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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Lili Bayer (now) Amy Sedghi and Hamish Mackay (earlier)

Keir Starmer speaks after European Political Community summit – as it happened

Sir Keir Starmer European Union Europe Emmanuel Macron Blenheim Palace Giorgia Meloni Olaf Scholz United Kingdom European Political Community David Lammy
Keir Starmer points while standing behind a lectern between two union jacks
Keir Starmer speaks at the European Political Community press conference. Photograph: WPA/Getty Images

Summary of the day

  • Leaders from across Europe gathered at Blenheim Palace for a European Political Community summit.

  • Keir Starmer opened the summit underlining the bond of trust that brightens the fabric of European life. He added that the UK “will never leave the European Convention of Human Rights”.

  • After the gathering, the British leader said that the leaders pledged to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.

  • Starmer also said that “we are going to deepen our cooperation on defence and security, and on illegal migration, where we are resetting our approach.” He added that “we are going to work with our European partners to share intelligence, data, expertise, and put the gangs out of business.”

  • The French president, Emmanuel Macron, said that the arrival of Starmer brings “new momentum” to tackle political issues.

  • Irish prime minister Simon Harris said the decisions made by Keir Starmer in his 14 days in office are a “gamechanger” for Europe.

  • The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said “joint efforts are needed for the sake of peace … When the aggressor loses, the world wins.” He also asked if Europe will “surrender” to “tyrants” and rounded on Viktor Orbán’s self-styled peace mission and meetings with Putin and Trump, calling them a betrayal of Europe.

  • Rachel Reeves has warned she will have to make “difficult decisions” as she seeks to “fix the foundations” of the public finances. The chancellor is will announce the date of her first budget before the Commons summer recess, as well as an assessment of the “spending inheritance” left behind by the Conservatives.

  • Whether the UK would accept some asylum seekers in exchange for returning some migrants to the EU is not under discussion at the EPC summit, Yvette Cooper has said. The home secretary said the focus is “around security” and “organised immigration crime” when pressed repeatedly on what a potential UK-EU migrants return deal could entail.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has said that the arrival of Keir Starmer brings “new momentum” to tackle political issues, Reuters reported.

He also said he hopes for improvement in the migration situation.

Dick Schoof, the Dutch prime minister, said he “spoke to my European counterparts about how we need to gain more control over migration.”

“We can reduce the influx by strengthening the EU’s external borders and improving the process of returning failed asylum seekers. We stressed the importance of partnerships with third countries to reduce irregular migration,” he added.

Asked about the economy, Starmer said: “I’ve been pretty explicit here and previously that we want to seek a reset with our relationship with Europe.”

“The impression I get is that there’s a real appetite for that,” he added.

Yes, we do want to get a better deal than the deal that we’ve got at the moment. We understand the challenge and constraints of any discussion, of course we do. But I do think there’s a closer relationship to be had, that includes trade, that includes education and research, and includes security.

Updated

“I’m proud to leave this summit with stronger relationships across Europe,” Starmer said at his press conference.

Starmer announces new funding for projects in Africa and the Middle East

Starmer said that “we’re increasing the UK presence at Europol in the Hague” and agreed new cooperation arrangements with countries such as Slovenia and Slovakia.

“We are going to work with our European partners to share intelligence, data, expertise, and put the gangs out of business,” he said, adding that “to stop illegal migration, we must also tackle it at source.”

“Today I’m announcing 84 million pounds of new funding for projects across Africa and the Middle East – that includes humanitarian and health support, skills training, help with job opportunities and access to education,” he said.

Updated

UK 'resetting' approach on illegal migration, Starmer says

Keir Starmer also congratulated Ursula von der Leyen, who was confirmed by the European parliament today for a second term at the helm of the European Commission.

“We are going to deepen our cooperation on defence and security, and on illegal migration, where we are resetting our approach – and that’s been central today. We are going to smash the gangs, break their business model, and secure our borders,” he said.

Updated

'Successful and productive summit': Starmer underlines support for Ukraine after EPC summit

The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, said that “we’ve had a very successful and productive summit.”

“We discussed once again our commitment to stand with Ukraine, a very important commitment made again today, including supporting their energy needs ahead of winter – so getting ahead of this winter – and cracking down on the ships that are helping Russia to evade sanctions,” he said.

“Ukraine is fighting not just for the Ukrainian people, though of course it is, but for the European people,” he said.

“We pledged to president Zelenskiy once again that we will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” the prime minister added.

The leaders, Starmer said, also discussed wider European security, including support for countries such as Moldova.

“It’s not just a good idea to work with our partners – it’s essential,” he stressed.

Updated

Watch live: Keir Starmer speaks after European Political Community summit

Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s socialist prime minister, has posted a photo with the UK’s Keir Starmer.

“The drive of two progressive executives will bring greater prosperity for our citizens. The deep ties we share are an example of what the new relationship between the United Kingdom and the EU can become,” Sánchez said.

Kaja Kallas, who is expected to succeed Josep Borrell as the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, met with David Lammy.

