Sir Keir Starmer has received a boost ahead of an early key moment for his post-Brexit reset as the EU’s foreign policy chief’s said the new Government’s “tone” was going down well in Brussels.

As he arrived at the European Political Community summit at Blenheim Palace, Josep Borrell told British reporters that the EU was looking forward to engaging with the new Prime Minister as he seeks a new pact with Brussels on foreign policy, security and defence issues.

The EU’s high representative on foreign affairs said: “The new Labour government has signalled its intention to reset its relationship with the European Union and to seek more structured cooperation with the EU in the field of foreign, security and defence policies. 

“We welcome the new tone of the British government and we look forward to engaging with it. We are ready to reinforce our foreign and security policy cooperation.”

Mr Borrell however did not mention some of the thornier and perhaps more important of Starmer’s aims – deals to ease trade and tackle the Channel small boats crisis.

So while the PM will make the most of the early gift of an opportunity to look like a global statesman, and will take the lead in a formal session on migration and potentially also announce new cooperation on enforcement against people smuggling gangs, it will be the more informal chats he has with EU and non-EU leaders on both Brexit and small boats that prove more consequential.

It will be in these conversations that global leaders will be probing just how much Starmer is willing to give in order to get what he wants.

On trade, Starmer wants a veterinary agreement to ease food trade with the EU – but how far can he go to meet Brussels’ demands for a youth mobility deal that could lead to higher net migration to the UK and potentially hit university finances ?

On migration, the PM may want a deal to return small boat migrants to France or elsewhere in Europe, but is he willing to accept obligations for the UK, including potentially taking in a quota of asylum seekers from the continent? 

In reality we are unlikely to get many answers at an EPC summit that is being seen in Europe as something of a getting-to-know-you session for Starmer, rather than the beginning of a hard nosed negotiation.

But this summit will begin to draw the contours of just how big Starmer’s Brexit reset can be. 

This is not, to paraphrase Faye Dunaway playing Joan Crawford, our first time at the rodeo. Six years ago, Theresa May promised to ban conversion therapy. It later appeared twice in the Queen’s Speech under Boris Johnson’s premiership, and then unravelled amid the scaremongering about trans rights, lost in a quagmire of opposing arguments that somehow prohibiting a form of psychological torture will have Unintended Consequences.

“You might end up criminalising a doctor, a teacher, or even a parent for suggesting a trans person is in fact not!” opponents of the ban cried.

This fear is misguided – you can easily write legislation which sets the bar of criminality at the right level with the right parameters (which I will come onto).

But how telling to see the majority (with power) care more about a theoretical threat to one of their own, than to the actual threat, the real abuse, happening to a minority (without power). This stalling tactic against social justice is even older than Joe Biden.

Today it’s Labour’s turn. They had already promised before the election to ban the practice, which seeks to “cure” LGBT people, to turn gay and bisexual people straight and trans people cisgender. But now “a draft bill will be brought forward to ban conversion practices” according to their first King’s Speech in government.

Read more here.

The Post Office inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal will be hearing from Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden and Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey today.

Mr McFadden and Sir Ed are both former business ministers, and Sir Ed has come under fire over the fact that he initially declined a meeting with lead sub-postmaster campaigner Alan Bates as the Horizon scandal was coming to light.

You will be able to watch proceedings here:

Sir Keir Starmer said he intends to “reset our relationship with Europe” as he hosted leaders from across the continent at a major summit.

The Prime Minister is using the European Political Community (EPC) gathering to push for closer security ties and joint action to tackle illegal migration.

The summit at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire comes as the new Labour Government attempts to forge closer links with the European Union (EU) after the turmoil of the Brexit years.

Sir Keir said: “European security is at the forefront of my Government’s foreign and defence priorities. We will only be able to secure our borders, drive economic growth and defend our democracies if we work together.

“It’s time to reset our relationship with Europe.”

Sir Keir personally greeted leaders as they arrived at the 18th century palace.

As part of the drive to tackle illegal migration the Government has redeployed more than 100 Home Office staff from working on the now-scrapped Rwanda scheme to focus on a “rapid returns unit” to send people with no right to be in the UK back to their home country.

The Prime Minister called for continent-wide action to tackle the international “people-smuggling webs”.

The Labour Government is seeking a security pact with the EU and Sir Keir is also determined to cement European nations’ support for Ukraine in its war with Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

Under the Government’s plans to respond to the small boats crisis, asylum decisions will be accelerated and, under a new fast-tracked system in the returns and enforcement unit, officials will prioritise those with no right to be in the UK and who have the greatest chance of being returned.

A new Border Security Command will use counter-terror powers to fight organised immigration crime, working “across Europe and beyond”, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said.

The gathering at Blenheim Palace, birthplace of Winston Churchill, is a more informal affair than many international summits.

The leaders will attend a reception hosted by the King in the palace’s Long Library, which has walls lined by more than 10,000 books,

Sir Keir will have a series of face-to-face talks with key figures including a dinner with Emmanuel Macron and a meeting with Polish counterpart Donald Tusk – who was president of the European Council at the height of the Brexit drama – as he attempts to strengthen ties with the continent.

The EPC was the brainchild of French President Mr Macron and involves 20 non-EU nations including the UK as well as the 27-strong EU bloc.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said that the Government does not have a time frame for the renationalisation of Avanti West Coast, which – i reported – is the first rail operator that may undergo the process amid long-running complaints from passengers.

Mr Lammy told Sky News: “We’ve said that we do believe when contracts come up and if the circumstances are right, that we do want to bring those lines into public ownership.

“We knocked on many doors and heard many complaints about our railways across the country, and so we will act.”

He added: “Of course people will want us to work at pace.”

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall blasted the latest jobs market figures as “truly dire”, pointing to the 9.4 million people classed as economically inactive.

She said the UK was “standing alone as the only G7 country where the employment rate is still not back to pre-pandemic levels”.

“This is a truly dire inheritance which the Government is determined to tackle,” she said.

“Behind these statistics are real people, who have for too long been ignored and denied the support they need to get into work and get on at work.

“It’s time for change – in every corner of the country.

“That is why we are taking immediate actions to deliver on our growth mission, and spread jobs, prosperity and opportunity to everyone, wherever they live.”

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Donald Trump has the “thickest of skins” when asked if his past comments calling Trump a “neo-Nazi-sympathising sociopath” set a good tone for a relationship with a potential incoming president.

“You’ll struggle to find anyone who hasn’t had things to say about Donald Trump,” Mr Lammy told BBC Breakfast, saying even his running mate JD Vance has used some “choice language” to describe Trump.

“The truth is, and when I speak to Republicans, and I’ve spoken to many as you know, including those who might be his defence secretary or secretary of state, Donald Trump has the thickest of skins.

“There is a lot of rhetoric, but look at the action. He was the first to give Javelins to Ukraine after 2015. He talked about withdrawing from Nato, he actually increased troops to Nato.

“So in a grown-up world, in the national interests of this country, of course, if the American people choose Donald Trump as their president we will work as closely with him as we can, and we will seek to influence him where we disagree.”

Reform UK leader and MP for Clacton Nigel Farage has been quizzed about why he has flown out to Milwaukee this week, following the attempted assassination of Donald Trump.

He told The News Agents podcast: “I had to come. I’ve been friendly with [Trump] for all these years and he’s just survived an assassination attempt, so I thought I’d come and say hello.”

Asked if Trump asked him to go, Mr Farage said: “There were people around him that thought it was the right thing that I came.”

Asked if he should not be giving all his time to his constituency, he said that he is “allowed” to travel to America and will only be there “for a couple of days”.

Asked why Trump needs him in the US, Mr Farage said: “Well, that’s a matter for his team to answer, not me. It was right that I came.

