Conservatives question the spending promises underpinning Labour’s defence plans
“The British Army must increase troop numbers for the first time in a generation to combat the growing threat from rivals such as Russia, Sir Keir Starmer has been told. After years of cuts to service personnel, the Government’s long-awaited Strategic Defence Review (SDR) has recommended an “uplift” in the number of soldiers to 100,000, including both regulars and reservists. The Government has committed to delivering the SDR’s recommendations in full, with the aim of recruiting around 3,000 additional regular troops in the next Parliament. But there are fears that ministers have no plan for reaching this number, amid a wider row over how to increase defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP. Sir Grant Shapps, the former defence secretary, said: “In opposition Labour thundered about boosting the Army to 80,000. In Government, they’ve quietly shrunk it to 70,000. “Today’s ‘new’ review merely rubber-stamps programmes we had already funded, while the money that should restore Army strength is being diverted to pay Mauritius for the privilege of surrendering our own sovereign territory in the Chagos Islands.” Sir Gavin Williamson, another former defence secretary, said: “What we need is a clear plan in terms of growing army numbers. We also need clarity as to when this is going to be achieved and the resources that will be allocated to do that. To grow army numbers is going to take time.” – Daily Telegraph
- Starmer vows to make UK ‘battle-ready’ as he unveils defence spending plans –Guardian
- Tax rises loom to put Britain on a war footing – The Times
- UK must spend £68bn to modernise military, defence review suggests – FT
- Spending plans behind defence review are ‘inadequate’ for Russian threat, Labour warned – The i
- New defence plans could lead to ‘significant cuts’ in other areas, MPs warn – The Standard
- Defending Britain with the magic money tree? Starmer warned he faces hiking taxes to get the country ‘war-ready’ as he ducks on funding for plan to see off Putin – Daily Mail
- UK can’t afford Iron Dome-style missile shield to guard against Russian attack – The i
- UK to invest £2bn in drones to make army ‘10 times more lethal’ – Guardian
- War ready. Keir unveils defence overhaul making UK 10x more lethal as Putin threat looms – but STILL won’t commit to funding boost – The Sun
- Putin urged to attack 3 European countries: ‘We must destroy them now’ – Daily Express
- Russia’s ‘Pearl Harbour’ has left Putin’s attack plans in tatters – Daily Telegraph
- Shock satellite images show extent of ‘Russia’s Pearl Harbour’ after Ukraine strike – Daily Express
Comment
- As the Ukrainians give a masterclass in modern war, our Government rehashes old plans – Ben Wallace, Daily Telegraph
- ‘War-fighting readiness’ costs more than this – Max Hastings, The Times
- Britain is falling behind its neighbours on defence – Elliot Wilson, CapX
- Keir Starmer is living in a defence fantasy – Stephen Pollard, Spectator
- Our flip-flopping leaders are in retreat on defence – unlike Ukraine’s tech-savvy army that blitzed Putin’s nuclear bombers – Tom Tugendhat, Daily Mail
- The man behind one of the most audacious military operations ever: reveals the sensational inside story of Operation Spider’s Web – Richard Pendelbury, Daily Mail
…Meanwhile, is that a form of ‘national service’ that is being recommended?
“Sir Keir Starmer has bet on a gap year army to fight the Russian threat. A new review aiming to transform defence over the next decade recommends school and college leavers spend a year in uniform to test whether they enjoy forces life amid efforts to solve a crisis in recruitment. The Strategic Defence Review…puts people at the heart of its “transformation” of defence. This includes improving recruitment to tackle the hiring crisis, with innovative new ways such as promoting military “gap years” for school and college leavers. It points to the Australian military’s gap years as an “exciting model” to learn from. Younger pupils will be taught the importance of the British military in school, under the plans. They will also have lessons on what a career can look like in the Armed Forces, from traditional soldiering to computer coding.” – Daily Telegraph
- Military gap years for teens and school lessons on defence to prepare UK for war – The i
Comment
- Sir Keir launches a new fleet of subs, but we can’t fend off a single dinghy – Tim Stanley, Daily Telegraph
Government warned, up to 50,000 migrants could cross Channel this year
“Britain is on course for up to 50,000 migrant crossings this year according to new analysis after daily arrivals topped 1,000 for the first time this year and a row broke out with the French. Home Office figures revealed 1,195 migrants arrived in 19 boats on Saturday — the highest daily tally so far this year and the fourth highest figure recorded. The French prevented a further ten boats from entering the water, according to UK sources. However, the French rescued only 184 migrants from the Channel on Saturday, despite agreeing in February to amend laws to allow police to intercept boats in shallow waters. Intelligence gathered by Border Force has estimated more than 2,000 migrants are waiting to make the journey amid forecasts of a “catastrophic” summer of crossings.” – The Times
- Yvette Cooper blames the French after 1,200 people cross the Channel in a single day – as PM Starmer says people ‘have every right’ to be angry – Daily Mail
