Nuclear-powered submarines, F35A fighter jets, a 'more lethal' army by 2035, and AI: How Starmer will spend billions to beef up Britain's defences to make country 'war-ready'
These are the key ambitions outlined in the SDR:
Army to be 'ten times more lethal'
This ambition relies on the harnessing of new technologies and weapon systems, particularly drones. Lethality is difficult to measure and the claim is strong on political rhetoric.
Only a couple of months ago, the Chief of the Defence Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, said the ambition was to double lethality by 2027 and triple it by 2030.
The new Archer artillery system, the belated introduction of the Ajax vehicle and Challenger 3 tanks will increase lethality… but to what extent?
Three forces to be integrated into one
The Integrated Force, unveiled as part of the SDR, is not a merger of the Armed Forces, but they will lose much of the traditional
independence as they are moulded into a centralised Integrated Force. The SDR suggested the services were 'siloed'. The need for them to train together and prepare for war shoulder to shoulder was essential in the months and years ahead.
£15billion boost for nuclear warheads
Britain's nuclear deterrent has long been in need of recapitalisation. The £15billion will pay for these weapons to be upgraded or replaced.
It will also see the significant modernisation of infrastructure at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston, supporting more than 9,000 jobs at the Berkshire site.
Up to 12 new nuclear attack submarines
The as yet uncosted pledge to develop 'up to' 12 new attack submarines has been welcomed by military observers but the first boat is not expected to enter service before the late 2030s.
The submarines will support the AUKUS security alliance between the UK, Australia and the United States and will be used to protect the Pacific from Chinese aggression.
Over the decades ahead, the boats will replace the Royal Navy's current fleet of seven Astute-class submarines. They will be built at key sites such as BAE in Barrow-in-Furness.
Six new factories to make munitions
The SDR proposes at least six factories making munitions and energetics such as explosives and propellants for weapons.
The SDR recommends creating an 'always on' munitions production capacity in the UK, allowing production to be scaled up at speed if needed.
Britain's military warehouses are bare after £5billion in weaponry and munitions was provided for Ukraine since the start of the conflict in 2022. The programme will create more than 1,000 skilled jobs, according to the SDR.
Robotics, cyber warfare and AI
The review says AI will improve the quality and speed of decision-making and operational effectiveness for Britain's military, its allies… and its enemies.
It should be an immediate priority to 'shift towards greater use of autonomy and AI within the UK's conventional forces'. This has shown to be transformational in Ukraine. Chiefs will launch a Defence AI Investment Fund by February 2026.
The report warns cyber threats will become harder to mitigate as technology evolves, with government departments, military hardware, communications, increasingly vulnerable.
Hardening critical defence functions to cyber-attack is crucial. Directed Energy Weapon systems, such as the UK's DragonFire, a world-leading laser ground to air system being developed at Porton Down, Wiltshire, can save millions of pounds in expenditure on ordnance systems.
The review also calls for the MoD to seize the opportunities presented by technologies such as robots and lasers.
£4billion expansion of the drone force
The Government unveiled a £4billion investment package for drones and autonomous systems. Drones are dominating the conflict in Ukraine and in Russia, following the audacious Ukrainian attack on Russian airfields in Siberia just days ago.
They provide proved lethality at minimal financial cost and would spare the lives of British troops because they are not required to engage with the enemy at close proximity.
Cheap to produce drones can be effective against 'legacy' military systems worth billions of pounds and are necessary to protect and augment the UK's manned military systems, such as aircraft, helicopters and armoured vehicles.
Fighter jets to carry nuclear bombs
Britain is exploring the potential return of air-delivered nuclear weapons in collaboration with the United States. America's F-35A Lightning II aircraft is capable of carrying tactical gravity nuclear bombs.
The proposal marks the most significant shift in UK nuclear posture since the Cold War. Currently, this country's nuclear deterrent is carried by the Royal Navy's 'bomber' submarines.
The air-launched nuclear weapons would carry a much smaller payload. The lower yield B61 munitions are already integrated into US aircraft stationed on continental Europe and could be brought to Britain.
Thousands of new long-range weapons
At least 7,000 long-range weapons will be made to restock UK military warehouses and to prepare for an extended conflict against an adversary such as Russia.
Children taught value of the military
Defence chiefs will work with the Department for Education to develop understanding of the Armed Forces among young people in schools, by means of a two-year series of public outreach events across the UK, explaining current threats and future trends.
