Zelensky to make first UK cabinet address since Clinton in 1997 as Starmer claims ‘Britain is back’ – politics live

The UK will provide military aid funding to Ukraine “for every year for the rest of the decade,” John Healey said.

The Defence Secretary told Times Radio: “If we take the starting point that the defence of the UK starts in Ukraine and if Putin wins in Ukraine he will not stop there, then we must stand with Ukraine, we’re determined to do that.

“And it isn’t just that. We’ve stepped up extra support in these first two weeks in Government.

“We’ve also confirmed the commitment of extra military aid funding this year and for every year for the rest of the decade. As long as it takes.”

He added: “When Keir Starmer said Britain will continue our steadfast support for Ukraine he meant it.”

The Defence Secretary signalled the Government’s intent to allow Ukraine to use Storm Shadow missiles for defensive strikes against targets in Russia.

It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would push for permission to use the long-range missiles to strike inside Russia.

John Healey told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We’re providing weapons to Ukraine for their defence of their sovereign country. And that does not preclude them hitting targets in Russia.

“But that must be done by the Ukrainians, it must be done within the parameters and the bounds of international humanitarian law.”

Asked whether Mr Zelensky can hit where Russian missiles are coming from, the Cabinet minister said “these are complex questions” and that he would not “discuss the details of those sorts of things in public”.

“We are continuing very intense discussions with the Ukrainians because we as a country want to do everything we can to support Ukraine’s effort to fight for their freedom.”

Sir Keir Starmer is considering plans to process asylum seekers outside the UK territory in a bid to bring a new immigration policy.

During the European Politcal Community summit on Thursday, the prime minister said he was open to the idea after holding bylateral meetings with Emmanual Macron, Edi Rama and Giorgia Meloni.

Sir Keir said: “In relation to the agreement between Albania and Italy, obviously there’s interest in how that might work, but that wasn’t actually the central discussion in the taskforce in the roundtable. That was about the practical measures that we want to discuss, which is about how we deal with taking the gangs down in the first place.

“But look, I’m a practical person. I’m a pragmatist. And I’ve always said we’ll look at what works and where cases can be processed closer to origin, then that is something which of course ought to be looked at.”

The home secretary has described the scenes in Harehills, east Leeds, as “shocking” after riots broke out reportedly following a dispute over local children being taken into care.

Yvette Cooper condemned the action as “disorder” that has “no place in our society”.

Ms Cooper said: “I am appalled at the shocking scenes and attacks on police vehicles and public transport in Leeds tonight. Disorder of this nature has no place in our society.

“My thanks go to West Yorkshire police for their response. I am being kept regularly updated.”

Renationalising the railway fulfils Labour’s election promise. Sean O’Grady takes a closer look at how the new government plans to do it:

A fifth of the nursing and midwifery professionals who left the register in the last year did so within 10 years of joining, figures show.

Nursing leaders described the statistic as “deeply alarming” and called on ministers to “grasp the nettle and make nursing an attractive career”.

The latest Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) annual report on its register of nurses, midwives and nursing associates in the UK shows 27,168 staff left the profession between April 2023 and March 2024, a slight decrease on the previous 12 months.

However, 20.3% of the total – or 5,508 – did so within the first 10 years.

This is compared to 18.8% in 2020/2021 and “reflects a rise over the last three years”, according to the report.

Mr Streeting is also expected to enter formal talks with junior doctors in a bid to end the 20-month row over pay and confitions leading to strikes.

Number 10 is preparing to receive Ukranian leader Volodymyr Zelensky to adress the Labour cabinet today.

But this is not the first time a foreign country’s leader sits at the large table alongside the prime minister.

In 1997, US President Bill Clinton spoke to Tony Blair’s ministers about the then tensions in Northern Ireland, the withdrawal of Nato troops from Bosnia and the British handover of Hong Kong.

The Government has appointed an education charity boss to lead its curriculum and assessment review – aimed at ensuring a child’s background does not prevent them from receiving a high standard of education.

Professor Becky Francis, chief executive of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), will be seconded from her role at the charity to lead the review as it is launched on Friday.

It will listen to the views of parents, teachers and school leaders once a call for evidence is launched in September and will undertake a national roadshow to meet and hear from frontline staff, according to the Department for Education (DfE).

It comes after Labour said in its manifesto that it would “modernise” the school curriculum and reform assessment if the party won the General Election.

The independent review will comprise five key stages and look closely at the challenges young people face to achieve their goals and the barriers which hold children back from opportunities they deserve – in particular, children who are socio-economically disadvantaged or who have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).

The Government set out plans in the King’s Speech to legally require all state schools – including academies – to teach the national curriculum up to age 16 to give every child a “broad and rounded education”.

It confirmed that the duty will start after its curriculum and assessment review has concluded.

His longevity is due to a mixture of harshly silencing all dissent, reverting to Soviet-style economic controls and methods, and cozying up to Russia, even as he sometimes flirted with the West.

Lukashenko, 69, was dubbed “Europe’s last dictator” early in his tenure, and he has lived up to that nickname.

On Saturday, he marks 30 years in power — one of the world’s longest-serving and most ruthless leaders.