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UK needs to reach 2.5% of GDP for defence spending ‘now – as soon as possible’, security minister warns | Politics News

Tom Tugendhat, the security minister, has told Sky News he wants to see defence spending reach 2.5% of GDP “now – as soon as possible”.

This departs from the stated government position – repeated at the budget last week – that spending will reach the 2.5% target “as soon as economic conditions allow”.

Mr Tugendhat – a former soldier – last week urged the prime minister to “lead the way” on increasing defence spending.

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He made the intervention in a post on LinkedIn alongside Foreign Office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan.

In the social media post last week, Mr Tugendhat called on the UK to increase its spending on defence to “2.5% and beyond”.

Asked today if he wanted to see Rishi Sunak do more, Mr Tugendhat said: “Well, I want to achieve 2.5% now – as soon as possible.

“That is exactly what we need to achieve.

“You know, the first step is to get to 2.5% and then we’ll have to adjust as the challenges we face evolve.”

There was no additional money for the armed forces in the budget last week. Currently, spending on defence is at around 2.2% of GDP.

Tom Tugendhat
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Mr Tugendhat said he wanted to see spending increased as soon as possible

Speaking at the budget last week, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said: “Our armed forces remain the most professional and best-funded in Europe with defence spending already more than 2% of GDP.

“We are providing more military support to Ukraine than nearly any other country and our spending will rise to 2.5% as soon as economic conditions allow.”

Mr Tugendhat said that Mr Hunt “set out a very strong budget last week about growth and he’s absolutely right”.

He added that it’s “clear” the UK “must increase defence spending”.

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The security minister listed the “challenges of Iran’s ambitions in the Middle East”, the “threat that Russia poses to Ukraine” and also the “rise in autocratic states” as the reasons for needing to increase defence spending.

Mr Tugendhat also said that Mr Sunak – who was then the chancellor – should be thanked as much as Boris Johnson and former defence secretary Ben Wallace for the growing defence budgets in recent years, which had been at 2%.

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In the LinkedIn post last week, Mr Tugendhat and Ms Trevelyan said: “Former defence secretary Ben Wallace and prime minister Boris Johnson made inroads into growing our defence budgets, which had been shrinking in real terms for years. But that only filled the hole. Now we need growth.”

Mr Tugendhat denied the article was implying Mr Sunak had to be dragged “kicking and screaming” into agreeing to the previous boosts.

Two migrants found dead in Channel after trying to reach UK in small boat | World News

Two migrants have died in the English Channel after trying to reach the UK from France.

A man and a woman, both believed to be in their 30s, were found lifeless at around 1.30pm on Wednesday near Boulogne-Sur-Mer, the local prosecutor told Le Monde.

They were among 60 people found on board a dinghy that had got into distress.

Several of the group had fallen into the sea and were suffering from hypothermia when they were brought to shore for treatment.

But medics were unable to save the two people found unresponsive.

They are the seventh and eighth migrants to die at sea off the French coast so far this year.

The six others – all from Afghanistan and aged between 21 and 34 – lost their lives on 12 August.

Reports of the newest deaths come ahead of the two-year anniversary of the single greatest loss of life in the Channel in recent history when 27 migrants drowned on 24 November 2021.

At least 27,708 people have crossed to the UK aboard small boats so far this year, according to government data compiled and analysed by Sky News.

This is 34% lower than at the same time in 2022, when 42,206 people had succeeded in making the dangerous journey.

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Despite the overall number of people making the life-threatening trip in 2023 being lower than last year, the number of people being packed aboard each boat has increased – a sign that smugglers are seeking to make more profit, at the expense of safety.

An average of almost 49 people have been found on board each boat that made it to the UK so far this year. It was 41 per boat last year and just 13 in 2020.

On Thursday, revised official figures showed that net migration to the UK in 2022 was at a record high of 745,000.

UK weather: Heatwave to reach dramatic climax today – with yellow warnings for thunderstorms in place | UK News

The heatwave will reach a dramatic climax on Sunday – with a yellow warning for thunderstorms in place across large parts of the UK.

Temperatures are set to head above 30C (86F) once again in parts of southern England – with much cooler conditions expected as a new week begins.

