Latest news with #AnnelieseDodds
The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
UK will spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2034, says defence secretary
Britain spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence by 2034 is a firm commitment, John Healey has promised. The government has previously set out its 'ambition to reach 3 per cent in the next parliament', after meeting its pledge to ratchet up defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by April 2027. But the defence secretary has promised a ' certain decade of rising defence spending', according to The Times, and said there was 'no doubt' the UK would meet its target. Mr Healey told the newspaper: 'It allows us to plan for the long term. It allows us to deal with the pressures.' The government is looking at the roles, capabilities and reforms required by the UK armed forces as part of its strategic defence review. It will explore 'deliverable and affordable' solutions 'within the resources available to defence within the trajectory of 2.5 per cent'. When he announced the targets earlier this year, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer said: 'In an ever more dangerous world, increasing the resilience of our country so we can protect the British people, resist future shocks and bolster British interests, is vital.' The new defence money will be found by reducing UK overseas aid from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent of gross national income, according to the government, a move which prompted then-international development minister Anneliese Dodds to resign. 'You have maintained that you want to continue support for Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine; for vaccination; for climate; and for rules-based systems,' she told Sir Keir. 'Yet it will be impossible to maintain these priorities given the depth of the cut.' Nato heads of government are set to meet in The Hague, in the Netherlands, next month. Addressing the alliance's parliamentary assembly in Dayton, USA this month, Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte said: 'I assume that in The Hague we will agree on a high defence spend target of, in total, 5 per cent.' A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: 'This government has announced the largest sustained increase to defence spending since the end of the Cold War – 2.5 per cent by 2027 and 3 per cent in the next parliament when fiscal and economic conditions allow, including an extra £5 billion this financial year. 'The strategic defence review will rightly set the vision for how that uplift will be spent, including new capabilities to put us at the leading edge of innovation in Nato, investment in our people and making defence an engine for growth across the UK – making Britain more secure at home and strong abroad.'
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Bicester fire: MP Anneliese Dodds says 'lessons must be learned'
An MP who visited the business park where three people were killed in a fire has said "lessons must be learned" from the Jennie Logan, 30, and Martyn Sadler, 38, along with father-of-two Dave Chester, 57, were killed in the blaze that engulfed the Bicester Motion site in Oxfordshire on 15 Labour MP for Oxford East, Anneliese Dodds, said visiting the scene on Wednesday was "incredibly sombre and sobering". Thames Valley Police and the Health and Safety Executive are liaising on the investigation into the fire's cause. Two more firefighters are in hospital after suffering serious injuries in the incident, but remain in a stable Dodds said "all of us are are really thinking about those two brave individuals... and really wishing them all the very best"."It is very important that those who lost their lives are remembered, and also their families," she Dodds described the incident as "horrendous", and said it reminded her of "the huge debt that we owe to our firefighters". "Clearly, in this case they had run towards the danger rather than away from it, as they always do," the MP said. She added: "We have facilities like those at Bicester Motion in other parts of the country, so it's important that lessons are learned for the future."The fire was reported at about 18:30 BST on 15 May and rapidly spread through a former aircraft hangar at the site on Buckingham Road.A major incident was declared and 10 fire and rescue crews were called to tackle the blaze as witnesses reported seeing black smoke in the sky. Thames Valley Police said post-mortem examinations showed that all three died from multiple traumatic injuries, likely caused by "the collapse of part of a structure".Two gold plaques have been placed at the site to commemorate those who died. Bicester Motion is home to more than 50 specialist businesses, focused on classic car restoration and engineering on the former site of RAF was home to RAF Bomber Command in World War Two and became redundant in 2004. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
MP urges residents to comment on Oxford United's stadium plans
An MP has urged her constituents to take part in a public consultation on Oxford United's proposed move to a new purpose built Dodds, who represents Oxford East, said she would "urge all local representatives at all levels to get behind the Yellows and support the club's proposals".She has previously spoken of her support for the club's plans for a new 16,000-capacity stadium on land known as the Triangle, near proposals are currently being considered by Cherwell District Council, with a public consultation into the plans due to end on Friday. More than 3,800 people and organisations have so far submitted their views on the scheme, which would include a hotel, restaurant and gym. Urging residents to take part in the consultation, Dodds said she "wholeheartedly" supported the plans as the club's current stadium, the Kassam, was "not up to standard"."It lacks a fourth stand, the club is being charged unviable rent, and there are many other problems," the former cabinet minister said."The loss of a stadium would be a huge hit to our football club – I will keep fighting for the new stadium to be built." Earlier this month, the U's reached an agreement with the stadium's owner, Fikora Group, to stay at the Kassam for a maximum of two further parties said no further extensions or new lease agreements would be possible following the its plans for the new stadium, the club predicts 1,000 new jobs will be created and £32m a year added to the local development would also become the UK's first all-electric stadium, the club say.A decision on the plans is expected to be made by Cherwell District Council by the end of July. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
The Guardian
17-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Diminished UK aid budget is ‘new normal', says development minister
