Joe Biden to meet Rishi Sunak ahead of crunch Nato summit and have tea with King
After touching down at Stansted last night, Joe Biden will meet Rishi Sunak at Downing Street this morning ahead of tomorrow’s Nato summit in Vilnius.
After his meeting with the prime minister – where topics for discussion are expected to include the war in Ukraine, the country’s Nato membership bid and sending cluster munitions to Ukraine (which the US has faced criticism for) – he will then have tea with the king in Windsor.
Biden is hesitant on Ukraine’s Nato bid, while Sunak supports tracking membership.
They are also expected to discuss the Northern Ireland peace process post-Brexit. Last night, John Kerry, Biden’s climate envoy, told the BBC it will form a “critical component” of their discussion.
The meeting, which will be their fifth in as many months, comes ahead of a long and highly anticipated crunch two-day Nato summit in Lithuania, which starts tomorrow, as several countries – including Ukraine and Sweden – are trying to join the alliance.
His arrival in Windsor is to be received with a royal salute, a performance of the US national anthem by the Welsh Guards and tea. Biden and the king will meet financial and philanthropic leaders where climate finance will be on the agenda.
After Biden’s arrival last night he flew by helicopter to the London residence of the US ambassador.
I will be looking after the UK politics blog today. Please get in touch with any tips or suggestions: [email protected]
Key events
Joe Biden’s convoy has been filmed leaving Winfield House, the official residence of the US ambassador, and is on its way from Regent’s Park to Downing Street.
Aletha Adu
Labour must do more to dispel the perception of racism within the party, the widow of one of the country’s first black British MPs has said, amid frustrations that no graduate of the party’s sole scheme for developing minority ethnic talent has been selected to stand as an MP.
The party has launched the second cohort of its Bernie Grant leadership programme (BGLP), dedicated to developing the next generation of black politicians, in recognition of a lack of diversity across all levels.
Sharon Grant criticised the party for not following through with its promise to provide support to graduates, many of whom are councillors, adding the BGLP may not be “worthy of bearing Bernie’s name” unless there is tangible progress on black representation across the party.
Larry the cat is cheered by waiting press at Downing Street by stepping on to the red carpet put out for Joe Biden.
The White House has said the visit is intended to “further strengthen the close relationship between our nations”.
Joe Biden’s Westminster arrival appears to be imminent. A red carpet is being prepared outside Downing Street.
Suella Braverman attacks “deplorable” protest at George Osborne’s wedding
Suella Braverman has condemned climate activists targeting private weddings as “unacceptable” and “deplorable” after a woman threw orange confetti at former chancellor George Osborne’s wedding on Saturday.
She told ITV’s Good Morning Britain:
I totally disagree. I don’t care what your cause is, there really is no good reason to try and interrupt another private citizen’s civil liberties, rights, freedoms.
And the way in which this person has attempted to ruin someone else’s wedding day… I’m sure they didn’t succeed, incidentally, because their efforts will have been in vain. They are only alienating supporters rather than attracting them.
It is unacceptable, it is deplorable and, as I have made very clear time and time again, the militant, disruptive, selfish tactics of groups like Just Stop Oil, who are causing misery in many cases to the law-abiding majority through slow walking, through various extreme tactics, is totally unacceptable. Their approach is not working but I’m very pleased with how the police have been responding.
She added:
We’ve given them extra powers through our new Public Order Act, they have been able to take swift action and actually in recent weeks since the powers came into force, it has averaged on some days less than 10 minutes for the police to intervene and stop Just Stop Oil from causing serious disruption to the law-abiding majority.
Just Stop Oil have praised the protest but denied responsibility.
Joe Biden to meet Rishi Sunak ahead of crunch Nato summit and have tea with King
After touching down at Stansted last night, Joe Biden will meet Rishi Sunak at Downing Street this morning ahead of tomorrow’s Nato summit in Vilnius.
After his meeting with the prime minister – where topics for discussion are expected to include the war in Ukraine, the country’s Nato membership bid and sending cluster munitions to Ukraine (which the US has faced criticism for) – he will then have tea with the king in Windsor.
Biden is hesitant on Ukraine’s Nato bid, while Sunak supports tracking membership.
They are also expected to discuss the Northern Ireland peace process post-Brexit. Last night, John Kerry, Biden’s climate envoy, told the BBC it will form a “critical component” of their discussion.
The meeting, which will be their fifth in as many months, comes ahead of a long and highly anticipated crunch two-day Nato summit in Lithuania, which starts tomorrow, as several countries – including Ukraine and Sweden – are trying to join the alliance.
His arrival in Windsor is to be received with a royal salute, a performance of the US national anthem by the Welsh Guards and tea. Biden and the king will meet financial and philanthropic leaders where climate finance will be on the agenda.
After Biden’s arrival last night he flew by helicopter to the London residence of the US ambassador.
I will be looking after the UK politics blog today. Please get in touch with any tips or suggestions: [email protected]
