Starmer to set date to increase defence spending during Trump visit – report February 23, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer is expected to confirm a timeline to raise defence spending and give Donald Trump an invitation for a state visit when he visits Washington next week, per a report. The Prime Minister will have to walk a tricky line when he meets President Trump, balancing the UK’s support for Ukraine with the [...]
NATO members will ‘fight together’ if needed, defence secretary says February 20, 2025 NATO member states will “fight together” if needed, the UK’s defence secretary has pledged during a visit to Norway. John Healey told a press conference with his Norwegian counterpart Tore Sandvik that Russian leader Vladimir Putin “wants to divide NATO” and “wants to divide Europe” as he warned that a ceasefire in Ukraine “must not [...]
Healey urges ‘maximum pressure’ on Putin, as Trump blames war on Ukraine February 19, 2025 The defence secretary John Healey has warned that forgetting about the war in Ukraine while talks take place between the US and Russia risks “jeopardising the peace”. It came as Healey countered US President Donald Trump’s claim that Kyiv started the conflict amid a visit to Norway, near its border with Russia. The cabinet minister [...]
Rolls-Royce signs £9bn submarines deal to create 1,000 jobs January 24, 2025 Rolls-Royce has signed a £9bn submarines deal which will create 1,000 jobs and is the biggest UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) contract in its history. The eight-year Unity contract covers research and technology, design, manufacture and in-service support of the nuclear reactors that power the Royal Navy’s fleet of submarines. The Derby-headquartered FTSE 100 giant [...]
‘Unsustainable’ sickness benefits cost UK more than defence, Lords warn January 20, 2025 The UK is spending more on “financially unsustainable” sickness benefits than defence, and “urgent” reform to the welfare system is needed to rein in costs, a group of Lords has said. In a letter to the work and pensions secretary, Liz Kendall, the cross-party Lords Economic Affairs committee said the current benefits system penalises people [...]
‘Trump is right’: Lammy says defence spending must rise January 9, 2025 With Russia on the march and the end of post-Cold War peace, David Lammy has argued that Europe’s defence spending must rise. The foreign secretary said for the UK to be “taken seriously… we must put our money where our mouth is” in his first major speech of 2025. Lammy told an audience of diplomats [...]
Cohort’s order book hits record amid booming defence spending December 11, 2024 AIM-listed defence group Cohort has reported strong half-year results, attributing its performance to conflicts in Europe and the Middle East and “heightened international tensions” in the Asia-Pacific region. The group, which owns six defence companies including Chess, EID, and SEA, recorded a 25 per cent year-on-year increase in revenue for the six months to 31 [...]
Is Britain ready for war? December 6, 2024 The government’s decision to scrap a number of defence capabilities has left our military’s ability to deploy in an emergency in serious doubt, says William Freer Last month, the Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey, announced a suite of military capabilities to be cut to redirect a portion of the defence budget. The assets [...]
US election: Badenoch calls on Starmer to reopen US-UK trade talks November 6, 2024 Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has urged Keir Starmer to reopen trade talks with the US, after Donald Trump swept to victory over Democrat rival Kamala Harris.
Qinetiq inks deal with Ministry of Defence for military communications October 11, 2024 Security and defence contractors Qinetiq have won a three-year contract with the Ministry of Defence worth around £150m to deliver military communications. The initial contract, with UK’s Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) Defence Digital organisation, is worth £39m, but includes options for extensions for up to two further years. The Farnborough-based firm, which in May hiked its [...]