Andy Burnham said he would take responsibility for funding the UK’s defence investment plan “extremely seriously” after documents showed a £4.7bn gap. Ministers face questions over when Burnham learned of the shortfall and how the money will be found.
Posts tagged as “Defence”
Keir Starmer says the UK will raise defence spending by £15bn over four years, funded by cuts to other government investment budgets. The plan would lift annual defence spending to nearly £80bn by 2029, though critics say it falls short of what the armed forces need.
Lebanese authorities said Israeli troops killed two men near a road-clearing vehicle in southern Lebanon, the first reported fatal incident since a fragile ceasefire largely took hold. Israel said its forces fired at Hezbollah members who posed a threat inside a declared security zone.
Keir Starmer has resigned as British prime minister and Labour leader after a revolt by his own MPs. His departure follows plunging approval ratings, policy U-turns, scandals and heavy Labour election losses.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a six-month review of American forces in Europe and warned NATO allies that U.S. dues could fall if they miss defense spending targets. NATO says European members are already increasing spending and replacing some U.S. capabilities.
U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey resigned after rejecting the government’s military funding plan, saying it would leave the armed forces under-resourced and could make the country less safe. The BBC reported he had pushed for defense spending to reach 3% of GDP by 2030 but was offered a smaller increase.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has warned the government of Benjamin Netanyahu that the proposed judicial overhaul would be the most significant since the country's founding in 1948, and could limit both Israelis and Palestinians in seeking the court's defense of their rights. He also criticized the government's decision to fire Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and urged Netanyahu to reverse the decision. Opposition to the proposed changes has been voiced both inside and outside Israel, and it remains to be seen if the government will heed Lapid's warnings.