They discussed Ukraine and the Middle East.

Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, said that “we discussed how malign actors manipulate information to weaken our democracies & pollute people’s mind. We must keep exposing Kremlin’s lies, increase societal resilience.”

“We will find no peace on the battlefield, but only at the negotiating table,” Hungary’s far right prime minister, Viktor Orbán, said today as he attended the summit.

“My goal is to convince European leaders to make a shift to a pro-peace policy,” he added.

Orbán is the EU’s most Kremlin-friendly prime minister, and controversially travelled recently to Russia for a meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Ireland’s Simon Harris has met with King Charles.

“I told him he is always welcome in Ireland,” Harris said.

“We are today resetting our relationship with the whole of Europe,” David Lammy said in a video posted on social media.

On the sidelines of the summit, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has been holding bilateral talks with a host of leaders – including Spain’s Pedro Sánchez and Serbia’s Aleksandar Vučić.

At the EPC summit, Kosovo’s president, Vjosa Osmani, said she held talks with the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, “on our shared commitment to the Kosovo’s Euro-Atlantic integration.”

Summary of the day so far

I will shortly be handing over the politic live blog to my colleague Lili Bayer. Thank you for following the updates from the European Political Community (EPC) summit and general politics news with me (Amy) today.

Before I head off though, here’s a quick summary of events and announcements so far today:

  • Keir Starmer opened the European Political Community summit underlining the bond of trust that brightens the fabric of European life. He added that the UK “will never leave the European Convention of Human Rights”.

  • Irish prime minister Simon Harris has said the decisions made by Keir Starmer in his 14 days in office are a “gamechanger” for Europe. Harris was reacting to Starmer’s opening speech to the EPC summit in which he pledged to remain in the European Human Rights Convention and to remain “friends and partner of the EU”.

  • Ursula von der Leyen, has won support from EU lawmakers for another five-year term as president of the European Commission. Von der Leyen missed the EPC summit hosted by the prime minister to focus on Thursday’s vote. On X, Keir Starmer congratulated von der Leyen.

  • “Joint efforts are needed for the sake of peace … When the aggressor loses, the world wins,” said the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, as he addressed EPC summit on Thursday. Zelenskiy asked if Europe will “surrender” to “tyrants” and also rounded on Viktor Orbán’s self-styled peace mission and meetings with Putin and Trump, calling them a betrayal of Europe.

  • Foreign secretary David Lammy has said the UK is “nowhere near” negotiating agreements with the EU, as Labour begins a cautious rebuilding of the UK’s relationship with Europe at the EPC summit.

  • Formal negotiations intended to resolve the long-running junior doctors’ pay dispute in England will begin next week, Wes Streeting has announced. Preliminary discussions today and last week show that “there is a deal to be done”, the health secretary said, raising hopes that the 16-month-old campaign of strikes will end.

  • Rachel Reeves has warned she will have to make “difficult decisions” as she seeks to “fix the foundations” of the public finances. The chancellor is will announce the date of her first budget before the Commons summer recess, as well as an assessment of the “spending inheritance” left behind by the Conservatives.

  • Securing the future of Grangemouth oil refinery will be a litmus test of how the Scottish and UK governments reset their relationship after Labour’s election win, and their first challenge in achieving climate goals fairly, according to the expert body tasked with assessing the economic impact of energy transition on local communities.

  • Whether the UK would accept some asylum seekers in exchange for returning some migrants to the EU is not under discussion at the EPC summit, Yvette Cooper has said. The home secretary said the focus is “around security” and “organised immigration crime” when pressed repeatedly on what a potential UK-EU migrants return deal could entail.

  • The EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell has once again backed calls for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East and release of hostages, following the visit by David Lammy. He said: “I fully agree with what foreign secretary Lammy said in his recent trip to the Middle East. We need an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, the protection of civilians, unfettered access to aid in Gaza. And finally, a pathway towards a two-state solution.”

  • Borrell also said Brussels is willing to sit down with the UK to draw up a new security and defence pact. “We welcome the new tone of the British government and we look forward to engaging with it. We are ready to reinforce our foreign and security policy cooperation,” he said.

  • Charles Michel, the president of the European Council which represents EU leaders has said they are ready and open to a new chapter of cooperation with the UK on migration and other global challenges.

  • Keir Starmer released a statement on Thursday in response to the UK Covid-19 inquiry’s report. He said the report confirmed that “the UK was underprepared for Covid-19” and that policy “failed UK citizens”.

Updated

Rachel Reeves has warned she will have to make “difficult decisions” as she seeks to “fix the foundations” of the public finances, reports the PA news agency.

The chancellor will announce the date of her first budget before the Commons summer recess, as well as an assessment of the “spending inheritance” left behind by the Conservatives.

In the autumn budget, all eyes will be on whether Reeves is forced to raise taxes or slash spending to avoid a squeeze on public services and to meet her fiscal rule to have debt falling as a share of gross domestic product in five years’ time.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV on Thursday, she said:

I’m not going to announce any tax breaks or tax changes without saying where the money is going to come from, and we will have a budget later this year.

