A look ahead at the key events leading the news agenda next week, from the team at Foresight News. Delivered to your inbox on Fridays.
Leading the week
It was perhaps no shock in the end, but the election results still represent a seismic moment in British political history, with Keir Starmer’s Labour Party now due to form the next government after winning a hefty majority and Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives left to reflect on the party’s worst-ever electoral performance. With a swathe of ministers and household names losing seats as the Conservative vote collapsed amid a three-pronged attack from Labour, the Lib Dems and Reform UK, the reality of the situation for Sunak would have been clear long before he conceded defeat to Keir Starmer earlier this morning.
But while Labour will now enter government with a strong mandate and the numbers to back it up, there were some notes of caution for Starmer and co: the reality of governing is very different to being in opposition, particularly in such fiscally straitened times, and the presence of so many smaller parties and independents who will relish being a thorn in his side will mean it’s not always plain sailing in Parliamentary debates. But those are problems for the coming weeks.
After he’s been to see King Charles today, Starmer is expected to start making appointments to his first Cabinet before the new Parliament opens on Tuesday (July 9) for the election of a Speaker and swearing-in of MPs. Starmer will need to hit the ground running – his first week in office sees him off to Washington DC for the NATO Summit (which begins Tuesday – more on that below) and a possible first bilateral with US President Joe Biden as he looks to set the tone as a more outward-looking prime minister than his predecessor.
Back in the UK on Friday (July 12), Starmer’s government will have a possibly unwelcome early opportunity to shed light on how it will handle battles over trans rights as the High Court hears a challenge to the government’s ban on puberty blockers for young people. Transgender issues have been fiercely contested within the Labour Party, but incoming Health Secretary Wes Streeting said in April that a Labour government would look to implement the Cass review’s recommendations, meaning they’re unlikely to change tack on puberty blockers. To cap what is sure to be a frantic first few weeks for the new prime minister, there’s also the job of drawing up a legislative programme in time for the King’s Speech on July 17 and preparing for a possible first Budget after MPs return from summer recess before a looming departmental spending review.
Find out about more key dates coming up in the first six months of Starmer’s premiership.
A huge weekend of sport is sure to keep Brits glued to their screens, with national hopes on the line. Football fans hope to be watching England in the final of the European Championships on Sunday (July 14), with Gareth Southgate’s side aiming to do one better than their disappointing defeat to Italy on penalties in 2020. Despite underwhelming performances, England find themselves in the easier half of the draw and will be hoping to defeat Switzerland this Saturday and get through a semifinal on Wednesday (July 10) against either the Netherlands or Turkey to reach Sunday’s final. Lovers of the beautiful game can also stay up to catch the Copa America final, which takes place Sunday night in Miami.
Following a moving farewell tribute yesterday as he crashed out of the first round of the men’s doubles, Brits may get their last glimpse of Andy Murray playing at Wimbledon on Saturday (July 13) in the mixed doubles final if he and partner Emma Raducanu can make it through the competition. A good run for Raducanu, who plays her third round match this afternoon, could see her feature in the women’s singles final on the same day. The men’s final on Sunday (July 14) could see a repeat of last year’s matchup, with Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz on opposite sides of the draw.
Looking abroad
With the fallout from President Joe Biden’s catastrophic debate performance continuing to dominate the news despite the administration’s efforts to move on from questions over his fitness for office, the US president will host NATO leaders next week for a three-day gathering beginning on Tuesday (July 9) with a celebration of the alliance’s 75th anniversary. The formal summit of the now 32-member bloc, the last before Mark Rutte takes over from Jens Stoltenberg as Secretary General in October, then follows on Wednesday and Thursday (July 10-11). While the ongoing war in Ukraine will dominate the agenda, the growing prospect of a second Trump presidency from January will likely overshadow the gathering.
Narendra Modi heads to Russia on Monday (July 8) for talks with Vladimir Putin in what will be his first foreign visit since beginning his third term as Indian prime minister. The trip, also Modi’s first to Moscow in five years, comes despite tensions between the two countries over Russia’s recruitment of Indian nationals to fight in the war in Ukraine. Modi’s decision to visit will no doubt be disappointing for the US and its allies, who have been frustrated by India’s reluctance to condemn Russia over its invasion. But beyond cheap fuel and India’s reliance on Russian-made military parts, India views maintaining close ties with Russia as critical to containing perceived threats from China and Pakistan, particularly given how the war in Ukraine has led to deepened ties between Moscow and Beijing. The trip may also have the added value for Modi of strengthening India’s role as a key broker between the West and the Global South.
In the Middle East, just as a glimmer of hope has emerged of a breakthrough in negotiations between Israel and Hamas, tensions between Israel and Hezbollah appear to be on the verge of escalating into a full-blown conflict. The threat of a new war comes as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces accusations of exploiting the conflict for political purposes, with a hearing scheduled on Tuesday (July 9) on a request to delay his testimony in his corruption trial until at least next March. Proceedings have been suspended since October in the wake of the Hamas attack.
The escalating situation with Lebanon comes almost 18 years to the day since the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel that resulted in massive damage to Lebanon’s civilian infrastructure but not the disarmament of the Iran-backed militant group, despite an agreement to that effect. In recent years, the group’s leader has marked the anniversary with a speech on or around the anniversary on Friday (July 12), which will be closely watched this year if war hasn’t already broken out by then.