Sir Keir Starmer has said work has already begun to improve the UK’s Brexit deal with the EU as Labour pursues closer ties with the bloc.

The Prime Minister said he was confident of securing a better agreement with Brussels than the one struck by Boris Johnson four years ago, with stronger links on trade and security.

He made the remarks as David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, met key players from EU nations on a tour of Europe, in his first overseas trip.

Speaking to reporters in Edinburgh on Sunday, Sir Keir said: “We intend to improve our relationship with the EU and that means closer trading ties with the EU, it means closer ties in relation to research and development and closer ties in relation to defence and security.

“Obviously, there are many discussions to be had and negotiations to be had.

“But I do think that we can get a much better deal than the botched deal that Boris Johnson saddled the UK with.”

He added that it depends on “respectful relationships, talking to leaders across the EU, and of course that work has already begun”.

In an interview on his mini-European tour, which covered Germany, Poland and Sweden, David Lammy reiterated Labour’s ambition to secure a new UK-EU security pact, revealing that it could include co-operation on issues such as illegal migration, pandemics and climate change.

Speaking to The Guardian, he also said he had accepted an invitation from the EU to attend a meeting of the bloc’s foreign affairs council in September, a step-change from the approach of previous Tory governments.

Labour sources previously said they would speak to the EU about establishing occasional access to the forum in an attempt to build a more structured dialogue.

They suggested engagement could mirror that of the US, pointing to Anthony Blinken, the Secretary of State, as one example of an non-EU foreign minister who has attended the meetings in the past.

The idea was raised by former Tory foreign secretary Lord Hague after Brexit but never pursued by the Conservatives. Instead, successive administrations tended to opt for bilateral discussions with individual ministers.

In his interview, he said Labour had been speaking to the EU about forming an “ambitious security pact” for “the last few years”.

“I think there is an appetite, particularly following the war in Ukraine and the challenges that the EU faces in relation to energy and climate, to go broader than just defence,” he added.

Asked whether the security ties could extend to areas such as illegal migration, global health threats and de-carbonisation, he said: “Yes.”

The pact would see the UK and the EU work together more closely.

However, Labour is said to be planning a joint declaration, as opposed to a legally-binding deal, which should be quicker to take effect.

Embarking on his tour of Europe over the weekend, Mr Lammy said his talks with EU counterparts were “just the beginning” of his attempt to “reset” relations with the bloc.

Labour has insisted that it has no intention of rejoining the EU single market or customs union or restoring free movement.

But the party does want to “improve” the UK-EU trade deal agreed by the Tories in 2020. In particular, Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, has said that Labour would look to strike deals in the chemical and veterinary sectors.

Writing for The Local, a European news website, Mr Lammy said his talks over the weekend were “just the beginning” of Labour’s efforts to rebuild Britain’s partnership with the EU.

He said: “Over centuries, our individual and national stories have come together to tell a wider story of shared progress. Today, we all share a commitment to democracy, human rights and international law.

“Tragic experiences in our continent’s shared past have helped us to understand how our shared security and prosperity depend on these shared values. And I believe these values also offer a foundation for closer partnership in the future.

“My visit this weekend is just the beginning. I look forward to seeing Britain reconnect with our European neighbours in the years ahead.”

Simon Harris, the Irish premier, has said the EU wants to work more closely with Sir Keir Starmer on relations with the UK.

Willingness

Speaking to Sky News, the Taoiseach said that there would be a “willingness” in Europe to work with a Labour government to deliver veterinary agreements and “student mobility”.

He said: “Is there space to have a veterinary agreement, is there space in terms of student mobility, is there space to work closer together on issues? I think there absolutely is.

“And I do think there would be a willingness in Europe to have those conversations in due course, should that be the wish of the British government.”

Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, said that he welcomed the “constructive attitude” from other European countries.

He told Sky: “We’ve got the same standards as the European Union, if we can sell more whiskey, more salmon, to a market which is so significant to us, of course we should explore an opportunity like that.”

Put the Brexit years behind us

But he insisted that the Government was not “open” to the free movement of people, insisting that they would not be “revisiting” the issue.

Mr Lammy, who voted Remain and advocated for a second Brexit referendum, said ahead of his trip that it was time to “put the Brexit years behind us”.

In his article for The Local, he vowed to “reset relations with Europe as a reliable partner, a dependable ally and a good neighbour”.

“That is why I am travelling immediately to some of our key European partners. Sitting down with Germany’s Annalena Baerbock, Poland’s Radek Sikorski and Sweden’s Tobias Billström, my message will be simple: let us seize the opportunity for a reset, working even more closely together to tackle shared challenges,” he said.

The Foreign Secretary also said Labour will “champion” EU holidays and school exchanges, which critics argue have been hindered by Brexit.

He said: “We must do more to champion the ties between our people and our culture. Holidays, family ties, school and student exchanges, the arts, and sport (I was, of course, cheering on England in the Euros…). Thanks to this, our citizens benefit from the rich diversity of our continent.”

On his trip to Scotland, ahead of visits to Wales and Northern Ireland on Monday, Sir Keir also vowed to save hundreds of jobs at the nation’s last oil refinery, as he set Labour’s sights on defeating the SNP at the next Holyrood election.

The Prime Minister, who travelled to Edinburgh on Sunday for his first official engagement, said he was “very concerned” at the situation at the Grangemouth plant and revealed work had already begun on a rescue plan.

The operator of Grangemouth, Petroineos, has warned operations at the refinery could cease as early as next year, which would result in the loss of at least 400 jobs. The 215,000 barrel per day refinery, part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos empire, is seen as vital to UK infrastructure.

Suella Braverman’s prospective Conservative leadership campaign has been dealt a blow after a key ally abandoned her. 

The former home secretary has seen the campaign organiser from her Autumn 2022 leadership bid switch allegiance to Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister, who is also widely expected to throw his hat into the ring to replace Rishi Sunak.

Danny Kruger, co-chair of the New Conservatives, a right-wing grouping of MPs, is understood to be now backing Mr Jenrick, who quit his Cabinet post over the refusal by Rishi Sunak to take a tougher approach to immigration.

Both Mrs Braverman and Mr Jenrick pushed Mr Sunak to block any appeals against Rwanda deportation on human rights grounds, have called for the UK to quit the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and proposed a cap on net migration, which was finally accepted for the Tories’ election manifesto.

However, Mrs Braverman has faced criticism from some MPs for her attacks on the campaign’s blunders before the polls closed and is the only prospective candidate to have suggested an accommodation with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

“These interventions have made her so unpopular that it’s not going to work. There’s a lot of affection for Suella but some of the things she has done showed a lack of judgement. It’s a pity,” said a senior Tory.

“Private polling is clear. It basically says that party members want the policies of Nigel Farage and the presentation of [Lord] David Cameron.”

Mrs Braverman and Mr Jenrick as well as former health secretary Victoria Atkins all took to the airwaves on Sunday to present their assessment of the Tory defeat – although all refused to say whether they would be standing.

Kemi Badenoch, the former business and trade secretary, is seen as a frontrunner with Priti Patel, another former home secretary, and Tom Tugendhat, the former security minister, also said to be considering pitching for the leadership.

On Sunday, speaking to GB News’s Camilla Tominey, Mrs Braverman said that parts of the Tory party still wanted “more of the same”, but she warned: “We’ve all got to be searingly honest, it’s going to be uncomfortable for some people, or we don’t have any hope of fixing it.”

She said she was having “lots of conversations with colleagues” surrounding a potential leadership bid. “I’m very flattered and very encouraged by what people are saying to me. But this is a really difficult time for our party, there are lots of things to think about,” she added. “We need to agree on the diagnosis of the problem before we reach a resolution on the prescription.”

