UK politics live: Keir Starmer departs for Nato summit after making first speech to Parliament as PM (original) (raw)

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Summary

• Sir Keir Starmer is travelling to the Nato summit in Washington DC for his first international trip since becoming prime minister
• Earlier he urges MPs to deliver "national renewal" in an address to Parliament, hailing it as the most diverse in history
• Former PM Rishi Sunak says the new PM has a "formidable task", as party leaders make speeches to the House
• Sir Lindsay Hoyle is re-elected as Speaker of the House of Commons - watch here as he's dragged to his chair, as is tradition
• The swearing-in of 650 MPs begins, with the process expected to continue into tomorrow

Live Reporting

Edited by Emily Atkinson and Johanna Chisholm

1. Out with the old, in with the newpublished at 20:12 British Summer Time 9 July

Emily Atkinson
Live page editor
Past and future collided today as Parliament returned for the first time since the general election.
There was a new Labour government and a new Conservative opposition, sitting on the opposite benches to those we have grown accustomed to seeing them populate.
The result was a vision of Parliament unlike any we have had for 14 years, which MPs old and new gathered to create in a ceremony steeped in centuries-old tradition.
In historic terms, it was quite a day - and you can watch how it all unfolded here:
Media caption,
New Parliament, old traditions... watch the opening day in 55 seconds
Otherwise, that's it from us. You can read more about the key moments here.
This page was written by Gabriela Pomeroy, Adam Durbin, Seher Asaf, Ece Goksedef and Thomas Mackintosh and was edited by Jack Burgess, Johanna Chisolm, Emily Atkinson, Aoife Walsh, Marita Moloney and Sophie Abdulla. 2. ### The key moments from todaypublished at 20:07 British Summer Time 9 July
Adam Durbin
Live reporter
It's been a busy day in Westminster, which kicked off with Prime Minister Keir Starmer meeting with England's metro mayors - who welcomed plans to drop the "levelling up" phrase used to describe efforts to reduce regional inequality.
Over in the House of Commons, Starmer was sworn in alongside many other MPs, in a process set to last a few days.
In his first speech to MPs as PM, Starmer said he would replace “performance” politics with that of “service", while Tory leader Rishi Sunak said the pair could "argue vigorously" but still "respect each other".
But that wasn't all for the Parliamentary pomp and ceremony, as our new representatives also went through the process of dragging Sir Lindsay Hoyle to the Speaker's chair once again - after unanimously electing him, of course.
Once he’d affirmed his allegiance to the Crown, the PM set off to the Nato summit in Washington for his first international trip.
Starmer has also appointed several new ministers, including an unconventional move to pick five who are in the 2024 Labour intake.
Plus, New Health Secretary Wes Streeting met with junior doctorsover their long-running pay dispute. Representatives from the British Medical Association described the talks as "positive" and said no further strikes are planned.
Over in Tory circles, Bob Blackman has been appointed chairman of the 1922 Committee of Backbench MPs - who will oversee the election of Sunak's replacement as leader of the opposition. 3.

What happened to immigration under Tony Blair?published at 19:51 British Summer Time 9 July

By Anthony Reuben
In a BBC interview earlier today, former Labour PM Sir Tony Blair was challenged about immigration by Nick Robinson, who said: “You massively increased legal migration into this country when you were prime minister.”
Blair called that “a great myth” and claimed: “Immigration the day I left office was around half of what it is today.”
There are problems with comparing today’s figures with those from 2007, when he left office, but The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford has tried to pull together the figures, external.
On overall immigration:

• In 1997 when Blair became PM, immigration to the UK was 327,000
• In 2007 when he left office it was 574,000
• In 2023, the most recent year for which we have figures, it was 1,218,000
  So he was right to say that it is now about double what it was in 2007, but it is not a “myth” to say that legal migration to the UK increased significantly while he was prime minister.

