Mike Waltz's fall from grace will change little
Oh what a circus, oh what a show. It began on Thursday morning, with stories circulating that the US national security advisor, Michael Waltz, was about to be dropped. This seemed to be confirmed when President Trump spoke at an event for the National Day of Prayer, and reeled off praise for his top team, including Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth and John Ratcliffe, the director of the CIA – but made no mention of Waltz.
Waltz's departure had long been thought likely. While the most vainglorious and locker room chat-like braggadocio in the Signalgate scandal earlier this year had come from Hegseth and Vice President J.D. Vance, Waltz had set up the 'Houthi PC small group' chat. Trump had brushed off this breach of security, which would have seen any lower-ranking National Security Council (NSC) official escorted directly out of the Eisenhower Executive Office building, as 'something that can happen'.
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Daily Record
19 minutes ago
- Daily Record
UK to build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines in major defence shake-up
The UK will build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines and invest £15 billion in its warhead programme. The UK is poised to construct up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines and will pour £15 billion into its warhead programme, with the Prime Minister set to disclose these plans on Monday during the Government's strategic defence review. Major investments are queued for the UK's nuclear warhead programme this parliamentary session, along with commitments to maintain the current arsenal, as supported by 62 recommendations the Government aims to fully implement. However, there's been a debate over defence spending promises, after the Defence Secretary was unable to verify if the Treasury had secured budgeting to increase it to 3% of GDP by 2034. Part of the Aukus deal with the US and Australia, the creation of these submarines is projected to sustain 30,000 highly skilled jobs into the 2030s, along with generating 30,000 apprenticeships and 14,000 graduate positions over the forthcoming decade, according to the Ministry of Defence. Defence Secretary John Healey remarked: "Our outstanding submariners patrol 24/7 to keep us and our allies safe, but we know that threats are increasing and we must act decisively to face down Russian aggression. "With new state-of-the-art submarines patrolling international waters and our own nuclear warhead programme on British shores, we are making Britain secure at home and strong abroad, while delivering on our Plan for Change with 30,000 highly skilled jobs across the country." The £15 billion investment into the warhead programme will bolster the Government's pledges to sustain the continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent, construct a new line of Dreadnought submarines, and facilitate all forthcoming enhancements. From the late 2030s, the array of up to 12 SSN-Aukus class attack submarines – conventionally armed yet nuclear-powered – are set to succeed the seven astute class submarines that the UK anticipates commissioning. The Government, in echoing the findings of the strategic defence review, has pledged to:. - Prepare the armed forces for readiness to engage in conflict should the need arise. - Enhance armament reserves and maintain scalability in production capacities to respond promptly in times of crisis or warfare. - Procure up to 7,000 domestically produced long-range missiles, a decision projected to preserve 800 jobs within the defence sector. - Establish a pioneering cyber command while committing £1 billion towards digital advancements. - Allocate an excess of £1.5 billion for refurbishing and updating service personnel accommodation. Sir Keir Starmer is expected to declare: "From the supply lines to the front lines, this Government is foursquare behind the men and women upholding our nation's freedom and security. "National security is the foundation of my Plan for Change, and this plan will ensure Britain is secure at home and strong abroad, while delivering a defence dividend of well-paid jobs up and down the country." The Shadow Defence Secretary, James Cartlidge, expressed scepticism regarding Labour's Strategic Defence Review promises, stating that they would be viewed with caution unless Labour could demonstrate that sufficient funding would be allocated. Labour's Shadow Defence Secretary, John Healey, had previously mentioned in an interview with The Times that there was "no doubt" the UK would achieve its goal of 3% defence spending. However, when questioned on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, he sidestepped queries about whether the Treasury had provided any guarantees for the necessary funding. Healey also acknowledged that he did not anticipate an increase in the number of armed forces personnel until the next Parliament, citing ongoing recruitment and retention challenges. When asked about