Zelensky to make first UK cabinet address since Clinton in 1997 – live updates

Blenheim Palace, a world heritage site, was a wise choice for the fourth meeting of the European Political Community (EPC), led by Sir Keir Starmer.

Its grand buildings are rich in history. Winston Churchill was born there. It served as a centre for MI5 during the Second World War. It is named after a battle during the war of the Spanish succession, fought in 1713 in Bavaria against the French. If Sir Keir was seeking a redolent “mood backdrop” to complement the convivial mood music he created for his fellow 46 prime ministers, chancellors and presidents, then the warm Cotswold stone provided it.

According to the Blenheim Palace Foundation, this venerable collection of buildings “requires constant attention”. So, too, it might be said, does the UK’s relationship with the European Union and the wider continent, amply represented at this gathering.

For reasons that are too painful to dwell upon, the last few years have marked a nadir in Britain’s association with the bloc. The British economy has been permanently damaged, and the 2016 referendum unleashed demons that still torment British society.

But Brexit damaged the EU as well – it was a “lose-lose” scenario. Rishi Sunak, to be fair to him, did his best to begin the process of rebuilding good relations, but only a decisive break from the recent past – and a change of government – could signal a new beginning.

So it has come to pass. Sir Keir settled into the role of leader with remarkable ease, just as he did at the Nato summit. His unpretentious, workmanlike approach, uncomplicated and untroubled by deep fissures within his own party, was an obvious success.

The Covid inquiry has published its first report into the UK’s handling of the Coronavirus pandemic today, slamming the Conservative government’s planning and preparedness.

The inquiry, led by Baroness Heather Hallett, heard from 69 experts and politicians last year, with former prime ministers Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson and former health ministers Matt Hancock and Jeremy Hunt all giving evidence.

My colleague Albert Toth has the key takeaways here:

Climate change threatens the natural world more than ground-mounted solar panels do, Ed Miliband has claimed to the House of Commons.

The Labour minister has faced criticism from Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, after he signed off on the 350-megawatt Mallard Pass Solar project across about 2,000 acres in her constituency.

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay has also questioned the government’s approach to a proposed 114-mile string of electricity pylons across Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, which could help carry electricity generated by offshore windfarms, calling for “a pause while the other options are considered”.

But Mr Miliband told MPs on Thursday: “The biggest threat to nature and food security, and to our rural communities, is not solar panels or onshore wind – it is the climate crisis which threatens our best farmland, food production and the livelihoods of farmers.”

“We have to make judgments as members of this House, which is: given the scale of the climate crisis we face, given the scale of energy insecurity we had and energy security threat we face, do we believe we need to build infrastructure? Now I happen to believe we do – yes with community consent, yes with community benefit, yes with the planning rules I’ve set out.”

The new defence secretary John Healey has pledged to “take the politics out of national security” as he warned MPs that Russia is “far from a spent force” in Ukraine.

“The UK is united for Ukraine,” Mr Healey said on Thursday, introducing a King’s Speech debate to examine the government’s pledges for home affairs and defence.

“I want to work together to ensure we remain united for Ukraine and the government is now stepping up support, so with President Zelensky I was able to say, ‘we will speed up the delivery of the military aid already pledged.

“‘We will step up support with a new package of more ammunition, more anti-armour missiles, more de-mining vehicles, and also more artillery guns.”’

Earlier in his remarks, Mr Healey said: “As defence secretary, I want to take the politics out of national security”, warning that “Russia is far from a spent force, and if Putin wins, he will not stop at Ukraine”.

Volodymyr Zelensky is set to address an extraordinary meeting of Sir Keir Starmer’s Cabinet on Friday as the prime minister seeks to underline Britain’s continued support for Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president will be the first official visitor to Downing Street under Sir Keir’s premiership, and the first foreign leader to address the Cabinet in person since US president Bill Clinton in 1997.

He is expected to brief ministers about the situation in Ukraine and the need to expand Europe’s defence industrial base, as well as agreeing a £3.5bn defence export finance deal with Sir Keir.

Sir Keir said: “Ukraine is, and always will be, at the heart of this government’s agenda and so it is only fitting that President Zelensky will make a historic address to my Cabinet. Russia’s incremental gains on the battlefield are nothing compared with the collective international support for Ukraine, or the strength of ties between our people.”

A Brexit and trade commentator has suggested the “reset” in UK-EU relations touted by Sir Keir Starmer and echoed by other European leaders today is a “small thing that could make a big difference”.

David Henig, a director of the European Centre For International Political Economy think-tank, said: “Keeps being asked, so is there any actual value to the UK reset of EU relations so far?

“A bit of goodwill basically, enough perhaps to get a hearing for a plan, overcome a false step, make the other side think a bit more creatively. Small thing that could make a big difference.

“Brexit and its appalling handling to date suggested international relations as rather selfish and transactional, but more traditionally agreements come from an awful lot of goodwill and mutual interest. A small start has been made in changing that. Much more to do.”

Three more new MPs have been given government jobs as Sir Keir Starmer continues to appoint ministers two weeks after becoming Prime Minister.

Hamish Falconer, who was elected MP for Lincoln on 4 July, has been made a junior minister in the Foreign Office, while Martin McCluskey and Kate Dearden have been made assistant Government whips.

Mr Falconer has previously served as a diplomat and is the son of Lord Charlie Falconer, who was solicitor general and later lord chancellor under Tony Blair, his former flatmate. Mr McCluskey, a former adviser to Ed Miliband when he was Labour leader, was elected MP for Inverclyde and Renfrewshire West.

Ms Dearden, a former chair of Labour Students, became MP for Halifax at the General Election and previously worked for the Community Union.

The trio join other new MPs in gaining frontbench roles shortly after entering Parliament, such as veterans minister Al Carns, Cabinet Office minister Georgia Gould and pensions minister Emma Reynolds.

In a significant move, it emerged that migrants rescued in the channel on Wednesday night were returned to France by a UK Border Force vessel – the first time this is thought to have happened.

Sir Keir played down the significance of the incident, describing it as an “operational” decision. But sources say other European countries are more willing to discuss challenges around migration with Britain since Labour’s election victory removed the threat of Britain leaving the European Convention on Human Rights.

During the summit, the prime minister also spoke with his Albanian counterpart Edi Rama about Italy’s plan to send migrants to Albania for processing.

He will have dinner with President Macron, with the topic of small boats expected to be discussed, although the French leader ruled out the prospect of a returns agreement between the two countries, insisting that any such deal would have to be negotiated through the EU.

Labour’s House of Lords reform is a good start, writes Independent columnist Alan Rusbridger – now we should ask them to finish the job and start getting some of these turkeys to vote for Christmas: