2 d. ago Why is defence such a hard sell? The same reason Starmer is struggling in the polls | Martin Kettle

Decades of failures have left liberal democratic governments unable to command public confidence when it really mattersDefence reviews and foreign policy resets seem to turn up almost as often as the Sussexes’ lifestyle brand relaunches these days. Labour’s strategic defence review this week comes less than two years after the Conservatives’ hardly less detailed defence white paper in July 2023, which in turn was a “refresh” of Boris Johnson’s ambitious integrated review of defence and foreign policy of March 2021. By this measure, it must be doubtful if, come the 2030s, analysts will look back on Keir Starmer and John Healey’s review and say it broke the mould.The Labour government was entitled to try to put its own stamp on defence policy, of course, and its review team of George Robertson, Richard Barrons and Fiona Hill did a good, reasonably independent job. Yet this 2020s pattern of repeated strategic adaptation and refocus feels like the new normal now. It is also true that gr...

Politics

4 d. ago Water sector is failing and needs much stronger regulations, independent commission reports

The Independent Water Commission slammed failures in Government strategy and planning for the future, failures to protect billpayers and a failure to act in the public interest.

Events

8 d. ago Conor Maynard speaks out on 'traumatic' paternity drama and how public 'failed' him

Charlotte Chilton publicly claimed last year that the singer is the father to her daughter Penelope

Events

8 d. ago Conor Maynard says there was 'failure from public' over paternity scandal with Traitors star Charlotte Chilton

Conor shared the results of a paternity test he took earlier in the year

Events

3 w. ago Britain crashes out of Eurovision: UK's Remember Monday avoids nul point humiliation but fail to win over Europe in public vote

The UKs Eurovision entry, Remember Monday, managed to avoid nul point humiliation, but failed to win the illustrious song contest title, as Austria to romp to victory in a narrow win against Israel.

Events

3 w. ago Blake Lively 'threatened' to expose Taylor Swift's private texts unless she publicly sided with her in Justin Baldoni feud

Blake Lively threatened bestie Taylor Swift with the release of embarrassing text messages if she failed to release a public statement in support of her, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.

Events

4 w. ago Vogue Williams reveals the exact moment she knew Brian McFadden marriage was doomed

Vogue Williams has revealed that she felt a sense of failure following the public breakdown of her marriage to former Westlife star Brian McFadden at the age of 31

Politics