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The UK will “war-game” how British troops could be sustained on the frontline in the event of intense fighting and supply chain disruption.

In the first defence industrial strategy since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, the government will set out measures to strengthen national security amid increasing global threats and instability.

It comes after Defence Secretary John Healey told a Politico podcast the armed forces were not ready to fight after being hollowed out during 14 years of Conservative rule – before himself announcing warships, military helicopters and drones would be scrapped to save money.

The head of the UK armed forces, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, however, has insisted the country is ready to fight a war at scale.

Mr Healey will outline the new approach, which aims to show enemies the UK has an industrial base that can innovate at a wartime pace, at a conference in London on Monday.

A “war game” will explore how the UK defence industry and the Ministry of Defence can develop a faster and more resilient supply chain.

UK firms will be prioritised to receive taxpayers’ money as part of the strategy Mr Healey will tell investors can help provide “the foundation for a decade of national renewal”.

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Is the UK prepared for war?

“Our defence sector should be an engine for jobs and growth, strengthening our security and economy,” he said.

“That requires a defence industry that is better and more integrated – one that can keep our armed forces equipped, innovating at a wartime pace, and ahead of our adversaries.”

Investors and trade unions will be among those invited to offer views on the sector, with a pledge to increase jobs in in “every nation and region of the UK”.

The strategy is expected to be published in the first half of 2025, with consultation open until the end of February, with the last version published in 2021.

“We will mobilise the private sector to help face down global threats, direct more public investment to British businesses and create jobs and growth in every nation and region of the UK,” Mr Healey said.

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From 2023: What aid has UK provided to Ukraine?

“National security is the foundation for national stability and growth. We are sending a signal to the market and to our adversaries: with a strong UK defence sector we will make Britain secure at home and strong abroad.”

It comes after the UK has provided millions of pounds worth of weapons in the form of military aid to Ukraine, for its fight against Russia.

Among the weapons that have been provided are storm shadow missiles, part of a pledge to provide £3bn worth of military assistance annually to Ukraine – though this covers everything from training and transportation to weapons.

Meanwhile, last week, head of MI6 Sir Richard Moore warned his agency was aware of a “staggeringly reckless campaign of Russian sabotage in Europe” and he’d “never seen the world in a more dangerous state” due to the risk that Russia would succeed in its conflict with its neighbour.

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Why Boris’s best mate is off to Reform

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Why Boris's best mate is off to Reform

👉Listen to Politics at Sam and Anne’s on your podcast app👈       

Former Conservative chairman and friend of Boris Johnson – Sir Jake Berry – is defecting to Reform UK, causing more problems for Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.

On today’s episode, Sky News’ Sam Coates and Politico’s Anne McElvoy discuss if his defection will divide parts of Reform policy.

Elsewhere, the Anglo-French summit gets under way, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer hoping to announce a migration deal with French President Emmanuel Macron to deter small boat crossings.

Plus, chatter around Whitehall that No10 are considering a pre-summer reshuffle, but will it have any value?

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Australia to test CBDCs, stablecoins in next stage of crypto play

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Australia to test CBDCs, stablecoins in next stage of crypto play

Australia to test CBDCs, stablecoins in next stage of crypto play

The trial is part of Project Acacia, an initiative from the RBA exploring how digital money and tokenization could support financial markets in Australia.

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Starmer and Macron agree need for ‘new deterrent’ to stop small boat crossings

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Starmer and Macron agree need for 'new deterrent' to stop small boat crossings

Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron have agreed the need for a “new deterrent” to deter small boats crossings in the Channel, Downing Street has said.

The prime minister met Mr Macron this afternoon as part of the French president’s state visit to the UK, which began on Tuesday.

High up the agenda for the two leaders is the need to tackle small boat crossings in the Channel, which Mr Macron said yesterday was a “burden” for both the UK and France.

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The small boats crisis is a pressing issue for the prime minister, given that more than 20,000 migrants crossed the English Channel to the UK in the first six months of this year – a rise of almost 50% on the number crossing in 2024.

Sir Keir is hoping he can reach a deal for a one-in one-out return treaty with France, ahead of the UK-France summit on Thursday, which will involve ministerial teams from both nations.

The deal would see those crossing the Channel illegally sent back to France in exchange for Britain taking in any asylum seeker with a family connection in the UK.

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However, it is understood the deal is still in the balance, with some EU countries unhappy about France and the UK agreeing on a bilateral deal.

French newspaper Le Monde reports that up to 50 small boat migrants could be sent back to France each week, starting from August, as part of an agreement between Sir Keir and Mr Macron.

A statement from Downing Street said: “The prime minister met the French President Emmanuel Macron in Downing Street this afternoon.

“They reflected on the state visit of the president so far, agreeing that it had been an important representation of the deep ties between our two countries.

“Moving on to discuss joint working, they shared their desire to deepen our partnership further – from joint leadership in support of Ukraine to strengthening our defence collaboration and increasing bilateral trade and investment.”

It added: “The leaders agreed tackling the threat of irregular migration and small boat crossings is a shared priority that requires shared solutions.

“The prime minister spoke of his government’s toughening of the system in the past year to ensure rules are respected and enforced, including a massive surge in illegal working arrests to end the false promise of jobs that are used to sell spaces on boats.

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“The two leaders agreed on the need to go further and make progress on new and innovative solutions, including a new deterrent to break the business model of these gangs.”

Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, seized on the statement to criticise Labour for scrapping the Conservatives’ Rwanda plan, which the Tories claim would have sent asylum seekers “entering the UK illegally” to Rwanda.

He said in an online post: “We had a deterrent ready to go, where every single illegal immigrant arriving over the Channel would be sent to Rwanda.

“But Starmer cancelled this before it had a chance to start.

“Now, a year later, he’s realised he made a massive mistake. That’s why numbers have surged and this year so far has been the worst in history for illegal channel crossings.

“Starmer is weak and incompetent and he’s lost control of our borders.”

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