Politics latest: Starmer in 'very unusual' position at 'all-important' first NATO summit (2024)

Sir Keir Starmer has spoken to the press ahead of the NATO council meeting.

He had just come from a bilateral summit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (see previous post).

He said the two leaders discussed the further support that Ukraine needs, and how NATO members can work to provide it.

Sir Keir said they also wanted to "reinforce a message to Putin - the resolve of NATO is bigger now than it's ever been".

The prime minster added that he'd had "very good bilateral meetings" with other leaders.

This has given him an opportunity to "make sure that those relationships are reset" and lead on issues like defence, climate change, and energy.

"So a really good opportunity," he said, "but now we go on and do the work in council."

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Washington DC.

It's their first meeting since last month's D-Day anniversary event at Normandy - a photo of them made it into Labour's manifesto.

Today's bilateral took place with Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Defence Secretary John Healey also present.

Sir Keir told the Ukrainian leader while there had been a "change of government", there was "no change of approach" to the UK's support for the war against Russia.

Zelenskyy thanks UK for support 'from very beginning'

The prime minister said the Russian attack on a children's hospital in Kyiv this week was "just shocking".

Mr Zelenskyy thanked Sir Keir for his words and the UK's support "from the very beginning of the war".

By Deborah Haynes, security and defence editor

A major review of UK defence will take place in "less than a year" and tackle some difficult decisions, the new defence secretary has said.

John Healey said a top priority will be reforming how the Ministry of Defence and its various branches function – something that will take time and "earns you no political bonus points".

Speaking on the sidelines of a NATO summit in Washington, he also signalled helping defend Europe from Russian aggression will be a higher priority than sending ships, jets, and soldiers on exercises to Asia.

A "tilt" to the Asia-Pacific had formed a central plank in the thinking behind the last government’s defence review.

'We will do it properly'

Mr Healey was asked by Sky News how long the "strategic defence review" – due to be formally launched next week – will take to conduct.

"We will do that in less than a year," he said.

"We will do it properly. We will do it at pace."

He said it would give an indication as to the "deep reform" required in defence, which wouldn't be a quick job.

On where to focus his military resources, the defence secretary said too often the UK "promised to do everything everywhere".

War in Europe, Russian aggression and NATO must be the priority, the Labour frontbencher said.

Sometimes in politics, timing is luck - and it's certainly on Keir Starmer's side today, says our US correspondent Mark Stone.

The prime minister is in Washington DC, where he'll be arriving for an "all-important NATO summit" with other world leaders.

Mark says "it's very unusual for a new British PM to be at the centre of the world stage so soon in his premiership".

This summit marks the 75th anniversary of NATO, at a time when the alliance comes under "significant pressure".

"The greatest pressure it's faced in its history, I would say."

Russia's war in Ukraine remains the priority, with the alliance having already reiterated its long-term support for Kyiv and announced fresh military aid - including new air defence systems from the US.

There's an "awful lot" for NATO leaders to discuss over the next two days and the new British PM will be right at the heart of it.

If you're just joining us in the Politics Hub, we'll be placing much of our focus upon the NATO summit in Washington this evening.

Sir Keir Starmer is there as part of his first foreign trip as prime minister.

We'll have live updates from the US capital, where he'll be meeting other world leaders like Joe Biden and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and analysis from our correspondents who are there.

Here are some of the key moments to come for the PM:

• A meeting with outgoing NATO general secretary Jens Stoltenberg;
• Taking part in the summit's official welcoming ceremony on what is the alliance's 75th anniversary;
• Finding time to watch England take on the Netherlands at the Euros with Dutch PM Dick Schoof;
• Meeting US House Speaker Mike Johnson;
• Holding talks with Joe Biden in the Oval Office;
• And enjoying a NATO leaders dinner at the White House, which his wife Victoria is also expected to attend.

Kemi Badenoch - seen as a potential successor to Rishi Sunak as Tory leader - has criticised the leaking of yesterday's shadow cabinet meeting.

Within hours of the group getting together, Ms Badenoch's comments criticising the election campaign appeared in The Times.

Writing on social media today, Ms Badenoch said: "It's a shame our discussions in shadow cabinet were leaked yesterday.

"If there is no private space to discuss our party's challenges, we will never fully address what the electorate told us last week."

Tory culture 'needs to change'

The former business secretary said there was "too much nodding along" within the previous government, which she suggested had ignored outside views from the likes of Tory party activists and members.

"That culture needs to change," she said. "We need to be honest with one another in private, and united in the direction we take afterwards."

As is tradition after a new election, all the new MPs elected have gathered for a picture in the House of Commons.

This year is an especially large cohort, with 335 - more than half the Commons - being newly elected.

Among the new entries are Reform leader Nigel Farage, and Liberal Democrat Steve Darling with his guide dog Jennie.

See if you can spot them below:

The Labour government was elected with a hefty green mandate to build out clean energy and tackle climate change.

The endorsem*nt/sanction is bolstered by the electoral success of the Green Party and Lib Dems - which both campaigned on green issues - and the failure of the Tories' strategy to talk down climate action.

This week the new Energy Secretary Ed Miliband committed to six priorities.

But as our climate reporter Victoria Seabrook explains, they are harder to achieve than they sound…

ByJennifer Scott, political reporter

A former senior Labour MP has called on the man who took his seat to "provide a full account of all his dealings" with one of his vocal supporters who is now facing terrorism charges.

Leicestershire Police confirmed on Wednesday that Majid Novsarka - known as Majid Freeman - was facing allegations of encouragement of terrorism and supporting a proscribed organisation, and will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court later this month.

Novsarka, who is from Leicester, was a staunch advocate for Shockat Adam,who won the seat of Leicester Southin last week's general election, ousting Labour's then shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth from the constituency by 979 votes.

'Serious questions to answer'

Novsarka has posted numerous messages in support of the new MP, including saying "the best man won" after the vote.

Meanwhile, Mr Adam tweeted a video of Novsarka questioning Mr Ashworth on the campaign trail over his position on thewar in Gaza, writing: "Politics is all about answering difficult questions - if you can't stand the heat..."

Speaking to Sky News, Mr Ashworth said his successor had "serious questions to answer about his association with this individual".

Mr Ashworth added: "The safety of the people of Leicester must always come first.

"Decent minded people across Leicester will expect their new MP to publicly and without equivocation provide a full account of all his dealings with this individual in the campaign."

Sky News has contacted Mr Adam for a response.