93 m. ago UK foreign aid: How much is spent and who receives it as Starmer slashes budget

UK foreign aid will be slashed from 0.5 to 0.3 per cent of GDP to fund an increase in defence spending

Economics

2 h. ago Starmer denies Trump is setting UK policy as defence spending is increased

The Prime Minister announced the increase ahead of a meeting with US president this week

Politics

2 h. ago Keir Starmer bows to Trump pressure and increases UK defence spending by slashing foreign aid

PM brands Russia a ‘menace in our waters’ and says UK must stand by Ukraine to achieve lasting peace to avoid threats to economic instability

Politics

3 h. 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

3 h. ago We must stop Putin in Ukraine to protect Europe: Keir Starmer puts UK on a war footing by increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP

The Prime Minister pledged to accelerate an increase in the UK's defence spending in the face of Russia's belligerence and growing US indifference to European security.

Politics

3 h. 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

3 h. ago WW3 fears grow as Starmer denies Trump forced 'biggest change since Cold War'

To fund the increases in defence spending, Starmer said 'painful' decisions will have to be made as he explained development assistance aid will be cut from 0.5% to 0.3%

Politics

4 h. 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

7 h. 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

8 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

8 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

9 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 Voices: Keir Starmer’s plan to send British troops to Ukraine divides opinion

Readers are split on the prime minister’s proposals for a European ‘reassurance force’, debating Britain's military readiness, war escalation risks, and the UK’s duty to counter Russia

Politics

21 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

29 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

39 h. ago How Donald Trump has betrayed UK as well as Ukraine. We must increase defence spending

The UK will have to dig deep to help Ukraine defend itself, for the sake of our own security as well as theirs

Politics

53 h. ago What is Keir Starmer’s plan to boost UK defence spending and is it affordable?

Keir Starmer is expected to outline plans to hike Britain’s defence spending, The Independent looks at what has been said about the move

Politics

63 h. ago Why Conservatives must revive Thatcherism in face of threats from Putin and Reform

The UK needs to create a strong economy – a task way beyond the quick-fix charlatans of the policy-less Reform UK party – in order to increase defence spending

Politics

3 d. ago Starmer to set date to increase defence spending during Trump visit – report

The Prime Minister will also deliver an invitation from the King for a state visit to the UK.

Politics

4 d. ago Voices: Should British troops be deployed in Ukraine? Join The Independent Debate

Have your say: Russia condemned Keir Starmer’s latest plan as ‘unacceptable,’ warning that any Nato troops in Ukraine would be seen as a ‘direct threat’

Politics