Sir Keir Starmer is travelling to the Nato summit in Washington DC for his first international trip since becoming prime minister
Earlier he urges MPs to deliver "national renewal" in an address to Parliament, hailing it as the most diverse in history
Former PM Rishi Sunak says the new PM has a "formidable task", as party leaders make speeches to the House
Sir Lindsay Hoyle is re-elected as Speaker of the House of Commons - watch here as he's dragged to his chair, as is tradition
The swearing-in of 650 MPs begins, with the process expected to continue into tomorrow
Black Rod Sarah Clarke makes her way to the Commons to fetch MPs and escort them to the House of Lords.
This is all part of the choreography of re-opening Parliament after the general election which, as a reminder, was dissolved by the King on 30 May.
Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent
Just before the opening of the 2024 Parliament and the vibe is very very different, to say the least.
Angela Rayner, the new deputy prime minister, just arrived to take her seat for the first time on the government front bench and the packed Labour benches erupted in applause.
The Serjeant at Arms gently told them off for behaviour which was not “orderly”.
The phrase standing room only does not do justice to the crush on the government side. There at least 60 Labour MPs standing, with no inch of green leather visible.
On the other side, various former cabinet ministers have turned out to sit on the opposition frontbench, including Jeremy Hunt, James Cleverly and Victoria Atkins.
The Conservatives have occupied the front four benches of the first half of the opposition side. But behind them is a mix, including two of the “pro-Gaza” independents, Jim Allister of the Northern Irish TUV party, and Nigel Farage of Reform.
The Liberal Democrats have reclaimed the traditional space of the third party; where the SNP used to be. The much-diminished SNP ranks are nestled behind them.
The House of Commons is now almost full of all the newly elected and re-elected MPs.
It’s a tight squeeze, with the benches on either side of the chamber looking to be almost at capacity, leaving a sizeable group standing.
The division bell has just rung out, marking the beginning of the meeting and the imminent arrival of Black Rod.
Susan Hulme
Parliamentary correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesAfter 14 years in opposition – returning Labour MPs will now have to remember to swerve to the left and not turn right out of habit when they enter the Commons Chamber through the main doors.
The governing party always sits on the left hand side as you face the Speaker's chair. All the opposition parties sit on the right. The official opposition - now the Conservative Party – takes up the seats at the end closest to the Speaker.
There are 650 MPs, but there are not 650 places for them to sit. The Commons chamber is relatively small and intimate.
The Commons authorities are rather coy about how many people actually can fit in. That's because there are not individual seats, but benches – so how many people can sit down depends a great deal on the size of their rumps.
Some estimate suggest that only around 400 or so can be accommodated comfortably. And with a big Labour majority – the competition for a space will be intense on the government side in particular.
So many new MPs will start their careers sitting on the steps between the benches.
Emily Atkinson
Live page editor
Today is the day that MPs new and old begin to be sworn in for the new Parliament - and all to the drumbeat of centuries-old tradition.
There are 650 to get through, so this process will take a few days - but expect by the end to see a very different Commons to that of just a few weeks ago.
So, how will this all work?
MPs will gather in the Commons at around 14:30 BST for the election of a new Speaker.
After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between the Commons and the Lords, the successful candidate will be physically dragged- yes, you read that correctly - to the Speaker’s chair by other MPs.
We’ll then hear several speeches from party leaders, including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Leader of the Opposition Rishi Sunak.
From here the swearing in begins, with MPs and peers taking an oath of allegiance or making a solemn affirmation to the Crown.
Oh, and expect an appearance from Black Rod and several rounds of hat-doffing in the Lords.
We’ll be guiding you through it here - and follow along by hitting watch live above.
Image source, PA MediaMore now from the Popular Conservatism event in London.
Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg warns the conference that the Tories "must not pretend" that the election "was not a disaster".
He says it was a "warning bell against the arrogance of presumption" that the Conservatives had a right to rule, as well as to certain votes.
"We thought the core had nowhere else to go," he says, adding the Tories will need to win Reform UK voters over "one way or another".
Joe McFadden
Live reporter
The Popular Conservatism conference, also known as PopCon, is under way, with speakers including Suella Braverman and Jacob Rees-Mogg sharing their thoughts on what went wrong for the Conservatives in the election.
Top of the agenda is the Reform Party's vote and how the Tories could try to win back a significant chunk of the electorate who didn't vote for them.
Suella Braverman says that the Reform "phenomenon" was "entirely predictable and avoidable”, adding that it was the Tories' “own fault” that voters turned to Nigel Farage’s party.
“Reform presents an existential threat to us, electorally,” she says, as she urges a return to “true Conservatism” on issues like immigration in order for the party to return to power.
Junior doctor representatives have arrived at the Department of Health for talks with the new health secretary, Wes Streeting.
Junior doctors' committee co-chair Rob Laurenson said there will be no resolution today, but that he is looking forward to future talks with the new government.
We are expecting to hear how the meeting went once it finishes, so stay with us.
We've just been bringing you updates from Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who has been discussing the future of the NHS and the junior doctors' strike at the Future of Britain conference.
