Sinn Féin says it would be 'foolhardy' for Starmer to resist a border pollpublished at 10:05 British Summer Time 8 July

10:05 BST 8 July

Jayne McCormack
BBC News NI political correspondent

Image source, PA Media

It was the earliest of starts at Stormont for a prime minister who appears to have no time to waste.

First, a double-headed welcome at Stormont Castle from the first and deputy first ministers as the UK's new PM Sir Keir Starmer arrived, flanked by his chief of staff, Sue Gray, who knows the corridors of power here all too well.

She was, in a previous incarnation, the top civil servant in Stormont’s department of finance.

A brief meeting followed by a quick trek up the hill to Parliament Buildings - the home of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

His meetings with each of the five main parties is expected to last about 10 minutes.

Image source, PA Media

They’ve all met him before but consider this a reset; after 14 years of Conservative rule that led to fractured relations with Northern Ireland, Labour seems intent on changing that for the better.

But already there are points of contention. The prime minister has previously said a border poll is not “even on the horizon”, but Sinn Féin’s President Mary Lou McDonald has said it would be “foolhardy” for the PM to bury his head in the sand on that.

Unionist parties will seek to push the opposite argument in the new PM’s direction.

Starmer has experience of the complexities of NI politics but he will have to walk an even more careful line now that he is in the biggest job in UK politics.

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald also raised the need to properly fund public services in Northern Ireland with the prime minister, she says.

She says they will press home "very, very hard the fact (Northern Ireland) is underfunded and that is not sustainable".

First Minister Michelle O'Neill says they've taken every opportunity to raise the issue of public finances since Labour won the election, and "I do believe there is a willingness there to work constructively with us but it will be tested over time".

O'Neill says a proper funding model is needed to "reverse the damage the Tories have inflicted us on for 14 years".

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald is addressing reporters from Stormont in Belfast following a meeting between party leaders and the UK's Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Appearing alongside Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill, McDonald says the leaders discussed a number of issues including immigration and the situation in the Middle East.

She says the "party of the Good Friday agreement is now back in government", adding Sinn Féin looks "forward to making real change".

Faisal Islam
Economics editor

Chancellor Rachel Reeves will tell business leaders that the era of chaos and irresponsibility is over.

She will announce some immediate loosening of planning red tape that has held back construction infrastructure and the energy grid hoping to see investors unleash tens of billions of pounds of investments in green industry and house building.

Mandatory house building targets are expected to return.

Reeves has previously told the BBC that she is willing to have a fight with those who have delayed and rejected the house building and infrastructure investments.

Today she will tell business leaders that where previous governments were unwilling to take difficult decisions, she will deliver.

"It is now a national mission there is no time to waste," Reeves will tell them.

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Rachel Reeves is the first woman to be appointed as chancellor of the exchequer.

She became Sir Keir Starmer’s shadow chancellor after Labour's defeat in the 2021 Hartlepool by-election, and Labour’s general election win puts her in the key position in government.

Reeves says she wants to stick to current strict spending plans and has wooed the City of London, getting business leaders past and present to endorse Labour’s economic plans.

She is reported to sing show tunes during campaign trips and listens to Beyonce when she runs.

Reeves grew up in south London and worked as an economist before being elected as the MP for Leeds West in 2010.

She is now the MP for Leeds West and Pudsey. Her younger sister Ellie Reeves has been a Labour MP since 2017.

• You can read more about Sir Keir Starmer's cabinet here

Henry Zeffman
reporting from Downing Street

Image source, Reuters

We're turning our attention to Chancellor Rachel Reeves' upcoming speech on Labour's plan for the economy now, which we're expecting at about 10:30 BST.

In politics, as in life, you only get one chance to make a first impression.

So what the government is doing over the coming days may shape how you think about them for weeks, months, even years to come.

That’s one reason why Rachel Reeves is so keen to project energy, beginning with a suite of planning reforms today.

But the new chancellor knows something else: a government never has more authority than when it’s just been elected. Some of this stuff is controversial.

It may eventually prove so especially in rural areas, some of which are suddenly represented by a Labour MP for the first time.

Better to get the tough stuff out of the way before MPs’ discover the difficulty of local ‘nimby’ campaigning.

And there’s another thing. We spoke a lot during the campaign about economic experts saying both main parties’ plans did not confront the reality of tough tax and spend decisions to come.

Labour’s answer to that was they intend to grow the economy faster than experts expect.

And their answer to how to do that is planning reform.

No wonder they’re starting the ball rolling immediately.

Ever wondered what goes on in Downing Street, day to day?

