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Trump tells UK ‘you’ll have to start learning to fight for yourself’ amid soaring oil prices – UK politics live | Politics
Trump tells UK ‘you’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself’ in taunt over fuel oil shortages
Donald Trump has resumed his taunting of the UK, and Keir Starmer, over Britain’s Iran policy. The president (who regularly says things which are untrue) has just posted this on this Truth Social platform saying the British will “have to start learning how to fight for yourself” because the US won’t be there to help in future.
Key events
Yvette Cooper says Israel wrong to pass law imposing death penalty on Palestinians guilty of fatal attacks
Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, has criticised the Israeli parliament’s decision to a law imposing the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of fatal attacks. In a post on social media, she says the UK issued a joint statement with Germany, France and Italy condemning the legislation before the final vote.
My statement with France, Germany and Italy on our united opposition to Israel’s death penalty law.
The death penalty is wrong and we oppose it around the world.
Buckingham Palace confirms king’s state visit to US going ahead next month, with Charles addressing Congress
The king’s state visit to the US is to go ahead next month as planned, Buckingham Palace has finally confirmed. The Press Association says:
Charles and the queen’s long-expected historic trip to see Donald Trump will take place in late April despite calls for it to be postponed because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
It will be the king’s first visit to the US as monarch and the first state visit by a British sovereign to America for nearly 20 years, since Queen Elizabeth II’s tour in 2007.
Charles and Camilla will commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence, attend a glittering state dinner at the White House, and the king will address Congress, the Palace confirmed.
But exact dates and details have yet to be disclosed.
Buckingham Palace said:
On advice of His Majesty’s government, and at the invitation of the President of the United States, the king and queen will undertake a State Visit to the United States of America.
Their Majesties’ programme will celebrate the historic connections and the modern bilateral relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States, marking the 250th anniversary of American Independence.
The king will then continue to Bermuda to undertake His Majesty’s first Royal Visit as Monarch to a British Overseas Territory.
Greenpeace UK criticise Reform UK’s pledge to get rid of air passenger duty
Greenpeace UK has criticised Reform UK for proposing to get rid of air passenger duty. (See 11.23am.) Lily-Rose Ellis, a climate campaigner for Greenpeace, said:
As Trump’s war causes price spikes and flight cancellations, it won’t surprise anyone to see Farage rush to point the finger at taxes. This policy fits perfectly with Reform’s brand of rightwing populism, which seems surprisingly closely aligned to the commercial interests of their wealthy donors and the sleaze we saw from the last government.
Not only does Christopher Harborne, the UK’s biggest political donor who gave Reform £12m in the last financial year, sell aviation fuel, but Heathrow gave Reform £36,000 last year too.
The idea that this is the party that is going to take on the elites in defence of the common man is transparent nonsense, they’re the Tory plan B, with the same policies, the same scapegoats, the same rhetoric, the same donors and the same MPs.
Zack Polanski says Greens could be ‘kingmakers’ in Senedd after election because they are likely to hold balance of power
Zack Polanski, the Green party leader, has said that his party could be the “kingmakers” in the Senedd after the election because they are likely to hold the balance of power.
Speaking at the launch of his party’s campaign in Wales, Polanski said:
The Greens could be the kingmakers at this election.
What does that mean? That means we know there will be a new government in Cardiff Bay.
What the colour of that government looks like, and the mix is ultimately up to the voters, but we’re being very clear – every single Green that is elected to the Senedd will be a Green in those negotiations.
A YouGov MRP poll released last week suggests that Plaid Cymru will be the biggest party in the Senedd after the election (with 43 seats), but that to have a majority (49 seats) it will need the support of either Labour (on 12 seats, the poll predicts) or the Greens (10 seats).
These figures seem to imply that a Plaid/Labour deal of some sort would be just as appealing to Plaid as a Plaid/Green deal.
