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Politics latest: PM admits UK facing 'daily challenges' after review warns we must prepare for war at home

Keir Starmer is alongside NATO allies including Donald Trump at a summit in the Netherlands, while Labour MPs plot to bring down his welfare reforms.

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World leaders gather for NATO summit
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Second British evacuation flight leaves Israel

The Foreign Office says another flight evacuating British citizens from Israel has left Tel Aviv.

It follows the first evacuation flight - an RAF jet to Cyprus - yesterday.

More flights will be considered depending on demand.

It comes as Israel and Iran observe a seemingly fragile ceasefire. It was broken just hours after Donald Trump first announced it last night, but has since resumed after he criticised both countries.

China a 'sophisticated and persistent threat', says foreign secretary

Russia's war in Ukraine and Israel's conflict with Iran are dominating the headlines this week, but today has also seen the government address threats posed by China.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy gave a statement in the Commons a short while ago to mark the "China audit", a review into the opportunities and challenges presented by the UK's ties with Beijing, which the Labour administration commissioned last year.

It found Chinese spying, interference, and attempts to undermine the British economy had all increased in recent years.

Watch: Concerns over Chinese 'super embassy' in UK

Lammy: We can't not engage with China

Lammy told MPs the superpower represented a "sophisticated and persistent threat" - notably starker language than previously, when ministers have described China as a "challenge".

The government will invest 拢600m into intelligence services following the audit, and will look to improve expertise of China in the civil service.

But given its economic heft, Lammy said "not engaging" with Beijing remains "no choice at all". The government still wants a "trade and investment relationship" with Xi Jinping's administration.

Watch: What is NATO's 5% spending pledge?

Keir Starmer and Donald Trump are among a host of NATO leaders attending the alliance's latest summit in The Hague.

Members are there to commit to a new defence spending target - a significant boost to 5% of national income.

But why is that number significant? How will it be reached? Our defence and security editor Deborah Haynes has everything you need to know:

'I want to see that ceasefire maintained,' Starmer tells Sky News

The US president shocked the world this morning what declaring that Israel and Iran "don't know what the f*** they're doing" as both sides were accused of violating the ceasefire he announced.

Our political editor Beth Rigby put to Sir Keir Starmer that it's all rather humiliating for Donald Trump, particularly given his close personal relationship with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

But Starmer dodged that question, saying a ceasefire was in place "in the early hours of today", which is "a good thing for the region and more widely".

"We need to maintain that ceasefire and I think it's very important at this NATO summit that we all work together to make sure that we do, because that ceasefire creates the space for what needs to happen next, which is the negotiations to ensure that Iran does not have the capability to develop nuclear weapons," the PM said.

He added: "I want to see that ceasefire maintained. We will work with others, including, of course, the US, to ensure that that's the position."

Welfare reform 'not a confidence vote' in the government, PM tells Sky News

The prime minister has said next week's vote on his controversial welfare cuts is "not a confidence vote" in his leadership of the government, and insisted he will be "pressing on" with pushing the legislation through.

It comes as 119 Labour MPs - led by select committee chairs - have signed on to an amendment that could kill the bill at a vote next Tuesday, which would be humiliating for a government with such a huge majority.

But speaking to our political editor Beth Rigby at the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Sir Keir Starmer said: "We need to drive rough reform in the welfare system. It's not working for anyone.

"It's not a confidence vote. It's a vote about reform of our welfare system. It isn't working, it doesn't help people in to work - quite the contrary. It actually makes it harder for people to get into work."

'Not a Labour option' to avoid reforms

Despite the apparent rebellion, the PM said "most colleagues do accept the case for reform", and argued that they've "got to get on and make that reform because the options are: leave the system as it is, trapping people and not helping them", which is "not a Labour option".

"The Labour option is to reform it and make it fit for the future. So we're going to press ahead with these reforms," he said.

UK facing 'daily challenges at home', says PM - after review warns we must prepare for war

Keir Starmer has said the UK is "facing daily challenges on the home front" after the government's national security strategy warned the country must "actively prepare" for war at home.

Britain is targeted by "very, very frequent and very, very serious" cyberattacks, the prime minister told our political editor Beth Rigby.

Energy security is also a concern following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while the PM also cited the threat of Iran.

"We have to guard properly against those threats, and we will do so," Starmer added.

PM warns 'we're living in volatile times' ahead of NATO summit

Keir Starmer has said it's "pretty obvious we're living in volatile times".

Speaking ahead of a NATO summit in The Hague, in the Netherlands, the prime minister said it was "more volatile" than most of us have known.

He said he takes his role of keeping Britain safe "really seriously", as he and fellow military allies at NATO prepare to commit to spending 5% of national income on defence and security.

Before the summit, he visited a marines training base in Rotterdam.

UK must 'actively prepare' for war on the homeland, National Security Strategy warns

The UK must "actively prepare" for war on the homeland, the government's National Security Strategy concludes.

The document, which has just been published by the government, says: "For the first time in many years, we have to actively prepare for the possibility of the UK homeland coming under direct threat, potentially in a wartime scenario."

The strategy says "we are in an era in which we face confrontation with those who are threatening our security", noting that the most obvious example of this is Russia in its war against Ukraine.

It adds that "the likelihood of contingencies in which we may be asked, or choose, to confront threats by the use of military force is growing", and that due to this, "greater vigilance in all domains will be essential to continue to deter those who seek to undermine our territorial security".

The government will run annual exercises to test the preparedness of the whole of society as part of efforts to rebuild resilience, the new strategy says. 

There will also be moves to improve security around critical national infrastructure such as power stations and water supplies as part of what is being called "Home Defence".

Watch live: Lammy delivers 'China audit'

The foreign secretary is up again in the Commons, reporting back on the government's so-called "China audit".

It's designed to outline the benefits and challenges posed by the UK's relationship with China.

You can watch live above - we'll bring you any noteworthy updates, but are very much focused on NATO and welfare.

'Clear moral case' for welfare reforms, says Starmer in wake of Labour rebellion

Sir Keir Starmer has insisted there is a "clear moral case" for his government's controversial package of welfare cuts ahead of a probable vote next week on an amendment seeking to block them.

The prime minister said this moral case is that "the current system doesn't help those who want to get into work".

He added: "It traps people. I think it's 1,000 people a day going on to personal independence payments (PIP)."

Watch: Battle over welfare reforms explained

PM: Number of people on benefits is unsustainable

Downing Street said today that a vote will likely take place on the "reasoned amendment" - backed by more than 100 Labour MPs - next Tuesday.

Defending the policy, Starmer said: "The additions to PIP each year are the equivalent of the population of a city the size of Leicester.

"That is not a system that can be left unreformed, not least because it's unsustainable, and therefore you won't have a welfare system for those that need it in the future.

"Those that care about a future welfare system have to answer the question - how do you reform what you've got to make sure it's sustainable for the future?"