- UK calls for French crackdown on shallow-water migrant crossings – The Times
- Boat row. UK is ‘El Dorado’ for migrants who get hotels and handouts, French MP slams as 1,100 cross Channel in just 1 day – The Sun
- France blames Brexit for migrant crisis as Macron MP attacks UK’s ‘very weak asylum policy’ which makes Britain ‘El Dorado’ for illegal migration – Daily Mail
- Why can’t French police go into the Channel to arrest migrants? – The Times
- The anti-migrant technology France is failing to use – Daily Telegraph
- Keir Starmer is criticised for making ‘deeply dishonest’ claims about Labour’s record on small boats after PM’s boast that ‘almost 30,000 people’ had been removed from Britain – Daily Mail
- People smugglers made ‘millions’ this weekend as Keir Starmer concedes public are angry – Daily Express
>Today
Opponents of the looming shift in immigration policy will have to do better than lectures
Tory peers launch last-ditch attempt to stop Chagos Islands giveaway
“Conservative peers have launched a last-ditch attempt to stop Sir Keir Starmer from giving the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. Tories in the Lords have put forward a fatal motion to block the Chagos Islands treaty signed by Sir Keir last month. The deal will give up British sovereignty over the archipelago, known in the UK as the British Indian Ocean Territory, and see the UK pay Mauritius £30 billion over 99 years. Lord Callanan, the shadow foreign minister in the Lords, put forward a motion demanding that the Government “should not ratify the agreement”, citing cost and security concerns.” – Daily Telegraph
Comment
- Lord Hermer, you are putting the British public at risk – David Blair, Daily Telegraph
>Yesteday
Labour have paid a huge price tag just to damage British interests and please lefty lawyers Priti Patel
Man who burnt Quran says conviction is an assault on free speech
“A man who burnt a Quran in a “peaceful protest” has criticised his conviction as “an assault on free speech” as campaigners argued that the ruling “signals a concerning capitulation to Islamic blasphemy codes”. Hamit Coskun, 50, was found guilty on Monday of a religiously aggravated public order offence after setting fire to the Islamic text outside the Turkish consulate in London. Coskun shouted “f*** Islam”, “Islam is religion of terrorism” and “Quran is burning” as he held the flaming holy book aloft in a protest against the government of President Erdogan of Turkey, in Knightsbridge on February 13. District Judge John McGarva found that his actions were “highly provocative” and that he was “motivated at least in part by a hatred of Muslims”. Free speech campaigners paid his legal fees and said the conviction amounted to the creation of a new blasphemy law. They said they intend to appeal against the verdict “and keep on appealing it until it’s overturned”. – The Times
Comment
- Free speech must not be sacrificed to appease Islamists – Robert Jenrick, Daily Telegraph
- England now has a blasphemy law – David Shipley, Spectator
Some Pensioners hit by Labour’s winter fuel cut could now get payments this year
“Ministers could announce a rise in the threshold for winter fuel payments within weeks after Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to provide “clarity” to those affected quickly. In an interview on Monday the prime minister said he needed to be “clear where the money is coming from” but hinted pensioners would not have to wait until the autumn to discover if they would be eligible for this year’s payment. Starmer did not rule out an announcement at the spending review next week when Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, will set out government department budgets for the next three years.” – The Times
- Pensioners in three council tax bands could get their Winter Fuel Payments reinstated – Daily Express
- Reeves locked in UK spending review showdown with four ministers – FT
Benefits cheat given £20,000 to help with MS, caught after ‘marathon running posts’ on Facebook
“A benefits cheat mum who lied about her MS fight to swindle more than £20,000 was caught out by her own running posts on Facebook. Sara Morris, 50, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2005 but exaggerated the extent of her condition in 2020. The mum-of-three said she was unable to stand at her cooker or get out of a bath unassisted in order to claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Morris also claimed she was so anxious to leave the house that even a trip to the pharmacy would leave her in tears. She raked in £2,292.63 in PIP a month but failed to mention to the DWP that she was a member of the Stone Master Marathoners and regularly ran 5km and 10km races. Her web of lies was exposed by her own Facebook posts that showed her competing in difficult races” – The Sun
- Benefits cheat mother, 50, who lied about her MS to claim more than £20,000 was caught out by her own Facebook posts of running events – Daily Mail
- Woman who claimed £20k in benefits for MS caught at running events – The Times
News in Brief
- Why the feverish talk of ousting Badenoch already? Tory MPs know the future looks dire – Henry Hill, Guardian
- Is Jonathan Powell unaccountable? – Elliot Wilson, Spectator
- Farage’s cynical pronatalism. His benefits U-turn is shameless – Sarah Ditum, Unherd
- The tyranny of the non-smoking majority – Christopher Snowden, The Critic
- Is London really a lost cause for the Tories? – Henry Hill, The Standard