But I also just need to be really clear and honest about the scale of the challenge that we’ve inherited with the public finances.

We’re going to have to make difficult decisions. We need to fix the foundations before we can start rebuilding things in Britain.

But unlike the previous government, I am going to be honest about the scale of the challenge. I’m going to level with people.”

According to the PA news agency, Reeves repeated Labour’s ambition to have the fastest-growing economy in the G7, but refused to put a number on the desired growth rate.

The Chancellor said the party’s plans to grow the economy “depend on businesses and investors choosing Britain as a place to invest”.

She pointed to the new budget responsibility bill, introduced in the Commons on Thursday, as a means of delivering the economic stability required by investors.

The law forces ministers to consult the budget watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), on major tax and spending changes.

Asked whether Labour’s plans had been welcomed by investors, Reeves said:

Absolutely … There’s no plans that I can draw up in my new office in the Treasury that are going to work unless we have business buy-in.”

Downing Street earlier said the outcome of the spending audit the chancellor ordered Treasury officials to produce would come “shortly”.

The prime minister’s spokesperson indicated the OBR has not been given the required 10 weeks’ notice to provide an independent forecast ahead of the next budget. “The Treasury would announce that in the usual way,” the official said.

Updated

Securing future of Grangemouth oil refinery ‘will test Scottish and UK relations’

Securing the future of Grangemouth oil refinery will be a litmus test of how the Scottish and UK governments reset their relationship after Labour’s election win, and their first challenge in achieving climate goals fairly, according to the expert body tasked with assessing the economic impact of energy transition on local communities.

The Just Transition Commission, set up by the Scottish government, has published its report a week after Keir Starmer described Grangemouth as a “real priority” on his first visit to Scotland since he was elected as prime minister.

Grangemouth’s owner, Petroineos, announced last November that it intends to cease refinery operations as soon as 2025, raising concerns about the job security of the more than 500 people directly employed at the site near Falkirk and the impact of closing one of the UK’s six remaining large oil refineries on fuel supplies.

Satwat Rehman, a co-chair of the commission, said there was some optimism at the recent reassurances of a “one-team approach”, with the UK government’s energy secretary, Ed Miliband, and the Scottish government’s acting energy secretary, Gillian Martin, co-chairing a working group exploring options for the site.

“We’re now seeing a far less hostile relationship between governments, but we want to see a timeline for bold action from both administrations and that can only be done alongside unions and the local community, who up till now feel they have had very little beyond words,” Rehman said.

You can read more of Libby Brooks’ report here:

Keir Starmer has congratulated Ursula von der Leyen on her re-election to serve a second five-year term as president of the European Commission.

Von der Leyen missed the EPC summit hosted by the prime minister to focus on Thursday’s vote.

Updated

Negotiations to resolve junior doctors' pay dispute in England to begin next week, says Wes Streeting

Formal negotiations intended to resolve the long-running junior doctors’ pay dispute in England will begin next week, Wes Streeting has announced.

Preliminary discussions today and last week show that “there is a deal to be done”, the health secretary said, raising hopes that the 16-month-old campaign of strikes will end.

The negotiations will start next Tuesday in what Streeting called “a crucial step forward”. The co-chairs of the British Medical Association’s (BMA) junior doctors committee (JDC) said they expect them to conclude by 16 August, when their executive next meets. It represents about 56,000 junior doctors, who are mainly medics in training who are below the level of consultant.

Junior doctors have staged 11 walkouts, each lasting up to five days, since they held their first stoppage in March last year. They have withdrawn their labour for a total of 44 days so far, causing major disruption in the health service each time.

Streeting said today:

After a second constructive meeting I am pleased to announce that my department will enter formal negotiations with the BMA junior doctors committee on Tuesday.

This is a crucial step forward, as we work to end this dispute and change the way junior doctors are treated in the NHS.”

Strikes since December 2022 by various groups of staff, including nurses, ambulance crews and hospital consultants as well as junior doctors, have forced NHS trusts to rearrange about 1.5m outpatient appointments and planned, non-urgent operations in that time.

Junior doctors’ most recent strike, which ran for five days from 27 June to 2 July, led to more than 60,000 appointments being rescheduled, for example.

Streeting added:

This government has been honest with the public about the terrible economic circumstances we inherited, and I have repeated that message in meetings with the junior doctors. But I am encouraged by our early meetings that there is a deal to be done.”

“Strikes have had a significant cost to patients, staff and the NHS. Serious work is now under way to finally bring them to an end”, he said, in what may be seen as a reference to talks between the JDC and Victoria Atkins, his predecessor, which did not make significant progress.

Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trevedi, the co-chairs of the JDC, said: “We have set an expectation that these [negotiations] will conclude by the time of our executive meeting on 16 August.”

Liz Truss has sent a follow-up letter to the head of the civil service demanding he investigate how “slurs” against her ended up in a briefing document, reports the PA news agency.