But further north, the Met Office is warning that thunderstorms could bring disruption, and a risk of sudden flooding in some areas.

Find out the weather forecast where you are

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UK heatwave soon to end?

A yellow warning is in force from 2pm to 11.59pm – covering much of northern England and Northern Ireland, alongside parts of Scotland and Wales.

“Unlucky locations” could see up to 70mm of intense rainfall in the space of a few hours – with “additional hazards” of frequent lightning and large hail.

Saturday was provisionally the hottest day of the year so far – with highs of 33.2C (92F) recorded at London’s Kew Bridge.

And Sunday is set to prolong the record for the longest consecutive stretch of September days above 30C, with temperatures above this threshold for the seventh day in a row.

Britons are being urged to make the most of the warmer weather, as conditions are set to become more typical for this time of year.

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Showers and longer spells of rain will begin to sweep in on Monday – and it’s shaping up to be rather unsettled in the South on Tuesday.

Sky’s weather producer Chris England said: “It will be cooler and fresher for many, still quite muggy in the South East, although not as hot as recently.”

England v Australia: Lionesses set to roar as they attempt to reach first ever World Cup final | World News

Hot on the heels of a blockbuster Ashes series, England fans are in for another high stakes sporting clash with Australia as the Lionesses take on the Matildas in the Women’s World Cup semi-final.

The old rivalry has already been ignited in the build up to the match at Sydney’s Stadium Australia, with tickets allocated to England being snapped up by Aussie fans and a helicopter funded by the Australian Daily Telegraph spying on an England training session.

The newspaper’s stunt culminated in a piece with the title “11 Poms against a nation: Welcome to the Jungle, Lionesses”.

According to the article, manager Sarina Wiegman and co were in for a “rude shock” if they thought they could quietly prepare for the game.

England booked their place in the semi-finals alongside the host nation over the weekend following a 2-1 win against Colombia.

Australia, meanwhile, saw off France in a penalty shootout after the match remained goalless after extra time.

England coach Sarina Wiegman and the team
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England coach Sarina Wiegman and the team

Read more: Five things to know ahead of England’s clash with Australia

The Lionesses will be without Lauren James who is completing her two-match ban for stamping on Michelle Alozie during the round of 16 match against Nigeria.

But captain Millie Bright says her team will “thrive” under the pressure of playing against the hosts.

“That is what we expect now – for us to thrive in those moments,” she said.

“It is a proud moment for the women’s game back home when they see what an atmosphere there is.

“It’s about turning up, showing up, performing and enjoying the game.

“It is important to adapt to the game whatever they give to us. We have faced many different challenges and we have adapted really well.”

England head coach Sarina Wiegman and goalkeeper Mary Earps (left) during the press conference at Stadium Australia, Sydney. Picture date: Friday August 11, 2023.
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England head coach Sarina Wiegman

Wiegman has also said she expects the match to be “very tight and very competitive”.

However, Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson has said that while England may be favourites on paper, they don’t have the “support” his players do.

He said: “If you look at all that and you look at resources, financially, obviously they are massive favourites going into this game.

“But the one thing that we have that they don’t have is the support and belief from the fans.”

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Who are the Lionesses?

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Rishi Sunak has sent a good luck message to the team ahead of the tie – telling The Sun newspaper the “nation’s hopes of beating the Aussies now rest on our Lionesses”.

His comments follow the Ashes series which ended in a 2-2 draw after five matches replete with epic performances, controversial dismissals and numerous rain delays.

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Can the Lionesses go all the way?

As well as the words exchanged between supporters of both sides, the FA said it was “disappointed” to hear reports of tickets specifically allocated to England fans being bought by Australians.

The additional 1,970 tickets were released at the weekend, and about 8,000 England fans were expected to be in attendance at the Australia Stadium.

The FA said it was working with FIFA to review its ticketing processes going forwards.

A unique supporter code was reportedly leaked on social media – with a number of Australian fans claiming to have purchased tickets.

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Lionesses beat Colombia 2-1.

Back in England, fans have put out flags and bunting ahead of the fixture and pubs and fan parks have prepared to welcome supporters for the 11am UK kick-off time.

According to Sky Bet at the time of writing, England were 5/4 to win in normal time, compared to 5/2 for Australia.

