Minister rejects claims government refusing to call Maduro extradition illegal to placate Trump – UK politics live

Mike Tapp says No 10 is talking to US and close allies about legal aspect after Starmer declines to criticise Venezuela operationGood morning. Before Christmas, Keir Starmer was planning to use the first week back after the holiday recess to highlight what the government is doing to bring down the cost of living. He set out this case yesterday in an article in the Sunday Times, where he referenced measures including the budget plan to cut energy bills by £150 on average. Unfortunately, Starmer’s cost of living PR blitz has been blown out of the news agenda by Donald Trump, and his entirely different different approach to the problem of ensuring his voters get access to cheap energy.No one in mainstream UK politics seems to be very keen on adopting the Trump approach – which is probably good news for Norway.The European Union calls for calm and restraint by all actors, to avoid escalation and to ensure a peaceful solution to the crisis.The EU recalls that, under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be upheld. Members of the United Nations Security Council have a particular responsibility to uphold those principles, as a pillar of the international security architecture.Absolutely not. The British government is, and will, be in conversations with the Americans. And it’s for the Americans to lay out the legal basis for the action that they’ve taken. And we’re also talking with close allies looking at the legal aspect of this.In the end there is no getting away from it. This is not a legal action.[Starmer] may well want to hear what the justification is from the American government. I can get in front of us and say I literally cannot think of anything that could be a proper justification. Continue reading...