• EUR/GBP rises to 0.8598 as concerns about Starmer government weigh on pound

• 0.8598 is highest level since April 22 (0.8596 was Tuesday's high)

• PM Starmer won welfare reform vote Tuesday but suffered damaging rebellion

• PMQs 1200-1230 GMT (Friday is first anniversary of Labour's election win)

• EUR/GBP resistance levels beyond 0.8600 include 0.8621 (GBP/EUR 1.16)

• EU blocks UK's attempts to join pan-European trading bloc, FT reports

EURGBP

(Robert Howard is a Reuters market analyst. The views expressed are his own)