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Hello and welcome to this edition of The Westminster Hour with me, Ben Wright and my guests.

With the future of Ukraine and European security at stake, Sarkia Stama is heading to the White House.

A former UK ambassador to Washington tells us it's the most consequential

meeting between a British Prime Minister and a US President since the Second World War.

We'll discuss that, plus what the outcome of the German election means for wider EU politics.

And with pressure on the government to spend more on defence, are the costs of achieving net zero running too

high? That is all coming up. First, let's meet my panel. Polly Billington is the Labour MP for

East Thanet, a former BBC journalist, turned environmental and climate campaigner who, back in the day,

helped mastermind Ed Miliband's successful party leadership bid.

Now in the Commons herself, she sits on the Energy Security and Net Zero Select Committee.

Welcome back, Polly.

Nice to be here.

The Conservative MP Kit Malthouse represents North West Hampshire.

He was previously Deputy Mayor of London under Boris Johnson

and later held various ministerial positions in his government.

He was then, Education Secretary under Liz Truss.

Now he's helping the Labour backbencher Kim Ledbeter with her bill to legalise assisted dying for some terminally ill adults.

Hi Kit.

Katie Balls is with us too, political editor of The Spectator,

but soon to be heading to the United States as Washington editor for the Times.

Congratulations, Katie.

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