Suella Braverman ‘confident’ government is ‘on track’ to reach 20,000 police officer target | Politics News

The government is confident it is “on track” to meet its manifesto pledge of recruiting 20,000 new police officers, the home secretary has said.

The promise was made as part of the government’s 2019 manifesto – but critics have pointed out that it has already missed the deadline, which was set for March this year.

Home Office data due to be published later this morning will confirm whether the milestone has been met.

Asking about the issue, Sky News’ Kay Burley suggested that numbers were still below the levels of 2010, when the Conservative-led coalition came to power and introduced cuts to the police force.

Suella Braverman replied: “We’re confident that we’re on track to reach our manifesto pledge of 20,000 new police officers.

“If we achieve that goal, we will be in excess of 2010 numbers.

“We will be at record levels. We will have the highest number of police officers in history in England and Wales.

lllegal Migration Bill to return to the Commons – politics latest

“I think that’s a huge achievement by policing, a huge achievement by the Home Office actually, and actually a great achievement for the British people and public safety.”

She denied that the UK has an “inexperienced police force” due to the pace of recruitment, saying that the government has invested £3bn in the recruitment effort and “proper training” has been delivered.

“Even accounting for attrition and people leaving the force, we are confident we’ll still be in excess of any level we’ve seen before.”

Ms Braverman’s words come before she gives a speech later this morning at the Public Safety Foundation in which she will urge police to stop “pandering to politically correct preoccupations” and focus on “criminal justice, not social justice”.

Ms Braverman told Sky that “while our police officers are brave and excellent on the whole… I think there has been a tendency for the public to grow weary of some of the timewasting behaviour that police have been engaged in”.

“I don’t want police to be involved in debates on social media about gender,” she said.

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Suella Braverman says there is too much political correctness hampering police work

“I don’t want the police to be shying away from tackling really important issues like grooming gangs because of political correctness.”

The home secretary also cited police powers of stop and search – which have been criticised for disproportionately targeting black people – arguing it was “an effective tool to reduce violence and save lives”.

But she said: “In some instances, we’ve seen political correctness get in the way of common sense policing.”

This afternoon MPs will debate and vote on the government’s controversial Illegal Migration Bill, which would prevent anyone arriving in the UK illegally from claiming asylum. Instead, they would be detained and removed, either to Rwanda or another “safe country”.

Charities and human rights organisations have argued the bill is unworkable and could put the UK in breach of international law.

Earlier this week the Equality and Human Rights Commission said it was “seriously concerned” the bill could also expose people to “serious harm”.

Ms Braverman defended the bill this morning, telling Sky News: “People who are coming here illegally are breaking our laws. They are criminals and they don’t have a right to be here.”

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Asked about the situation in Sudan and what the government’s response would be if people started arriving on small boats, she said: “There is no good reason for anybody to get into a small boat to cross the Channel in search of a new life in the United Kingdom.”

Asked if refugees will be able to seek asylum in the UK, the home secretary said the correct way to request help is via the UN Refugee Agency.

Ms Braverman also defended the speed of the UK evacuation operation, which has been criticised for being slower than other countries.

The home secretary said “approximately 200-300 people” had been relocated from Sudan in the last few flights from the country.

Defending the speed of the evacuation, Ms Braverman said we have a “larger cohort of British nationals in Sudan compared to many other countries”.

“I’m not going to sit here in a studio in London and dictate what should be happening there on the ground,” she said.

Royal Mail and Communication Workers Union reach agreement on pay and employment terms | UK News

Royal Mail and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) have reached an agreement in principle following a long-running dispute over pay and employment terms.

In a joint statement with Royal Mail, CWU confirmed the agreement will now be considered by the executive of the union before it goes before the membership.

The details of the proposed agreement will be made public once it has been ratified by the union’s executive committee – expected to take place next week.

In a further statement, the CWU said: “We have reached a negotiators agreement with Royal Mail Group.

“The CWU Postal Executive will now meet and consider the agreement on Monday and Tuesday and we are putting in place plans to brief representatives across the union’s structures.

“On the basis that the negotiators agreement is endorsed by the Postal Executive, we will put in place a full communications plan to engage members. Thank you for your support and patience. It has got us to this point.”

