Defence

Prime minister says he will take no lectures from Tories after Kemi Badenoch says investment plan is insufficientUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer was forced on the defensive in the Commons over his long-delayed defence investment plan announced this week, which critics argue leaves his successor as prime minister, expected to be Andy Burnham, with an extra £4.7bn to find in his first budget.Starmer defended his £298bn defence investment plan (Dip) at prime minister’s questions on Wednesday despite a growing backlash from insiders in Burnham’s team and from ministers and MPs resentful over cuts to key transport infrastructure projects to fund it. Continue reading...

Concerns that plan is not properly funded and will take cash from much-needed road projectsGood morning. Yesterday Keir Starmer published the defence investment plan (Dip), which was probably the last substantial announcement of his premiership. Today he is facing what will probably be his second last PMQs (he is expected to be at the Nato summit next Wednesday, and he’ll have his swansong on 15 July), and the session is likely to be dominated by complaints about the Dip.Broadly, there are three distinct criticisms.What I’m complaining about today is that the East Midlands would appear to be the only region that has been told it is sacrificing its road investments programme in order to be able to contribute to the Dip. Continue reading...

Robert Jenrick and MP for Lincoln among those whose constituencies could be hit by cuts to road infrastructure plansThe MP for Lincoln and the Middle East minister, Hamish Falconer, and the Reform MP Robert Jenrick have voiced anger at the cancellation or delay of key transport infrastructure projects to fund the defence investment plan.Falconer and Jenrick were among MPs who have had cuts to road improvements in their constituencies, with savings contributing towards the increase in defence spending. Two roads in the East Midlands are among those where investment cuts have been made to fund a £15bn uplift in defence. Continue reading...

• A new report highlights India's expanding global influence, driven by a strategic combination of diplomacy, defense capabilities, and development initiatives. • India is positioning itself as a leading voice for the Global South, leveraging its economic growth and strategic partnerships to bridge the gap between developing and developed nations. • This shift matters as India seeks to play a more central role in international governance and security frameworks, enhancing its status as a stabilizing global power.

• The U.K. government has unveiled a new strategic defence plan focused on technological advancement to counter an aggressive Russia and a less reliable U.S. • The plan allocates nearly 300 billion pounds ($400 billion) over the next four years to modernize military capabilities. • Key investments include 11 billion pounds for weapons stockpiles, 8 billion pounds for stealth fighter jets developed with Japan and Italy, and 5 billion pounds for drone technology.

• Cybercriminals are increasingly leveraging AI to scale phishing campaigns and accelerate the discovery of zero-day vulnerabilities. • These AI-driven attacks are particularly dangerous because they target software flaws for which vendors have not yet developed security patches. • The shift is forcing companies to harden their defenses to manage a rising volume of security alerts and evolving systemic risks.

Ally of PM-in-waiting says four-year boost for the armed forces is an ‘unexploded bomb’Britain has finally grasped the nettle on defence, but tough choices lie aheadAndy Burnham will have to find an extra £4.7bn for defence in his first budget, after Keir Starmer announced a £298bn defence investment plan (Dip) without having fully identified how it will be funded.Sources close to the Makerfield MP said he would not try to renegotiate the Dip after the outgoing prime minister announced its details at a press conference on Tuesday.£47bn on new nuclear submarines, including the Dreadnought replacement for the Trident submarines and the new Aukus attack submarine project, being developed with Australia and the US.£13bn on a new nuclear warhead and £1.7bn on nuclear fuels. Another promise to pay £1bn for 12 Lockheed Martin F-35A jets capable of carrying nuclear bombs will come after 2030.£8.6bn on the development of the Gcap next-generation fighter aircraft in a joint project with Italy and Japan, plus an extra £1.1bn to keep existing Typhoons in service until the 2040s.A total of £5bn more on drones, £1bn more than announced in last year’s strategic spending review, with investments in air, land, sea and underwater drones to operating alongside soldiers, warships and fighter jets. Continue reading...