Text describing Truss’s mini-budget as a “disaster” was removed from briefing notes published alongside the king’s speech after she complained to the head of the civil service, Simon Case, that references to her were “untrue political attacks”.

Briefing notes about the contents of the speech, delivered by King Charles on Wednesday, also included references to the “mistakes” of economic policy under Truss, the UK’s shortest-serving prime minister.

Her latest letter includes a list of questions for Case, including whether he has opened an investigation, who gave the final signoff to the document and how civil servants will be held to account if they have breached the civil service code.

According to the PA news agency, Truss also asks how many physical copies of the “errant document” were printed and whether he has made efforts to recover and pulp unissued copies.

“I am very disturbed that this material impugning my name found its way into a civil service document published on the first day of the new parliament,” she writes.

She added:

That not a single person who drafted, edited, proofed or signed off so significant a document saw fit to challenge the slurs against me would only go to suggest that there is a settled view in Whitehall which accepts the narrative of my political opponents without challenge. This should be a matter of deep concern to the British public.”

Whether the UK would accept some asylum seekers in exchange for returning some migrants to the EU is not under discussion at the EPC summit, Yvette Cooper has said.

The home secretary said the focus is “around security” and “organised immigration crime” when pressed repeatedly on what a potential UK-EU migrants return deal could entail.

She told the BBC’s World At One:

That’s not the discussions that the European Political Community is having. What their focus is is around security.”

She continued:

The returns arrangements we’re talking about is developing returns arrangements right across the world... We’re immediately moving hundreds of staff into the returns and enforcement unit.”

The EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell has once again backed calls for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East and release of hostages, following the visit by David Lammy.

He said:

I fully agree with what foreign secretary Lammy said in his recent trip to the Middle East. We need an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, the protection of civilians, unfettered access to aid in Gaza. And finally, a pathway towards a two-state solution.

I see the Knesset passed a resolution against the recognition a state of Palestine. If they are against a two-state solution I ask what is the alternative way toward a lasting and sustainable peace?”

Updated

The prime minister discussed Italy’s deal to send migrants to Albania for processing during an informal talk with Edi Rama.

Keir Starmer and his Albanian counterpart also discussed support to Ukraine during a “brush-by” chat at the European Political Community (EPC) summit at Blenheim Palace.

A Downing Street spokesperson said:

The prime minister was pleased to get time to sit with Albanian prime minister, Edi Rama, at today’s EPC.

The two leaders discussed issues of European security including migration, specifically innovative solutions such as the Italy-Albania partnership.

They also discussed support to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression; and UK cooperation in the western Balkans. The prime ministers agreed to continue to strengthen the relationship between our two countries.”

After the opening speeches, the European leaders posed for a family photo in front of Blenheim Palace:

We mentioned this earlier but in case you missed it, here’s how the schedule for today looks (all timings are BST):

10am: Opening session

11.30am: Family photo

Midday: Thematic roundtables

1pm: Opportunity for bilateral/multilateral meetings and lunch

2.45pm: Closing plenary

3.45pm: Reception with His Majesty King Charles III

4.45pm: Bilateral/multilateral meetings and departures

Irish prime minister says decisions by Starmer in first two weeks of office are a 'gamechanger' for Europe

Irish prime minister Simon Harris has said the decisions made by Keir Starmer in his 14 days in office are a “gamechanger” for Europe.

Harris was reacting to Starmer’s opening speech to the EPC summit in which he pledged to remain in the European Human Rights Convention and to remain “friends and partner of the EU”.

Harris said:

There’s been a gamechanger now. You have a British government that wants to actively talk about a closer relationship with Europe, the importance of multilateralism, staying within the ECHR, working closely with Ireland, talking about language around co-guarantor of our peace process. So it’s a very different landscape to the one we would have been discussing were we standing here only weeks ago.”

“The Rwanda policy is gone. It’s dead. It’s finished. The scraping of the Rwanda policy and then, secondly, commitments [to] the ECHR. I think they’re both very, very important steps,” said Harris.

Updated

You might have noticed that European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, is not in attendance at the EPC summit today. That’s because the meeting coincided with a secret vote by members of the European parliament on her second term as its head.

Reuters is reporting that von der Leyen has won support from EU lawmakers for another five-year term as president of the commission. The 720-member European parliament approved her with 401 votes in favour, 284 against and 15 abstentions. She needed 361 votes to pass.

Updated

There’s some more of Zelenskiy’s speech from earlier. As reported by the BBC, the Ukrainian president told leaders gathered at Thursday’s EPC summit:

On Russian missiles, drones and planes: “There must be a collective will to shoot them down just like the Iranian missiles and drones … Your bravery can be decisive. People should feel Europe is becoming closer.”

On Vladimir Putin: “He [Putin] has failed to create division in Europe.” Zelenskiy also said that Putin has sacrificed “tens of thousands of his citizens but has achieved nothing significant”.

On the Russia-Ukraine war: “[The] reality on the battlefield is more convincing than anything … We have stopped Russian advances on Kharkiv.”