Schools and community-based cadet forces will also be expanded, with an ambition of a 30 per cent rise by 2030 with a view to the UK having 250,000 cadets, many of whom will then go on to join the armed forces.
More reservists and investment in them
To meet the challenge of engaging in a lengthy conflict, the report identified the need to boost the number of reservists.
These part-time personnel, many of whom are former regulars with operational experience, would join full-time troops on the frontline.
The report identified the need to increase the size of the UK's Active Reserve forces by at least 20 per cent 'when funding allows, most likely in the 2030s'.
The UK has around 25,000 Army reservists, 3,500 Royal Navy and Royal Marines reservists and 3,200 RAF reservists.
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Daily Mail
6 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The 19-year-old 'fogey' who hasn't voted in a general election or had a serious girlfriend, but he's running a £400million budget as Britain's youngest council leader
Councillor George Finch seems to have been rearranging the furniture in his new office by himself. 'I thought this worked better,' he says, explaining the new placement of desk, chairs and boardroom table. President Trump might have brought in interior designers when he moved back into the Oval Office, but there is nothing blingtastic about the Warwickshire equivalent. Nor is the new leader of Warwickshire County Council about to blow the budget on gilded adornments for the walls or turn Shire Hall into a skateboard park, which must have been a fear. There are plans for a Union flag to be given prime position in this room, but it sounds like it will be propped against the wall rather than attached to it. 'I can't put anything else on the walls because this is a listed building so there are all sorts of rules,' he explains, with a slight roll of the eye. 'You can't even put a pin up.' Then there is the carpet, best described as municipal green. 'I have to say, I don't love the carpet,' he admits, giving me a tour of his new fiefdom. 'It's giving library vibes. But I'm really not crying about it. I think it's good quality carpet so if it does the job, that's what matters. It doesn't matter about the colour or the age, as long as it does its job.' What a sensible soul George Finch seems, yet it's little wonder his appointment earlier in the summer caused abject horror in some quarters. Because George – the new wunderkind of the Reform party; his boss Nigel Farage's great hope for the future – is 19 and believed to be the youngest council leader in Britain. 'People are comparing me to William Pitt the Younger (who was PM at the age of 24) and Alexander the Great,' he says. 'I'm not saying that – I'm just George – but people do seem obsessed by the age thing.' It's a bit early to be talking about whether we are in the company of a future prime minister, but it's fair to say George's ascent has been extraordinary. This is a kid who hasn't yet voted in a general election (he wasn't old enough at the last one). He still lives with his parents, can't yet drive and tells me (and it's the only time he's tongue-tied) that he hasn't yet had a serious girlfriend. 'I mean I have had a girlfriend at school, but not…no. I've got a job to do. I've put a lot aside for this'. This time last year he was getting his A-level results and heading off to university to study politics and international relations. Local politics was more of a sideline – he'd been a youth councillor before winning the seat of Bedworth Central this year – but last month when his Reform party colleague Rob Howard stepped down as leader, citing ill health, George stepped up. It's a bit early to be talking about whether we are in the company of a future prime minister, but it's fair to say George's ascent has been extraordinary A vote last month confirmed his appointment. It's all been a whirlwind and technically he's still on his summer holiday from university. But can he resume his studies and still get to grips with potholes? He's not entirely sure, but is veering towards 'probably deferring or suspending my studies. 'I've spoken to the university, asked their advice, but they don't know what to do, which is hilarious'. As the mother of 19-year-old twins, I feel it's my civic duty to tell him that my mind is blown by his appointment. My twins are a couple of weeks older than him and have also just completed their first year at university. They are bright, capable and will hopefully go on to great things but very recent life experience (this week's, in fact) has taught me that they aren't yet ready to be left in charge of a non-stick frying pan. How on earth can George's mother sleep at night knowing he's in control of a £400 million budget? It turns out George is quite experienced in having women old enough to be his mother voicing such concerns out loud. 'Some of it is quite funny but one woman said to me recently, 'My son can't even run a bath', which had me thinking, 'But that's down to you. That reflects badly on you. Why would you say that?' For the record, I can run a bath.' But you're not qualified for this? Even your mum (he says she is 'very proud and wholly supportive that I'm doing something for my community') can't argue you are. 'No person is,' he says. 'No one is qualified to be a politician. You don't need to be. It's about whether you have the confidence of the people and of the group, and of the council, and I have all those things.' Maybe your university studies – or what there has been of them – will help? He raises an eyebrow. 