Pressed on the president’s comments, Starmer admitted this was an area where they do not agree.

“As you saw from the state visit last week, there’s lots that the president and I agree on. And we work together on,” he told ITV London. “There’s a few things we disagree about. This is one of them.

“The idea of the introduction of Sharia law is nonsense. And Sadiq Khan is a very good man and actually driving down serious crime.” Starmer also called Trump’s comments “ridiculous.”

Asked whether he would challenge Trump on his remarks, the PM said: “We have a frank conversation about many, many things. But I want to express my support for our mayor.”

Khan, London’s first Muslim mayor, branded Trump racist, sexist, misogynistic and Islamophobic. But Starmer would “not get drawn into a war of words” about whether he agreed, insisting “my team are working with his team the whole time.”

The PM also told BBC South East Trump was “not right about” European countries “going to hell” because of immigration levels.

“The External Action Service of the EU Parliament approved the findings and told us that these people are in fact directly connected to the RSF,” German independent MEP Lukas Sieper said. 

Despite the cancellation of the event in the European Parliament, Dogus arranged for it to take place at an alternate venue in Brussels, one person involved told POLITICO.

Dogus said the event was rearranged at short notice in the absence of any evidence of the pair’s RSF connection.

Dogus is a Labour councillor for the London borough of Lambeth and is well-known in London political circles as the organizer of the British Kebab Awards, an annual event attended by numerous prominent Westminster figures. 

Gamaal El Attar, executive director of the International Federation for Rights and Development (IFRD), a Belgium-based human rights group, described it as “deeply troubling” that the Labour Party conference could host figures associated with the RSF. 

“The RSF is directly implicated in genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and widespread gender-based violence,” he added. “Offering these individuals a platform risks whitewashing atrocities and undermines the Labour Party’s moral credibility.” 

The reply makes clear there is a discrepancy. While the chancellor presented the measure as a targeted restriction, the result so far has been a broader freeze, suggesting that ministries are erring on the side of caution and holding back approvals.

Thoden, a member of The Left group, raised the issue in a formal parliamentary question, asking what permits had been granted since Merz’s pledge and how Berlin would enforce the restriction. His request asked the government to provide a full breakdown of permits by date, quantity and weapon type. 

Germany has long counted itself among Israel’s key defense partners in Europe. The disclosure follows an earlier inquiry from the same far-left party that revealed Germany had approved arms exports to Israel worth about €251 million between early 2024 and mid-2025.

The decision has triggered debate at home. Some in Merz’s own conservative bloc say limiting exports undermines Germany’s credibility as a partner, while others — especially in the opposition — argue it doesn’t go far enough because previously approved licenses remain untouched.