the Army's target of 73,000 personnel, he replied, "We've narrowed the gap, but we've still got more people leaving than joining. "The first job is to reverse that trend and then I want to see in the next parliament our ability to start to increase the number." In response, James Cartlidge argued, "All of Labour's Strategic Defence Review promises will be taken with a pinch of salt unless they can show there will actually be enough money to pay for them. "Whereas, far from guaranteeing the funding, John Healey has been hung out to dry by Rachel Reeves. "As recently as Thursday, Healey promised that defence spending would definitely hit 3%, but today he's completely backtracked. "These submarines are not due to enter service till the late 2030s, so how can we have any confidence Labour will actually deliver them when they can't even sustain a policy on defence spending for more than 48 hours?" Lib Dem defence spokesperson Helen Maguire commented: "This signals absolutely the right intent about the need to bolster the UK's defences in the face of Putin's imperialism and Trump's unreliability. "But this must come with a concrete commitment and detail on full funding. "Labour's mere 'ambition' rather than commitment to reach 3% of GDP on defence leaves serious questions about whether the money for these projects will actually be forthcoming. "The 2034 timeline suggests a worrying lack of urgency from the Government. "Unless Labour commits to holding cross-party talks on how to reach 3% much more rapidly than the mid-2030s, this announcement risks becoming a damp squib."
BBC News
26 minutes ago
- BBC News
UK to build up to 12 attack submarines and spend billions more on nuclear weapons system
Update: Date: 07:51 BST Title: We're not at war, says defence minister. But we're not at peace, either Content: Luke Pollard, pictured in Portsmouth in April Defence minister Luke Pollard says "we're certainly not at war at the moment, but it's also true that we're certainly not at peace". Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he says "we know that we live in a very dangerous world" and there are "new threats" to the UK. The government inherited a situation where military morale was "falling" and there had been a "lack of investment", he says. The defence review will set out new investment, address the "scandal" of military accommodation, and set out plans to make defence an "engine for growth", he says. Update: Date: 07:47 BST Title: How much does the UK spend on defence - and how is it changing? Content: What the UK spends on defence In 2023/24, the UK spent around 2.3% of GDP on defence, or £53.9bn, according to government figures. As a member of Nato - the North Atlantic military alliance - the UK is committed to spending at least 2% of national income, as measured by GDP, on defence. But there is growing pressure to go further. What's the planned increase? In February, the government announced defence spending would rise to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with an "ambition" to reach 3% after the next general election. To fund the initial increase, Starmer announced a cut to the UK's aid budget from 0.5% of GDP to 0.3% in 2027. Has the government committed to reaching 3%? Defence Secretary John Healey, in an interview with The Times, said there was "no doubt" the UK would reach defence spending of 3% in the next Parliament, so by 2034. But the government has not formally announced a commitment to reaching 3%. Update: Date: 07:40 BST Title: Defence firm welcomes submarine plans Content: The Ministry of Defence says building up to 12 new attack submarines "will support 30,000 highly skilled jobs into the 2030s as well as 30,000 apprenticeships and 14,000 graduate roles across the next 10 years". And the announcement has been welcomed by defence technology firm, Cohort. "It's certainty a very ambitious plan and very pleasing to see what's been announced," Andy Thomis, Cohort's chief executive, tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme. "I think it recognises the serious security situation and the need for us to respond to it." Thomis, though, says the government may need to commit a greater percentage of spending to defence, in order to meet the plans. "It certainly does look like a challenge within 2.5% of GDP or indeed even 3%, but I think it is what we need to keep the country safe." Update: Date: 07:08 BST Title: Will extra defence spending be enough for Nato - and Trump? Content: Jonathan BealeDefence correspondent Over the past week, the government has been trailing its defence review with a series of announcements: billions of pounds to produce more missiles and drones; new technology; and better housing for troops. The aim - not just to modernise an underfunded armed forces but to make them ready to meet rising threats. The prime minister will today also underline the importance of the defence industry for creating jobs and economic growth. So far the government is committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027. But will