1. Labour wide-eyed ahead of Starmer's first international visitpublished at 19:46 British Summer Time 9 July

Chris Mason
Political editor
Hello from the prime minister’s plane.
The Labour advisers have a wide-eyed look, stepping as they just have done onto this plane for the first time.
Fair enough; I’ve seen other new teams around a new prime minister do a trip like this for the first time and it’s a real right of passage of the highest office — after all only prime ministers get to go to heads of government international summits — it’s a reminder of what any new prime minister has just achieved.
There are plenty of officials on this trip — just imagine the briefing and prep they have to do for a new prime minister fresh — or not fresh — off the campaign trail, who then has to absorb the UK’s existing positions on a million and one foreign policy issues, and decide what the approach of the new government will be.
We get to Washington in the middle of the night UK time, late at night on the east coast of America. 5. ### Health unions closely follow Streeting's handling of junior doctors' disputepublished at 19:31 British Summer Time 9 July
Hugh Pym
Health editor
It was a start and the talks did not end in acrimony.
Junior doctor representatives from the British Medical Association left the meeting earlier today with the new Health Secretary Wes Streeting saying it had been “positive” and that they would meet again next week.
BMA sources later indicated that there was a more sympathetic hearing for their demand for a multi-year pay deal than from the previous government.
The union wants what it calls “pay restoration” – which is getting back in real terms, after allowing for inflation, to where they were in 2008.
No figures were talked about today, but part of the discussion focussed on the barriers that had blocked progress before. Streeting said later that both sides wanted to negotiate and find a way through.
He said junior doctors were the future of the health service. But he will have to find the money for any multi-year deal and convince the Treasury that it is a reasonable way forward.
Other health unions will be watching closely and will approach him soon with their own pay demands.
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,
Dr Robert Laurenson, co-chair of the British Medical Association's junior doctors' committee and Vivek Trivedi, the co-chair of the junior doctors' committee, speak to the media after meeting Wes Streeting 6. ### No further strikes planned after 'positive' meeting with Streeting - BMApublished at 19:22 British Summer Time 9 July
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,
Dr Robert Laurenson and Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairs of the BMA's junior doctors' committee
We're pivoting away from the diplomatic relations and cabinet appointments for a moment to bring you an update from Health Secretary Wes Streeting's talks with junior doctors' representatives earlier today.
Dr Vivek Trivedi, co-chairman of the British Medical Association's Junior Doctors' Committee, says the group has no plans for further strikes for now, and that talks will resume next week.
"It was a positive meeting, we were pleased to be able to meet the Secretary of State and his team so quickly after the general election.
"It signifies the urgency that they're placing on resolving this dispute which has already lasted 20 months," says Trivedi. 7. ### Who is Bob Blackman, the new 1922 chair?published at 19:11 British Summer Time 9 July
Image source, Reuters
Image caption,
Bob Blackman with then-PM Rishi Sunak during the election campaign
We reported earlier that the Conservative Party in Westminster has elected Bob Blackman to be the new chairman of the 1922 Committee.
Blackman has represented the Harrow East constituency in west London since 2010.
He has never worked as a minister, but sat on the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee during the last Parliament.
Before becoming chairman of the 1922 he had been the committee's secretary since 2015, and has been a member of the Conservative Party's board since 2019.
In his career before being elected to Parliament, Blackman worked in a variety of sales and management roles for BT. 8. ### Starmer makes five new Labour MPs ministers - instantlypublished at 19:03 British Summer Time 9 July
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
It is highly unusual to make a new MP a minister instantly. But that is what Sir Keir Starmer has just done, five times over, before he made his way across the Atlantic.

• Georgia Gould is a parliamentary secretary at the Cabinet Office
• Alistair Carns is minister for veterans
• Miatta Fahnbulleh is an energy minister
• Sarah Sackman is solicitor general
• Kirsty McNeill at the Scotland Office
  Each has an impressive career before politics and, evidently, the new prime minister’s view is that he wants to draw on their service instantly.
  They join some MPs who were elected last week having previously served in the Commons in years past – Douglas Alexander, Heidi Alexander, and Emma Reynolds – in the government.
  Appointments are not yet complete, but it’s clear that quite a few of the shadow frontbench Starmer had in place last week are not going into government.
  They will be aggravated to have been lapped by people who have not served any time in parliament.
  That is a party management problem for the new prime minister. But given the scale of his majority, it is a calculated risk he clearly believes he can take.