The UK's drastically diminished aid budget is the 'new normal,' the development minister, Jenny Chapman, has said, as she claimed Labour's approach would help repair voters' faith in overseas aid. Lady Chapman took up her post in February, after Anneliese Dodds resigned in protest at Keir Starmer's decision to slash overseas aid spending to 0.3% of gross national income from 0.5%, to pay for increased defence spending. Chapman said as she and her team go through the aid budget line by line, seeking deep cuts, they were not treating the belt-tightening as temporary. 'I'm not making my choices, thinking, 'Oh, we've got to get through the next 18 months, two years and then we'll be back to where we were'. I'm making decisions thinking that this is the new normal and we have to make this work,' she said, repeatedly referring to what she called a '0.3 world'. Chapman was the MP for Darlington from 2010 until 2019, when she lost her seat in Boris Johnson's landslide general election victory. She was ennobled by Starmer in 2021. Speaking in her spacious room in the Foreign Office, she acknowledged the dismay among many longtime supporters of development over the scale of Labour's cuts, but claimed the sector needed to work differently to win back wavering public support. 'I think the aid sector does amazing work and there are incredible people who've spent their lives working to make the world a better place,' she said. 'At the same time, the truth is that the confidence that the public once had in this agenda has faded, and we need to be honest with ourselves about that. And I will work with them to improve that situation.' 'I'm not going to shy away from tough messages when I think they need to be made.' Before the 20-year anniversary of the Gleneagles G8 summit, at which the UK secured significant progress on aid and debt relief, Chapman claimed Labour can still lead on these issues. 'I'm very proud that the last Labour government led thinking around development. We have to do the same now and we have to shape what development looks like for the next 20 years. That is the job.' Chapman attracted criticism earlier in the week for suggesting in an appearance at the cross-party international development committee that the UK had for too long been viewed as a 'global charity'. But speaking after her grilling by the committee, she insisted that even without the necessity of making cuts, the way the government works with developing countries needed significant reform. 'African governments are saying they want partnership, not paternalism. So they want more control over what happens in their country,' she said. Chapman suggested the UK's new approach, within straitened resources, would involve sharing UK expertise and encouraging private sector investment. 'This morning I was in the City with our new investment taskforce,' she said, citing 'lots of enthusiasm, lots of possibilities.' Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion She also underlined the urgency of cutting the cost of supporting asylum seekers in the UK, which accounted for 20% of the overseas aid budget in 2024. Chapman is part of a joint working group with the Home Office aiming to reduce the budget in this area. 'They need to move further and faster because that's not good use of that money. They would agree with that,' she said. Asked where the cuts will fall, Chapman refused to make any specific budget commitments, but said the UK would prioritise humanitarian aid. She also hinted at other areas the government might focus on, including the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) arm, which gives grants and loans to low-income countries, and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi). 'Money that's spent by the World Bank, you get £10 invested for every £1 that we put in. That's a good use of money. The IDA fund performs very well, it's got proven evidence based of having an impact,' she said. 'We are one of the biggest, if not the biggest donors to Gavi; it works, it's saved hundreds of thousands, millions of lives.' The UK committed £1.98bn over three years to IDA at the end of 2024, before the budget cuts were announced, but it has since been suggested that promise is 'under review'. Gavi has a pledging conference at which the UK will be expected to set out its contribution. Chapman also praised the BBC World Service, amid reports that the government is demanding budget cuts. 'We don't know what the exact allocations are going to be yet. We're working through those numbers, but what I would say is that the World Service do tremendous work that nobody else can do,' she said, calling it 'an absolute gold standard resource'.
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Botley Road businesses being 'supported', says Network Rail
Businesses that have been affected by the extended closure of a major route in Oxford will be supported by Network Rail, it has Road has been closed since April 2023 as part of a £161m project to upgrade Oxford Station and is expected to reopen in August month, five businesses affected by the closure stopped paying their business rates and said they would not pay them until they received further financial a statement, Network Rail said it was providing businesses with "independent, tailored advice" to apply for a reduction in their rates. "We continue to work with local businesses and government stakeholders on ways we can provide support within the constraints of being a public body and regulations for managing public money," the spokesperson said. In a letter last week addressing concerns raised by Oxford East MP Anneliese Dodds, the rail minister, Lord Hendy, said the government was "working hard with Network Rail to finalise a solution" for businesses on and around the Botley Network Rail spokesperson said it was "continuing our regular engagement with these businesses and are providing independent, tailored advice for their business rate applications to the Valuation Office Agency".Business rates are collected by Oxford City Council on behalf of the government, which set the rates and keep most of the income. Decisions over changes to business rate charges are made by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA).A spokesperson for the VOA said although it could not comment on individual cases, it was "engaging with local businesses and other partners affected by the ongoing works around Botley Road"."Where customers have applied for a reduction in their rateable value we'll always look to progress cases as quickly as possible," the spokesperson added. Local business owners have previously they could not "sustain" the losses inflicted by the closure "indefinitely".Zack Iqbal, owner of First Stop Spanner Works, told the BBC it was like "this section of Oxford is closed for business, closed for residents, and just basically shut off from the rest of the world".Tom Rainey, who owns The Porter House restaurant and hotel and The Punter pub, said they were "financially, 10% down".Mr Rainey is one of five business owners that stopped paying their rates, saying: "Not one person has offered us anything, and therefore we believe the only option is to make a stand."While he admitted it was "a bit extreme", he said: "If I end up with a jail term, then I would accept that". You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
