Sir Keir Starmer is set to have his inaugural face-to-face meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House today. The Prime Minister traveled to the United States overnight to attend a

NATO summit, marking the 75th anniversary of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

During the flight, Sir Keir expressed to reporters his hope that the bilateral meeting in Washington DC would provide an opportunity to discuss NATO and the unique UK-US relationship. "This is obviously a very special relationship we have between the UK and the US," he stated, emphasizing the importance of defense and security, including the commitment to NATO.

He reiterated the UK's "cast-iron commitment" to spend 2.5% of national income on defense but did not specify a timeline for achieving this target. An upcoming review of defense capabilities by the new government is expected to outline a roadmap towards this goal.

Starmer Heads to US as NATO Summit Beckons

President Biden has pledged to bolster air defenses for Ukraine as the NATO summit commences. This summit is seen as critical for Biden's political standing.

Addressing Defense Spending

Defense Secretary John Healey highlighted that the review would help the government address current threats, future capabilities, and the state of the armed forces. He stressed that the review would be thorough and swift, but setting a precise deadline for meeting the 2.5% target was not feasible until the government could fully assess public finances.

The Conservatives, who promised to reach the 2.5% target by 2030 during the election, argued that not setting a timeline could undermine the government's commitment to security.

High-Profile Meetings and Commitments

Alongside Mr. Healey, the Prime Minister is accompanied by Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Minister for European Relations Nick Thomas-Symonds. Upon arrival in Washington, Sir Keir and Mr. Thomas-Symonds met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Sir Keir reaffirmed his support for Ukraine, stating, "There's a change of government but no change of approach." President Zelensky thanked the UK for its steadfast support since the beginning of the conflict.

Legislative Developments at Home

While the Prime Minister is in Washington, over 300 new MPs are being sworn in at Westminster in preparation for the state opening of Parliament next week, where the government's agenda will be presented in the King's Speech.

During his flight, Sir Keir addressed questions about proposed age restrictions in the House of Lords, which would force peers to retire at 80. He argued that the House of Lords, with its 800-plus members, is too large and needs reduction. He suggested an elected second chamber, drawing on models from other countries. This would impact long-serving Labour peers like Lord Alf Dubs, a 91-year-old refugee rights campaigner.

"We've got 800-plus members of the House of Lords—it's simply too big," Sir Keir remarked. "We need to reduce it, so it doesn’t reflect on how other elected representatives are chosen in other countries, it’s to do with the size of the House of Lords." Photo by Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia, Wikimedia commons.