1. Who will Britain’s next ambassador to the US be?published at 18:51 British Summer Time 9 July

James Landale
Diplomatic correspondent
Sticking with London's special relationship with Washington, it is understood that the outgoing national security advisor, Sir Tim Barrow, has been told he will not be the next UK ambassador to the US.
He had been nominated for the role by Rishi Sunak.
But the i newspaper has now reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Sue Gray, has informed Barrow his appointment will not go ahead.
The BBC had previously reported the appointment had been frozen.
Whitehall sources said no decision had been made over who would take up the role.
The current ambassador, Dame Karen Pierce, is expected to step down in the New Year.
It is likely No 10 will wait until after the US election in November before deciding who to send to Washington.
Barrow is a veteran diplomat who has previously served as head of mission in both Moscow and Brussels.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Sir Tim Barrow's has a background as a longstanding official adviser to senior Conservative figures including Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak 10. ### Starmer labels Russia's attack on Ukraine children's hospital 'appalling'published at 18:41 British Summer Time 9 July
Just before Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer boarded a plane bound for Washington to attend Nato's 75th summit, he spoke to reporters about a topic that will be top of the bill for the next few days – Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The summit is an opportunity for allies to strengthen their resolve and to send a message to President Vladimir Putin that the attack yesterday, in which a children's hospital was fatally hit, was "appalling", he said.
"The message is even more important now than it was before," Starmer said.
Asked further about his election promise of increasing defence spending, Starmer said a strategic review would be carried out and that he is committed to spending 2.5% of GDP "within our fiscal rules".
Image source, UK POOL 11. ### Starmer jets off to Nato summitpublished at 18:40 British Summer Time 9 July
Breaking
Image source, PA Media
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has just boarded a plane alongside his wife, Victoria, to Washington for the Nato summit.
This is his first international trip since becoming Britain's prime minister, and will also mark the first time that he's held face-to-face talks with US President Joe Biden. 12.

Starmer to head to US as Nato summit beckonspublished at 18:22 British Summer Time 9 July

Chris Mason
Political editor
I am heading to the airport to report on the new prime minister’s first foreign trip in the job.
Starmer is flying to Washington for the annual meeting of the Nato defence alliance.
There are some things as prime minister you can choose when to schedule. And there are some things, like international summits, which you can’t.
The fog of campaign trail exhaustion probably not yet properly slept off (if this reporter’s experience is anything to go by), how about crossing the Atlantic twice in 72 hours and a spot of jet lag on the side?
Starmer has met some of his fellow leaders whose countries are Nato members before, including President Emmanuel Macron of France and the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
But he has never met President Biden before nor, for instance, the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
This summit means within his first week in the job he will have met the leaders of most of the UK’s most important allies – vital, as other governments grapple with how the new UK government might operate and what its priorities might be.

• You can read more from Chris Mason's analysis here.