“I have friends, I don’t know whether you do or not, maybe you don’t, but I have friends and when they’re having a tough time it’s right to go and support them.

“He nearly died.”

Foreign Secretary David Lammy has said the UK is “nowhere near” negotiating agreements with the EU.

The European Union and the European Commission will not be up and running until December following their elections, he said, as the Prime Minister hosts the European Political Community (EPC) summit on Thursday.

Mr Lammy told BBC Breakfast from Blenheim Palace, where the summit is taking place: “Of course, we’re entering into discussions but we’re nowhere near a negotiation on the trade agreement – that paper thin trade agreement that Boris Johnson struck – the veterinary deal that we’ve said that we want to get, the mutual qualifications that we want to work on and the UK-EU security pact that we’re proposing to Europe that will enable us to discuss a whole range of issues across the European family.”

He said security, Ukraine and migration would be key points of discussion at the summit.

In terms of future UK negotiations with the EU, he said: “I’m certainly not going to show my hand before negotiations have even begun.”

He repeated that Labour has said it will not bring Britain back into the single market or EU customs union but that the Government does want a better trade agreement.

A leading UK Sikh action group has called on the Foreign Secretary to use his first trip to India next week to push for the release of detained British citizen Jagtar Singh Johal.

Mr Johal, from Dumbarton, Scotland, was in Punjab in northern India for his wedding in 2017 when his family said he was arrested and bundled into an unmarked car.

He is said to have been tortured, including with electric shocks, and faces the death penalty as a result of his campaigning for Sikh rights.

Principal adviser of the Sikh Federation UK, Dabinderjit Singh, said his action group has been rallying officials in the newly-appointed Labour Government and staff within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to push for Mr Johal’s return to the UK ahead of David Lammy’s visit.

“The visit represents an opportunity to push for Jagtar’s release and return,” Mr Singh said.

Mr Singh referenced comments made in 2022 by then-Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who urged then-prime minister Boris Johnson to request Mr Johal’s release.

According to the BBC, Sir Keir wrote: “When a UK national has been so gravely mistreated, with no legal basis, the UK government must act decisively to negotiate their release.”

In letters reportedly seen by The Guardian, Mr Johnson agreed the Indian government had arbitrarily detained Mr Johal since 2017, however, the UK government did not formally request his return to British soil.

Mr Singh said the Sikh Federation UK has written to Mr Lammy to express that the “British Sikh community expect better from a Labour Government given the commitments Keir Starmer has given to Jagtar’s family and public statements while in Opposition”.

Mr Singh added: “We have reminded David Lammy of his address to FCDO staff on 10 July when he reiterated he would ‘stand up for the rule of law at home and abroad’ as without it we cannot have security.”

UK earnings growth has fallen back further amid mounting signs of a weakening jobs market, but wages are outstripping inflation at the fastest pace for more than two-and-a-half years, according to official figures.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said average regular earnings growth dropped to 5.7 per cent in the three months to May – down from 6 per cent in the previous three months and the lowest level since the quarter to September 2022.

With Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation taken into account, regular earnings rose by 3.2 per cent, which is the highest since the three months to August 2021.

The ONS estimated that the rate of unemployment remained unchanged at 4.4 per cent in the three months to May. But it flagged further signals that the employment sector is cooling, with 30,000 fewer vacancies at 889,000 in the quarter to June.

Liz McKeown, ONS director of economic statistics, said: “Earnings growth in cash terms, while remaining relatively strong, is showing signs of slowing again. However, with inflation falling, in real terms it is at its highest rate in over two-and-a-half years.

“We continue to see overall some signs of a cooling in the labour market, with the growth in the number of employees on the payroll weakening over the medium term and unemployment gradually increasing.

“The number of job vacancies is down across most sectors, led by retail and hospitality. The total has now been falling for a full two years, though it remains above pre-pandemic levels.”

