Britain faces attacks from Russia ‘daily', minister warns ahead of Starmer's defence review
John Healey said Russia was "attacking the UK daily" in cyberspace as part of 90,000 assaults on Britain's defence systems linked to different states.
Asked if he expected a real-world attack, he added: "We have to be prepared. Nato has to be prepared. We see Putin in Ukraine trying to redraw international boundaries by force... it's part of the growing Russian aggression."
That was why the UK and Nato are "stepping up our ability to deter as well as to defend in the future," he added, saying 'we prepare for war in order to secure the peace.'
He also appeared to confirm reports Britain wants to purchase fighter jets capable of firing tactical nuclear weapons, in a recognition the world has entered a more dangerous era, saying he would not 'get into discussions that need to remain private".
But he admitted that plans to increase the size of the army would not happen until after 2029 at the earliest, as ministers scramble to halt the decline in numbers seen in recent years.
Overnight, both Mr Healey and Sir Keir warned the UK must be war-ready.
The PM described the review, which is set to be unveiled on Monday, as a 'radical blueprint' that would lead to investments in cyber defences and drone technology.
'The threats we face are no secret. War in Europe. New nuclear risk,' he wrote in the Sun on Sunday.
'The Kremlin is working hand in hand with its cronies in Iran and North Korea… The Royal Navy has chased off Russian spy ships loitering in our waters. The RAF has scrambled to intercept Russian planes that menace our skies.'
He pledged to make the UK armed forces a 'formidable, integrated fighting machine', ending the 'disgraceful hollowing out' which he said had happened under 14 years of Conservative rule.
'We will invest in a fighting force that is more integrated, more ready, more lethal than ever — putting Britain back where it belongs as a leader in defence and a leader in Nato', he said.
Mr Healey said it was time for the UK to 'move to warfighting readiness to deter our adversaries' and that the measures unveiled in the review would be a 'message to Moscow'.
He has already announced plans to spend £1.5 billion on at least six new munitions factories, to deliver 7,000 UK-built weapons designed to deter 'adversaries like Russia'.
His warning over cyber attacks was backed by the former cabinet secretary Simon Case, who said Britons should be concerned. 'I think we should,' he said, 'this battle has been going on in cyberspace for a very long time … I'm afraid there is real reason for concern.'
Mr Healey also insisted that current spending plans would be enough to deliver the "vision" of transforming the armed forces to be set out in the strategic defence review (SDR).
Plans to reach 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027 and 3 per cent before 2034 were "enough to deliver the SDR's vision that sets out tomorrow, and that vision is a transformation of Britain's armed forces."
He reiterated that there was "no doubt" the government would reach 3 per cent in the next parliament.
The strategic defence review is a "message to Moscow", he added.
"This is a message to Moscow as well. This is Britain standing behind, making our armed forces stronger but making our industrial base stronger, and this is part of our readiness to fight, if required," he told the BBC's Sunday Morning With Laura Kuenssberg programme.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick welcomed the plans to increase defence spending but said he was "sceptical" it would happen as he called on Labour to meet the 3 per cent target before the next general election in 2029.
"We think that 2034 is a long time to wait given the gravity of the situation," he told the Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme on Sky News.
He added: "Since the general election, all I can see are broken promises from (the chancellor) Rachel Reeves.'
The review to be published on Monday is expected to warn of an "immediate and pressing" threat by Russia and draw heavily on the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine.
It is thought cyber experts will also be sent to the front line alongside regular forces in a move designed to modernise the British military.
Ministers have already announced they are to spend an additional £1.5 billion fixing up military houses amid claims years of neglect has led to troops quitting.
