the agenda for the day:
- Around 9.30am (UK time): Keir Starmer arrives in Beijing. He will later deliver a speech to a business delegation at approximately 11.45am UK time.
- 10am: Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch is scheduled to give a speech criticising what she terms the 'psychodrama' of both Reform UK and the Labour Party.
- Noon: Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy will stand in for Keir Starmer during Prime Minister's Questions.
- 1.30pm: Scotland's First Minister, John Swinney, will deliver a speech in Edinburgh focusing on international affairs.
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