'I don't think what I learned about the philosophy of politics will be remotely helpful. 'What has the philosophy of politics got to do with dealing with people's potholes or tax rates? Nothing.' If you can run a council on confidence, enthusiasm and common sense, then Warwickshire will be fine. George is like no 19-year-old I have ever met. He bounds out to meet me like an exuberant labrador, all warm handshakes and floppy fringe. At school he was a rugby lad but 'did my cruciate in, so my knee is buggered' which put paid to a sporting career – but he did learn much about teamwork. His demeanour and ease in talking to elders ('I can talk to anyone, me') might suggest a private school background. Wrong. He went to a state school, reluctantly got a student loan for that university course ('we're being sold a dud, thinking it's OK to be knee-deep in debt') and comes from a family that would traditionally have been Labour voters. 'Everyone in Bedworth would have been Labour. My dad wasn't into politics but he'd have been a Labour voter, sure, just because they were the party for the working classes,' he says. His dad Stuart worked in construction until contracting sepsis 'and having to give up his job'. His mum Amy was a hairdresser but went back to college to study to be a special needs assistant. The fact that his younger sister – he has an older one too – has health complications perhaps made him grow up faster than he would have, he agrees. Harriet, 14, has special educational needs and lives with FND, functional neurological disorder. 'It means she can lose function in her arms and legs. It happened yesterday. She lost function in both legs,' he says. This is a family that knows about local services, about sitting in an A&E department for days at a time, spending hours on the phone, lost in the system. 'My mum and dad would be in A&E on a monthly basis,' he says. 'It's been a heartache trying to get support for my sister from… institutions. The NHS haven't helped and as you become older you get more attuned to these things. 'She shouldn't be in A&E at all. What she needs is a rehabilitation plan. I can tell you about these things.' This is also a teenager who knows how to lift a phone to make a doctor's appointment and who learned early how to send an email which made him sound older. 'Even before I was a councillor I was doing the research, learning how to formulate emails, how to fill in an HCP [healthcare proxy] form. There is no proper support for families. My parents did the bulk of it but I was there helping to advocate,' he says. It's easy to join the dots to see how he became involved in local politics but how does a child from a Labour-supporting family come to join the Reform party? If he does become PM in the future they will write university dissertations about this, but George pinpoints the shift to Brexit, 'when people, including my parents, became concerned about accountability and about who was running our country'. He had a brief flirtation with the Tories but ultimately became disillusioned that anyone was going to make Britain great again. Into the void stepped Lee Anderson, the one-time Conservative MP who had defected to Reform. 'I went to a talk he gave, paid my entry fee, went with my mate – we were suited and booted – and I was blown away by him,' says George. 'I spoke to him afterwards about the wave of wokeism washing over our education establishment and he said, 'Come and join us'. I did, the very next day.' No wonder Nigel Farage and co have embraced him, and armed him for the battles ahead. He set out his stall early, stepping into an extraordinary debacle when he accused the local police force of covering up the fact that the suspect in a child rape case locally was an asylum seeker. He seems blasé about the fact that he risked contempt of court wading into this one. Evidence of naïveté? He says it's more about 'expecting transparency'. Going to war with 'the blob' – aka bureaucrats – holds no fear either. One of the first things he did as council leader was to confront Monica Fogarty, his chief executive, over flying the LGBTQ rainbow flag over council offices during Pride Month. He wrote to demand it come down. She refused. The flag is now down (but only because Pride Month ended) and he seems be claiming victory. 'It's very simple. A non-elected bureaucrat telling an elected leader, with constitutional powers, what to do? Is that democratic? It is not,' he say. But who has the power to fly a flag in any council? These powers aren't yours, are they? 'Constitutionally, they are mine. We are expecting to put a flag policy in place in September, so hopefully that will draw the line under it,' says George. By then – if he can get support – there will only be three flags permitted to fly at Warwickshire council offices, as per Reform guidelines. 'That will be the Union flag, the St George's flag and the county flag,' he says. There is something a little sad about talking to someone so young about how 'the country has gone to hell in a handcart'. I have the sort of conversation with him that it's more usual to have with someone from my parents' generation. He says he has always been 'an old head on young shoulders', a bit of a history nerd, obsessed with world wars and 'interested in things like how Henry VIII ruled with his ministers'. He became aware – then furious – about how his elders were directing him to learn about other things. 