More timely figures also show that the number of workers on UK payrolls was estimated to have edged up by 0.1 per cent month-on-month in June, up 16,000 at 30.4 million.

The ONS said growth in payroll employees has been slowing for at least the past six months.

The Bank of England is watching the jobs market, and wages in particular, closely as it weighs up when to cut interest rates from the current level of 5.25 per cent.

Inflation has now fallen back to its 2 per cent target, but despite the milestone, there are concerns that inflationary pressures still remain in parts of the economy.

Sir Keir Starmer, David Lammy and King Charles III will host more than 45 European leaders at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire today in what will be the first major UK-led summit of the new Labour administration.

Key to the new Government’s foreign policy stance is a closer relationship with Europe, a message that the Foreign Secretary emphasised in an article for Italian newspaper La Repubblica ahead of the European Political Community (EPC) meeting.

Drawing a comparison between the end of Second World War and today, Lammy warns that “fascism rears its ugly head on our continent” and that, to remedy this, the “new British Government will reconnect Britain with the world”.

He adds that many members of the EPC, like the UK, aren’t in the EU but still “share is a conviction that for all to flourish, Europe must face today’s challenges together”.

This desire underpins many of Labour’s hopes for Government – whether it’s security pacts or return agreements for migrants, they see a warm relationship as key.

At a time of rising populism on the continent, the UK risks finding itself out in the cold, and friendly approaches may not be enough for Labour to secure all it wants from European partners.

But it’s clear from Lammy’s article that the new Government wants to project itself as an oasis of stability in these difficult times.

Sir Keir Starmer will draw on the diplomatic might of the King as he launches a major effort to kick-start his Brexit “reset” and tackle irregular migration.

The Prime Minister is viewing the European Political Community summit of EU and non-EU leaders as a key moment in his bid to reset relations with the bloc to boost trade and security.

Charles offered to host a reception for leaders attending the gathering at Blenheim Palace in a move welcomed by Sir Keir, with the monarch’s presence a sign of the importance the Government is placing on the event.

It is understood that the Francophile King is seen as someone who has done a great deal to boost relations with Europe, and has close ties with the continent which can therefore help push the UK’s agenda with key leaders.

Read more here.

David Lammy has defended his previous comments about Donald Trump in which referred to him as a “neo-Nazi sociopath” and a “tyrant in a toupee”.

He told Sky News: “You are going to struggle to find any politician who didn’t have things to say about Donald Trump back in the day.

“Today, I’m standing here as the UK foreign secretary. 

“You know that I’ve been to Washington DC eight times since becoming shadow foreign secretary, and now foreign secretary. 

“I meet with Republicans and Democrats, many close to Trump, and we will work with whomever the United States choose to put in the White House and become their next president.”

He said he previously met with Trump’s vice presidential nominee JD Vance and they were able to find “common ground”.

Mr Lammy said he does not recognise the comments Mr Vance made in which he referred to the UK as the first Islamist nation with nuclear weapons.

He said that he thinks he can find “common ground” with Mr Vance, saying: “Let me just say on JD Vance that I’ve met him now on several occasions, we share a similar working class background with addiction issues in our family. We’ve written books on that. We’ve talked about that.

“And we’re both Christians so I think I can find common ground with JD Vance.”

David Lammy has said “we don’t have a time frame” for the nationalisation of Avanti West Coast but said the Government will bring forward the legislation needed to take railways back into public ownership “over the coming months”.

He was asked about i‘s front page story in which we revealed that a chorus of complaints over Avanti’s service meant it was the first railway that could be brought back into public ownership by the new Labour Government.

i understands that the Department for Transport is “exploring options and seeking advice” on Avanti due to deep misgivings over the rail firm’s performance on the West Coast Main Line in recent years.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh “summoned” Andy Mellors, the managing director of the misfiring rail operator, on Tuesday to warn him over the disruption being faced by passengers.

Asked if he had ever travelled on Avanti West Coast, the Foreign Secretary told Sky News he had used the service many times during the election.