As the government ramps up, and Keir Starmer moves in, our streaming team is bringing you uninterrupted coverage throughout the day from Downing Street, daily, for the next fortnight – with Downing Street Live.

You can watch now on the Watch & Listen tab above, or head over to BBC iPlayer.

And let's be honest, who wouldn't love a glimpse of Larry the cat?

Image source, EPA

As we've been reporting, the new Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to outline Labour's plan for the economy later. We're expecting her to be speaking at about 10:30 BST.

We've just heard a little more on this from Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones. He says Reeves will set out Labour's "first and most important mission", which he says is to "get growth back into the economy so that we can have secure and sustainable public finances again".

Speaking to our colleagues at BBC Breakfast, Jones says measures to deliver this "will all take some time", although he adds "there will be immediate steps". He says:

Jones says that local communities will be an important part of the planning process and says “our key focus is on speeding up the planning system".

He also says that even if Conservatives will be in limbo until a new leader is chosen, “it doesn’t mean that we don’t have an opposition, of course we will still be challenged in the House of Commons”.

Some more pictures now of Prime Minister Keir Starmer arriving at Stormont Castle.

This is the moment he shook hands with Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill and met Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, alongside NI Secretary Hilary Benn, in Belfast.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has arrived at Stormont Castle in his first visit to Northern Ireland since becoming PM.

He was greeted at the castle steps by Northern Ireland's First Minister Michelle O'Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.

Sir Keir is on a tour of the UK following his landslide win in last week's general election.

Image source, Reuters

Conservative MP Kevin Hollinrake, who is also a former post office minister, has said the general election result was more a case of the Conservatives losing than Labour winning.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he says his party have made some mistakes and the "post-mortem will be held" in the next few months.

Hollinrake says the Conservatives "have to accept that we got lots of things wrong, particularly things on migration. We need to control migration more effectively, both legal and illegal migration".

However, he adds "there is no rush" to elect a new Tory leader, saying "it would be wrong to pre-empt who are the possible candidates. I don't think we should start the process before September".

He believes the public wants lower taxation and lower migration and says he doesn't think the Labour party will be able to do that or the situation will improve in the next five years.

Image source, EPA

The Department for Education (DfE) says the new Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has begun work to recruit 6,500 teachers.

It comes after Labour pledged to make recruitment a priority for the new government during their election campaign.

Phillipson will write to "all education workforces" today in a bid to "reset the relationship" with the sector.

The DfE has said Phillipson will also meet union bosses and other education leaders in the coming days.

And the government will immediately resume and expand the teacher recruitment campaign Every Lesson Shapes a Life, the department adds.

The scheme in question directs potential candidates to the Get Into Teaching website, where they can find support and advice from teacher training advisers, a contact centre and a national programme of events.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), has said "we should not underestimate the scale of the task the new government will now face".

Read more on this story by following this link.

What's on the agenda for Starmer's Northern Ireland visit?published at 07:34 British Summer Time 8 July

07:34 BST 8 July

Jayne McCormack
Northern Ireland political correspondent

Image source, PA Media

The prime minister has promised that stability and certainty will be at the centre of his government’s priorities in Northern Ireland.

Devolved government was only restored at Stormont in February after a 24-month hiatus after the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) walked out of the executive over post-Brexit trade arrangements.

The last time Sir Keir Starmer came to Stormont he made another promise - to repeal the controversial Legacy Act if his party took power.

It was passed by the last government in September, despite opposition from Labour and all the Northern Ireland parties.

On that, the main Stormont parties have already held talks with Hilary Benn - the sixth secretary of state in five years.

Image source, NIO

From the Tories, Labour has also inherited the question of cash for Casement Park’s redevelopment.

The derelict stadium in west Belfast has been earmarked as Northern Ireland's only venue for Euro 2028.

But spiralling costs mean it could now cost up to £300m.

Labour previously said it couldn’t write a blank cheque but whether Prime Minister Starmer is prepared to hand over the funding will come up in most, if not all, of his conversations today.

Wendy Chamberlain, who is the Liberal Democrats' chief whip, has said she believes her party can exert power by building relationships and working together with MPs from all parties.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she calls the Lib Dems' 72 seats in Parliament "a massive improvement" and says her party are assessing "what the priorities are".

Social care was at the core of the Lib Dems' manifesto, and Chamberlain says:

She adds that "if Labour agrees to that, it would show that Lib Dems can deliver”.

Chamberlain also says voters always “want to see their politicians working together for the best”.

Brendan Hughes
BBC News NI political reporter

With a central statue dedicated to Queen Victoria in its grounds, Belfast City Hall holds many symbols of British and unionist culture.

But recently added to the front lawns are two statues honouring women revered within Irish republicanism.

