Politics latest: Rishi Sunak says Europe at 'turning point' as defence spending pledge revealed (2024)

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  • Live reporting byBen Bloch

16:05:49

Labour leader welcomes Sunak's funding pledge for Ukraine

Earlier today, Rishi Sunak announced a £500m military aid package to Ukraine in its war against Russia, alongside the UK's largest provision of munitions so far.

Some 400 vehicles, 60 boats, 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, and four million rounds of ammunition are included in the package.

The announcement comes during a downswing for Ukraine as Russian forces have been gaining the upper hand in recent weeks (read the full details of the announcement here).

The Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, has welcomed the move from the government, telling broadcasters: "I fully support what the prime minister has announced in relation to further funding for Ukraine.

"It's vitally important that we continue to support Ukraine against Russian aggression, and in parliament and in our politics, we've stood united on the question of Ukraine since the conflict began.

"We will continue to do so."

Sir Keir - who is hoping to be PM after the next general election - called on "all allies to work together on this".

15:58:01

Labour accuses Conservatives of mismanaging defence and promises review if it takes power

In the wake of the prime minister's announcement, Labour have put out their response.

John Healey, the opposition's shadow defence secretary, said: "As Keir Starmer recently set out, Labour wants to see a fully funded plan to reach 2.5 per cent, but the Tories have shown time and time again that they cannot be trusted on defence and we will examine the detail of their announcement closely.

"The British public will judge ministers by what they do not what they say.

"Since 2010, the Conservatives have wasted more than £15 billion mismanaging defence procurement, shrunk the Army to its smallest size since Napoleon, missed their recruitment targets every year, and allowed morale to fall to record lows.

"Labour will conduct a strategic defence and security review in the first year in government to get to grips with the threats we face, the state of our Armed Forces, and the resources required."

15:48:15

Is this being announced only because it's an election year?

The Sun asks the prime minister if he is only making today's announcement because it is an election year.

He also asks about reports Germany is unhappy with the level of defence spending from the UK.

Mr Sunak says he is meeting Chancellor Olaf Scholz tomorrow, and that the UK and Germany are the two largest defence spenders in Europe.

He adds that he is looking forward to having "good conversations" with his German counterpart tomorrow, and that there is also "good cooperation" between the two nation's armed forces.

On the other question, Mr Sunak says that, as chancellor, he oversaw the largest increase in the defence budget since the end of the Cold War.

He adds that he has always taken it "incredibly seriously".

Jens Stoltenberg says the UK has been a "leading example when it comes to defence spending".

15:46:09

'Significant increase' in NATO ally spending

Jens Stoltenberg is asked about the NATO members who are "not paying their fair share".

He notes several US presidents have called for more defence spending from NATO allies in Europe.

"The good news is that over the last few years there has been a significant increase," he says.

Rishi Sunak says "the UK is doing its part" and has "stepped up".

"The UK has led by example to help galvanise others to do the same," he adds.

15:34:45

Have we entered a pre-war era?

Sky political editor Beth Rigby asks if we have entered a "pre-war era" - and whether something particular has happened to spark today's announcement.

Rishi Sunak says people will use "different words" to describe what's happened today.

He repeats that the world is "in a more dangerous place than it's been since the end of the Cold War".

The current situation is "not something new", and was pointed out in reviews of the UK's defence.

But what has changed is the "pace and intensity of where we're seeing these threats emerge".

Those are reasons to make the announcements now, Mr Sunak says.

The PM says that there are more threats today - but the UK is approaching the situation from a "position of strength" and confidence because it is making the right investments, alongside NATO.

Mr Stoltenberg says that "we live in a more dangerous world" as shown by Russia invading Ukraine.

The NATO chief says he cannot say what the next crisis or war will be, but that if the alliance stands together then peace can be protected and preserved for allies.

15:29:57

'An investment in Ukraine is an investment in our security'

The next question for the PM and the NATO chief asks them about the costs of supporting Ukraine.

Rishi Sunak says "unfortunately we are a living in amore dangerous time since the Cold War" and in response to that "the right thing to do is increase spending in national defence".

"An investment in Ukraine is an investment in our security," he says.

Mr Sunak says "it is right" to make this investment.

"All of this contributes to future UK security and prosperity," he says.

Jen Stoltenberg says "there is no way we can run away from that cost - we have to pay".

"The reality is there is a cost to having an aggressive neighbour and we have a very aggressive neighbour.

"We can't run away from that cost."

15:23:40

Is it time to call China a threat?

The Daily Telegraph asks Rishi Sunak if he will designate China a threat.

The prime minister responds by saying that China has different values to the UK, and is behaving in a way that is authoritarian at home and assertive overseas.

He says it is "right" to protect the UK from this.

But he will not reduce "complex foreign policy down to one word or phrase".

He points to the removal of China from the Newport Wafer Fab and the banning of Huawei telecoms equipment as a sign the UK is strong on the subject.

Mr Sunak says that China is also an "indisputable part of the global economy" so it's important to keep dialogues open.

