4 h. ago Chancellor tells National Wealth Fund to back ‘higher risk’ projects

Rachel Reeves said she hopes the wealth fund, which was set up last year, will unlock £70 billion in private investment in the UK.

Economics

5 h. ago UK Treasury omits defence from National Wealth Fund priority sectors

Decision comes even as government joins other European countries in seeking to raise military spending

Economics

36 h. ago Countries must bolster climate efforts or risk war, Cop30 chief executive warns

Ana Toni also criticises the UK’s plans to slash overseas aid to fund defence spendingCountries looking to boost their national security through rearmament or increased defence spending must also bolster their climate efforts or face more wars in the future, one of the leaders of the next UN climate summit has warned.Some countries could decide to include climate spending in their defence budgets, suggested Ana Toni, Brazil’s chief executive of the Cop30 summit. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Aid workers warn ‘people are dying and they’re going to continue dying’ as funding cuts hit

Moves by US, UK and other donors to cut aid mean ‘high malnutrition rates, starvation and death’, say expertsCuts to food assistance by the US, Britain and others are already leading to more people starving to death around the world, experts have warned.As the United Nations and other agencies try to understand just how badly President Donald Trump’s announced 83% cut in funding to USAid will affect the world’s most vulnerable people, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) has said its aid provision in Somalia is being reduced, after last month’s estimate that 4.4 million people in the east African nation will be pushed into malnutrition from April because of drought, global inflation and conflict. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Rachel Reeves unveils £2bn boost for UK defence sector amid 'new era of security'

Chancellor in Scotland to announce move aimed at “strengthening our national defence, kickstarting economic growth and delivering the stability we need to keep us safe”

Economics

7 d. ago Former defence secretary and chancellor Philip Hammond warns that Brits are not ready for war

The former Defence Secretary claimed the nation should hack back spending on benefits and pensioners to rebuilding its 'paltry' military and defence industry.

Events

9 d. ago Keir Starmer to lead fresh talks with 'coalition of the willing' allies on shoring up Ukraine's defence in frantic week of global meetings

The Prime Minister will host a virtual meeting with around 20 largely European and Commonwealth countries to end another week of frantic diplomatic activity.

Politics

1 week ago Red Roses fully focussed on Women’s Six Nations title defence as home World Cup looms

England open their title defence against Italy in York on 23 March

Politics

1 week ago Germany bond rout worst since fall of Berlin Wall as Merz promises to boost defences

Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz (pictured) outlined plans to exclude military spending from the country's stringent 'debt brake' rule to free up cash.

Politics

1 week ago Germany's incoming Chancellor pledges to do 'whatever it takes' to boost the nation's defences and moves to lift 'debt brake'

Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz (pictured) outlined plans to exclude military spending from the country's stringent 'debt brake' rule to free up cash.

Politics

2 w. ago Keir Starmer, you claim huge and damaging cuts are vital so we can buy arms and defend ourselves. Prove it | Owen Jones

Splurging the cash is not the answer to Europe’s security jitters. Let’s ignore the hyperbole and decide what’s actually neededBritain is now on a “war footing”, we are told. Earlier this year, Nato’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, demanded that European nations start hiking defence spending at the expense of pensions, health and social security. Fail to do so, he warned, and the only recourse would be to “get out your Russian language courses or go to New Zealand”.In this increasingly feverish atmosphere, it becomes ever more difficult to ask for a bit of perspective, but it is necessary. European elites are panic-stricken after Donald Trump hit the accelerator away from US hegemony, a trend already long under way. Meanwhile, Labour figures openly brief that this could be Keir Starmer’s “Falklands moment”, using Ukraine’s agony to transform the government’s calamitous polling, speaking to a grubby political opportunism. Britain’s current trajectory could raise a much graver menace ...

Politics

2 w. ago Ursula von der Leyen proposes €800bn ‘rearm Europe’ defence fund plan to step up Ukraine support after Donald Trump’s US suspension

Ursula von der Leyen has proposed an €800bn ($841 billion) plan to boost defences of EU nations to counter possible US disengagement following Donald Trump's decision to suspend all military aid to Ukraine.

Politics

2 w. ago European leaders to meet in London tomorrow for ‘defence summit’

European leaders to meet in London tomorrow for ‘defence summit’  National Herald

Politics

2 w. ago Former Scottish Labour first minister Jack McConnell blasts Keir Starmer over foreign aid cuts

Jack McConnell urged the Prime Minister to rethink slashing the international development budget cut from 0.5 per cent of gross national income to 0.3 per cent to increase defence spending.

Politics

3 w. ago Starmer to meet Trump in Washington as Kyiv and US agree minerals deal

European nations must ‘step up and do more on defence’ Rachel Reeves said after the UK pledged to raise defence spending.

Politics

3 w. ago Keir Starmer addresses nation after slashing 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 w. 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

3 w. ago Starmer announces ‘huge opportunity’ for Grangemouth with £200 million boost

The money will come from the UK’s National Wealth Fund, the Prime Minister told the Scottish Labour conference in Glasgow on Sunday.

Economics

3 w. ago Grangemouth: Sir Keir Starmer announces £200m from wealth fund to kickstart Scottish hub's future

The Prime Minister has announced funding for the future of Grangemouth.

Economics

3 w. ago Britain lagging behind European allies when it comes to war readiness, warns military chief

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin says UK’s culture of national resilience is weaker than some of its allies – just as defence secretary unveils cuts to military

Events