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The Herald Scotland
14 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
All pupils in families on universal credit to be entitled to free school meals
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The DfE has said more than half-a-million more children are expected to benefit from a free meal every school day as a result of the expansion, and nearly £500 will be put back into parents' pockets every year. It suggested that the expansion will lift 100,000 children across England completely out of poverty. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: 'Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make to put more money in parents' pockets, tackle the stain of poverty, and set children up to learn. 'This expansion is a truly historic moment for our country, helping families who need it most and delivering our Plan for Change to give every child, no matter their background, the same chance to succeed.' The DfE is due to release data on Thursday morning showing the number of state school pupils in England who are eligible for free school meals. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: 'It is the moral mission of this government to tackle the stain of child poverty, and today this government takes a giant step towards ending it with targeted support that puts money back in parents' pockets. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the intervention would help the Government 'deliver excellence everywhere, for every child' (Yui Mok/PA) 'From free school meals to free breakfast clubs, breaking the cycle of child poverty is at the heart of our Plan for Change to cut the unfair link between background and success. 'We believe that background shouldn't mean destiny. Today's historic step will help us to deliver excellence everywhere, for every child and give more young people the chance to get on in life.' The Government's child poverty taskforce is due to publish its 10-year strategy later this year. Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust social mobility charity, said: 'This is a significant step towards taking hunger out of the classroom. 'Children can't learn effectively when hungry, so this announcement not only helps to tackle the effects of child poverty, but will also likely help improve education outcomes for disadvantaged young people. 'Giving free school meals to all families who are eligible for universal credit is also easier for parents to understand, so has the potential to increase take-up rates.' Kate Anstey, head of education policy at the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) charity, said: 'This is fantastic news and a game-changer for children and families. 'At last, more kids will get the food they need to learn and thrive and millions of parents struggling to make ends meet will get a bit of breathing space. 'We hope this is a sign of what's to come in autumn's child poverty strategy, with government taking more action to meet its manifesto commitment to reduce child poverty in the UK.' Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: 'There's some detail to be worked through on exactly how this transition will work and we look forward to talking with the Government about that. 'But, certainly, expanding free school meal eligibility in this way is absolutely the right thing to do.' Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said: 'We join families and schools across England in welcoming this necessary and overdue first step in expanding free school meals eligibility. 'The existing threshold had been unchanged since 2018, meaning hundreds of thousands of children in poverty were missing out on the nutrition they need to thrive.' But he added that many children in families who just miss out on being eligible for universal credit will also 'miss out on a hot, healthy school meal'. Mr Kebede said: 'Ensuring that a free school meal is available to all children is the next urgent step that must be taken.' The Liberal Democrats said the change was a 'victory for thousands of passionate campaigners' but was 'only a first step' towards helping children in poverty. The party's education spokeswoman Munira Wilson MP said: 'Liberal Democrats have been pushing hard for this crucial change for years. It's a victory for thousands of passionate campaigners that the Government has finally listened.' She added: 'To end the cost-of-learning crisis, the Government needs to commit to auto-enrolling eligible children for free school meals, lifting the two-child benefit cap, and capping uniform costs to truly change the lives of children in poverty. We'll hold their feet to the fire to make sure today's change is just a start.'
Times
23 minutes ago
- Times
Labour's plan for illegal migrants explained — and is it working?