11 months of negotiations

The two sides have been locked in bitter negotiations for 11 months over pay, jobs, and conditions for the 112,000-strong workforce.

There were 18 strike dates called last year and 2023 has seen the union and Royal Mail attempt to make progress at conciliation service Acas, with former TUC general secretary Sir Brendan Barber also joining the effort to deliver peace this month.

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The CWU secured a fresh mandate for industrial action in mid-February and would have to give seven days’ notice of any fresh walkouts.

The union had described the company’s self-dubbed modernisation plans as an “Uberisation”, declaring that it would turn Royal Mail into a gig economy-style employer.

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February: Royal Mail admits prioritising parcels

How much strikes have cost Royal Mail

Royal Mail’s parent firm has raised its estimate for the cost of industrial action so far to £200m and claimed that up to 12,500 union members have worked on strike days.

International Distributions Services (IDS) said 18 days of walkouts helped push the division to a £295m operating loss in the first nine months of its financial year to the end of December.

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It reported that revenue at Royal Mail was down almost 13% on the same period in 2021, with a decline in letter volumes and COVID testing kits also contributing.

‘Reach for the stars’: British scientist Maggie Aderin-Pocock honoured with her own Barbie doll | Science & Tech News

A British scientist known for her work with the largest space telescope ever made has been honoured with her own Barbie doll.

Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock has been immortalised as a one-of-a-kind plastic toy in her likeness in recognition of her achievements making space and science accessible to girls.

The 54-year-old, recently appointed chancellor of the University of Leicester, is a former British Science Association president and the first black woman to win gold at the Physics News Awards.

She is best known for presenting the BBC’s The Sky At Night.

Her doll, made by toy firm Mattel, wears an appropriately starry dress and comes with a telescope accessory – referencing her work with the James Webb Space Telescope.

The telescope – a successor to the Hubble – was a joint venture between various space agencies and scientists, and launched into space in December 2021.

Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock with her Barbie doll
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Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock with her Barbie doll

Dr Aderin-Pocock was gifted the Barbie to mark International Women’s Day and British Science Week.

“Since falling in love with the idea of space travel as a young girl, I have spent my career trying to show girls how fascinating space science can be,” she said.

“I want to inspire the next generation of scientists, and especially girls, and let them know that Stem (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is for them.”

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Dr Aderin-Pocock’s Barbie, which is not going on sale, is one of seven custom dolls Mattel has created to celebrate women blazing trails in the Stem subjects.

The others include YouTube boss Susan Wojcicki and German marine researcher Dr Antje Boetius.

Dr Aderin-Pocock hopes the expanded range of Barbie dolls will help “smash stereotypes”.

“When I was little, Barbie didn’t look like me, so to have one created in my likeness is mind-boggling,” she said.

“It’s such an honour to receive this doll that is celebrating my achievements… My daughter and I danced around the living room when we heard!”

She added: “I hope my doll will remind girls that, when you reach for the stars, anything is possible.”

Virgin Orbit explains first satellite mission from UK failed to reach orbit due to rocket fuel error | Science & Tech News

The first satellite mission from UK soil failed to reach orbit last month because a rocket fuel filter had become dislodged, Virgin Orbit has said.

Virgin Orbit sent up a jumbo jet carrying the rocket from Cornwall on 9 January.

But excitement turned to disappointment when the rocket failed to deploy its payload of nine satellites.

Virgin Orbit chief executive Dan Hart said the company would “proceed cautiously towards the launch” of its next rocket.

The opening part of the mission went according to plan as its plane took off from Spaceport Cornwall, Britain’s first such site, at Newquay airport.

A converted Boeing 747 named Cosmic Girl flew to 35,000ft over the Atlantic Ocean off Ireland’s southern coast.

There it jettisoned the 21-metre-long rocket containing nine small satellites, which would have been the first launched into orbit from the UK, or anywhere in western Europe, towards space.

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Why did the UK’s rocket fail?

But the organisers of the Start Me Up mission soon identified an “anomaly” which led to a “premature shutdown” that meant LauncherOne failed to orbit.

According to an investigation conducted by Virgin Orbit and overseen by the US Federal Aviation Administration, as well as the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch, the craft “successfully executed pre-flight preparations, carrier aircraft take-off, captive carry flight, and rocket release.”