1. Voting for chairman wrapped early - frustrating MPspublished at 18:17 British Summer Time 9 July

Joe Pike
Political Investigations Correspondent
Tory MP Mark Francois is furious he couldn’t vote in the election of the new chairman of the Tory backbench 1922 Committee.
"The 1922 competency levels have reached a new low, which is not saying something. This was bent!”, he shouted on leaving the voting room in parliament.
Similar to MPs Edward Leigh and Jeremy Hunt, he turned up too late to vote.
Voting for the 1922 Committee chairman ended at 17:30 BST - even though MPs were told by whips voting was happening between 17:00-18:00.
I'm told the error stems from the whips having sent an incorrect message. 14. ### Bob Blackman elected chairman of 1922 Committeepublished at 18:07 British Summer Time 9 July
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent, reporting from Downing Street
Bob Blackman is now chairman of the 1922 Committee.
He beat Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown by 61 votes to 37. He will now play a big role shaping the Conservative leadership election.
Image source, UK Parliament 15. ### What is the 1922 Committee?published at 17:55 British Summer Time 9 July
Image source, PA Media
Image caption,
Here's Rishi Sunak posing with members of the committee after it was announced in October 2022 he would become Conservative Party leader
The Tories are in the process of selecting a new chair of the influential 1922 Committee, with voting currently underway.
The 1922 Committee, also known as "the 22", is a group of backbench Conservative MPs that meets weekly when the Commons is sitting.
Its chair, usually a senior MP, is elected by Committee members and holds considerable influence within the party.
Part of the committee’s job is to hire and fire. If Tory MPs want to a force a vote of no confidence and choose a new chief, 15% of MPs have to send a letter to the chair of the committee.
Sir Graham Brady previously chaired the committee, but he announced he would not seek re-election ahead of the 2024 general election. 16. ### Don't rush into electing next Tory leader, MP sayspublished at 17:44 British Summer Time 9 July
Image source, UK Parliament
Conservative MP Mark Pritchard says the party should take its time in choosing its new leader.
Speaking to the BBC's Iain Watson, Pritchard says: "It's now time for the Conservative Party to reflect and then after a period of time to start to rebuild, but I wouldn't rush into that and I'm glad that Rishi has stayed on as leader of the party so that we have as much as possible a smooth transition.
"That transition to the new leader should, in my view, very much be a methodical process, a thoughtful process, and also very much include the membership of the party in the country at large."
He says it's up to the 1922 Committee once elected to take soundings on the length of the leadership election but that "the key thing though is to take our time and get it right rather than rush and get it wrong". 17. ### Tory MPs to appoint new committee chairpublished at 17:32 British Summer Time 9 July
Joe Pike
Political investigations correspondent
Voting is under way to elect the new chairman of the Conservatives' backbench 1922 committee.
MPs Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown and Bob Blackman have made their pitches to colleagues in a hustings.
The new chairman will play a key role - alongside the party board - in setting the timetable for the contest to succeed Rishi Sunak as leader.
But not all Tory MPs are excited about today's contest: "It just doesn't really matter", one tells me. 18. ### In other political newspublished at 17:29 British Summer Time 9 July
Emily Atkinson
Live page editor
The process of swearing in MPs new and old to the House of Commons is in motion.
There's still a way to go, though - it's expected to take around three days to get all 650 members sworn in.
As gripping as that sounds, duty calls our attention to other political news, which we'll get you up to date on shortly.
Coming up:

• The 1922 Committee of Conservative backbench MPs is meeting to decide who sits on its executive
• Keir Starmer heads to the Nato summit in Washington DC for the first international visit of his premiership

1. New MPs sworn in, a Speaker re-elected - the key momentspublished at 17:28 British Summer Time 9 July

Image source, PA Media
Our coverage over the last few hours has been focused on the latest from the House of Commons, where Labour MPs took their seats on the benches for the first time in 14 years.
Missed it? Fear not – here's a look at what's been happening:

• In his first speech in the Commons as PM, Keir Starmer welcomed all the new MPs and said he would replace performance politics with "politics of service"
• Rishi Sunak wished Starmer well, as he gave his first speech in Parliament as leader of the opposition. "We can argue vigorously," he said, "but still respect each other"
• Sir Lindsay Hoyle was re-elected as Speaker of the House to a resounding cheer. He thanked the House and promised to "preserve and cherish" its traditions
• The process of swearing in is now under way. It will take several days as there are hundreds of MPs who will go through the process
• And away from the Commons, Lisa Nandy said that the "era of culture wars is over" in her first speech as culture secretary
• Starmer will shortly begin his journey Washington for the Nato summit – his first international trip as prime minister
• Elsewhere, Conservative backbench MPs are voting to elect a new chair of the 1922 committee
  We'll be bringing you updates throughout.

1. SNP barely fill Commons benchpublished at 17:18 British Summer Time 9 July

Rajdeep Sandhu
Westminster correspondent, BBC Scotland
It was quite something to see the new look of the House of Commons.
Where once the SNP dominated the right side of the opposition benches as the third party, a terrible election night means they are a much smaller party, barely filling up a bench.
It also means losing the privileges that come with being the third party including quite a bit of short money.
There will also be no guaranteed question at Prime Minister’s Question or at other big moments in the House of Commons.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn will have to get used to bobbing up and down for attention.

1. …