Starmer sticks by manifesto pledge not to raise taxes amid tariff turmoil – UK politics live

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Starmer signals fiscal rules won't be changed, saying 'there's enough uncertainty as it is'

During the Q&A Sam Coates from Sky News asked Keir Starmer if he could pledge to keep Rachel Reeves’s fiscal rules “exactly as they are” for the whole of this parliament.

Starmer replied:

The fiscal rules were put in for a purpose, and that is because Liz Truss tried an experiment with this country of putting to one side fiscal rules and checks and balances. And that caused a massive impact on the lives of working people as inflation and interest rates went through the roof.

We are not prepared to inflict that kind of damage on working people. That’s why we put the fiscal rules in the first place, to create that kind of stability.

It’s why we were able to invest at the budget and set out, as we did, the steps for the future in the spring statement. Now is the time to build on that …

So the reaction to the challenges of the last few days is not for us to say, ‘Well, the first thing we’ll now do is put to one side our fiscal rules.’ It is to remind people why we put them in place in the first place, which is to create the certainty that we need.

There is enough uncertainty and insecurity as it is. Our job is to calmly and pragmatically take forward these really important steps today for our country.

That was a strong argument for not changing the fiscal rules. But, because Starmer did not explicitly rule out changing the fiscal rules, lobby correspondents at first thought there might be some significance in the omission.

Alex Wickham from Bloomberg said:

Keir Starmer does not commit to fiscal rules remaining completely unchanged for the full Parliament, asked by @SamCoatesSky

And Harry Cole from the Sun said:

PM commits to the tax lock.... some debate over whether the fiscal rules survive too

Someone seems to have had a word to clear this up, because Wickham subsequented posted this.

No10 stresses fiscal rules are iron clad and non negotiable

And Cole posted this.

No10 insist there is no debate about the Fiscal Rules...

Keir Starmer giving his speech at a Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) car factory in Birmingham. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AFP/Getty Images

Starmer says UK will need more steel and 'all options on the table' to protect Scunthorpe steel plant

Q: What measures will the government take to protect the Scunthorpe steelworks? Will you consider nationalisation?

Starmer says he will not discuss particular measures for steel.

But he says the car announcements today are “not the extent of my ambition when it comes to car manufacturing or any other business or sector”. He goes on:

I think we can go further and faster, and we will do so.

I’m not indicating there a particular measure. But I am indicating an openness of mind to go further.

On steel in particular, he said it was “part of our heritage”. He went on:

Our plans for growth are going to require more steel, and therefore the demand for steel is going to go up, not down, and that’s why it’s important that we support our steel industry.

I’m really pleased that in Port Talbot, we were able to ensure there was a better deal.

I’m really pleased that we’ve set aside £2.5bn pounds for the future of steel. I’m very pleased that we’re working with and discussing the situation in Scunthorpe, which is extremely worrying … and all options are on the table.

Mark Brown has filed a good article today on what the closure of the steelworks would mean for Scunthorpe.

Q: [From the Sun] Can you rule out the Red Arrows planes being replaced by Russian jets?

That is a reference to this Sun story.

Starmer says that will be uppermost in his mind. He says he will not allow Russian influence in this.

Starmer says he remains committed to manifesto pledge not to raise income tax, VAT or employee NICs

Q: Will you stick to your pledge not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT?

Starmer says that is a commitment he will keep.

He says the government cannot just reach for taxes when it needs money; it must promote growth.

Starmer resists call to cancel Trump's state visit invitation, saying it's not in UK's interest to 'rip up' relationship with US

Q: [From ITV’s Robert Peston] The US stock market has now crashed. Have you told Trump his tariffs are making the world poorer? And isn’t it time to rescind the state visit invitation?

Starmer says nobody welcomes tariffs. That has been his position, he says.

He says it is “not in our interest to simply rip up that relationship”.

That implies the state visit is still on.

Starmer says further measures to help car sector and life sciences to come

Starmer is now taking question.

Q: [From the BBC’s Chris Mason] Isn’t the truth that you cannot protect people from global factors like the Trump tariffs?

Starmer says at a moment like this you have to shape your future.

We can’t cowed and simply say, there are things happening in a changing world which make it more difficult, and therefore we retreat. This is the moment to seize that opportunity, and that’s why I’m absolutely clear in my mind.

He says the government will respond in two ways.

First, it will turbocharge measures to help domestic industries. He says he has mentioned two today, covering the car industry, and life sciences. He goes on:

By the way they’re a statement of intent. That is not the extent of the turbocharging – it is simply early examples in the areas most impacted.

And, second, the government will talk to other countries about lowering barriers to trade, he says.

Starmer says he will cut time needed to get licences for clinical trials, to help life sciences sector

Starmer is now talking about the life sciences.

This sector is another example of British brilliance, he says.

But it is held back by bureaucracy.

He says he going to change that. Currently it takes 250 days to get a licence for a clinical trial. That will come down to 150 days, he says.

And the government will invest up to £600m in new health data research service, in partnership with Wellcome Trust

Starmer is now summarising the EV announcement today.

And he makes the cost of living argument that was in his Times article. (See 11.38am.)

Starmer says anyone who talks down British industry should come to this JLR plant.

There are people in this country who love to talk down our manufacturing. They say we don’t make anything important anymore.

But that’s not Britain … Anyone who’s talking down manufacturing, I’d say, come here to JLR and see what you’re doing. And they wouldn’t say it again,

Because just as I’ve said when we were going around earlier, what I saw made me proud, and I hope, if you feel proud of what you’re doing. You are entitled to feel proud of what you are doing. This is British brilliance in the flesh.

Starmer says his father was an engineer.

He taught me, as I was growing up, that you should value the things that we make, and that is what’s brilliant about manufacturing. And manufacturing shapes the identity of a place, this place, and of a community and of a country, and that’s how it gets in your blood, which is why electric vehicles are so important.

Starmer says we live in a new era, where the old assumpions don’t apply any more. He says he has called this the age of insecurity.

Insecurity may sweep away things we cherish. He goes on:

Trust me, I know people will be feeling like that right now.

But to those people I say, we have your back.

This government will not just sit back and hope. That is how politics has failed you in recent years.

He says the government is rewiring the way the state operates to make it better serve the interests of working people.

Starmer says global consequences of Trump tariffs 'could be profound'

Starmer says:

Nobody is pretending that tariffs are good news. You know that better than anyone – 25% tariffs on automotive exports and 10% on other goods, that is a huge challenge for our future, and the global economic consequences could be profound.