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This week ministers sought to blame the weather and insisted that their policies would be effective in making good on Starmer's pledge. But what exactly is the government doing, and how successful has it been? A new deal with France From the British side perhaps the most critical element of the government's small boats strategy has been to leverage Starmer's relationship with President Macron to persuade the French to take a more proactive approach to preventing small boats setting sail from French waters in the first place. At the start of the year the prime minister hosted Macron at Chequers, where the two leaders agreed to step up bilateral co-operation to prevent Channel crossings. This led to a formal agreement a month later under which the UK extended a £480 million deal to pay for policing French beaches in return for new measures to stem the flow of boats. In particular, Paris agreed to change the law to allow police officers to apprehend vessels in shallow waters and restore the offence of an 'illegal stay' in France, which would allow the police to arrest migrants and smugglers before they attempted a crossing. There was also a commitment by France to speed up the construction of a detention centre in Dunkirk — paid for by the British — which had become bogged down in planning rows. But, so far, these commitments have yet to materialise. The plan to enable police to intervene within 300m of the shore is yet to be implemented amid opposition from the officers themselves. There is also still slow progress on Dunkirk. Verdict: Ministers believe improved co-operation with France is as close as it comes to a silver bullet to stem the flow of boats. But while Starmer has won important commitments from Paris, which were never given to the last government, these commitments have yet to materialise into action on the ground. New legal powers to tackle smuggling gangs In January ministers published a bill that they claimed would give police anti-terrorism-style powers to 'identify, disrupt and prevent' organised immigration crime. The Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which is going through the House of Lords, will make it illegal to handle items suspected of being used for organised immigration crime, such as boat parts and engines, with a maximum punishment of 14 years in prison. Those found collecting information that could be used by people smugglers will face up to five years in jail. This would include researching routes or vessels online, or arranging departure points, dates and times. The new offences will be accompanied by additional powers for Border Force officers, police and the National Crime Agency. They will be allowed to seize and search the mobile phones of anyone arriving in the UK illegally if they believe it will help an investigation into who organised the journey. 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Starmer has also recently announced a partnership with Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia to detect and deter illegal migration operations. Verdict: The prime minister has made improving international co-operation to tackle smuggling gangs a big diplomatic priority for the government. But while the issue is a huge priority for the UK it is less important for other countries, and it remains to be seen how quickly and effectively diplomatic deals are converted into concrete action. The asylum backlog and hotels There are 8,000 more asylum seekers living in hotels than when Starmer pledged during the election campaign in June last year to 'end asylum hotels, saving the taxpayer billions of pounds'. The reality of how difficult that is has become clear. 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Verdict: If decision-making can genuinely be sped up it will help not only to bring down the hotel bill, but could act as a deterrent for those considering making the journey across the Channel. Human rights laws Ministers will bring in a new framework for judges to work to when deciding whether to allow migrants to make claims for asylum using the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR). The most heavily used part of the ECHR, Article 8 — the right to family life — has been leveraged by murderers and paedophiles to stay in the country. Cooper revealed this week about 30 per cent of cases had been considered 'exceptional' by judges, and she wants to restrict that to a more narrow set of circumstances. • Kemi Badenoch would override ECHR on asylum for illegal migrants Verdict: Restricting the scope of Article 8 will save ministers from some embarrassing headlines but is unlikely to be enough on its own to fulfil the government's immigration pledges. An appetite to direct judges — and suggestions that the government could be open to reforming the ECHR — shows a willingness from Starmer and Cooper to step into an arena previously inhabited by the Tories and Reform UK. But as those on the right ramp up pressure for Britain to pull out of the convention altogether, the efforts may fall short.
The Sun
24 minutes ago
- The Sun
Half a million more kids will be entitled to free school meals in massive expansion of the scheme
HALF a million more kids will be entitled to free school meals under a massive expansion of the scheme, Sir Keir Starmer announced last night. Every child in a household on Universal Credit will now be eligible for state sponsored lunches, in a move that should lift 100,000 children out of poverty. 1 Expanding free school meals will save parents on benefits £500 per child every year, according to the Department for Education. Kids in UC households currently not eligible will be able to start claiming lunches from the start of the 2026 school year. The entitlement will apply in all settings where free school meals are available, including school-based nurseries and further-education settings. Most parents will be able to apply before the start of the new school year by providing a national insurance number. Education Secretary Bridget Philipson told The Sun the move is critical for ending the post-pandemic school attendance crisis and cracking down on bad behaviour. She said: 'What we're announcing is a game changer. 'This will make a big difference to children's attendance and behaviour at school because we know that if kids are hungry, they don't concentrate well. 'Sun will benefit directly from saving £500 per child per year.' Since 2018 kids have only been eligible for free meals if their household income is less than £7,400 per year. The major expansion comes ahead of the government's Child Poverty Taskforce publishing a ten-year strategy to drive down poverty. It also follows mounting pressure on the PM from rebel Labour MPs to scrap the two-child benefit cap. Sir Keir said: 'Working parents across the country are working tirelessly to provide for their families but are being held back by cost-of-living pressures. 'My government is taking action to ease those pressures. 'Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make to put more money in parents' pockets, tackle the stain of poverty, and set children up to learn.'