The statement added: “The ignition, first stage flight, stage separation, second stage ignition, and fairing deployment of the LauncherOne rocket were nominal.”

All these milestones were described as “first-of-a-kind achievements” for any orbital launch attempt from western Europe, however from this point things started to go wrong.

Cosmic Girl was carrying Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne rocket
Image:
Cosmic Girl was carrying Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne rocket

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After the second stage first burn a fuel filter in the feed line became dislodged, causing a fuel pump to operate at a reduced level – eventually starving the engine of fuel.

This caused the Newton 4 engine to overheat to the point of malfunction which resulted in the second stage thrust prematurely ending the mission.

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‘LauncherOne has suffered an anomaly’

According to the statement “the second stage and its payloads fell back to Earth, landing in the approved safety corridor in the Atlantic Ocean.”

Mr Hart said the failure was “painful for all involved” but that the team was determined to “understand all contributing elements and to thereby get back to flight with a better system and a wiser team.”

eBay bids for second-hand Queen’s laying in state queue wristbands reach into the thousands | UK News

Second hand wristbands given out to people queuing to see the Queen laying in state in Westminster Hall are being sold on eBay for four figures.

After paying their respects to the Queen, some mourners have speedily posted their used wristbands on the online marketplace, with the highest listed price so far reaching £199.99 (although many have accepted “Best Offers” meaning the exact sale figure is not listed).

Around 10 of the colourful bands have sold on the site so far, with many more auctions ending over the next few days.

eBay
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This crumpled gold band has so far received bids taking it to £2,550. Pic: eBay

However, bids on bands currently on sale are rocketing into the thousands – including a gold wristband, used on Friday 16 September – the same day as David Beckham queued to pay his respects to the Queen.

The seller says the former England football captain was around an hour in front of them in the queue, and that they joined the queue just before 6am.

Offering a selection of photos of their day in the capital to verify their visit – including shots of Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye – the crumpled gold band has so far received bids taking it to £2,550. The auction still has around a day to run.

Watch live stream as thousands queue
Watch live stream of Queen lying in state

Another post shows a bright orange band fresh from today – Saturday – described as “genuine unused”, which has already reached a price of £1,040, despite the auction not ending until Tuesday. The seller has sweetened the deal with free postage.

Meanwhile, two dark green bands, which the seller says were used by her and her daughter on Thursday during an eight hour wait to file past the coffin has a top bid of £436, plus £3.35 postage from Derby (at time of writing).

Yellow bands from the accessible queue are also available to buy on the site, with one seller even offering to send “two newspapers collected on the day at Westminster” along with their two yellow accessible bands.

Members of the public in the queue near Tower Bridge in London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday. Picture date: Saturday September 17, 2022.
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Members of the public in the queue near Tower Bridge, London

Some mourners had managed to take off their bands without breaking the seal, and were selling them “intact”.

One optimistic seller put their band – which they said was from the first day of queuing – up for £22,000, but later removed their post.

Despite the possibility of buying a wristband online, purchasers will not be able to use them to skip the queue as they cannot be reused.

The coloured and numbered bands have been issued by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to help manage the huge numbers of people keen to catch a glimpse of the Queen lying in state. Bands have different number and colour shades each day.

The DCMS website explains the process for queuing, saying the band is “a record of when you joined the queue”.

However, it adds that “having a wristband does not guarantee your entry to the Lying-in-State”.

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King Charles and Prince William met with mourners in central London.

The site goes on: “Wristbands are specific to each person joining the queue, and are strictly non-transferable. You must keep this wristband on at all times as it will be checked along the route.”

Bands make it possible for mourners to leave the queue in order to go to the toilet or grab food and drink. With some people queuing for around 24 hours, such refreshment breaks are essential.

When asked about the sale of used wristbands online, a DCMS spokesperson told Sky News: “Wristbands for accessing the Lying-in-State are single use, handed out by stewards and can only be used by the person they were issued to. Access will be denied to anyone found not to have followed proper process.”

The Queen has been lying in state since Wednesday, with her children holding a vigil on Friday, and her grandchildren due to hold a vigil on Saturday evening.