Babcock shares surge as Starmer calls for Europe to ‘step up’ on defence Economics Shares in Britain’s defence giants rallied on Monday morning as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer called for Europe to “step up” on defence spending. Babcock – which plays a key role in the UK’s nuclear submarine fleet as well as naval, land and air operations – surged nearly four per cent in early trading to [...]
Financial services to plough cash into UK defence in 2026 Banking Financial services are planning to pump cash into the UK’s defence sector next year after facing pressure to ramp up investment amid increased geopolitical tensions. Nearly two-thirds of financial services leaders expect the sector to increase investment in UK defence in 2026, with more than a quarter anticipating that investment will rise “much more” over [...]
Forget Russia, China and North Korea – Britain’s no 1 enemy is bureaucracy Opinion Ukraine has proved that the side that can innovate fastest and deliver lethality at the lowest costs will win, writes Blythe Crawford During this week of Remembrance, as we honour those who gave their lives for our security and values, Europe faces a stark awakening. Russia has escalated missile and drone assaults across Ukraine, struck [...]
Ex-head of British Army to lead Santander’s defence lending October 6, 2025 The former head of the British Army is set to lead Santander’s bid to bolster its defence lending as the industry experiences soaring demand with nations upping spending. General Sir Patrick Sanders was the chief of the general staff from 2022 to 2024 in the British Army and is set to join the Spanish-headquartered bank [...]
Tom Tugendhat backs calls to marshal financial services to boost defence September 8, 2025 Tom Tugendhat has backed a report calling for greater involvement from the financial services sector to boost defence spending in the UK. The MP for Tonbridge, who served as security minister from September 2022 to July 2024, said the City of London has a “vital role to play” in the country’s national resilience. “From Taiwan [...]
UK must be prepared for conflict in Europe or Atlantic, defence review to conclude June 2, 2025 The UK plans to build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines, it will be announced on Monday as the government unveils its strategic defence review. The 130-page document will conclude UK must prepare for conflict in Europe or the Atlantic and move to “war-fighting readiness” as a countermeasure to Russian aggression. But Sir Keir [...]
Defence boom will continue long after Ukraine war, says Panmure May 19, 2025 An end to hostilties in Ukraine would only be a short-term setback for the share price of European defence manufacturers, according to analysts. The International Institute for Strategic Studies (ISS) said last week that in the case of a mid-2025 ceasefire in Ukraine, Russia could rearm and attack a Baltic state as soon as 2027. [...]
Babcock gains momentum in an ‘uncertain world’ April 23, 2025 Babcock reported a significant jump in full-year profit and revenue as heightened military tensions continue to prop up European defence contractors. Operating profit increased 17 per cent to £363m on an underlying basis, while revenue grew 11 per cent to £4.8bn. Net debts fell to £373m including leases, down from £435m the year before. Shares [...]
Preparing for war: What we didn’t learn from the pandemic March 12, 2025 The health service may not have been ready for the pandemic, but the rest of government was even less prepared. As we brace for a potential war, it’s time policy makers listen to that warning, says Joe Hill Carl von Clausewitz, the Prussian general, famously asserted that war was the “continuation of politics by other [...]
War, what is it good for? The defence industry February 24, 2025 The government has announced some of the ministry of defence in over 50 years, and there is one important element which should be firmly on the radar of business, says Eliot Wilson Last week the defence secretary, John Healey, gave a speech at the Institute for Government (IfG) on “reforming UK defence”. What would normally [...]