But Plaid are closer to the Greens on policy than they are to Labour. Even though Plaid has in the past been in coalition with Labour, and supported Labour in a cooperation deal, there is some acrimony in the relationship. And Plaid are promising “change” after 27-years of Labour-led government since devolution, and governing with Labour would make them look more like a continuity administration.
Anthony Slaughter, leader of the Greens in Wales, said Green MSs would be deciding the direction of the next Welsh government and said the party was “already shifting” Plaid Cymru’s position on some policy matters.
Trump tells UK ‘you’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself’ in taunt over fuel oil shortages
Donald Trump has resumed his taunting of the UK, and Keir Starmer, over Britain’s Iran policy. The president (who regularly says things which are untrue) has just posted this on this Truth Social platform saying the British will “have to start learning how to fight for yourself” because the US won’t be there to help in future.
Streeting claims deal with BMA to avert resident doctors’ strike still possible
Wes Streeting, the health secretary, has insisted that a deal with the BMA to avert the resident doctors’s strike in England is still possible. In a post on social media responding to the BMA’s reaction to the PM’s article about the strike (see 9.36am), Streeting said:
The BMA seems surprised that if they reject the deal on offer and go on strike their members don’t get what the Government is offering.
We have time before Easter weekend to resolve this dispute.
A deal on jobs and pay is on the table.
Trump ‘not dictating policy to me’, says Farage
At the end of his press conference Nigel Farage was asked if he was worried that his association with Donald Trump would hurt him electorally.
Farage said that he could not pretend not to know Trump. He said he admired some of the things Trump had done, on the border and on energy policy in particular. There were other things Trump had done that he did not agree with, he said, without specifying what. He went on:
He is not dictating policy to me. I’m dictating policy to me.
Farage said he also thought close links between the UK and the US were “absolutely vital”.
Farage says he’s opposed to youth mobility deal with EU, claiming it’s ‘just attempt to completely undo Brexit’
Q: [From the Guardian] Would you keep the youth mobility scheme that the government is negotiating with the EU, or would you repeal it?
Farage says he does not support the proposals because “this will always be one way traffic”. He says there will be three or four times as many Europeans coming to Britain as Britons going to Europe.
There are more exciting parts of the world for young British people to visit, he says. “Europe isn’t actually very sexy any more,” he says.
He says the Spanish made a “catastrophic error” by granting an amnesty to migrants in the country illegally. He goes on:
We are living in an age of increased global insecurity where national borders and protecting national interests matters more and more. And I think the youth mobility scheme falls at that first hurdle, if at nothing else.
And it’s just an attempt by the government to completely undo Brexit.
And Jenrick says, instead of letting young European people come to the UK to work, the government should be prioritising finding jobs for British people.
Q: Are you worried that Reform UK’s support is mainly coming from older people, not younger people?
Farage does not accept this. He claims the polling shows that his party’s support among young people is almost as high as it is amongst voters as a whole.
And by the way, if [Labour] do lower the vote to 16, the Greens will do very well. We will do well and Labour will do terribly.
Farage rejects claim election candidate controversies mean Reform UK’s vetting procedures flawed
Q: Do you think Reform UK’s candidate vetting processes have been inadequate, given that a candidate in Wales has had to stand down after a picture emerged of him giving a Nazi salute?
Farage defends the party’s vetting process.
We vet people. We ask them to tell us the truth. We asked them for their social media handles. We do all those things.
Sometimes people lie to you and they might be using social media handles that you have no way of finding.
He says a Plaid Cymru candidate has already stood down, and he predicts the party will have more problems with candidates.
This is a problem for all parties. He goes on:
I think we’re dealing with it as effectively, if not more effectively, than the others.
(The questioner did not ask about Scotland, where five Reform candidates have already stood down or been suspended.)
Farage says he thinks Keir Starmer has been right to adopt a tough position with the BMA over the proposed resident doctors’ strike. He says:
Unusually Keir Starmer has taken a strong position. There’s a first time for everything I suppose.
