10 m. ago Keir Starmer says 'dangerous new era' forced decision for 'biggest 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 a cut to foreign aid

Events

24 m. ago Starmer slams accusation he is ‘Farage in disguise’ over defence spending increase

Sir Keir Starmer dismissed an accusation he is "Nigel Farage in disguise" over his plans to slash the foreign aid budget to hike defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP to counter “tyrants” like Vladimir Putin.

Politics

48 m. ago Starmer announces big cut to UK aid budget to boost defence spending

PM confirms rise in military spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 – three years earlier than plannedUK politics live – latest updatesKeir Starmer has announced drastic cuts to Britain’s international aid budget to help pay for a major increase in defence spending, amid fears over Donald Trump’s commitment to European security.The prime minister said the UK government would increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 – three years earlier than planned – as he prepared for what is likely to be a diplomatically fraught visit to Washington DC this week. Continue reading...

Economics

70 m. 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

74 m. ago Watch live: Starmer defends cutting foreign aid budget to boost defence spending

Watch live as Sir Keir Starmer holds a press conference on Tuesday, 25 February, after announcing he will slash the foreign aid budget to hike defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP to counter “tyrants” like Vladimir Putin.

Economics

78 m. ago What is Keir Starmer’s plan to increase UK defence spending and is it affordable?

Keir Starmer has outlined plans to slash foreign aid in order to hike Britain’s defence spending, The Independent looks at what has been said about the move

Politics

1 hour ago Watch live as Keir Starmer holds urgent press conference amid threats from ‘tyrant’ Putin

Keir Starmer will give a press conference in No10 ahead of his visit to Washington DC to meet Donald Trump as the future of Europe hangs in the balance due to the threat of Vladimir Putin

Politics

5 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

5 h. ago Starmer hikes defence spending to 2.5% ahead of crunch meeting with Trump

Labour PM cuts foreign aid funding as he prepares to fly to Washington to meet the US President who has piled pressure on Britain to bolster its armed forces

Politics

5 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

6 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

6 h. ago BREAKING: Watch live as Keir Starmer gives major update on defence and security

The Prime Minister is making a rare statement to the Commons about defence and security amid growing calls to ramp up spending due to the crisis in Ukraine and Donald Trump's interventions

Events

29 h. ago US politics live: confusion at agencies over whether to comply with Elon Musk email demanding workers justify jobs

Government agencies give conflicting orders after Musk demands employees list accomplishments from past week by Monday deadlineDonald Trump’s sweeping foreign aid freeze has stalled a United Nations programme in Mexico aimed at stopping imported fentanyl chemicals from reaching the country’s drug cartels, according to eight people familiar with the situation, Reuters reports.It is one of several US counternarcotics efforts in Mexico derailed in recent weeks by the stop-work order. Continue reading...

Politics

31 h. ago Streeting to ask employers to pay for more staff medical checks

UK government wants to boost workplace preventive health measures to cut spending on hospital care

Politics

31 h. ago Donald Trump's foreign aid clampdown could force controversial LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall to 'cut half of its staff'

The controversial LGBTQ+ lobbying group was told on Thursday that only roles with dedicated funding would remain following a 'restructuring' of the charity.

Politics

32 h. ago LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall to 'cut half of staff' after Trump freezes foreign aid

The controversial LGBTQ+ lobbying group was told on Thursday that only roles with dedicated funding would remain following a 'restructuring' of the charity.

Politics

42 h. ago Zelensky's shock reaction to Trump team saying he's hours away from signing huge mineral deal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has balked at the suggestion any minerals deal with the United States would be backpay for foreign aid his nation has received during the war.

Politics

44 h. ago ‘We have nothing now’: Myanmar’s exiled media face existential crisis after Trump severs aid

Organisations that take extreme risks to document atrocities, corruption and war crimes fear for their future after USAid cutsEach month Su Myat secretly crosses the border from Thailand into Myanmar to report on her conflict-ridden homeland, covering military airstrikes and illegal scam compounds that have become a haven for organised, transnational crime.The editor of the online news outlet ThanLwinKhet News, Su is part of a community of exiled journalists from Myanmar whose organisations are facing an existential crisis due to US president Donald Trump’s decision to freeze foreign aid. Continue reading...

Politics

66 h. ago Kemi Badenoch urges Prime Minister to cut foreign aid and pour money into defence

The Tory leader wrote in a letter that 'this is no time for dither', arguing: 'History has been unforgiving to politicians who, faced with growing threats, chose procrastination over action.'

Politics

4 d. ago Trump administration is flouting an order to temporarily lift a freeze on foreign aid, judge says

A federal judge says the Trump administration has kept withholding foreign aid despite a court order and must at least temporarily restore the funding to programs worldwide

Politics