Latest news with #LauraKuenssberg
Scotsman
4 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
UK to build up to 12 new attack submarines and invest £15bn in warheads
UK government unveils strategic defence review but opponents question commitment to defence spending of 3 per cent of GDP by 2034 Sign up to our Politics newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The UK will build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines and invest £15 billion in its warhead programme, the Prime Minister will announce on Monday as the Government unveils its strategic defence review. Significant investment in the UK nuclear warhead programme this parliament and maintaining the existing stockpile are among the 62 recommendations that the Government is expected to accept in full. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad But questions were also raised about its commitment to defence spending after the Defence Secretary could not confirm the Treasury had guaranteed funding to bring it up to 3 per cent of GDP by 2034. Defence Secretary John Healey appearing on the BBC1 current affairs programme, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, ahead of today's publication of the strategic defence review | PA Building the new submarines, which is part of the Aukus partnership with the US and Australia , 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, the Ministry of Defence said. Defence Secretary John Healey said: "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." Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The £15 billion investment into the warhead programme will back the Government's commitments to maintain the continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent, build a new fleet of Dreadnought submarines and deliver all future upgrades. From the late 2030s, the fleet of up to 12 SSN-Aukus conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines will replace seven astute class attack submarines the UK is due to start operating. Getting ready for war In response to the strategic defence review, the Government will also commit to: - Getting the armed forces to a stage where it would be ready to fight a war Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad - Boosting weapons and equipment stockpiles and making sure there is capacity to scale up production if needed in a crisis or war - Buying up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons in a move due to support 800 defence jobs - Setting up a new cyber command and investing £1 billion in digital capabilities - More than £1.5 billion of additional funding to repair and renew armed forces housing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Sir Keir Starmer will say: "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. "This strategic defence review will ensure the UK rises to the challenge and our armed forces have the equipment they need that keeps us safe at home while driving greater opportunity for our engineers, shipbuilders and technicians of the future." Opponents question Labour's funding commitment The Conservatives and Lib Dems questioned Labour's commitment to funding the promises it was making. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 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 . Mr Healey had said there was "no doubt" the UK would reach 3 per cent in an interview with The Times. But on Sunday, he sidestepped questions about whether he had any guarantee from the Treasury to provide the funding when asked on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme. He said he does not expect to increase the number of people in the armed forces until the next Parliament amid a recruitment and retention crisis. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Asked when the Army would reach the target of 73,000, Mr Healey said: "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." Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: "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 . Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "As recently as Thursday, Healey promised that defence spending would definitely hit 3 per cent, 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 said: "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. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "Labour's mere 'ambition' rather than commitment to reach 3 per cent 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.
Evening Standard
4 days ago
- Politics
- Evening Standard
Give prison officers the lethal weapons ‘they need', Jenrick says
Asked whether he could see that the public would want him to take responsibility for failing prisons as a former government minister, Mr Jenrick told the BBC's Sunday Morning With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'We should have done more, but look, what Labour are doing now is making the problem worse, and they are reaching for the easy lever of letting prisoners out early.'
The Guardian
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
TV tonight: the extraordinary story of the baroness and the Covid scandal
9pm, BBC Two'A cocktail of fame, lies, money, politics … and a national emergency.' In this two-part documentary, Laura Kuenssberg and other insiders tell the story of Baroness Mone of Mayfair – the lingerie entrepreneur who grew up in poverty in Glasgow, launched the Ultimo push-up bra, then went on to become a peer in the House of Lords and get embroiled in one of Covid's biggest and most expensive scandals. Hollie Richardson 8pm, BBC OneTo Ayrshire, where Tom, who has achondroplasia (a condition that affects bone growth), plans to restore a rare 1930s folding canoe so he can explore waterways with his daughter. Other items in need of care: a fragile glass pane inscribed by Robert Burns and handmade sporrans. Ali Catterall 8pm, Channel 4Married couple Lisa and Campbell have been living in New Zealand for 25 years but want to move back to the UK to be near family. Oxfordshire has too many options, apparently, as Lisa warms to every property they see. Time for some tough love from Kirstie and Phil. HR 8pm, BBC Three This week's main task involves helping grungy duo Nova Twins with their latest music video. But it is avant garde Canadian makeup influencer and guest judge Mei Pang who is greeted like a rock star by the remaining hopefuls. Graeme Virtue 9pm, BBC OneOn the sixth leg of this epic race across Asia, our remaining teams travel deep into western India – but also deep into the