Starmer accused of ‘playing with fire’ with defence spending as he arrives for Nato summit – live

Sir Keir Starmer has sent a message to president Vladimir Putin after the “shocking and appalling” attack on a children’s hospital in Kyiv on Monday.

Asked by reporters what is his message to Putin, he said this summit “should be seen as a clear and united resolve by Nato allies to stand with Ukraine and stand up to Russian aggression”.

He added: “The attack strengthens the resolve and that is a very important if tragic backdrop to this summit.”

During a flight to Washington, Sir Keir Starmer told reporters he is committed to the 2.5% increase on defence spending.

But the prime minister has been accused by a former colonel in British military intelligence of “playing with fire” for delaying the decision on defence spending until after the review.

Philip Ingram said: “It will take years to fix the army, our ammunition stocks, get the RAF and navy ready”.

F ormer head of the navy Lord West of Spithead, who was a security minister under a previous Labour government, said the party should confirm a timeline during the summit to “set an example to all European countries”.

Sir Keir Starmer has refused to guarantee that he will meet his flagship commitment on defence spending within his first term in office, despite a “cast iron” promise to get there.

The prime minister, who is meeting US President Joe Biden and other Nato leaders today at a summit to mark the alliance’s 75th anniversary, is pressing for European nations to increase defence spending.

But decisions on reaching the UK’s goal of spending 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) will follow a wholesale defence review being launched next week and must comply with the Government’s strict “fiscal rules” on spending and borrowing.

Speaking to reporters, Sir Keir was repeatedly pressed on whether the goal of spending 2.5% of GDP would be reached within his first term.

He said: “We are committed to the 2.5%, as I have said before the election and I say again after the election. That is obviously subject to our fiscal rules, but the commitment is there.

“The strategic review will take place, that will happen next week, and we will set out the details of that.

“The manifesto commitment was that it would take place within a year, I would like it to be quicker than that if I’m honest and we’ll set out the details about how we are going to do it.”

Reform made gains in hundreds of seats across the country at last week’s general election, voting data shows.

Though Nigel Farage’s right-wing challenger party only won five seats in parliament, Reform took 14 per cent of the national vote – exceeding the Lib Dems at 12 per cent.

Reform made significant headway in over 100 seats, despite problems that arose with several candidates, many of whom were chosen in a scramble before the deadline.

Just 14 per cent thought they should not alter their Brexit red line stance, with only 2 per cent saying “definitely not”.

And, in the incendiary speech, she said the flag symbolised support for “the mutilation of children in our hospitals”, something which she said “physically repulsed” her.

It’s a fair tactic – after all, the former leader was the most successful in Labour’s history. His 179-seat majority in 1997 was the high watermark that Starmer aimed for and, to his credit, came within a whisker of hitting.