UK set to publish ‘refresh’ of major defence and security review ahead of budget – with modest rise in spending expected
The UK plans to release a “refresh” of a major defence and security review next week ahead of the budget, which is expected to include a modest rise in defence spending, Sky News understands.
Three sources said they expected the so-called “Integrated Review refresh” to be published on Monday – two days before the Chancellor unveils his spending plans on 15 March, but almost a week later than originally anticipated.
An initial draft of the document apparently had to be reworked because it did not sufficiently reflect the lessons from Russia’s war in Ukraine, which has exposed the urgent need to accelerate plans to rebuild the army’s warfighting capabilities, according to two, separate sources.
The latest version, though, may still only be a “tweak” of what had been a sweeping review of UK foreign, defence and security policy, published in March 2021, one source said.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak inherited the refresh from Liz Truss.
She had ordered officials to look again at the Integrated Review, drawn up when Boris Johnson was in charge, to see whether any areas needed updating in the wake of Ukraine and also a hardening of views about the security challenges – or threats – posed by China.
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Could defence spending increase?
But Ms Truss had also pledged a significant increase in defence spending, vowing to lift the budget to 3% of GDP by the end of the decade up from 2% – the equivalent to an additional £157billion.
Mr Sunak, by contrast, has made no such commitment, despite the war in Ukraine revealing the extent to which successive governments have hollowed out the army in particular.
Sky News revealed in January that a senior US general had privately told Defence Secretary Ben Wallace the British Army is no longer regarded as a top-level fighting force.
Defence sources at the time said Mr Sunak risked failing in his role as “wartime prime minister” unless he took urgent action given the growing security threat posed by Russia.
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Is the British Army fighting fit?
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They claimed this should include increasing the defence budget by at least £3bn a year; halting a plan to shrink the size of the army even further; and easing peacetime procurement rules that obstruct the UK’s ability to buy weapons and ammunition at speed.
Mr Wallace was thought to have been pushing for up to £11bn extra over the next two years but may only receive less than half of that amount in the spring budget.
Mr Sunak is expected to make an announcement on UK defence spending during a trip to the United States this weekend.
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The Times quoted the defence secretary as having suggested a modest increase of £4bn to £5bn would be sufficient for the time being, and that the “real battle” for extra support would come after the next election.
A government spokesperson said: “The Integrated Review refresh is on track to be published in the spring as planned. It will set how the UK’s diplomatic, military and security architecture is keeping pace with evolving global threats.”
“Super high-IQ revolutionaries” who are willing to work 80+ hours a week are being urged to join Elon Musk’s new cost-cutting department in Donald Trump’s incoming US government.
The X and Tesla owner will co-lead the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
And in a post on X, the official DOGE account put out a call to arms for people to sign up and help “dismantle government bureaucracy”.
The post said: “We are very grateful to the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in helping us at DOGE.
“We don’t need more part-time idea generators.
“We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting.
“If that’s you, DM this account with your CV. Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants.”
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Trump’s cabinet signals tough stance on China
Elon Musk speaking at an event held at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Pic: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
In a reply to an interested party, Mr Musk suggested the lucky applicants would be working for free.
“Indeed, this will be tedious work, make lost of enemies & compensation is zero,” the world’s richest man wrote.
“What a great deal!”
When announcing the new department, President-elect Donald Trump said Mr Musk and Mr Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies”.
Mr Musk has previously made clear his desire to see cuts to “government waste” and in a post on his X platform suggested he could axe as many as three-quarters of the more than 400 federal departments in the US, writing: “99 is enough.”
At least 10 people have been killed after a fire broke out at a retirement home in northern Spain in the early hours of this morning, officials have said.
A further two people were seriously injured in the blaze at the residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in Zaragoza, according to the Spanish news website Diario Sur.
Two people remain in a critical condition following the blaze. Pic: AP
They remain in a critical condition, while several others received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the residence – the Jardines de Villafranca – at 5am (4am UK time) on Friday.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation. Pic: AP
Those who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, Spanish newspaper Heraldo reported.
The residence is home to 82 elderly residents.
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The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in the region, told reporters.
All of the victims were elderly residents, he added.
Relatives wait for news outside the care home. Pic: AP
Fire crews, paramedics and police officers remain on site, said a spokesperson for the regional government of Aragon who confirmed the fatalities.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
At least 10 people have been killed after a fire broke out at a retirement home in northern Spain in the early hours of this morning, officials have said.
A further two people were seriously injured in the blaze at the residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in Zaragoza, according to the Spanish news website Diario Sur.
Two people remain in a critical condition following the blaze. Pic: AP
They remain in a critical condition, while several others received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the residence – the Jardines de Villafranca – at 5am (4am UK time) on Friday.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation. Pic: AP
Those who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, Spanish newspaper Heraldo reported.
The residence is home to 82 elderly residents.
Read more from Sky News:
Mass displacement in Gaza – people unsure where to go
Donald Trump picks vaccine sceptic as health secretary
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in the region, told reporters.
All of the victims were elderly residents, he added.
Relatives wait for news outside the care home. Pic: AP
Fire crews, paramedics and police officers remain on site, said a spokesperson for the regional government of Aragon who confirmed the fatalities.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
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