'You see it everywhere. I looked at studying history at university but I couldn't just do the history I wanted to study. One of the courses I was looking at was about how people were LGBT during the Tudor period. What? That's a non-subject.' He cites a moment when some of his co-students at Leicester University were arrested after a Free Palestine demonstration. 'A few of them got arrested after vandalising property and the lecturer stood up and said we must get the university to write a letter to the police to get them freed. What? They'd just done criminal damage. 'Another girl was arranging a protest. I was thinking 'I just want to learn'.' His growing political awareness put him in direct conflict with many of his peers ('but not all. It's a myth that all students are to the Left'). What surprises me is that he doesn't seem remotely bothered about how he comes across to the younger generation. He isn't worried that his peers may think his association with Reform makes him 'racist or sexist or any of those things, because I know it's absolutely not true'. There is much of the old fogey about him. No, he doesn't watch Love Island ('why would I bother?')and is horrified that I might describe him as a member of Generation TikTok. What music does he listen to? 'Ah, well, you are going to say 'Really?' now, but I do listen to old stuff – Billy Joel, David Bowie, Queen, Elton John. You know, proper music with a bit of meaning to it. 'Nowadays, it's a load of gibber-jab. You can't even understand it. It goes too fast. BOOM BOOM. What's the point of all that?' Oh. Out the window goes my opportunity to talk to him about techno mixes and K-pop. 'I don't even know what that is,' he admits. You're not a Swiftie, I persevere? His face is blank. George, you are 19. How can you not know about Taylor Swift? 'Oh yeah, everyone knows Taylor Swift. I just don't know these abbreviations.' I ask what posters he had – maybe still has – on his bedroom wall at home. 'I was never really one for posters because why would you ruin the wallpaper?' When he did move out, briefly, into university halls of residence there was one, though. 'I did put up a picture of Ronald Reagan.' He's a hero? 'That's the kind of Conservatism we need.' Is there room for a Nigel Farage poster on his wall? 'He's changed the course of history. One single man, and he's done that. Look at what he is doing now.' He is, of course, convinced that Reform will form the next government. 'Labour are toast. You can see the panic in Keir Starmer's eyes. It must be soul-destroying because the Conservatives didn't realise they were toast until late in the day.' Will he be a part of any future government, though? There is talk within the party of how he could stand at the next election but – ever the politician – he insists that 'once we get the education system sorted and go back to traditional values' he could go back to Plan A which was to be a history teacher. Surely he has his eye on Number 10? He refers me back to potholes, his immediate concern. 'We have 107 of them in Warwickshire,' he points out.
The Guardian
6 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Anti-racism and anti-immigration protesters in Falkirk face off outside asylum hotel
Anti-racism campaigners held a counter-demonstration against people protesting against 'uncontrolled illegal immigration' outside a hotel used to house asylum seekers in Scotland. Stand Up to Racism Scotland, Falkirk Trades Union Council and local people said they organised the gathering in Falkirk on Saturday to show that refugees are welcome in the town. Organisers described it as a 'safely stewarded community event with music, speeches from the local community, the trade union movement, local campaigns, faith groups and others'. Demonstrators held placards with messages such as 'stop the far right', 'refugees welcome' and 'migrants make our NHS'. Police said Kemper Avenue in Falkirk was closed due to protest activity which began at about 11am. The road reopened on Saturday night, with Police Scotland confirming a 26-year-old man was arrested in connection with a breach of the cordon line. The group Save Our Future & Our Kids Futures had announced plans to hold a protest outside the hotel known as the Cladhan. In a social media post the group said it was 'standing against uncontrolled illegal immigration, with people being placed in our communities without transparency, accountability, or consultation'. It added: 'This is not about hate, racism, or division. This is about safety, justice, and standing up for the people of Falkirk who deserve better.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Protesters, some waving union flags, chanted 'send them home' while anti-racism demonstrators responded with chants of 'refugees are welcome here' and 'this is what community looks like'. Similar protests have been held in recent months in Epping, Essex, near the Bell hotel which houses asylum seekers. In July, some of the demonstrations descended into violent disorder with 28 people arrested after police officers were injured. The protests in Essex started after an asylum seeker housed at the hotel was accused of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. He is in custody awaiting further court hearings. Earlier this August, several demonstrators were detained after rival groups faced off over a hotel accommodating asylum seekers in north London. The counter-protest outside the Thistle City Barbican hotel in Islington was organised by local branches of Stand Up to Racism and was supported by the former Labour leader and Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn.
