Starmer delivers Christmas message for ‘lonely people'
The Independent|December 25, 2024
Sir Keir Starmer has delivered his Christmas message to the nation, saying his "thoughts are with all those who are lonely" over the festive season.
MILLIE COOKE
Starmer delivers Christmas message for ‘lonely people'

The prime minister also said he will be "hoping for peace" over the Christmas period, amid increasing instability in the Middle East, as well as thanking NHS workers and the armed forces.

In a message delivered on Christmas eve, the prime minister said he will be “looking towards a better, brighter future for every person”.

It comes as the government maintains its “Plan for Change” will improve living standards, despite the latest growth figures showing the economy flatlined in the third quarter of the year.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) had previously estimated 0.1 per cent growth between July and September of this year, but it has since revised this down to 0.0 – an even weaker estimate that what was expected in the final quarter of the Conservatives’ tenure.

The figures will come as a fresh blow for Sir Keir’s government, which has put economic growth at the heart of its mission.

Denne historien er fra December 25, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra December 25, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE INDEPENDENTSe alt
DeChambeau is an unlikely winner in game's civil war
The Independent

DeChambeau is an unlikely winner in game's civil war

As golf's civil war rumbles on, with any optimism that came from the announcement in June 2023 that LIV Golf and the PGA Tour had a framework agreement in place for a merger having long since dissipated, it's hard to argue that the situation has created many winners.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 25, 2024
Mbappe looks a spare part in the Real Madrid machine
The Independent

Mbappe looks a spare part in the Real Madrid machine

Real Madrid are the kings of Europe, that much was true even before La Decimoquinta.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 25, 2024
Sign on the dotted line: the £12m steal and £50m dud
The Independent

Sign on the dotted line: the £12m steal and £50m dud

The best and worst Premier League transfers this season

time-read
6 mins  |
December 25, 2024
Why are there no trains running on Christmas Day?
The Independent

Why are there no trains running on Christmas Day?

Q Why don't any trains run on Christmas Day in the UK? Everywhere else on the European continent trains run on 25 December.

time-read
1 min  |
December 25, 2024
The flightmare before Christmas: why December disruption is so painful
The Independent

The flightmare before Christmas: why December disruption is so painful

Air traffic control language is commendably succinct. The advisory message that was sent out by the US Command Center at 11.50am GMT on Christmas Eve read: “Nationwide ground stop for all AAL Main and Subs”.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 25, 2024
CLAUSE FOR CONCERN
The Independent

CLAUSE FOR CONCERN

A new study suggests lying about Santa is not only 'unethical' but also bad parenting. Charlotte Cripps finds out if telling a festive fib should really earn you a spot on the naughty list

time-read
5 mins  |
December 25, 2024
Sanctioned Russian cargo ship sinks after explosion
The Independent

Sanctioned Russian cargo ship sinks after explosion

A US-sanctioned Russian cargo ship sank in the Mediterranean Sea overnight after an explosion ripped through the engine room, Russia's foreign ministry confirmed.

time-read
1 min  |
December 25, 2024
Protests in Syria erupt after Christmas tree set on fire
The Independent

Protests in Syria erupt after Christmas tree set on fire

Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets across Syria after foreign fighters burned down a Christmas tree in the centre of the country, sparking concerns about sectarian violence.

time-read
1 min  |
December 25, 2024
The Independent

Canal threat is latest drama in Trump's Panama history

Donald Trump strained North American diplomatic relations over the weekend with a threat to retake the Panama Canal, two and a half decades after the US transferred control of the vital global trade route to Panama.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 25, 2024
Hong Kong issues arrest warrant for teenage activist
The Independent

Hong Kong issues arrest warrant for teenage activist

A 19-year-old pro-democracy activist who went from finishing secondary school in the UK to becoming one of Hong Kong's most wanted critics has vowed that she will not be silenced by Chinese fear and suppression.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 25, 2024