UK election latest: Starmer makes 'hugely important' visit to Scotland as he kicks off first tour of UK (2024)

By Tim Baker, political reporter

The government is to divert tens of millions of pounds from the Rwanda scheme to set up a new Border Security Command (BSC), as it announces its plans to tackle illegal migration.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has also announced an audit of the monies sent to Kigali as the Labour administration looks to find ways to save or recoup cash committed under the Conservatives.

Ms Cooper plans to raise the issue of illegal migration with her European colleagues at the European Political Community Summit on 18 July.

Before the general election, Sir Keir Starmer said his party wanted to send around £75m a year to their new border scheme, from the scrapped Rwanda deportation programme.

The prime minister described the Conservative-era plans to send asylum seekers to Africa as "dead and buried" earlier this weekend.

However, it is understood Labour has not reached out to Kigali to discuss the way forward, as the previous UK government promised hundreds of millions of pounds for migrants to be sent to Rwanda.

Read more below:

Defence Secretary John Healey has already met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, with the Labour government making a new pledge on sending arms to Ukraine.

Mr Healey also promised that the equipment Rishi Sunak announced in April will be delivered within the first 100 days of the new government.

He said: "Our commitment to stand with the Ukrainian people is absolute, as is our resolve to confront Russian aggression and pursue Putin for his war crimes.

"This government is steadfast in our commitment to continue supplying military assistance and will stand shoulder to shoulder with our Ukrainian friends for as long as it takes."

The newly promised package of aid includes:

• A quarter of a million of 50 calibre ammunition;
• 90 anti-armour Brimstone missiles;
• 50 small military boats to support river and coastal operations;
• 40 de-mining vehicles;
• 10 AS-90 artillery guns;
• 61 bulldozers to help build defensive positions;
• Support for previously gifted AS-90s.

The new home secretary has wasted little time in getting started in her role - launching the promised Border Security Command (BSC) just days after her appointment.

The BSC was one of the cornerstones of Sir Keir Starmer's manifesto - Labour's solution to the small boats crisis.

The set-up is being at least partly funded by diverting £75m from the now cancelled Rwanda scheme.

Yvette Cooper has set out the first steps for establishing the BSC, which promises to "strengthen Britain's borders security and smash the criminal smuggling gangs making millions out of small boat crossings".

The plan includes the rapid recruitment of an "exceptional leader", which begins tomorrow.

'We can't carry on like this'

The new recruit, who is expected to take up their post in the coming weeks, will report directly to the office of the home secretary.

They will be tasked with providing a "strategic direction" across agencies, including the National Crime Agency, police, immigration enforcement, and the Border Force.

Ms Cooper is also preparing early legislation which will introduce new counter-terror style powers for the BSC, and has commissioned an investigation into the routes and tactics used by smuggling gangs.

She said it would be a "major step change" in the UK's efforts to tackle organised immigration crime, working "across Europe" and co-ordinating with prosecutors on the continent.

"We can't carry on like this," she said, adding the BSC will act as a "major upgrade" on the immigration system Labour have inherited.

Sir Keir Starmer has just spoken alongside the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who introduced the new PM to a rapturous applause of party supporters in Edinburgh.

After a long intro from his Scottish colleague, Sir Keir says it's "hugely important" for him to visit the devolved nations as soon as possible.

"That was an incredible election result, a historic result and a real mandate for change - we start here," he says.

He says there's nothing "inevitable" about an election win, adding "we won because we campaigned as changed Labour".

"We [will] govern in the same spirit… we will serve the entirety of Scotland, we will serve every single person in Scotland because that change matters to everyone."

Our political correspondentAmanda Akasssays the speech was a reminder of the unique opportunity Sir Keir has to unite the UK's devolved administrations.

Scottish Labour "really rose out of the ashes of their previous defeats" in this week's general election, she says, going from one MP to 37.

The PM wants those new MPs "to be a big part of the government in Westminster to deliver for the people of Scotland as part of that mandate for change".

He'll also be meeting First Minister John Swinney, as part of what he hopes will be a "reset" in relations between Westminster and Holyrood.

Sir Keir Starmer is giving a speech following a meeting with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar in Edinburgh this afternoon.

It comes at the start of the PM's first UK tour - once he's finished north of the border he'll be going to Wales and Northern Ireland.

His Scotland visit will also include a meeting with John Swinney, the first minister and SNP leader.

You can watch his speech in the stream above.

The prime minister has welcomed comments made by the IrishTaoiseach during an interview with Sky News.

You can see Simon Harris and Sir Keir Starmer's interaction in the embedded X post below…

It comes after Mr Harris promised he and fellow EU leaders would give the new prime minister a "fair hearing" when it comes to possible changes to the post-Brexit trade deal.

Sir Keir has repeatedly described it as "botched" and said during the election campaign he'd look to improve it - but with no return to the single market, customs union, or freedom of movement.

You can read Ireland correspondentStephen Murphy's full interview with Mr Harris here.

It's been a busy week and weekend - so it's easy to miss key moments.

Need a catch-up on the last few days of history-making political drama?

Watch below…

The youngest MP set to enter the Commons says he is "a little bit frustrated" when questions are asked about his life experience.

Sam Carling, 22, is the new representative of North West Cambridgeshire, having beaten veteran Conservative Shailesh Vara by a razor-thin 39-vote margin.

'Baby of the House'

He graduated from the University of Cambridge last year and has been a councillor at Cambridge City Council since 2022, according to his LinkedIn.

"I always get a little bit frustrated when people mention life experience because no one has yet been able to explain to me why being older makes you better at that job," he told BBC Breakfast.

"I have had experiences that lots of older MPs won't have had, and I have done quite a lot for my age as well," he said, pointing to his position in the council cabinet overseeing £17m of public money.

Mr Carling will be nicknamed "baby of the House" when he enters the Commons, taking over the tradition from fellow Labour MP Keir Mather.

The Father of the House will be Sir Edward Leigh, 73, who has served continuously since 1983.

Some had thought Jeremy Corbyn would gain the title - but he was sworn in 20 places behind Sir Edward in the queue that year.

Sir Edward held hisGainsborough seat on Thursday, albeit with a much reduced majority of 3,532 - 30 percentage points fewer than in 2019.

Mother of the House goes toDiane Abbott, 70, who was elected in 1987 as the first black woman to win a seat in the House of Commons.

She was re-elected with a huge mandate on Thursday - 59.5% of the vote and a majority of more than 15,000.

The prime minister has embarked on a tour of the UK today following his general election victory.

Sir Keir Starmer is kicking off the multi-stop trip in Edinburgh, where he'll meet the Scottish first minister, John Swinney.

We've just received these pictures from the Press Association of the PM leaving the rear entrance of Downing Street earlier today.

We're expecting an update from his Scotland trip in the next few hours.

It comes after Labour became the dominant party north of the border for the first time in more than a decade, as the SNP collapsed.