74 m. ago Starmer balancing the books on backs of poorest, former minister suggests

Andrew Mitchell told the Commons he supported Sir Keir Starmer’s strategic direction to bolster defence spending, but argued he has ‘choices’.

Politics

1 hour ago Charities ‘shocked’ and ‘stunned’ by decision to cut aid to fund defence spending

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has announced a dramatic increase in defence spending from the current 2.3% to 2.5% by 2027.

Economics

2 h. ago Watch: Keir Starmer fast tracks defence spending boost by cutting foreign aid

Watch as Sir Keir Starmer announced a fast track on the government’s defence spending boost by cutting foreign aid.

Politics

2 h. ago Kremlin disputes Trump claim Russia would accept Nato peacekeeping troops in Ukraine – live

Kremlin says it has nothing to add to the foreign ministry’s position on the unacceptability of Nato peacekeepers in UkraineUkraine’s presidential press service has issued a photograph showing president Volodymyr Zelenskyy introducing the world leaders visiting Kyiv some new developments in Ukraine’s defence industry.British prime minister Keir Starmer is set to announce a cut to the country’s aid budget to immediately hike defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, ahead of his visit to the White House on Thursday, according to The Sun. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago Starmer slashes aid to fund biggest increase in defence spending since Cold War

Sir Keir Starmer set out plans for defence spending to reach 2.7% of gross domestic product in 2027.

Economics

2 h. ago Keir Starmer slashes aid budget to fund 'biggest sustained rise' in defence spending since Cold War

The Prime Minister said ‘extremely difficult and painful choices’ would be needed to reach the spending goal, including the cut to foreign aid

Economics

3 h. ago Sir Keir Starmer announces cuts to UK aid budget to fund defence spending increase

The Prime Minister announced the increase ahead of a meeting with Donald Trump

Economics

3 h. ago Watch live: Keir Starmer gives statement on defence ahead of pivotal meeting with Donald Trump

Watch live as Sir Keir Starmer is expected to give an unexpected statement on defence today (25 February), ahead of his pivotal meeting with Donald Trump later this week.

Politics

3 h. ago Keir Starmer to make major defence spending announcement ahead of crunch Ukraine talks with Trump

The Prime Minister is under increasing pressure to increase the UK’s defence spending amid the war in Ukraine

Politics

15 h. ago Trump suggests it will be Europe that guarantees peace in Ukraine

The role of the US in any future deal is likely to be among the topics up for discussion later this week when Sir Keir Starmer heads to Washington.

Politics

16 h. ago Boris Johnson urges Starmer to increase defence spending to 3%

Mr Johnson was on Monday in Kyiv for the third anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine

Politics

19 h. ago Trump says Putin will accept EU peacekeeping troops in Ukraine as he meets Macron

Sir Keir Starmer has said he would be willing to put British troops on the ground as part of security guarantees

Politics

20 h. ago Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine, Trump suggests

Sir Keir Starmer has previously said that he would be willing to put British troops on the ground as part of security guarantees.

Politics

21 h. ago Trump changed conversation on Ukraine ‘for the better’, says UK

Sir Keir Starmer reiterates that Britain is ‘ready and willing’ to put troops on ground in Ukraine to secure peace

Politics

23 h. ago Livingston MP welcomes £200m investment in Grangemouth refinery

The investment, announced by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at Scottish Labour Conference in Glasgow, will be delivered through the National Wealth Fund and aims to unlock private sector investment to ensure Grangemouth remains a hub for clean energy and skilled jobs.

Economics

24 h. ago Merz strikes urgent tone in calling for more European independence from US

Stance of German alliance’s leader could herald closer ties with France but ‘debt brake’ poses obstacle to spendingGerman election live – latest updatesFriedrich Merz marked his conservative alliance’s victory in Germany’s election by urging Europe to make itself more independent from the US – a project that will be music to the ears of Emmanuel Macron but may turn on whether Merz can build a Bundestag majority to lift the so-called debt brake that slows increases in defence spending.One possibility for the CDU/CSU alliance leader, who is on course to become Germany’s next chancellor, is to claim that the country is in an emergency, to try to force the change through the Bundestag before its dissolution. Continue reading...

Events

26 h. ago Starmer hopes sanctions will force Putin to make concessions over Ukraine

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Ukraine’s allies must ‘keep dialling up the economic pressure’ on Vladimir Putin.

Politics

26 h. ago Suspended Labour MP Mike Amesbury jailed for punching man during drunken street row

His conviction is likely to pave the way for a by-election in a new blow for Sir Keir Starmer

Events

27 h. ago Who is Mike Amesbury, the Runcorn MP who has been sentenced to 10 weeks in prison?

Amesbury served in a number of frontbench positions between 2018 and 2023 under Sir Keir Starmer and Jeremy Corbyn.

Events

27 h. ago Starmer sends warning to Putin on third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

Sir Keir Starmer sent a warning to Vladimir Putin on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Events