Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said ‘we were at risk of thousands of people losing their jobs’ without an agreement.

The former prime minister said party leader Kemi Badenoch ‘just needs time to get going’.

Mrs Badenoch claimed that the UK had been ‘shafted’ by the agreement.

Sir Keir Starmer said the timing ‘couldn’t be more apt’.

Sir Keir Starmer has been facing calls to u-turn on his decision to strip winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners.

Ministers have announced around £8.2 million of funding as part of the advanced maths support programme.

Firms and other stakeholders were asked in April for their views.

Around £102 million has been committed.

The PM and French president also touched on VE Day commemorations.

The Senedd elections next spring will be Baroness Morgan’s first as party leader.

Changes will also be made to employment law so that nobody who refuses to take part can be dismissed or face disciplinary action.

The party took control of 10 local authorities in England at last week’s local elections, including Durham, Lancashire and Staffordshire.

The party has taken control of seven local councils, winning hundreds of seats across localities from Durham to Kent.

Votes were continuing to be counted in council and mayoral contests on Friday afternoon.

Reform UK has won Staffordshire and Lincolnshire councils from the Conservatives and taken control of Durham County Council.

Sarah Pochin took the seat that Labour won with a majority of more than 14,000 last year by just six votes.

Reform UK’s Sarah Pochin beat Sir Keir Starmer’s candidate Karen Shore by six votes in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election.

A newly re-elected mayor hit out at changes to the winter fuel allowance, hikes to employer national insurance contributions and welfare reforms.

The two countries signed off on an agreement on Wednesday that is expected to give the US access to Ukraine’s mineral resources.

Ukraine and the US signed off on an economic agreement on Wednesday.