UK politics live: Keir Starmer holds press conference in Washington after Nato summit

Sir Keir Starmer has wrapped up his first major international summit by telling allies it is “essential” they all spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence.

It comes though after the new prime minister gave his own “iron clad commitment” to increase UK spending to 2.5 per cent – but refused to commit to doing it in the next five years or give a timetable to achieve the target.

Speaking in his press conference at the end of a successful Nato conference in Washington DC where he met with a number of allies including US president Joe Biden, Sir Keir also reflected on the need to “lock in” support for Ukraine.

Speaking of his new government, he said that defence will be “always our first priority. I made that crystal clear to the British people in our campaign and so I also come to this summit with a clear message. A message of enduring and unwavering commitment to the NATO alliance.”

On Ukraine, he said: “Together with our allies today we have reaffirmed our unshakeable support for Ukraine’s ultimate victory.

“Our determination – to deliver justice for the awful crimes that Russia has committed.”

He has reaffirmed the promise to get the £3 billion of UK aid to Ukraine in the first 100 days of his government.

On military spending he reiterated his commitment to raising it to 2.5 per cent and suggested other allies follow suit.

He said: “Today, this alliance is stronger than ever, 23 members are now spending 2% of their GDP on defence.

“But in light of the grave threats to our security, we must go further. So we will conduct a Strategic Defence Review to strengthen our armed forces and protect our national security.

“And we will set out a clear path to spending 2.5 per cent of our GDP on defence, I say with candour to all our allies we must understand that this is now essential.”

The German Chancellor has said Joe Biden has shown that he is capable of taking the right decisions and that slips of tongues happen, after the US President mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy as “President Putin” before correcting himself.

Olaf Scholz also said President Biden has a good track record, adding that a slip of the tongue does not change any of the content of the US President’s speech.

Sir Keir Starmer is holding a press conference in Washington after attending the 75th Nato summit ahead of his flight back to the UK.

The prime minister has begun speaking to reporters.

The US now finds itself subject to an election being fought between Old Man Yells at Cloud About Immigrants and Old Man Who Would Yell at a Cloud if his Throat Wasn’t So Sore, writes Holly Baxter:

Ryan Coogan writes: Personally, I can’t wait to get the inside scoop on the former Conservative minister, a man so old-fashioned he probably had to double-check with the producers that the TV cameras weren’t going to steal his soul…

US President Joe Biden mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy as “President Putin” before correcting himself at the NATO summit in Washington on Thursday.

“Ladies and gentlemen, President Putin,” Biden said, referring to Zelenskiy before correcting himself.

“Going to beat President Putin, President Zelenskiy. I am so focused on beating Putin,” Biden said while correcting himself.

The gaffe comes as concerns grow about the US President’s mental fitness.

Comments made by the prime minister at the Nato summit in Washington DC appear to confirm that he is prioritising economic stability and bringing mortgages down over meeting demands for wage rises.

With junior doctors threatening more strikes over their demands for a 35 per cent pay rise and other pay review bodies on different sectors due to report shortly, Sir Keir was pushed on whether he is prepared to agree to above-inflation rises.

Political editor David Maddox reports: