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Politics latest: PM insists he can 'read the room' despite growing rebellion

Keir Starmer is at a NATO summit in the Netherlands, but is being dogged by questions about a rebellion brewing at home, where Labour MPs are threatening to bring down the government's welfare reforms with just days left until a pivotal vote.

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PM and Turkish president talk up prospect of free trade deal

One of Sir Keir Starmer's final meetings at the NATO summit was with the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

We've had a readout of the conversation from Downing Street in the last few minutes.

A spokeswoman said: "The leaders began by discussing the perilous situation in the Middle East. 

"The leaders welcomed the ceasefire between Israel and Iran and agreed that negotiations must lead to the next vital step forward."

On the war in Gaza, the pair "agreed that there needed to be an urgent acceleration of aid and an end to the intolerable situation".

And on Ukraine, the prime minister thanked Erdogan "for his support to the coalition of the willing planning and thanked him for Turkey's role in peace talks".

"The leaders also welcomed the strengthening military cooperation between the two countries, and agreed on the importance of making progress in free trade agreement talks," the spokeswoman concluded.

Sir Keir Starmer has been at a NATO summit in the Netherlands, committing his government to spending more than 4% of GDP on defence and security within the next two years.

That's in the face of growing insecurity and hostile threats around the world - but perhaps a more immediate concern for the prime minister is the rebellion on his Labour backbenches.

Here are the main things you need to know:

  • Keir Starmer has insisted he will "press ahead" with his planned welfare reforms despite Labour rebels threatening to bring them down when a vote takes place next Tuesday;
  • He told our political editor Beth Rigby the benefits system is "broken" and "traps people" in unemployment;
  • But at least 123 Labour MPs have now signed a "reasoned amendment", a mechanism with which they could block the PM's plans in parliament;
  • Starmer insisted his party is "pretty united" despite the rebellion, and he's confident that he'll still be leading it by the next election.
  • At NATO, the PM has said the UK will spend 4.1% of national income on defence and security by 2027;
  • As part of this commitment, the Labour government has ordered new F-35 jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons;
  • Starmer has spoken to other leaders including Donald Trump and Ukraine's Volodymyr ZelenAG百家乐在线官网y, and insisted NATO is "as relevant as ever".

Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge is live from 7pm.

On the show tonight is armed forces minister Luke Pollard MP.

Stay with us for more updates and analysis through the evening.

Starmer and NATO allies meet with ZelenAG百家乐在线官网y as summit concludes

While Donald Trump was holding his news conference, Sir Keir Starmer was meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte, Ukrainian president Volodymyr ZelenAG百家乐在线官网y, and fellow European leaders.

Opening the meeting, Rutte said: "The message that comes out of this summit is clear: NATO's commitment to Ukraine endures."

Ukraine can 'count on' NATO

He pledged that NATO will keep Ukraine "in the fight" with "unprecedented practical and political support", including "extensive military assistance".

Overall, the measures agreed at the summit "brings Ukraine closer to NATO", Rutte continued, and said ZelenAG百家乐在线官网y can "count on us now and in the future".

ZelenAG百家乐在线官网y replied: "Thank you for your big support to our people, to our soldiers, really heroic people. And it's also great that we can count on you and all the members of NATO allies. We are very thankful to you."

Trump sees Britain as 'useful friend' with 'something to bring to the table'

The UK's former national security adviser was watching Donald Trump's NATO news conference with Sky's Jayne Secker.

The summit in The Hague, Jayne suggests, shows the best way to deal with the US president is to be rather fawning.

Lord Ricketts says that, plus most of the NATO allies pledging to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP, appears to have won Trump over.

As for the UK, Trump seems to have a "good relationship" with the government, "better than he has with many other European countries".

Ricketts thinks Trump was "touched" by the invitation of a second state visit, which looks set to take place later this year, and he sees the UK as a "useful and supportive friend".

Despite differences between him and Starmer, including on tariffs, Ukraine, and the PM not helping with recent strikes on Iran, Ricketts thinks Trump believes Britain has "something to bring to the table".

Sky News to Trump: Rutte called you 'daddy' - do you view NATO allies as children?

The final question to US president Donald Trump came from our security and defence editor Deborah Haynes.

