Defence spending to rise to 2.5 per cent by 2027 via aid cuts, Starmer confirms February 25, 2025 Sir Keir Starmer has announced the “biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War” as he confirmed the UK would spend 2.5 per cent of GDP [gross domestic product] by 2027. The Prime Minister unveiled the policy in a statement to the House of Commons after reports he was set [...]
Ukraine: Russia ‘does not hold all the cards’, Starmer tells Kyiv conference February 24, 2025 Keir Starmer has insisted “Russia does not hold all the cards in this war” to a conference in Kyiv to mark the third anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. The Prime Minister has promised further “sweeping sanctions” to push the Russian president towards concessions in peace talks and called for a US backstop [...]
War, what is it good for? The defence industry February 24, 2025 The government has announced some of the ministry of defence in over 50 years, and there is one important element which should be firmly on the radar of business, says Eliot Wilson Last week the defence secretary, John Healey, gave a speech at the Institute for Government (IfG) on “reforming UK defence”. What would normally [...]
Defence spending: 2.5 per cent of GDP is ‘ambitious,’ minister says February 23, 2025 Raising UK defence spending to 2.5 per cent of national income is “ambitious”, a cabinet minister has insisted as the government faces pressure to increase investment. It comes amid uncertainty over the future of the war in Ukraine, as the US began negotiations with Russia, excluding Kyiv from talks. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson sought to [...]
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 [...]
To defeat our enemies, the West must remember how it won the Cold War February 20, 2025 A system that funded defence initiatives while simultaneously delivering prosperity showed up the Soviet Union for what it was. Economic freedom is our most powerful weapon, says Matthew Lesh How did the West win the Cold War? This question loomed over European leaders this week as they met at an emergency summit in Paris to [...]
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 [...]
UK defence stocks soar ahead of European summit on Ukraine February 17, 2025 Shares in UK weapons manufacturers have soared today as leaders from across the continent convene for an emergency meeting in Paris to discuss the war in Ukraine. “We’re facing a generational challenge when it comes to national security,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer before heading to the meeting, adding that he was “ready and willing” [...]
Starmer warned to boost defence spending or enter ‘bin of history’ February 15, 2025 Keir Starmer has been warned by a former head of the army that he faces being consigned to the dustbin of history unless the government significantly hikes defence spending. Ex-chief of the general staff Lord Dannatt said spending should rise to a 3.5 per cent share of the economy. The UK currently spends around 2.3 [...]