Mr Jenrick said that migration was “at the heart” of the loss of trust in the Conservatives, citing the number of votes the party had lost to Reform UK.

Echoing the words of Ms Braverman, he said: “I’ve been a member of this party since 1997 when I was 16 years of age. I’ve been with it through thick and thin. I want to ensure that it has the right diagnosis of what’s gone wrong, and that diagnosis is not about personalities. It’s about principles and ideas.”

One Tory said one of the two should stand aside as it would be a mistake for both to challenge for the leadership. “Robert has appeal to the right because of his stance on migration but has an urbanity that also appeals to the centre of the party,” they said.

Ms Atkins, who is from the One Nation centre-left grouping in the party, appeared to pitch herself as a unity candidate. She said that the Tories must talk as a “unified party” and insisted that the public was still “instinctively Conservative”, wanting lower taxes and to “thrive in their personal lives and their livelihoods”.

Supporters of Ms Patel also portrayed her as a unity candidate, in being from the Right of the party but having drawn support from those from the centre and left in the form David Gauke and George Osborne.

A special operations general has become the most senior officer in centuries to be charged with sexual assault.

Maj Gen James Roddis, who recently left the British Army, is due to attend Bulford Military Court Centre late this month to enter a plea.

Maj Gen Roddis, who was one of the pallbearers who helped carry Prince Philip’s coffin in 2021, has received a number of accolades over his military career.

They include a Distinguished Service Order which is given for highly successful command and leadership during active operations.

He was made an MBE and also earned two Queen’s Commendations for Valuable Service in 2008 and 2017.  

Until recently Maj Gen Roddis, who has been charged under Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, was the director of strategy for Strategic Command – an organisation comprised of special forces and intelligence units with a focus on the cyber and electromagnetic domains.

In 2014, Maj Gen Roddis was the commanding officer of The Highlanders, which consisted of troops from the 4th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, who were then the last Scottish battalion to serve in a combat role in Afghanistan.

The last time a Major General faced court-martial was in 2021 when Maj Gen Nick Welch was convicted of fraud regarding school fees.

Welch, who left the military in 2018, was convicted of a single fraud charge in March 2021 and was jailed for 21 months for falsely claiming more than £48,000 in allowances to pay for his children’s boarding school fees.

It is unusual for an officer of Roddis’ rank to face court martial.

In 1815 Sir John Murray, a Lieutenant General, was convicted of abandoning his siege guns without due cause in the Napoleonic wars. He was cautioned and denied permission to become a member of the Order of the Bath.

Roddis’ case is expected to go to trial later this year before a jury of military officers, according to the Mail on Sunday. 

The 52-year-old married father of three was charged after the Service Prosecuting Authority, the military equivalent of the Crown Prosecution Service, reviewed his case.

The Telegraph contacted Maj Gen Roddis for comment.

An army spokesman said: “We expect very high standards of behaviour from all our personnel and take any allegations of misconduct extremely seriously.

“Ex-Major General James Roddis will appear at Bulford Military Court Centre on 17th July 2024 charged with Sexual Assault contrary to Section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. We will not offer further comment while legal proceedings are ongoing.”

Bergerac will return to TV screens with a new face in the leading role.

The original crime drama aired on the BBC from 1981 to 1991, and followed Jim Bergerac, a detective on the Channel Island of Jersey.

Bergerac will now be played by Damien Molony, who was Hal Yorke in BBC Three’s Being Human, in a reimagining of the original material which is being produced by UKTV.

Producers have promised a modern twist on the much-loved crime classic, which originally starred John Nettles in the role of the troubled titular detective.

The new series will feature My Family actress Zoë Wanamaker and Life on Mars star Philip Glenister and will differ from the original in format, following one case over six episodes, rather than having a crime in each instalment.

Stars including Happy Valley’s James Norton and Poldark’s Aidan Turner had been linked to the role before it was secured by Mr Molony, who said: “I’m incredibly excited to be stepping into the role of Jim Bergerac.

“John Nettles has left an incredible legacy with big shoes to fill, and I hope I can bring a fresh new take on this iconic character. I can’t wait for audiences to join me on this journey.”

Bergerac will begin as a man grappling with grief and alcoholism following his wife’s recent death, and struggling to care for his daughter.  Like the original series, the action will take place in Jersey.

Tricia Warwick, chief executive of Visit Jersey, said: “For many, the words ‘Jersey’ and ‘Bergerac’ are synonymous, and we are delighted for the iconic TV series to return to our island’s beautiful shores for filming this summer.

“The modern re-imagining of Bergerac presents an opportunity to celebrate the show’s legacy in Jersey, whilst reaching a new generation of fans who will be eager to ‘jet set’ to the featured locations.”

Anglo-Saxons will be played by a diverse cast in a new BBC historical drama about the Battle of Hastings.

The eight-part series King and Conqueror will tell the story of Harold and William’s epoch-defining struggle for the throne of England in 1066.

Some Anglo-Saxon characters, including a real 11th-century leader, will be played by a diverse set of actors.

Jason Forbes and Elander Moore have joined the cast of the drama which boasts James Norton and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in starring roles.

Adding diversity to a high medieval period setting follows the BBC’s “colour-blind” casting of non-white stars as Tudor courtiers in another upcoming historical drama, Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light.

King and Conqueror is a CBS Studios co-production series acquired by the BBC.

When announced in 2023, CBS Studios executive Lindsey Martin said the scripts would offer “a bold and fresh take on a story that has endured for nearly 1,000 years”.

The BBC said at the time that the series would bring “Harold and William to life” with details of their personal lives, adding: “In the UK we learn about William the Conqueror, the Battle of Hastings and King Harold’s gruesome death in our school history lessons – but those headlines are all most of us can remember.”

The cast includes Norton as Harold Godwinson and Game of Thrones star Coster-Waldau as William, Duke of Normandy, alongside co-stars Juliet Stevenson and Clemence Poesy.

Without any official announcement, further details have emerged of greater diversity in the cast, with up-and-coming talents Forbes and Moore chosen for the roles of Anglo-Saxons.

Forbes will play the fictional character Thane Thomas, with the “thanes” being a layer of nobility in the ethnically homogeneous society of Anglo-Saxon England.

Moore, of Trinidadian descent, will play the real historical figure of Morcar, an Earl of Northumbria who fought against Viking and Norman invaders, before being subdued by William after the battle of Hastings.

Morcar, whose parents were Anglo-Saxon nobles, later rebelled against William’s rule. The colour-blind approach has drawn criticism, with historian and sometime BBC collaborator Dr Zareer Masani saying: “Some of us, including people of colour, grew up thinking actors ought to look like characters they played.”

He warned that going against this approach could be “hugely confusing and downright misleading” adding that it was “absolutely crazy that they’ve applied this colour-blindness to a period when Britain was at its least multicultural, before even the Norman Conquest”.

Cambridge historian Prof David Abulafia, referencing the recent decision of the Anglo-Saxon England journal to scrap its name, said: “ Since the whole series will undoubtedly bear little relation to historical fact, I think we shall have to put up with the bizarre notion that there were black earls in Anglo-Saxon England.

“All the more so, since we are no longer supposed to talk about ‘Anglo-Saxons’. If they didn’t exist, we can do what we like.”

Several period series have chosen to disregard realistic depictions of historical demographics to facilitate a diverse cast.

Bridgerton, based on a series of romantic novels, has cast non-white stars for the roles of multiple Regency-era nobles, and Queen Charlotte.

It emerged in April 2024 that the follow-up series to the acclaimed Wolf Hall would employ a diverse cast to portray courtiers in 16th-century England, including the portrayal of white historical figures.