Here's a look at what else we've got coming up today:
Junior doctor strikes: Health Secretary Wes Streeting is speaking with the representatives of junior doctors as part of efforts to negotiate an end to the ongoing strike action.
Commons returns: The House of Commons will return for the first time in six weeks. We’re expecting speeches from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, former PM Rishi Sunak and other leaders.
New Speaker to be chosen: Soon after, we'll see the new Speaker of the House be selected. Sir Lindsay Hoyle was the Speaker when Parliament was dissolved ahead of the general election, and is expected to continue in the post.
Nato summit: Later on today, Starmer will dash off to Washington for a Nato summit, which also marks his first international trip as prime minister.
We'll be bringing you the key lines here throughout.
Hugh Pym
Health editor
The main sticking point in the long-running junior doctors’ dispute in England has been the issue of “pay restoration”.
That means getting pay back to where it could be after taking account of inflation over 15 years. Hence the British Medical Association's (BMA) demand for a 35% increase, phased in over a few years.
That was branded unaffordable by the last government.
So the question is whether the new health secretary Wes Streeting can persuade the BMA he is committed to restoration while working within guidelines from the chancellor.
He will undoubtedly ask for concessions from the doctors on workplace issues.
Streeting has already said he won’t agree 35% immediately.
But he has talked about a journey and said he is hopeful that a deal can be reached.
Image source, .Wes Streeting is finally asked about the "burning issues" he referenced earlier - on the junior doctors' dispute, he says a meeting with their leadership this afternoon will be a "reset moment".
But the health secretary also says Labour's position that their 35% pay rise demand is unaffordable hasn't changed.
Beyond pay, he adds there are issues around the way junior doctors are treated by the NHS that need sorting that he is "personally angry about", like pay and their shift pattern rotations.
He then wraps up the conversation by saying his party's DNA is in the NHS, but that the health service needs to change.
Streeting is asked about the long-term future of the NHS and keeping it 'free at the point of use'.
He says people who fall ill should not have to worry about the bill.
The health secretary adds a two tier system is opening up: those who can afford to go private and others who are left behind.
Why should people with less means wait longer, he says, adding that's "an affront to my principles."
Challenged as to how the Department of Health and Social care would achieve economic growth, Streeting describes himself as the “patients’ shop steward”.
He explains this means cutting waiting times for the 7.6 million people on NHS waiting lists will be his number one priority. Pursuing that would contribute to economic growth by getting people who can back into work, Streeting says.
He says the same principles on which the NHS was founded “can and must survive in the 21st Century”.
“But that is not inevitable. And the anxiety that the public feel… about whether or not the NHS will survive is a legitimate concern,” he says.
However he adds he is “optimistic about the future of the NHS”.
You can watch his remarks below:
The health secretary is asked whether anything has surprised him in the first few days in the position.
Streeting responds saying he's been mindful of "a hell of a lot of instability" in the Department of Health and Social Care.
There has been a lack of "direction" and "leadership" he says, adding that the new government has an opportunity to make people excited for the future.
Streeting says there is a link between "the health of the nation" and "the health of the economy".
Image source, ReutersHost Jon Sopel kicks off the interview with Health Secretary Wes Streeting by simply asking: "How's it going?"
He says the new government faces "burning deck" issues left by the Conservatives and that Labour will meet the challenges ahead.
Streeting adds that the party plans to set the country up to "thrive" in the modern world.
We're now hearing from Health Secretary Wes Streeting at the Tony Blair Institute Future of Britain conference.
He is expected to outline the government's plans for the future of the NHS, and you'll be able to follow it at the top of our page by clicking the watch live button.
After that, Streeting will head for talks with the British Medical Association, aimed at ending the junior doctors' dispute over pay in England.
Image source, EPAWes Streeting is the new health secretary, taking on the cabinet position he has shadowed since November 2021.
He immediately ruffled feathers when promoted to the shadow role by saying he wouldn’t "pretend the NHS was the envy of the world" and has insisted the service will need to reform under a Labour government.
However, the Ilford North MP has also had very personal reasons to praise the NHS, after he was diagnosed and treated for kidney cancer earlier in 2021, then aged 38.
He wrote about the experience in a memoir in which he also described growing up in a council flat in London’s East End, visiting his bank robber grandfather in jail and growing up as a gay Christian.
First elected to Parliament in 2015, Streeting had previously been president of the National Union of Students, and served as a London councillor.
As we've been reporting, Wes Streeting, the new health secretary, is holding talks with junior doctors today to discuss the long-running dispute over pay.
Since March last year, there's been 11 strikes by junior doctors in England. Nearly 1.5 million appointments and operations have been cancelled because of strike action in the NHS in England, at an estimated cost of £3bn.
The British Medical Association (BMA) has repeatedly called for a 35% rise to make up for what it says are 15 years of below-inflation pay rises.
Junior doctors received a pay rise averaging nearly 9% in the last financial year.
Streeting has previously said he won't meet the union's full demands, but has hinted there is "space for a discussion" about pay.
Image source, Number 10Let's bring you up to speed with some of the key moments from this morning and what's still to come:
You might already know which member of the cabinet had a father who was a toolmaker, but do you know which one likes to sing show tunes?
You can find brief biographies of Starmer's new cabinet in our interactive guide here.