She put to him that Mark Rutte, the NATO secretary general, called him the "daddy" earlier, and asked if he regards American's allies as children.

'This was a very big day'

Trump jumped in to say of Rutte: "He likes me, I think he likes me. If he doesn't, I'll let you know. I'll come back, and I'll hit him hard, okay.

"He did it very affectionately - 'daddy, you're my daddy'."

Deborah tried to move back on to the substantive question, and if he hopes they will be able to defend Europe alone.

The US president said: "I think they need help a little bit at the beginning, and I think they'll be able to. 

"And I think they're going to remember this day. And this is a big day for NATO, this was a very big day."

That was in reference to allies agreeing to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP.

Asked finally by Deborah if NATO allies will be able to defend themselves without the US, Trump said to ask the NATO secretary general.

'We're here to help them protect their countries,' Trump says of NATO

After Donald Trump refused to say explicitly that the US is committed to Article Five of the NATO charter, he appears to have committed to help with European defence if needed at a news conference this afternoon.

Speaking at the end of the NATO summit in The Hague, the US president said he heard from fellow leaders how much they love their countries, and America will help defend them.

He said: "Without the United States, they couldn't really have... NATO wouldn't work. It wouldn't work.

"It will in the future because now they're paying much more money. But, it wouldn't work.

"And I left here differently. I left here saying that these people really love their countries. It's not a rip-off. And we're here to help them protect their country."

Article Five states that members of the alliance "agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all".

Trump speaking at NATO summit - follow live

US President Donald Trump is holding a news conference as this week's NATO summit heads towards its final few hours.

Based on his previous, who knows how long it might go on for.

You can watch live and follow updates in the blog below, and we'll bring you anything relevant to UK politics here too.

Europe is trying to appease Trump with 5% defence spending target

Our political correspondent Ali Fortescue is giving her immediate reaction to Sir Keir Starmer's news conference, which just took place in The Hague.

She says around the welfare rebellion, the prime minister was reiterating that a vote will go ahead on the government's policy on Tuesday.

"What is going to happen between now and then to try to bring those 120+ MPs on board, we shall see," Ali explains.

"It was a pretty extraordinary PMQs that we saw earlier, and that is the domestic problem that the prime minister faces - but he's at NATO."

Ali says Starmer also made an announcement on defence, claiming the UK will aim to spend 4.1% of GDP on defence by 2027.

The ambition is 5% by 2035 - when Starmer might not be prime minister.

NATO allies are signing up for this target "in the hopes of appeasing Donald Trump", Ali says, who is keen for Europe to spend more on defence.

Do Brits need to make Cold War-style preparations?

In his final question, the PM is asked if Brits should be making "Cold War-style preparations", after a review yesterday stated the UK needed to prepare for a possible war on home soil.

Sir Keir Starmer says it is a "mistake to think the only threat we face is external and far off".

He adds: "There are cyberattacks that have to be dealt with and are being dealt with [every day]. They are ever more sophisticated, and we need to have the capability to deal with them."

He signals, as well, the risks around energy security as seen in Ukraine.

The PM also notes there is a "big threat" of state-backed terrorism in the UK, with "very many attempts" to penetrate the UK having been thwarted by British spies.

"But the fact that they are very good at their job shouldn't detract from the fact that that is a real threat to our country, which we have to take seriously," he adds.

The security minister spoke more about this with Sophy Ridge:

'Pretty united front' in Labour around welfare, Starmer says

Sir Keir Starmer is now asked how he has "spectacularly failed to read the mood among your MPs" over his welfare policy.

As a reminder, upwards of 100 Labour MPs have backed a "reasoned amendment" to welfare cuts - enough to defeat the government.

He insists there is a "pretty united front" in that the UK's welfare system needs reform.

"You won't find many Labour MPs who are not accepting that we need reform," the prime minister says.

"We are absolutely on the page with them."

PM: I can read the room

The question is, Starmer says, how this reform is carried out.

"That is why we put forward the provisions in the bill in relation to how we modernise and make fairer鈥� our welfare system."

He says that many people predicted before the election that Labour couldn't read the room - and "we got a landslide victory".

I'm "comfortable with reading the room", he adds.