Zelenskiy added that the more effective his country’s air defences are, the more helpless Putin will be and that it will be more likely that Russia will seek peace.

On Ukraine’s relations in Europe: He thanked those that had supported Ukraine in its bid to EU membership, saying: “This proves that even in the most difficult of circumstances, the EU can keep its promises.”

He also thanked those supporting Ukraine’s attempt to become a member of Nato, and those who helped organise the first Ukraine Peace summit. “It was a success for everyone who wants a just end to this war,” he said.

“Joint efforts are needed for the sake of peace … When the aggressor loses, the world wins.”

Updated

Stepping away from the EPC summit for a moment, Keir Starmer has released a statement in response to the UK Covid-19 inquiry’s report. He said the report confirmed that “the UK was underprepared for Covid-19” and that policy “failed UK citizens”.

The prime minister said in a statement:

The memories brought about by the inquiry will be very difficult for many people. My heartfelt sympathies go out to all those who lost a loved one during that time.

The pandemic showed us that the backbone of Britain is made up of those committing their lives to service – key workers like carers, nurses, paramedics, cleaners and teachers. They put themselves in the eye of the storm, and together with people up and down the country, many of them lost their lives or are still living with the impact of the virus.

Today’s report confirms what many have always believed – that the UK was underprepared for Covid-19, and that process, planning and policy across all four nations failed UK citizens.

The safety and security of the country should always be the first priority, and this government is committed to learning the lessons from the inquiry and putting better measures in place to protect and prepare us from the impact of any future pandemic.”

Updated

As we reported earlier, Keir Starmer has said the new UK government wants to rediscover common interests with neighbouring countries in his speech at the opening of the European Political Community summit.

You can watch a clip from that speech here:

The day so far

If you’re just joining us, here’s a rundown of the day’s main developments:

  • Foreign secretary David Lammy has said the UK is “nowhere near” negotiating agreements with the EU, as Labour begins a cautious rebuilding of the UK’s relationship with Europe at the European Political Community summit.

  • Keir Starmer opened the European Political Community summit underlining the bond of trust that brightens the fabric of European life. He added that the UK “will never leave the European Convention of Human Rights”.

  • Volodymyr Zelenskiy has addressed EPC summit and asked if Europe will ‘surrender’ to ‘tyrants’. He also rounded on Viktor Orbán’s self-styled peace mission and meetings with Putin and Trump, calling them a betrayal of Europe.

  • The EU’s high representative, or chief diplomat, Josep Borrell has said Brussels is willing to sit down with the UK to draw up a new security and defence pact. “We welcome the new tone of the British government and we look forward to engaging with it. We are ready to reinforce our foreign and security policy cooperation,” he said.

  • Charles Michel, the president of the European Council which represents EU leaders has said they are ready and open to a new chapter of cooperation with the UK on migration and other global challenges.

Updated

Away from the EPC summit, there are two other major UK political stories today.

The first focuses on the publication of the first report from the UK Covid inquiry. The report singles out former Conservative health secretaries Matt Hancock and Jeremy Hunt for their failure to prepare the UK for a pandemic.

You can read our main report on that here:

And follow live reaction here:

Separately, cabinet minister Pat McFadden and Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey are appearing at the Post Office Horizon scandal inquiry, which you can follow live here:

Keir Starmer has posted a photograph from the EPC summit today, showing him talking with Macron, Zelenskiy and Scholz outside Blenheim Palace. In the post on X, Starmer wrote:

We cannot let the challenges of the past define our relationships of the future.

My government’s new approach to Europe, to make our country safer and more secure, starts today at the European Political Community summit.

Updated

Starmer concluded his opening plenary speech at the EPC summit by pledging to be a “friend and a partner” to European allies.

The UK prime minister said:

It is a pleasure today on behalf of my country to extend a hand to all of you, to say that under my leadership, Britain will be a friend and a partner ready to work with you.

Not part of the European Union, but very much part of Europe. Not focused on the differences between us, but on the values that we share. United by our determination to defend them and certain about what we can achieve together.”

Starmer says the EPC summit is an opportunity to 'set a new path on illegal migration'

Keir Starmer said the EPC summit was an opportunity to “set a new path on illegal migration” and say “no more” to the “crisis” of people smuggling.

Speaking at the opening plenary, the prime minister said:

It is now I think a crisis. As we speak, as we gather here, a criminal empire is at work in every country represented here today, profiting off human misery and desperation, prepared to send infants, babies, pregnant mothers, innocent people to their deaths.

And last week four more souls, and actually last night another one, were lost in the waters of the English Channel – a chilling reminder of the human cost of this vile trade.

This summit is an opportunity to set a new path on illegal migration, to transform the way that we work together on border security and law enforcement and to say together ‘no more’. And in the UK, our new border security command will work in partnership with you. We must combine our resources, share intelligence, share tactics, shut down the smuggling routes, and smash the gangs.”

Starmer said the “root causes” driving people from their homes, such as conflict, climate change and extreme poverty also needed to be addressed.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy rounded on Viktor Orbán’s self-styled peace mission and meetings with Putin and Trump branding them a betrayal of Europe.

In a clear reference to the Hungarian prime minister he warned that Putin would try to sow seeds of division in Europe and that some would be tempted into betraying and weakening their neighbours.

Keir Starmer said the first task of the European Political Community (EPC) is to “confirm our steadfast support for Ukraine” as he opened the summit.

Starmer said:

Every day Ukraine fights affects not just the Ukrainian people, but the European people. A continent where our belief in freedom, democracy and the rule of law was hard won and that wants to live in peace.”

He said he was struck by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s comments at Nato that Ukraine needs more air defence before children go back to school.

Starmer said:

And that really struck me because returning to school after the summer break, that should be a moment of joy, of excitement for children – new uniforms, new exercise books, seeing how much their friends have grown over the summer holidays and reuniting with friends.

How could anyone consider that a target? So our first task here today is to confirm our steadfast support for Ukraine, to unite once again behind those values that we cherish and to say we will face down aggression on this continent together.”

Volodymyr Zelenskiy addresses EPC summit and asks if Europe will 'surrender' to 'tyrants'

Volodymyr Zelenskiy is now addressing the EPC summit at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, the second world war leader.

He opens by reminding the 44 European leaders that “bravery made Churchill, Churchill. It was the battle for Britain”.

He asked:

Will Europe be a continent that neither surrenders nor sells itself to tyrants? Will yours be a continent of nations and communities? … We will see how much the bravery of previous generation generations has won for us, and secured this Europe for us … and our children.”

Updated

Keir Starmer says the UK will 'never leave the European Convention of Human Rights'

Keir Starmer has said the UK “will never leave the European Convention of Human Rights”. It puts clear water between the Labour government and its predecessor which often threatened to do so.

He also vowed that the UK would be a constant “friend and partner of Europe”. He added that they would work together to smash peole smuggling gangs, warning they could not be the “only” criminal networks that can operate with “impunity” in Europe.

Updated

Keir Starmer has reiterated the UK’s pledge to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes”.

Flanked on his right by Volodymyr Zelenskiy he told the 44 European leaders gathered at Blenheim Palace:

The task is urgent, because our security is on the line. Every day Ukraine fights to protect not just the Ukrainian people, but the European people.”

'We want to reset relationships' says Keir Starmer as he opens the EPC summit

Keir Starmer has opened the European Political Community summit underlining the bond of trust that brightens the fabric of European life.

He said:

Thank you so much for being here. It is, of course, the birthplace of Winston Churchill. And we stand for the values that he embodies around the world, liberty and democracy – yes, of course – but also defiance and resolve in their defence.

Today as a new storm gathers over our continent, we choose to meet it in that same spirit, and we choose to meet it together. And that is the choice of the government that I lead …

We want to work with all of you to reset relationships, rediscover our common interest. And renew the bonds of trust and friendship, the right and the fabric of European life.”

Updated

It’s a busy day for news liveblogging today. My colleague, Tom Ambrose, has just started the UK Covid-19 inquiry live blog, where he will be posting updates as politicians including David Cameron, George Osborne and Matt Hancock brace to face criticism about their decision-making:

Here’s a couple of images of Zelenskiy and Orbán at Blenheim Palace. I’m not sure what lead to that pose by the Hungarian prime minister:

All the European leaders have arrived now at Blenheim Palace, with French president, Emmanuel Macron, one of the last to arrive (says the BBC).

Updated

Charles Michel, the president of the European Council which represents EU leaders has said they are ready and open to a new chapter of cooperation with the UK on migration and other global challenges.

“On the field of migration, we can see how we can deepen the ties how we can cooperate more together,” he said.

“It is a broad challenge, it’s a global challenge,” he added.

Asked about the relationship with the UK he told reporters:

We hope it’s a new chapter, We are ready to strengthen our ties. On Ukraine we are very close that we are cooperate and coordinate a late. And I am certain there are so many global challenges … we can work together.”

The EU’s high representative, or chief diplomat, Josep Borrell has said Brussels is willing to sit down with the UK to draw up a new security and defence pact.

“We welcome the new tone of the British government and we look forward to engaging with it. We are ready to reinforce our foreign and security policy cooperation,” he said.

“The new Labour government has signalled its intention to reset its relationship with the European Union and to seek more structured cooperation with the EU in the field of foreign, security and defence policies,” he added.

On the wider defence agenda of the EPC, he said: “European security is at risk. We face an unprecedented combination of threats and challenges. The EPC meeting is an occasion to reaffirm our unity in the face of the challenges on our continent.”

“We all want the war to end, we all want peace. Ukrainians want peace more than anyone. But only a real peace, that respects Ukraine’s sovereignty and provides security guarantees. For us, today’s Russia continues to be the most significant and direct threat. Our collective unity remains the biggest asset to manage Russia in the long-term.”

Orbán and Zelenskiy arrive at Blenheim Palace

Viktor Orbán and Volodymyr Zelenskiy have just arrived at Blenheim Palace.

