Tobias Ellwood resigns as Commons defence committee chairman September 13, 2023 Tobias Ellwood has quit as defence committee chairman ahead of an expected vote of no confidence, he has confirmed. In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, the MP wrote: “It is with deep regret that I have tendered my resignation as chairman of the defence committee. “It has been a huge privilege to lead [...]
Grant Shapps replaces Ben Wallace as defence secretary taking fifth post in a year August 31, 2023 Grant Shapps has been made defence secretary, in a mini-reshuffle sparked by predecessor Ben Wallace stepping down from cabinet. It comes after Wallace announced in July he would be leaving the role and stepping down as an MP as the next election – after a political career spanning almost a quarter century. Shapps, who has [...]
More than 130 leaks in Westminster buildings – but not THOSE kind of leaks…. August 18, 2023 More than 130 sewage leaks have sprung up in government buildings over the last year, new data has revealed. The majority of the 138 leaks were at Ministry of Defence (MoD) buildings, with 102 incidents at sites including Royal Naval airbase Culdrose, Cornwall and RAF Henlow, Bedfordshire. The Liberal Democrats, who obtained the information via [...]
Wagner group rebellion call marks ‘most significant challenge’ to Russia – MoD June 24, 2023 An armed rebellion led by the Wagner mercenary group marks “the most significant challenge to the Russian state” in recent times, according to UK defence officials. Russian President Vladimir Putin called the actions of the private military company a “betrayal”, after its chief Yevgeny Prigozhin vowed to topple Moscow’s military leadership. In its latest intelligence [...]
BAE wins £270m contract for Royal Navy radars creating hundreds of jobs June 9, 2023 Defence giant BAE Systems has been awarded a 10-year contract worth £270 million to support the Royal Navy’s three main radar systems, securing hundreds of jobs. Every major Royal Navy ship from the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers to the Type 45 destroyers features at least one of the systems, which are designed and built [...]
UK donates long-range cruise missiles to help defence of Ukraine May 11, 2023 Ukrainians will have the “best chance to defend themselves” after the UK’s donation of Storm Shadow cruise missiles, the defence secretary has said. Ben Wallace confirmed that he and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had agreed to authorise the donation after continued Russian attacks on Ukraine. He told the House of Commons: “Today I can confirm [...]
UK military may break NATO pledges, MPs warn April 20, 2023 The UK’s plan for arming its military is a “broken system” and government ministers may struggle to meet crucial commitments to NATO, a prominent group of MPs has warned. A critical report into the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) plans to buy military equipment found a “cycle of costly delay and failure” and an ignoring of [...]
Ukraine war ‘second front’ as Putin moves to store nukes in Belarus March 27, 2023 The world should prepare for a “second front” to open up in the Ukraine war as Vladimir Putin moves to store nuclear weapons in Belarus. Russia’s president claimed he agreed with Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko to station tactical nuclear warheads on its territory. Ukraine has accused the Kremlin of “nuclear blackmail” and demanded an emergency [...]
British designed BAE nuclear subs will power up Australian navy as part of AUKUS defence deal March 14, 2023 Australia will operate a new generation of nuclear-powered submarines based on British designs as both countries modernise their armed forces as part of the AUKUS defence deal. The new boats will be in operation in the late 2030s as part of the AUKUS deal – involving Australia, the UK and US. It will follow a [...]
UK to respond with “swift and robust action” to any Chinese aggression March 13, 2023 Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Chinese posturing over Taiwan risk creating a world “defined by danger, disorder and division”, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has warned today. Britain is committed to “swift and robust action” to counter any threat to UK national interests from China, according to an updated blueprint for the UK’s foreign and defence [...]