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If you ask former prime ministers what surprised them about their time in office, one thing that comes up again and again is how much time they end up spending on foreign policy.

Summits, international diplomacy, and often war - whether conflicts they are directly involved in, or not.

Some of the reason that foreign policy ends up taking so much time is because of the alluring glamour of strutting the international stage - but a lot of it is because, frankly, this stuff is really important.

We've seen Sir Keir Starmer focusing, understandably, on the international:

• The diplomatic dance with Donald Trump;
• Being a champion of Ukraine;
• Committing to more defence spending - along with other NATO allies - at a time when our security may not always be underwritten by America.

But focusing on the international comes with a big risk, because things can sour very quickly domestically - even when you've been elected with a thumping great majority.

After being forced to U-turn on winter fuel - Starmer is now facing a rebellion by more than 100 MPs on welfare cuts.

This is the thing with rebellion. Once MPs break the whip once, it's much easier to do it again.

Is government's lack of experience costing them?

It's really struck me how little political experience Starmer has. He's a relative newbie in Westminster, which has advantages - but also means he's not steeped in the pure politics of the place.

And his team too. Look, it's not their fault, Labour have been out of power for 14 years. 

It means they don't have the experience of government, which levers to pull, how to set the media narrative, how to control hundreds of MPs.

Because if the PM is going to spend this much time on the international stage, someone has got to have an iron fist back home - strong enough to spot potential rebellions before we get to this point, and squeeze them right back down.

Our flagship weeknight politics programme is under way.

Joining us tonight are armed forces minister Luke Pollard MP and shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge MP. 

On the panel are ex-Tory minister Tom Pursglove and former SNP MP Hannah Bardell.

Watch live in the stream at the top of this page.

As we reported a short while ago, cabinet ministers were instructed to ring around the signatories of an amendment to the government's welfare legislation in a bid to get them to back the cuts rather than tanking the entire bill.

Our political reporter Faye Brown has spoken to three more Labour MPs about the behind-the-scenes efforts of the government to avoid a major humiliation.

Did Treasury underestimate new MPs?

One MP who has signed the amendment told her they've had conversations with ministers and "they're doing everything you'd expect" to quell the rebellion, but was clear he wouldn't characterise it as anything like bullying or dirty tactics.

They said the Treasury has underestimated the fact that many of the 2024 intake came from backgrounds in local government with a determination to fight against austerity, and there's not enough in the welfare package to get people back into work.

Talk of early election 'ridiculous'

Another MP said they'd had a "headmaster's chat" with a senior minister, and added that "they've all been at it".

He described talk of this rebellion triggering an early general election as "ridiculous", but said No 10 "just need to change or delay the vote".

Separately, a third Labour said they'd had a "soft request" from a senior colleague to take their name off the amendment, but "they knew they weren't going to get anywhere".

The government has announced it is purchasing at least 12 new F-35 stealth jets that can carry nuclear warheads.

It's a move that's been described by Downing Street as the most significant strengthening of the nation's nuclear capability in a generation.

So, what are these jets? And why is the UK expanding its nuclear capability?

Sarah-Jane Mee speaks to Dr Thomas Withington, an award-winning analyst and expert in air defence, to understand just how big a change in defence spending this is, what the move means for the UK in NATO, and what it tells us about the shift to make the country war ready. 

By Alexandra Rogers and Faye Brown, political reporters

Cabinet ministers have been asking Labour MPs to take their name off a rebel amendment to the government's controversial welfare bill, Sky News can reveal.

In an attempt to quell the mounting rebellion of more than 100 MPs across all wings of the party, cabinet ministers were instructed to ring around the signatories of the amendment in a bid to get them to back the welfare cuts ahead of a planned vote next Tuesday.

Two Labour MPs said they had been asked if they would take their names off the amendment, while one was asked if they would be prepared to abstain on the bill next week.

Watch: PM questioned on welfare reform rebellion

One Labour MP said: "The more they tell people to take their names off, the more names are added on."

Others were also told their actions could provoke a fresh leadership challenge and that they were aligning themselves with Nigel Farage in a bid to get them to back down.

'Everything is all over the place'

"I had a conversation with a senior cabinet member yesterday who basically said if the government is defeated next week it will trigger a leadership contest," a Labour MP said.

"I can see how that might be the case, but I would argue if that's where we end up it's because the government have allowed that to happen. The ball is very much in their court.

"By and large the rebels do not want this to be about leadership. We just want the government to listen."

Another added that while they had not received a call from a cabinet minister, they knew "some colleagues are being told there will be a leadership challenge or a general election which is utter nonsense", adding: "Everything is all over the place."

There has been much discussion of Article Five of the NATO treaty today, after Donald Trump yesterday refused to confirm explicitly that the US remains committed to it.

Instead, he said it "depends on your definition", adding that he was "committed to being a friend" of NATO allies.

But what exactly is Article Five?

In short, this is the founding idea of collective defence.

When it was signed in 1949, the aim of the North Atlantic Treaty - on which NATO was founded - was to create a pact of mutual assistance.

At the time (and ever relevant today), this was to counter the risk that the Soviet Union would seek to extend its control of Eastern Europe throughout the continent.

An attack on one is an attack on all

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".

Therefore, members agree that "if such an armed attack occurs, each of them, in exercise of the right of individual or collective self-defence recognized by Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, will assist the Party or Parties so attacked by taking forthwith".

Essentially, an attack against one NATO ally is an attack against all - and it could warrant a wider response by the alliance at large.

With that in mind, Trump's vague answer on a commitment to the article could have significant consequences if the US decides not to abide by it.

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.

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."

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".