UK News
World Cup 2026: England kick off in Dallas after big-hitting trio make mark – live | World Cup 2026
Key events
Max Rushden and friends are coming in your ears with all the latest from the tournament.
Thomas Partey will not be part of the Ghana team that faces Panama, after he was denied access to Canada.
What Ghana do have is the likes of Antoine Semenyo after putting greater emphasis of attracting players from the diaspora.
Some lad called Messi is top of the Golden Boot list already. Who will hunt him down? Check out the top scorers, thus far.
Portugal open up against DR Congo as the Hors d’oeuvre for England v Croatia, not that anyone in those two countries will see it like that.
It is the sixth time Cristiano Ronaldo has been at a World Cup, which is a rather silly statistics. At 41, does he still have the powers to make a difference?
Ronaldo could wield a huge influence over the trophy’s ultimate destination. It remains to be seen whether that is channelled positively. Portugal can field arguably the best first-choice midfield in this summer’s competition, an experienced defence and an admirable array of wide forwards. At the heart of their attack stands, depending on your perspective, either a free-scoring icon primed to fire them all the way or a 41-year-old passenger whose presence sucks an otherwise fluent team into an inescapable void.
Nick Ames takes a look at the legend.
That is more than enough England material for the timing being, but do not fear, there will plenty throughout the day.
Opponents Croatia have impressed in recent times at the World Cup, reaching a final and semi-final in their past two outings. A key reason for their successes come in the form of 40-year-old Luka Modric, who is still going in the middle of the park and will be plotting England’s downfall.
Aleksandar Holiga on the the great man’s last dance.
There is plenty to get your teeth and eyes into as we prepare for England’s entrance in Dallas.
David Hytner has been listening to Harry Kane’s thoughts on the Three Lions’ chances and his own form.
I’m coming into this tournament in the best way possible; the best place physically and mentally. Throughout a career, there aren’t loads of times when all the pieces of the puzzle will come together at the right moment. Talking now, I feel like I’m in that place.
Thomas Tuchel is about to learn what managing at a major tournament is all about, writes Jacob Steinberg.
After an impressive qualifying campaign, Tuchel is backing England to thrive under the microscope in the US.
Barney Ronay on England shifting the focus from fun to business.
You can sit there playing with your silly little machines as much as you like. I’ll show you a World Cup. Close to a week in, with almost an entire round of cloudless group games in the bag, the coffin lid is starting to creak. By late Monday morning the first little knots of Three Lions shirts could be seen wandering the blank, baking streets of Dallas, blinking in the light. England are at the door. And it’s time for a vibe shift.
We should start with the latest set of results on what was a fascinating day.
Paul MacInnes was in New York/Jersey to see Mbappe lay down the first marker of the day. The Frenchman’s goals mean we will not have to spend our time discussing VAR too much but we certainly will.
The Ewan Murray witnessed Erling Haaland doing what he does best as Norway returned to the biggest stage by pummelling Iraq into submission.
Pablo Iglesias Maurer was on hand to see Lionel Messi’s 200th Argentina appearance, which he celebrated with a hat-trick against Algeria. He will be 39 next week but no one seems to have told him.
Austria required an own goal and late penalty against newcomers Jordan to get their competition up and running.
Preamble
After the tedium of four draws the day before, Tuesday felt like a moment within the context of this World Cup. Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi all made their marks with goals in big win for their respective countries. Tournaments need their stars to step up, often it is individuals rather than teams that are remembered for their successes in the history books and three of the globe’s best are threatening to do that again.
The hotly-anticipated England opener comes our way later, as Thomas Tuchel et al aim to end *checks notes* 70 years of hurt. Croatia provide the opponents, having previously caused plenty of harm to wallies with brollies and inflicting a semi-final defeat in Russia eight years ago. Will Harry Kane join his fellow figure heads by proving his class on the biggest stage? One nation certainly hope so.
We will be bringing you all the latest from the World Cup with plenty to look back on but even more to look forward to.
