PM to put cost of living front and centre at first Cabinet meeting of the year
Sir Keir’s message to his Cabinet continues the theme of his first public engagement of the new year
Sir Keir Starmer will call on his cabinet to put the cost of living front and centre as he convenes his top team’s first meeting of the year today.
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The PM will tell senior ministers that his government’s mission for 2026 is to “prove that politics can deliver”, especially by “putting more money in people’s pockets”.
Sir Keir’s government is currently languishing in the polls, with Reform UK surging ahead on a platform of anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Speaking to ministers today, the PM will say: “I know many families across Britain are still worried about the cost of living. When I talk to people, they tell me it is the biggest issue they are facing. We are on their side.
“In a world of uncertainty and upheaval, tackling the cost of living will remain our focus.”
Sir Keir’s message to his Cabinet continues the theme of his first public engagement of the new year on Monday, when he used a visit to a community centre in Reading to emphasise his Government’s action on the cost of living.
But Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting is likely to be overshadowed by international events, following US military action in Venezuela and Donald Trump’s continued insistence that he intends to take over Greenland.
President Trump has doubled down on his intentions to take Greenland from the Danish, in a move critics say could spell the end of NATO.
"We need Greenland for national security, and that includes Europe,” President Trump said on Monday.
"You know I'm very loyal to Europe. We need it for national security, right now.
"I think that Greenland is very important for the national security of the United States, Europe, and other parts of the free world."
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned on Monday that a US raid on Greenland would threaten “Nato and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War”.
Sir Keir has told LBC the UK “stands with” Denmark on Greenland and urged the President against any military interventions.
He told LBC: "The future of Greenland is for Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, and it's for Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark only.
"Denmark is a close ally of the United Kingdom in Europe and a close ally in Nato.
"And so, it's very important we stand by our ally and are very clear about the future of Greenland.
"It’s my consistent message in relation to Greenland. That's not a new position. The future for Greenland is for Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.
"We stand with Denmark on this.”
The Danish PM has hit back at President Trump, writing in a statement that "the US has no right to annex any of the three nations in the Danish kingdom", of which Greenland is one.
Mette Frederiksen said: "It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the need for the United States to take over Greenland. The United States has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Commonwealth.
"The Kingdom of Denmark - and thus Greenland - is part of NATO and is therefore covered by the alliance's security guarantee.
"We already have a defense agreement between the Kingdom and the United States today, which gives the United States wide access to Greenland.
"And we, on the part of the Kingdom, have invested significantly in security in the Arctic. I would therefore strongly urge the United States to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people who have said very clearly that they are not for sale."