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Germany has announced it will raise its core defence spending to 3.5% by 2029. It is currently at 2%…
Plans have been laid out in the budget framework to increase spending from €95 billion in the 2025 draft budget to €162 billion in 2029. Spending will ramp up each year until then…
Labour is struggling to set out how it will get even to 2.5% by 2027. Starmer’s failure to spell out how the UK will reach 3% has caused significant embarrassment for Labour from the time of the Strategic Defence Review. If there was a time for Starmer to push through a major costed shift in defence spending it would be this week at a NATO summit setting a 5% target for all member states…
The FCDO is finally arranging charter flights out of Tel Aviv for British nationals. While Israeli airspace currently remains closed, foreign secretary David Lammy confirmed today that the UK will get planes off the ground when the skies reopen. It’s not clear when exactly that will be…
“The UK will provide charter flights for British nationals from Tel Aviv when airspace reopens. Register your presence to receive further guidance. Flights will be available based on the level of demand. The safety of British nationals remains our top priority.”
It follows the shambolic Lobby briefing earlier this week in which No10’s robotic spokesman confirmed the FCDO had withdrawn embassy staff family members as a “precautionary measure“… but were telling British nationals to follow “local guidance.” Which was to stay put…
At yet another chaotic briefing after PMQs hacks were told that the FCDO has withdrawn family members of embassy staff from Israel as a “precautionary measure.” Nothing for British citizens on the ground…
They have been told to follow “local guidance” while UK government affiliates are jetted away. Starmer’s spokesman mentioned there were some buses going to Jordan but all travel is undergone at Brits’ own risk. A shambles…
There is a ministerial COBRA meeting in a few hours once Starmer lands back in the UK on the Iran/Israel situation. Not urgent enough to dial in?
Ultimately any evacuation will be up to Israel, whose government David Lammy and Labour have been studiously attacking for years. Netanyahu has made his opinion on Starmer known. The UK is a plan-taker here…
Last night Israel launched a massive wave of airstrikes against Iran with over 200 fighter jets in a “pre-emptive” attack on Iran’s nuclear programmes. Among those reportedly killed were Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Hossein Salami and Iran’s chief of the military staff, General Mohammad Bagheri. In retaliation, Iran launched over 100 drones toward Israel…
Tehran has promised a “harsh and decisive” response while Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the operation “will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat.” Both the US and UK have stressed that they were not involved in the strikes. Keir Starmer posted on X:
“The reports of these strikes are concerning and we urge all parties to step back and reduce tensions urgently. Escalation serves no one in the region. Stability in the Middle East must be the priority and we are engaging partners to de-escalate. Now is the time for restraint, calm and a return to diplomacy.”
Foreign secretary David Lammy called it a “dangerous moment” and has now cancelled his planned meeting with US secretary of state Marco Rubio in Washington. Labour has already sanctioned two Israeli ministers this week. US and UK relations on Israel are on tenterhooks…
It took a week for Greta Thunberg’s small “Freedom Flotilla” yacht to get from Sicily with the aim of punching through Israel’s sea blockade on Gaza. Over the weekend Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said the country would “take whatever measures are necessary” to stop Greta reaching Gaza while the “Freedom Flotilla Coalition” said their boat was “prepared for the possibility of an Israeli attack.” Not prepared enough..
Unfortunately for Greta in the early hours of last night Israeli drones dropped an irritant substance onto Thunderberg 2 before it was boarded by soldiers. Greta and her crew were provided with sandwiches…
Hamas has just said this morning the interception of the Madleen is a “flagrant violation of international law.” Greta is being taken to the Israeli port of Ashdod, 27 k.m. north of Gaza. Better luck next time…
Speaking at his speech on how to achieve “progressive capitalism” Wes Streeting fired a dig and Andy Burnham:
“Bond markets are not bond villains and fiscal rules matter.”