Orbán, who has been heavily criticised by fellow EU member states for his unmandated “peace” meetings with Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, was warmly greeted by Keir Starmer.

Updated

Volodymyr Zelenskiy arrives in the UK to attend EPC summit

Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy has arrive in the UK, where he will attend the EPC summit as well as meet with King Charles. Zelenskiy posted photos of his arrival on X shortly after 10am, along with this message:

The countries of the European area are gathering for the fourth time at the European Political Community summit to discuss common issues and challenges. I have arrived in the UK to participate in the summit, hold bilateral meetings with partners, and sign new security agreements.

A separate programme is scheduled for our relations with the United Kingdom. I will meet with His Majesty King Charles III, prime minister Keir Starmer, government officials, and executives from defence companies.

We will sign an intergovernmental agreement on support for the Ukrainian defence and industrial complex, discuss future defence cooperation, and expand our defence capabilities.

Since the first days of the full-scale invasion, the UK has been one step ahead in its determination to support Ukraine. This is the kind of resolve we need to stop Russian terror.”

Updated

David Lammy has said he is already engaging with Donald Trump’s controversial running mate, JD Vance, and can identify with him because of their common working class and Christian backgrounds.

The British foreign secretary was speaking just hours after the possible future US vice-president reiterated his “America first” views, pledging to the Republican national convention (RNC) that he would not send US soldiers to war abroad unnecessarily.

“We will send our kids to war only if we must,” Vance said, signalling a significant policy shift for the US which has cemented its position as the defender of the world’s democracies ever since the second world war.

Vance has previous described Britain under Labour as the first “truly Islamist” country with a nuclear weapon.

Lammy told BBC Breakfast: “Let me just say on JD Vance that I’ve met him now on several occasions, we share a similar working-class background with addiction issues in our family. We’ve written books on that. We’ve talked about that.

“And we’re both Christians so I think I can find common ground with JD Vance.”

He was speaking from Blenheim Palace, in Oxfordshire, before the fourth meeting of the European political community, a conference of 44 EU and non-EU leaders in the biggest gathering of European leaders in the UK in a generation.

You can read the full report by Lisa O’Carroll and Kiran Stacey here:

UK jobs market cools again as wage growth slows

UK wage growth slowed in May to the lowest level in two years amid a cooling jobs market, underscoring the challenge for the Bank of England as policymakers decide whether to cut interest rates.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show annual pay growth eased from 5.9% in the three months to April to 5.7% in the three months to May, matching City economists’ predictions.

Unemployment was unchanged from 4.4% in April, while the number of job vacancies fell by 30,000 led by dwindling demand in retail and hospitality amid a continued slowdown in hiring across the economy.

After a sharp fall in headline inflation over recent months, real wage growth taking into account the rising cost of living has strengthened. Total real pay, including bonuses, rose by 3% on the year in the three months to May. Growth was last higher in the three months to August 2021, when it was 4.5%.

You can read more on this story by Richard Partington, the Guardian’s economics correspondent, here:

My colleague Julia Kollewe is on the business live blog today. She has more on the above story too, plus other key business news developments:

Updated

Away from the EPC summit, it’s a big day at the Post Office Horizon inquiry with Pat McFadden and Ed Davey due to appear. You can follow that via the below live feed:

Updated

Some more of the arrivals pictured at Blenheim Palace for a summit for the European Political Community (EPC) today, courtesy of the newswires:

Updated

Here are some of the discussions that have taken place at previous EPC summits, according to the gov.uk website:

At the last meeting in Granada, the UK led discussions on AI and illegal migration. In Moldova, the focus was on supporting the host country in the face of Russian hybrid threats, as well building energy resilience. While at the first EPC meeting in Prague, talks centred around Putin’s invasion of Ukraine and the need for Europe to stand united against his aggression.

In case you’re catching up on yesterday’s politics news, my colleague Peter Walker put together this handy breakdown of the key points from the king’s speech. From education and energy to renters and railways, it is all there:

Labour must ramp up renewable energy to meet 2030 climate vows, says watchdog

The new Labour government must oversee a massive ramping up of renewable energy generation in this parliament or the UK will breach its international obligations under the Paris agreement, the government’s climate watchdog has said.

The Conservative government left the country drastically off track to meet its international commitments, despite setting the carbon-cutting target before hosting the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow in 2021, the Committee on Climate Change found in its most recent annual report.

In a damning verdict on the Tories, and Rishi Sunak’s tenure in particular, the CCC found that the policies that Labour inherited would result in only about a third of the emissions cuts necessary to reach the UK’s Paris agreement target of cutting carbon by 68% by 2030.

The report, compiled by scientists and experts, said the last government “signalled a slowing of pace and reversed or delayed key policies … gave inconsistent messages on its commitment to the actions needed to reach net zero, with cancellations of, and delays and exemptions to, important policies. It claimed to be acting in the long-term interests of the country but there was no evidence backing the claim that dialling back ambition would reduce costs to citizens.”