it be enough? Nato allies are being urged to increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP. The US president, Donald Trump wants more. The government says Britain will be the leading European nation in Nato; but other allies are going further and faster. Lithuania's defence minister called 2.5% "old news". She told the BBC 3.5% should be the bare minimum. Update: Date: 07:08 BST Title: We must face down Russia, says defence secretary Content: Defence Secretary John Healey says the UK's new submarines will help "face down Russian aggression". In a statement released last night, Healey says: "Our outstanding submariners patrol 24/7 to keep us and our allies safe, but we know that threats are increasing and we must act decisively to face down Russian aggression. "With new state-of-the-art submarines patrolling international waters and our own nuclear warhead programme on British shores, we are making Britain secure at home and strong abroad, while delivering on our plan for change with 30,000 highly-skilled jobs across the country." Update: Date: 07:08 BST Title: New nuclear-powered submarines expected as Starmer unveils defence plans Content: The UK will build up to 12 new nuclear-powered submarines under plans due to be announced by Keir Starmer today. The government will unveil a major defence review, which will set out the government's long-term plans and is expected to recommend the armed forces move to "warfighting readiness". The new attack submarines are expected to replace the UK's current fleet from the late 2030s onwards, with the government saying production will also create jobs. The submarines will be conventionally-armed but nuclear powered, and developed under a partnership agreement with the US and Australia. The prime minister is also expected to confirm a £15bn investment in the UK's existing nuclear warhead programme. Starmer will speak to BBC Radio 4's Today programme at 08:10 BST - you'll be able to listen live on this page.
NBC News
36 minutes ago
- NBC News
China hits back at Trump, saying U.S. actions 'severely undermine' trade truce
HONG KONG — China on Monday accused the United States of breaching the 90-day trade truce agreed by the world's two largest economies, after President Donald Trump said it was Beijing that had 'totally violated' the agreement. Last month, the U.S. and China announced a 90-day pause on most of their tit-for-tat tariffs, which had reached higher than 100%. Trump initially hailed the truce as a 'total reset' but said Friday in a post on his Truth Social platform that China had 'TOTALLY VIOLATED' the deal. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce struck back at Trump's remarks Monday, saying that while China had implemented and actively upheld the deal, the U.S. had introduced a series of 'discriminatory and restrictive measures against China' that 'severely undermine' the agreement. The ministry said those measures included AI chip export controls, a reported pause on the sale of chip design software to China, and the announcement of U.S. plans to revoke the visas of Chinese students. 'Instead of reflecting on its own actions, it has falsely accused China of violating the consensus, which is a serious distortion of the facts,' the ministry said in a statement. 'China firmly rejects these groundless accusations.' The ministry urged the U.S. to 'immediately correct its erroneous practices' and vowed to take 'strong and resolute' measures if Washington 'insists on acting unilaterally and continues to harm China's interests,' without providing details. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that China was 'holding back' exports of rare earths that it had agreed to release as part of the truce. 'That is not what a reliable partner does,' he said on the CBS news program 'Face the Nation.' Rare earth minerals are a crucial component of products that cut across the U.S. economy, including the tech sector, the energy industry and automobile manufacturing. China supplies 60% of the world's rare earth elements and is responsible for the refining of 90% of them, according to the International Energy Agency. Bessent, who said last week that U.S.-China trade talks were 'a bit stalled,' said he was 'confident' that rare earths exports and other details could be 'ironed out' in a call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. 'Maybe it's a glitch in the Chinese system, maybe it's intentional. We'll see after the president speaks with the party chairman,' Bessent said, referring to Xi. Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, also suggested Sunday that the two leaders could speak as early as this week. 'President Trump, we expect, is going to have a wonderful conversation about the trade negotiations this week with President Xi,' he said on the ABC news program 'This Week.' Hassett said he was unsure whether a specific date for that conversation had been set. The last publicly known conversation between the U.S. and Chinese presidents was on Jan. 17, days before Trump's inauguration.
