Welfare U-turns show Starmer puts party ahead of country June 5, 2025 The Conservatives are the only political party able to say they take the country’s £100bn debt bill and £65bn welfare bill seriously, says Jamila Robertson We have heard the government assert time and again, that they are taking the difficult decisions. Almost a year on, with inflation up from two per cent to 3.5 per [...]
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 [...]
Migrant daily arrivals top 1,000 for first time this year June 1, 2025 More than 1,100 migrants arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel on Saturday, the highest number recorded on a single day so far this year. The latest Home Office figures show that 1,194 migrants arrived in 18 boats, bringing the provisional annual total so far to 14,811. This is 42 per cent higher [...]
Government plan to build munitions factories to ‘better deter our adversaries’ May 31, 2025 Building at least six munitions and energetics factories will “better deter our adversaries”, defence secretary John Healey has said as part of plans for an “always on” weapons pipeline. The Government has pledged £1.5bn as part of the strategic defence review (SDR) to set up at least six factories, and will support the procurement of [...]
‘No doubt’ UK will spend three per cent of GDP on defence by mid-2030s, Healey says May 31, 2025 Defence spending at three per cent of GDP by 2034 is a firm commitment, John Healey has said. The government has previously set out its “ambition to reach three per cent in the next parliament”, after meeting its pledge to ratchet up defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by April 2027. But the [...]
The defence industry shouldn’t expect a gold rush May 19, 2025 Despite all their talk, Labour's promises won't mean a gold rush for the defence industry, writes Eliot Wilson.
Defence secretary tells City sector is ‘open for business’ May 13, 2025 Defence secretary John Healey has unveiled plans to open a “marketplace” that will allow suppliers from different areas of the economy to support defence firms, telling an audience at the London Stock Exchange that “UK defence is open for business.” Healey announced the new scheme linking up the defence sector with companies in software, data [...]
Healey warns against ‘forgetting about the war’ at Ukraine summit April 10, 2025 Allies of Ukraine should guard against “jeopardising the peace by forgetting about the war” amid plans for a peacekeeping force from 30 ‘coalition of the willing’ nations, John Healey has said. Proposals for that peacekeeping force in Ukraine are “real and substantial”, the defence secretary said, at the start of a further meeting of the [...]
Spring Statement 2025: More welfare cuts to come March 26, 2025 MPs and voters will “hear more” from the Chancellor on welfare cuts at the Spring Statement, the defence secretary has said. John Healey has appeared to confirm that further cuts to welfare spending will be required because the budget watchdog has said previously-announced measures will not save the £5bn a year expected by 2030. The [...]
Spring Statement 2025: £2.2bn defence and weapons boost, Reeves to unveil March 25, 2025 Rachel Reeves is set to unveil a £2.2bn boost for the UK’s defence spending at the Spring Statement, including cash to kit out Royal Navy ships with laser weapons. The Chancellor vowed to deliver “security and national renewal” but warned “we have to move quickly in a changing world” amid rising uncertainty over future European [...]