Updated

Today's schedule

We mentioned this earlier but in case you missed it, here’s what we’re expecting today (all timings are BST):

10am: Opening session

11.30am: Family photo

Midday: Thematic roundtables

1pm: Opportunity for bilateral/multilateral meetings and lunch

2.45pm: Closing plenary

3.45pm: Reception with His Majesty King Charles III

4.45pm: Bilateral/multilateral meetings and departures

UK 'nowhere near' renegotiating trade deal with EU

Many are viewing the new UK government’s enthusiasm for today’s summit as a sign it is keen to reset its relationship with the European Union after eight years of post-referendum bickering.

But UK foreign secretary David Lammy, who has been speaking to the media this morning, has said the UK is “nowhere near” negotiating agreements with the bloc.

The European Union and the European Commission will not be up and running until December following their elections, he said.

Lammy told BBC Breakfast:

Of course, we’re entering into discussions but we’re nowhere near a negotiation on the trade agreement - that paper thin trade agreement that Boris Johnson struck - the veterinary deal that we’ve said that we want to get, the mutual qualifications that we want to work on and the UK-EU security pact that we’re proposing to Europe that will enable us to discuss a whole range of issues across the European family.

He said security, Ukraine and migration would be key points of discussion at the summit.

In terms of future UK negotiations with the EU, he said:

I’m certainly not going to show my hand before negotiations have even begun.

He repeated that Labour has said it will not bring Britain back into the single market or EU customs union but that the Government does want a better trade agreement.

Updated

Proposed UK-EU security pact ‘will be welcomed in Brussels’, MEP says

Labour’s proposed foreign policy and security pact with the EU sounds “quite promising”, the head of the European parliament’s foreign affairs committee has said, adding that the British government should use the next weeks and months to come up with proposals that are “as concrete as possible”.

David McAllister, a veteran German MEP and close ally of European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said such a pact should cover economic, climate, health, cyber and energy security. His list overlaps with the sweeping set of ideas proposed by the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, who recently met his counterparts in Berlin, Stockholm and Bydgoszcz in northern Poland.

Speaking to the Guardian before the European Political Community (EPC) summit that will bring together leaders from about 45 European countries at Blenheim Palace on Thursday, McAllister said:

We have always wanted closer post-Brexit security cooperation. At the moment we have as the EU more structured ties with the US, Canada and Norway than we do with the UK. So if David Lammy and [the defence secretary] John Healey are calling for a security pact with the EU, I think that this will be welcomed in Brussels.

The first European leaders have begun to arrive:

Starmer to focus on border security and immigration at summit

Keir Starmer will put immigration and border security at the centre of his first summit with European leaders, as he races to agree changes to the asylum system to replace the defunct Rwanda scheme.

Starmer is expected to tell leaders at the summit he wants to “renew” Britain’s relations with Europe, with new border controls and an agreement on defence and security at the heart of any renegotiation.

He will introduce a plenary session in the morning during which Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian president, will also speak, amid growing concern among European leaders about what a second Donald Trump presidency might mean for the war in Ukraine.

In a statement released before the meeting, Starmer said:

We cannot let the challenges of the recent past define our relationships of the future. That is why European security will be at the forefront of this government’s foreign and defence priorities, and why I am focused on seizing this moment to renew our relationship with Europe.

The EPC will fire the starting gun on this government’s new approach to Europe, one that will not just benefit us now, but for generations to come, from dismantling the people-smuggling webs trafficking people across Europe, to standing up to Putin’s barbaric actions in Ukraine and destabilising activity across Europe.

He will make a direct plea to his fellow leaders not to block his attempts to agree new border controls, saying: “We will only be able to secure our borders, drive economic growth and defend our democracies if we work together.”

Updated

Good morning, and welcome to the UK politics blog as Keir Starmer prepares to welcome leaders at Blenheim Palace for a summit for the European Political Community.

We will be bringing you all the developments as the newly elected prime minister prepares to welcome some 45 national leaders.

The EPC, proposed by France’s Emmanuel Macron, is not intended to discuss EU-UK relations, but it gives Starmer a stage to showcase a new approach to the union following the acrimony of Brexit.

As Reuters reports, he will tell the gathering that the UK plans to “take a more active and greater convening role on the world stage,” especially by helping Ukraine fight Russia’s invasion and working to crack down on the people-smuggling gangs.

“We cannot let the challenges of the recent past define our relationships of the future,” Starmer said. “That is why European security will be at the forefront of this government’s foreign and defence priorities, and why I am focused on seizing this moment to renew our relationship with Europe.”

For those attending – including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, France’s Macron, Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk and outgoing Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg – the summit will also be dominated with worries over continued US support if Donald Trump wins the presidency.

Here’s the schedule for today

8.00: Arrivals and doorsteps

10.00: Opening session

11.30: Family photo

12.00: Thematic roundtables

13:00: Opportunity for bilateral/multilateral meetings and lunch

14.45: Closing plenary

15:45: Reception with His Majesty King Charles III

16:45: Bilateral/multilateral meetings and departures

Stay with us for all the news and other UK political developments

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