Sky News presenter Kay Burley responded: “So you can see why I’m asking about it.”

Mr Lammy laughed and said: “I can see why you’re asking about it. There are a few other lines that are a problem as well. And so of course people will want us to work at pace.”

He repeated Labour’s pledge to take railways back into public ownership when contracts come up and if the “circumstances are right”.

Read Richard Vaughan and Steve Robson’s full front page story here.

Here’s a look at what’s happening at today’s EPC summit.

• World leaders are expected to arrive at Bleinheim Palace from 8.30am.

• Opening remarks will be at 10.30am, followed by working group and bilateral meetings.
• King Charles will hold a leaders’ reception in the afternoon.
• The Prime Minister is expected to hold a news conference from 4.45pm.
• More bilaterals (meetings between two countries) will be held before leaders depart in the early evening.

We’ll bring you live updates throughout the day.

Good morning and welcome back to the i live blog.

Sir Keir Starmer will push for a new deal with the EU on migration today in a summit he is hosting in Oxfordshire.

The Prime Minister is hosting the European Political Community of more than 40 nations at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, to build co-operation on border security.

“We cannot let the challenges of the recent past define our relationships of the future,” he said in a statement.

“That is why European security will be at the forefront of this Government’s foreign and defence priorities, and why I am focused on seizing this moment to renew our relationship with Europe.”

EU diplomats expect him to use a private meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss a potential agreement to send back some migrants arriving in small boats in exchange for accepting a number of asylum seekers from Europe.

The one-day meeting of the group set up after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will also give the Prime Minister an opportunity to discuss closer defence co-operation.

That’s all from the blog for now – thanks for reading. Here’s a recap of what happened on a busy day in politics:

• King Charles outlined the new Labour government’s legislative plans for the coming year at the State Opening of Parliament, unveiling 40 bills.
• Among the measures in the King’s Speech was a bill to bring rail services back into public ownership once their current private contracts expire. This will be done through a new public body – Great British Railways – which will oversee both train services as well as fares.
• The King’s Speech outlined a Better Buses Bill, which will aim to give local authorities more power to franchise their services and make it easier to create new publicly owned bus operators.
• Labour’s National Wealth Fund will see more investment in national infrastructure projects such as ports, gigafactories and hydrogen and steel projects.
• Labour pledged to reform England’s planning system with the primary aim of building 1.5 million homes over five years.

• The English Devolution Bill will aim to devolve more powers to local authorities to take on more responsibility over policy areas, including transport and planning.
• Legislation that will ensure the Office for Budget Responsibility provides forecasts for “significant changes to taxation or spending” also featured.
• Labour revived plans to phase out smoking and impose restrictions on the sale and marketing of vapes to children. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill progressively increases the age at which people can buy tobacco so that future generations will never legally be able to do so.
• The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Bill will take a first step to modernising the upper house of Parliament by removing the right of the almost 100 remaining hereditary peers to sit and vote.
• The Great British Energy Bill will set up GB Energy, a new state-owned energy company which will invest alongside the private sector in big projects facilitating the decarbonisation of the electricity grid.

• Sir Keir Starmer said that Labour will deliver “national renewal” after the “chaos of the past 14 years”.
• Rishi Sunak called on the Government to commit to raising defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030, as the Conservatives pledged in the general election campaign.
• Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey used his first speech in the Commons since the general election to urge the Labour government to reform social care.
• Ministers charged with tackling child poverty faced calls to scrap the two-child benefit limit before their new taskforce had even met for the first time.
• Stephen Flynn, the SNP’s Westminster leader, called for the two-child benefit cap to be lifted in Parliament.
• Earlier on Wednesday, the Office for National Statistics confirmed that inflation stayed at 2 per cent in the 12 months leading up to June.
• Dame Priti Patel has reportedly decided to enter the Conservative leadership race to succeed Rishi Sunak.