Lady Margery Seymour, the mother of Jane Seymour, would be played by Sarah Priddy, a British actress of Bahamian descent. Seymour’s sister-in-law Anne would be played by Cecilia Appiah, a British mixed-race actress, and Thomas Wyatt, the Tudor courtier and poet who introduced the sonnet to England, by Amir El-Masry, an Egyptian-British actor.

The BBC and CBS Studios have been contacted for comment.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has revealed that years ago his wife felt pressured into having an abortion by hospital staff who feared their child would have a disability.

The Most Rev Justin Welby’s daughter, Ellie Welby, 32, was born with dyspraxia, a condition causing difficulty in coordination and movement.

Speaking to the General Synod, the Church’s legislative body, the Archbishop said when his wife, Caroline, was pregnant, it was “expected” that she would ask for a termination if a disability test she was offered came back positive.

He added that staff brought up the cost of raising a child with a disability when advising him and his wife on their decision.

The Archbishop said: “Before [Ellie] was born, during the pregnancy, there was some concern and a test was offered, but it was made very, very clear to my wife that if the test was taken and proved positive, it would be expected that we ask for a termination.

“It was not a neutral process, because they said it’s expensive.”

Support for families

The Archbishop’s comments came during a motion on disabled children put forward by the Ven Pete Spiers, an archdeacon from Liverpool, challenging the assumption that bringing a disabled child into the world is a tragedy.

Archdeacon Spiers urged healthcare providers to improve the support they give to the parents and families of disabled children and called on the Government to ensure they are provided with unbiased information about their unborn child’s condition.

He also implored the Church to consider ways of improving the human dignity of disabled children by offering better advice and support to parents and families.

The Archbishop told Church leaders gathered in York that his daughter was “exceptionally precious”. He said: “She’s precious because she’s wonderful, she’s kind, she is someone who gets cross and gets happy and gets sad. She’s not that severely disabled.

“She’s been chucked off a bus, or tried to be on one occasion, by a ticket inspector who didn’t believe that her disability card was genuine.”

‘Belief in human dignity’

He added that his family once discussed: “What would happen if she was healed, what would it look like? And one of the other children said: ‘She wouldn’t be Ellie.’

“I hope that this motion passes, not just because of Ellie, but because of our belief in human dignity.”

The motion, which passed by 312 votes to none, included emotional testimonies from other speakers who either lived with a disability or who cared for people with a disability.

The Archbishop has previously said he does not pray for his daughter in relation to her disability because it is part of her.

Under the current law, abortions are permitted until 24 weeks in most circumstances. However, if there is a “substantial risk” of a child being “seriously handicapped”, then an abortion can take place up to birth.

The Church has long campaigned against abortions on the grounds of disability, describing the law as “discriminatory” during a 2013 parliamentary debate.

This is the moment a herd of 45 cows broke loose and charged down a residential street.

Footage shows Leon Box, 16, racing away from the animals as they run past houses in Ripon, North Yorkshire.

The boy had gone out to the corner of their street after hearing cows were on the loose but was taken aback when he saw them bearing down on him.

His mother Jess, 36, said the whole family ran out to see the animals pass their home at around 8.10pm on Friday.

She believes the cows pushed through a kissing gate from the field at the end of their street.

‘An earthquake’

Mrs Box, who works for a housing association, said: “It sounded like an earthquake.

“My eldest had just got to the corner. A few of his friends have said there are some cows loose. They couldn’t see any road – just a load of cows.

Her electrician husband Matt, 37, and their two younger children Charlie, nine, and Archie, seven, watched as the herd ran into their neighbours’ gardens, before heading into town.

The family said it took a few hours for all the cows to be herded up, with the help of North Yorkshire police.

Mrs Box added: “They made a mess. There is quite a lot of excrement. It’s pretty gross. Quite a lot of people have said it’s the funniest thing they’ve seen.”

North Yorkshire Police have been contacted for comment.