Times
6 minutes ago
- Times
Portsmouth blindsided by hundreds of hidden asylum seekers
A council that said it could not take any more asylum seekers has complained to the Home Office after it discovered that hundreds of migrants were being housed locally without its knowledge. Portsmouth city council discovered last week that 55 rental properties were being used to house at least three asylum seekers each, accommodation known as homes of multiple occupation (HMO). In 2023, James Hill, the city's director of housing, told the Home Office the 'system's capacity was such that we couldn't support additional asylum seekers'. However, at a public meeting in July hosted by Amanda Martin, the Labour MP for Portsmouth North, figures came to light that revealed the number of private properties being used to house migrants had risen from ten at the end of 2019 to 58 in April 2024. Last week, the council confirmed with the Home Office that the number was 55. Martin unearthed the data after Clearsprings Ready Homes, a housing company subcontracted by the Home Office to provide accommodation for asylum seekers, wrote to a parliamentary committee in June as part of an inquiry into asylum accommodation. Portsmouth city council said it had since complained to the department that it had not been notified about this use of the properties. 'We were previously not aware of the number of properties being used in the city,' a spokesman said. 'We have made it clear that the processes [the Home Office] has are not adequate and they should be formally notifying a senior officer.' The Home Office routinely subcontracts private companies, including Clearsprings, to provide accommodation for asylum seekers via HMOs. These are classed as rented homes with shared facilities and at least three tenants from different households, which landlords require a licence to operate. While there is no legal obligation for the Home Office to notify local authorities when asylum seekers are housed in HMOs in their area, councils expect to be told. Local authorities say that when large numbers of asylum seekers are placed in their region without warning, it places a strain on resources and can lead to social problems. Dame Penny Mordaunt, who lost her seat as Conservative MP for Portsmouth North at the last general election, said she was not informed about the increase in HMOs for migrants in her constituency, despite sitting in the cabinet alongside Suella Braverman, the home secretary at the time. Mordaunt said she wrote to Braverman in 2023 'pointing out the levels Portsmouth has taken over many years in comparison to other areas', adding: '[Braverman] assured me she understood that.' The former defence secretary said she was separately given assurances by the Home Office under Braverman that other buildings would not be used to house asylum seekers in the city. Braverman declined to comment. In July, Braverman wrote to Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, about proposals to house asylum seekers in a former retail site in Waterlooville, near Portsmouth. Braverman called the plans 'inappropriate' and claimed facilities of that sort made town centres 'no-go zones for the patriotic, common-sense majority'. The data published in June by Clearsprings showed the number of HMOs used to house asylum seekers in London and the south of England was 731 in December 2019, increasing to 885 in August 2024. HMOs are increasingly seen as an alternative to housing asylum seekers in taxpayer-funded hotels, a practice the Labour government has pledged to end. In June, Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, said the use of asylum hotels would end by 2029, saving the country £1 billion. The latest available data shows 32,000 asylum seekers were being housed in hotels at the end of March 2025, almost a third of all migrants receiving accommodation support in the UK. The rate of asylum seekers coming into the country has meant the number left in hotel accommodation is yet to drop below the level set when the Conservatives left office, when 29,000 asylum seekers were housed in hotels. This week, the number of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats since Labour came to power last July surpassed 50,000. Some local authorities have reported substantial numbers, including Swindon in Wiltshire, where there were 69 HMOs, and Colchester in Essex, where there were 52. The latest data from the Home Office shows 112 asylum seekers were housed temporarily in hotels in Portsmouth at the end of December 2024, up from 77 at the end of September. George Madgwick, the leader of the Reform UK group in Portsmouth, wrote to the home secretary this week raising concerns that the number of HMOs in the city was 'putting a strain on the local private and social housing situation'. He claimed using properties to house migrants 'will be directly responsible for putting up local rental prices'. Martin, who was elected to represent the Portsmouth North constituency last year, said she made 'no apologies for laying out the facts available to my constituents, including the Liberal Democrat-led council'. The Home Office said the government was 'continuing to expand the use of dispersal accommodation as part of our strategy to reduce reliance on costly hotels and deliver a more sustainable and cost-effective asylum system'. A spokesman said: 'This approach is being implemented in close consultation with local authorities across the UK to ensure dispersal is balanced and community needs and concerns are taken into account.' Clearsprings declined to comment.