soul. Sisters Elizabeth and Letitia are inspired to connect by a prayer on the banks of Pushkar Lake, while Brian is pushed to contemplation by a case of the dreaded 'Delhi belly'. Ellen E Jones 9pm, Sky DocumentariesTony Blair and Bill Clinton contribute to the final instalment of this brilliant look at Frost's most famous and important interviews – concluding with his focus on the Middle East. It starts with the twentysomething Frost first meeting with the then Israeli defence minister Moshe Dayan in 1968 after the six-day war. HR Captain America: Brave New World (Julius Onah, 2025), Disney+ As the first big-screen outing for Anthony Mackie's Captain America, this Marvel instalment would benefit from some knowledge of previous superhero events. The plot also pivots round the Wolverine-tested metal adamantium, which is a source of conspiracy and conflict. But with actors of the calibre of the noble Mackie, plus Giancarlo Esposito and Tim Blake Nelson as the Cap's new foes, and Harrison Ford as dubious new US president Thaddeus Ross, the performances should more than compensate. Simon Wardell The Big Heat, 6.10am (Fritz Lang, 1953), Sky Cinema GreatsShe may only have a supporting role, but Gloria Grahame's sparky, witty turn as a gangster's girlfriend is the principal joy of Fritz Lang's propulsive 1953 crime drama. Headline name Glenn Ford is a solid presence as honest cop Dave Bannion, whose investigation into the suicide of a fellow officer leads him to a city mob boss. Bannion's persistent dog-with-a-bone riles the criminal's psychotic right-hand man Vince (Lee Marvin), with the latter's girl Debby (Grahame) among the collateral damage as the detective edges closer to the truth. SW
Glasgow Times
25-05-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Angela Rayner says she ‘never' wants to be Prime Minister or Labour leader
The Deputy Prime Minister was asked to rule herself out from the top job after a memo she sent to Rachel Reeves suggesting tax rises was leaked to the press. Ms Rayner suggested reinstating the pensions lifetime allowance and changing dividend taxes in a memo to the Chancellor with ideas to raise revenue, according to the Telegraph, which saw a copy of the document. The Deputy Prime Minister said she was 'absolutely not' behind a leaked memo, and ruled out becoming Prime Minister in the future when appearing on Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips. Ms Rayner was asked to dispel suggestions she may have been behind the leak of the memo, in order to grow support for a future Labour leadership bid. She replied: 'Yeah, absolutely not, and I don't want to be leader of the Labour Party.' Pressed on this, she added: 'No, I'm very happy and honoured to be Deputy Prime Minister of this country, and I've got a lot in my in-tray to prove that I can do the job that I'm doing and deliver on the milestones for the people of this country. 'That's what I'm interested in.' Asked to say the word never, she replied: 'Never.' Later appearing on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Ms Rayner was adamant she had nothing to do with the memo appearing in public. Angela Rayner told Laura Kuenssberg that she does not leak (Jeff Overs/BBC) 'I do not leak. I think leaks are very damaging. I'm 100% behind our Cabinet and the decisions that we make collectively,' she said. The Deputy PM also told the BBC there was no 'significant different opinion across government'. She added: 'The Government has discussions. We do that in private. So I'm not going to comment on any memos or documents that have been circulated, but I can tell you that the Government is absolutely 100% behind our Chancellor, and as a Cabinet we make the collective decisions.' An inquiry is 'under way' into how the memo was leaked, the Deputy Prime Minister also suggested. Asked by Sky News if a probe would be launched, Ms Rayner said: 'I think there's one under way, and quite rightly so, because leaks are very damaging. 'It's really damaging, because we have lots of sensitive conversations in the round, all of us, and then we make a collective decision.'
Western Telegraph
25-05-2025
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Angela Rayner says she ‘never' wants to be Prime Minister or Labour leader
The Deputy Prime Minister was asked to rule herself out from the top job after a memo she sent to Rachel Reeves suggesting tax rises was leaked to the press. Ms Rayner suggested reinstating the pensions lifetime allowance and changing dividend taxes in a memo to the Chancellor with ideas to raise revenue, according to the Telegraph, which saw a copy of the document. The Deputy Prime Minister said she was 'absolutely not' behind a leaked memo, and ruled out becoming Prime Minister in the future when appearing on Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips. Ms Rayner was asked to dispel suggestions she may have been behind the leak of the memo, in order to grow support for a future Labour leadership bid. She replied: 'Yeah, absolutely not, and I don't want to be leader of the Labour Party.' Pressed on this, she added: 'No, I'm very happy and honoured to be Deputy Prime Minister of this country, and I've got a lot in my in-tray to prove that I can do the job that I'm doing and deliver on the milestones for the people of this country. 'That's what I'm interested in.' Asked to say the word never, she replied: 'Never.' Later appearing on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Ms Rayner was adamant she had nothing to do with the memo appearing in public. Angela Rayner told Laura Kuenssberg that she does not leak (Jeff Overs/BBC) 'I do not leak. I think leaks are very damaging. I'm 100% behind our Cabinet and the decisions that we make collectively,' she said. The Deputy PM also told the BBC there was no 'significant different opinion across government'. She added: 'The Government has discussions. We do that in private. So I'm not going to comment on any memos or documents that have been circulated, but I can tell you that the Government is absolutely 100% behind our Chancellor, and as a Cabinet we make the collective decisions.' An inquiry is 'under way' into how the memo was leaked, the Deputy Prime Minister also suggested. Asked by Sky News if a probe would be launched, Ms Rayner said: 'I think there's one under way, and quite rightly so, because leaks are very damaging. 'It's really damaging, because we have lots of sensitive conversations in the round, all of us, and then we make a collective decision.'
