Sir Keir Starmer said that while the Brexit vote must be respected, it was sold on false promises whose consequences continue to damage the economy. Speaking at the annual Lady Mayor’s banquet at the Guildhall in central London, he warned that using Brexit as a template for future foreign policy would be “utterly reckless.” | The Independent

Sir Keir Starmer has made a joke about members of the Reform party celebrating Russian Christmas. At the start of PMQ's, the Prime Minister said 'I hope all colleagues had a happy Christmas. It probably feels quite a long time ago now, but not for Reform, of course, because today is the day that they celebrate Christmas in Russia.' In November, the ex-leader of Reform UK in Wales was sentenced to 10.5 years in prison for taking Russian bribes for interviews and speeches. | The i paper

Sir Keir Starmer has been forced to abandon his plan to cancel local elections for 4.5 million voters after Nigel Farage launched legal action in the High Court. Labour had approved postponing polls in 30 local authorities, citing the Ministry of Housing & Local Government's drastic restructuring of councils. However, ministers today confirmed that the legislation would be revoked after the department received legal advice warning that the potential postponement could be deemed illegal. | GB New