Mr Stoltenberg says the war in Ukraine has shown how "intertwined and interlinked" security is.

He says China is "propping up" the Russian war economy, Iran is providing drones and ammo, and North Korea is also supplying ammunition.

"In return, Moscow is mortgaging its future to Beijing and Moscow is delivering technology to North Korea and Iran to help them develop their missile and nuclear programs," he says.

15:22:27

Will there be an inquiry into penalised carers?

Rishi Sunak is asked if he will set up an inquiry after the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was accused of forcing tens of thousands of unpaid carers to pay back huge sums overunwittingly breaching earnings rules.

The PM says while he is not familiar with individual cases there has been some reporting around carers allowance and how it works.

"There has been a long standing principle in the way carers allowance works, which is not means tested but is subject to an earnings threshold and people are asked to declare their earnings when they make a claim," he says.

"If there's a discrepancy that impacts people's entitlement, then obviously they (DWP) will seek to recover that and do that in a sensible and fair way," he says.

"Everyone's cases will be different so it's hard for me to get into that.

"I think it's reasonable that the welfare system is fair."

15:18:47

Would the PM take the UK to war, and how does NATO feel about working with Trump if he wins?

The Daily Mail asks a pair of questions - about Mr Sunak's leadership and a potential second Trump presidency.

Rishi Sunak responds by saying that his commitment to NATO is "unequivocal".

This is in response to being asked whether he would take the UK to war in defence of another NATO nation, as per Article 5.

Mr Sunak doesn't directly answer the question - but says the "right thing" to do is to invest in deterrents.

Mr Stoltenberg says a strong NATO is good for Europe and the US - adding that he expects "regardless of the outcome" of elections, the US will remain a "staunch and loyal ally" of the alliance.

He says it is in the interests of the US to keep NATO - and that polling shows there is "broad bipartisan support" for the alliance in the US Congress and among the public.

Mr Stoltenberg says that Mr Trump's previous criticisms were based on other countries not stepping up to contribute 2%.

He now expects two-thirds of NATO members to meet that target.

15:11:39

Is the era of the peace dividend over?

ITV asks Mr Sunak if the extra money for the armed forces will come at the cost of other things, like education - and whether low defence spending after the Cold War has ended.

The prime minister says that, thanks to the government's "strong management" of the economy, more money can be found.

The spending commitment made today was not included in the most recent budget forecasts, so it is not clear how if fits into the Treasury's equations.

There is also a spending review which will be carried out in coming months - probably after the next election - where more calculations will be made about how much the government can afford to spend around the economy.

Politics latest: Rishi Sunak says Europe at 'turning point' as defence spending pledge revealed (2024)

FAQs

Which is the most powerful position in the British government? ›

The status and executive powers of the British prime minister means that the incumbent is consistently ranked as one of the most powerful democratically elected leaders in the world.

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He has been the executive chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change since 2016 and has made occasional political interventions. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II as a Knight Companion of the Garter in 2022.

Who is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom? ›

The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP.

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The government is led by the prime minister (currently Rishi Sunak, since 25 October 2022) who selects all the other ministers.

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Indira: India's Most Powerful Prime Minister - Wikipedia.

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Several academic studies have found that Japanese is the fastest recorded language. But indeed, every tongue has its unique beauty and value, regardless of its speed of spoken rate. It is always a great thing to learn a new dialect, whether it is fast or slow.

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The German Hans Conon von der Gabelentz, born in 1807, researched and published grammars of 80 languages. The record, though, probably belongs to Sir John Bowring, Governor of Hong Kong from 1854 to 1859, who was said to know 200 languages, and capable of speaking 100.

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And Sir John Bowring, Governor of Hong Kong from 1854 to 1859, was known for having familiarity with as many as 200 languages (and being able to speak 100 of them).

Did the Queen like Tony Blair? ›

Blair was rumored to have been one of Queen Elizabeth's least favorite Prime Ministers. Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor.

Who is the best British PM ever? ›

Winston Churchill is generally considered one of the greatest prime ministers for his leadership during the Second World War. Clement Attlee, who served as Labour Leader for over 20 years, is almost always very highly rated among prime ministers.

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Notable lengths
  • 20 years and 314 days: Robert Walpole (1721–1742) Longest term and longest total tenure.
  • 12 years and 126 days: William Ewart Gladstone (1868–1874, 1880–1885, 1886, and 1892–1894) Most non-consecutive terms.
  • 11 years and 208 days: Margaret Thatcher (1979–1990) ...
  • 49 days: Liz Truss (2022)

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In the UK, the Prime Minister leads the government with the support of the Cabinet and ministers. You can find out who runs government and how government is run, as well as learning about the history of government.

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Winston Churchill is generally considered one of the greatest prime ministers for his leadership during the Second World War. Clement Attlee, who served as Labour Leader for over 20 years, is almost always very highly rated among prime ministers.

Which is the most powerful position in the British government quizlet? ›

In Britain, the prime minister is the head of government and chief of state.

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