UK politics live: Keir Starmer defends Chagos Islands return as Argentina demands Falklands back

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been speaking next.

She emphasised that carbon capture technology is pivotal not only for cleaning up industries but also for attracting investment.

She told workers in Liverpool: “We’re removing the barriers that stop investment so that we can get Britain building again.

“And our first international investment summit will take place in just ten days to bring new investment and more opportunities to the UK. That’s the change that this government is offering.”

Ed Miliband has declared that Britain has “blown its chance of industrial success” too often in the past, urging a renewed commitment to industrial policy.

Announcing £21.7 worth of investment for projects in Teesside and Merseyside, he said: “Too often in the past Britain has blown its chance of industrial success. We say today. Not this time.

“This government is committed to use every lever to win for Britain. This Government is committed to a proper industrial policy, and this government has a Chancellor who understands the importance of public and private investment to build the future Britain deserves.”

Sir Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and Ed Miliband are all at the event at Encircled Glass.

The energy secretary starts speaking first, declaring: “This is a historic week for Britain’s energy system.”

The UK has handed sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after decades of negotiations. The Indian Ocean archipelago had been a British island territory for over half a century, and now returns to neighbouring Mauritius.

The deal stipulates that the strategically significant Diego Garcia US-UK military base will remain in place and under its current control – thought to be a major factor in securing the agreement.

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While we wait for the prime minister to speak, here’s more criticism from the Tories over Labour’s Chagos Islands deal.

Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith, MP for Chingford and Woodford, voiced his astonishment at the agreement, highlighting the geopolitical risks involved.

At the heart of his criticism is the concern that the pro-China stance of Mauritius could jeopardise the strategic significance of the islands.

Mr Duncan Smith said: “If China gets involved with Mauritius, I cannot see how you can continue to use that place as it is now, or how the Americans can either.”

He branded the decision a “huge mistake” and a “fatal mistake,” claiming that it reflects a broader failure of the UK to grasp its strategic arrangements.

In the next few minutes, we will hear Sir Keir Starmer deliver a speech from Merseyside, unveiling the government’s plan to invest in green technologies.

Labour pledged nearly £22 billion over the next 25 years for carbon capture and storage initiatives.

Ahead of the announcement, the prime minister said: “Today’s announcement will give industry the certainty it needs – committing to 25 years of funding in this groundbreaking technology – to help deliver jobs, kickstart growth, and repair this country once and for all.”

Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg has accused the Labour government of failing to take western security seriously by transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The former cabinet minister, who lost his seat at the general election, expressed concerns about handing over territory to a nation with which the UK has a “tricky relationship”.

The Chagos Islands, including Diego Garcia - home to a crucial US-UK military base - were British-owned since 1814 before the recent agreement aimed at resolving a long-standing dispute.

Mr Rees-Mogg argued that the decision reflects poorly Labour’s commitment to national security, particularly in light of potential Chinese interest in the region.

Speaking to GB News, he said: “We lost a legal action and therefore the government entered into talks. But interestingly, when the Conservatives were in office, as these sorts of ideas were floated, they were being heavily shot down, not least by Conservative backbenchers.

“But Labour doesn’t seem to take the security of the West seriously.”