For some, the inclusion of Mary Ann McCracken and Winifred Carney reflects a changing Northern Ireland.

The UK general election results in Northern Ireland may also mirror that change as Sinn Féin is now Northern Ireland’s largest party at Westminster level - completing a historic hat-trick for Irish nationalism.

The party already became the largest in the devolved assembly at Stormont in 2022 and at local council level in 2023.

So how has Sinn Féin achieved this success? And what does it mean for the future of Northern Ireland?

• Tap here to find out what Sinn Féin's rise means for Irish unity

Chas Geiger
BBC Politics

With the election over, here are some noteworthy upcoming dates to keep an eye on:

Tuesday 9 July: The new Parliament will meet. The first business will be to choose a Commons Speaker, with Sir Lindsay Hoyle likely to be re-elected. Congratulating the Speaker will be Starmer's first opportunity to speak at the despatch box as prime minister.

Swearing in - when MPs take the oath - will begin on the same day and continue for several days.

Wednesday 17 July: The State Opening of Parliament, external will mark the formal start of the new parliamentary session. The King will deliver the King's Speech, setting out the government's programme of new laws.

Tuesday 23 July: Before former PM Rishi Sunak called the election, this was when the summer recess was due to start. But the government is now expected to cut short the summer break, with MPs sitting until 31 July.

Wednesday 24 July: That would mean Starmer would face his first Prime Minister's Questions as PM on this day. As things stand, Sunak would be asking the questions as opposition leader.

Paul Adams
reporting from Poland

Image source, EPA

The government seems keen to send some quick, emphatic messages to Britain’s partners abroad.

The UK’s commitment to Ukraine is rock solid and short of re-joining the EU, Britain is looking for ways to deepen its relations across the continent.

Speaking in Odesa, John Healy has said the UK would step up and speed up the supply of weaponry to Ukraine.

Here in Poland, David Lammy has said he wants to reset Britain’s relations, with individual members of the EU and with the bloc itself.

I asked him if political earthquakes in France and, perhaps later this year, in America too, might complicate some of Britain’s most important relationships. He has said this is a tough geopolitical moment, but that his main worries lay elsewhere.

Lammy’s host, Poland’s foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski, has said he expects a more pragmatic approach in Britain’s relations with the European Union.

Lammy was then on to Sweden, on the third leg of his first, whistlestop tour.

Kate Whannel
Political reporter

Image source, Reuters

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has set out the first steps towards setting up a UK "border security command", which the government hopes will reduce small boat crossings in the English Channel.

Work to recruit an "exceptional leader" to head the body will begin today, with the government preparing a bill to create counter-terror powers aimed at tackling organised immigration crime.

The Home Office says the command leader - expected to be appointed within weeks - would draw together work of intelligence agencies, police, Immigration Enforcement and Border Force.

The measures are Labour's alternative to the Conservatives' plan to deter small boat crossings by sending asylum seekers to Rwanda.

It comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed on Monday that the Rwanda scheme was "dead and buried".

• You can read more on this story here.

James Cook
Scotland editor

Image source, PA Media

Is your life better after 14 years of Conservative government? That, in a nutshell, was the question Labour asked voters in this general election campaign.

You don't need me to tell you that it worked, rather well.

Now the party is already talking about repeating the feat at the 2026 Scottish parliamentary elections by asking "is your life better after 19 years under the SNP?"

"This is part one," said Sir Keir Starmer in Edinburgh on Sunday, adding: "part two comes in 2026."

However, firing up his party for the Holyrood election campaign was not the main reason for the prime minister's visit to Scotland so soon after taking office.

He insists that he wants to reset relations with governments around the UK, hence his decision to make an early dash through Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, as well as meeting English mayors, in his first few days in the job.

Read more on this story by clicking the link here.

Francesca Gillett
Live reporter

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• Starmer on tour: The new prime minister is in Belfast to meet Northern Ireland's first and deputy first minister, as part of his tour to the devolved nations to improve Westminster's relationship with them. Later on he'll head to Wales, where talks will focus on the job cuts at Tata steelworks
• Chancellor's first speech: Rachel Reeves will promise to make economic growth a "national mission", and also announce she's bringing back compulsory housebuilding targets
• Cutting his teeth: New health secretary Wes Streeting will hold talks with the dentists' union today and will also visit a GP surgery with the head of NHS England
• Teacher recruitment: New education secretary Bridget Phillipson has begun work to recruit 6,500 teachers, the government's said
• First day of school: The hundreds of newly-elected MPs - many of whom will still have other jobs - will arrive in Westminster to prepare for taking up their seats