What experts make of the men’s team’s official off-duty fashion as they prepare for their first World Cup match.
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Key events
Lance must be watching a different game to me with the query “who is the audience?”. “I’m watching from my apartment in San Francisco and can’t figure out why they started a game at midnight for most of the USA, Canada, and Mexico and 4am in Europe. Who’s watching this besides you in Australia? OTOH, the level of play deserves late night so maybe FIFA are geniuses.”
NO GOAL! Austria 1-1 Jordan
The referee determines that Stefan Posch handled the ball while trying to control it just a split second before Marko Arnautović tapped it into the back of the net. A huge call but looks like the right one to me. Now for an ill-timed hydration break
The referee has gone to the sideline to review the replay. All the focus is on the handball claim rather than any supposed contact with the keeper.
Hang on a second, VAR is looking at the replay. There wasn’t much contact on the keeper but the ball has perhaps brushed Stefan Posch’s arm before bouncing down to Arnautović’s feet.
GOAL! Austria 2-1 Jordan (Arnautović 68)
Marko Arnautović reclaims the lead for Austria as the calmest presence in the six-yard box amid a mad scramble off a corner.
65 min Yazeed Abulaila is back to his feet after some extra attention. It is hard to spot much contact from Arnautović on the replay.
63 min Carney Chukwuemeka is immediately involved in all the most exciting moments as he goes to ground in the penalty area but has any claims waved away. Shortly after Jordan keeper Yazeed Abulaila is the one to end up on the turf holding his face after next to know pressure from Marko Arnautović. The referee allows play to continue and Chukwuemeka fires a shot on target that is blocked by a sea of Jordan feet.
61 min Austria take time to settle back into their rhythm after the sweeping changes while Chukwuemeka already looks lively.
59 min A triple change for Austria with defender Kevin Danso joined by a pair of exciting new additions in Carney Chukwuemeka and Paul Wanner. Captain David Alaba, and midfielders Xaver Schlager and Phillipp Mwene are done for the day.
57 min Arnautović goes to ground in the defensive half to masterfully earn a free kick and relieve the pressure.
55 min No change to the familiar pattern as Odeh Al-Fakhouri twice finds space down the right side. Musa Al-Taamari and Ali Olwan time their run perfectly off the second chance but the cross is a touch deep and is collected by keeper Schlager.
53 min Austria slow the game down with Xaver Schlager and Nicolas Seiwald knocking the ball around the midfield and defensive line.
Ali Olwan creates something out of very little with a solo run to equalise for Jordan though the goal had been coming. Austria, on the other hand, have paid a huge price for leaving too much space in their defensive half even while holding a narrow lead. Game on!
GOAL! Austria 1-1 Jordan (Olwan 50)
Ali Olwan is giving too much room as he carries the ball from near the halfway line and into the penalty area, cuts on to his right boot and rockets the ball off the inside of the far post and into the net. The striker goes down in history as Jordan’s first World Cup goalscorer.
48 min Stefan Posch takes too much time to consider his options for a throw-in and the referee blows the whistle to hand the ball back to Jordan in their attacking half. That’s surely one of the better rules that Fifa has brought in for this World Cup.
47 min Ehsan Haddad shows Jordan are setting out to chase the game as the captain charges into space down the right and hammers a flat cross into the penalty area. The scramble sends the ball out to Odeh Al-Fakhouri to take it deep and to the goalline under little pressure. But the cutback ends up in keeper Schlager’s hands.
46 min Jordan resume the second half with the same XI players that began the first.
Austria are last to make their way out of the tunnel but veteran Marko Arnautović is already alone on the sidelines ready to enter the fray. Saša Kalajdžić makes way after a half where the final ball from his Austria teammates generally didn’t do him any few favours.
If the final word on the latest Kylian Mbappé masterclass isn’t enough to entertain you, Peter has stepped forward with a simple request: “After the next hydration break I’d like to see Austria take a couple of stiff schnaps shots at the Jordan goal.”
Jordan are far from out of this Group J clash against Austria and had their fair share of chances both before and after Schmid’s opening goal. We’ll be back shortly for the second half, but in the meantime here is some half-time reading from Leander Schaerlaeckens on the other side of the US at New York New Jersey Stadium.
After the whistle blew for half-time, Kylian Mbappé ran to the player tunnel at a good clip, followed by Ousmane Dembélé. Behind them, the rest of the French team were in no such hurry, sauntering off the pitch. The forward widely considered the best in the world – or at least the most famous in the Non-Ronaldo-and-Messi Division – and the reigning Ballon d’Or winner had much to discuss.
Austria hold the advantage at the break in a game that has largely followed the script, as they seek to control the ball in midfield and find a pass into towering forward Saša Kalajdžić’s feet, while Jordan are comfortable sitting back and waiting to unleash Musa Al-Taamari on the counter.
Romano Schmid curled shot from range in the 20th minute is a goal deserving of the lead though Jordan almost responded immediately with a shot that crashed off the crossbar. Austria lead Jordan for possession 58-42% though the shots on target favour the World Cup debutants 3-1 while both have had five chances sail wide.
Half time: Austria 1-0 Jordan
Romano Schmid’s rocket from outside the penalty area is all that separates the two sides in what has been an enthralling encounter filled with end-to-end football.
45+3 min Schmid has time to try to pick out a pass into the Austria attack where Kalajdžić is hovering ominously. A quick Jordan clearance sends Musa Al-Taamari on his way but the long hit ends up with keeper Schlager.
45+1 min Jordan continue to attack down their left where Mohannad Abu Taha offers width. Musa Al-Taamari soon sets off on a solo run from the right side and beats the first Austria defender to get a shot away with his left boot that drifts into the side netting. Four minutes of added time.
44 min Stefan Posch crunches Odeh Al-Fakhouri in the back as they compete for a high ball to hand Jordan another free kick in their attacking half. The overly elaborate set up wastes the chance.
42 min Jordan earn their own free kick in their attacking half where a flatter cross earns a corner – one of their key weapons.
41 min Austria win a free kick out of nothing in the midfield and take time to set up their attack. Alaba delivers a loop free kick for Kalajdžić to nod backwards where the Jordan defence are able to clear.
39 min Both keepers take their time with a goal kick with half-time coming in to view.
37 min Austria take some momentum out of the game with Jordan pressing hard in attack. The midfield battle has leaned to one side with the contrasting approaches to leave Austria enjoying about two-thirds of the possession.
35 min Jordan flood forward and a pacey build up gives Ali Olwan time to unleash a powerful shot that might have troubled the keeper if it wasn’t so straight. Musa Al-Taamari gathers the rebound but his own chance is blocked by Philipp Lienhart before Austria finally clear. Jordan continue to look most dangerous on the counter.
33 min Austria send the ball long for Konrad Laimer to run on to and into the penalty area. The midfielder tumbles to ground with arms waving in the air after there was an obvious tug on the shirt. But he equally had a fist full of the Jordan defender’s jersey. Stefan Posch is next to find space in attack but a heavy final touch allows the keeper to shut down the danger.
32 min Fast feet from Ali Olwan opens up the Austria defence but the cross into the penalty area is comfortably cleared by their centre-backs.
31 min Mwene quickly has an opportunity to make amends as he searches for Saša Kalajdžić but the cross is a touch behind the forward and he is unable to get enough on his header.
29 min Austria look more and more threatening as Jordan allow them time to build attacks. The right final ball all that’s missing to link midfield with the attack as Phillipp Mwene misdirects a cross.
27 min Austria win the ball back for their own throw in the attacking third and pile the pressure back on Jordan in the six-yard box. A desperate clearance gives the ball back for Austria to rebuild as Xaver Schlager charges through the middle of the pitch unopposed.
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