Tuesday, June 30, 2026
A radical agenda but can Burnham deliver?
The Guardian reports that Andy Burnham plans to set up No 10 North as the “nerve centre of a rewired Britain” to oversee a devolution of power and resources across the UK that he said would deliver the change the country desperately needed.
The paper quotes our so-called prime minister-in-waiting as arguing that the Westminster system is “broken” and that a “more of the same” approach would neither improve living standards or restore people’s faith in how politics worked for them. No argument there:
In his first speech since Keir Starmer announced he was standing down, Burnham repeatedly returned to the theme of a decade of “change” but also set out concrete policies to transform how the country works, beginning with overcoming Whitehall’s resistance to change.
No 10 North would have three “clear tasks” for devolution: to increase public ownership of essential utilities such as water, energy and housing; reindustrialise swathes of the country; and regenerate towns, prioritising places that had been left behind.
This would include overseeing the biggest council housebuilding programme since the postwar period, he said, as well as ordering Whitehall to back British firms bidding for public contracts – even if this cost taxpayers more.
However, Burnham acknowledged that “people can’t wait for ever for change”, as he hinted at an early cost of living support package once he made it to Downing Street. “I heard on doorsteps in Makerfield how people need a bit extra now to help with rising costs,” he said.
“I will do my very best to deliver it, and whilst not taking risks with the public finances, will seek to give Britain some breathing space as soon as I can. People need to be able to look forward to a night out or a holiday with the kids. People need hope.”
This is a very ambitious programme and he has less than three years to deliver it. In doing so he will have to overcome institutional inertia within Whitehall, and find the money to fund his policies.
I don't doubt his determination or his sincerity, but we have yet to see whether he has the cojones and the ability to overome the obstacles that will be put in his path.
Monday, June 29, 2026
Are we doing enough to insure against climate change?
This is not a question of people just getting on with it. People and animals hae died as a result of the heat, while there is a clear knock-on effect for day-to-day life, with schools closing early, and businesses struggling to remain productive.
The economic impact of climate change is addressed in this Guardian article, which suggests that government will need to take more active role to protect consumers.
The paper says that in a pair of well-timed interventions from the finance lobby group TheCityUK and Swati Dhingra, the economist and independent member of the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee, made the point powerfully last week that the economic effects of the climate crisis for the UK are not confined to the many hours lost to quietly perspiring:
TheCityUK’s report, written with the insurer Marsh, focused on the mounting challenge of insuring homeowners and businesses against the costs of extreme weather events.
With such events, including wildfires and floods, happening increasingly frequently and with growing severity, it argues that the risk of damage is becoming more difficult for insurers to price and warns of growing “protection gaps”.
It said: “Traditional actuarial methods – the basis for insurance pricing – assume the underlying probability of loss is broadly stable year to year. That assumption is becoming less reliable as climate hazards intensify, undermining the confidence with which insurers model expected future losses.”
That’s a tragedy for those affected, whose homes and livelihoods are left uninsured in the face of natural disasters.
But because of the important role of insurance in oiling the wheels of investment, TheCityUK argues that the difficulties of pricing climate risk will also have knock-on effects across the financial system. It is, they say, “not simply a sectoral issue, but a foundational concern for bankability, investability, and orderly economic activity”.
Of course, a financial lobby group has an interest in alerting us to the travails of the insurance sector, for which few are likely to shed a tear.
But they are right to warn that the unpredictability and severity of weather events is likely to be increasingly felt more widely.
And they say that could create a vicious cycle, in which too little is spent on adapting to climate risks, which increases the cost of climate damage and, in turn, raises the cost of investment, as insurers and lenders recoup their losses.
The report argues there is more that could be done by the private sector, for example, in developing ways to account for climate resilience in insurance. But it suggests there may also have to be more public – or partly public – backstops. Dhingra’s speech points to another related vicious cycle. She highlights the increasing impact of adverse weather events worldwide, such as drought or excessive rainfall, on UK inflation. As just one example, she says: “Chocolate alone contributed roughly 1 percentage point to UK food inflation in 2025, reflecting a surge in cocoa prices driven largely by extreme heat in west Africa and the fact that chocolate accounts for close to 6% of the UK food basket.”
In fact, further evidence for the impact of severe weather in our shopping baskets came in an analysis last week from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit, which found that 13% of UK food imports last year came from countries that are the least climate resilient, yet most exposed to extreme weather.
These imports included rice from India, soft and citrus fruits from South Africa, Peru and Egypt, coffee from Vietnam and Brazil, Colombian and Ecuadorian bananas and Kenyan tea.
A few pence on the price of a bar of chocolate or a bunch of bananas is a minor inconvenience compared with the punishing conditions endured by workers in these countries. The ECIU calculates that agricultural labourers across the 15 most climate-vulnerable countries lost 216bn hours to heat stress in 2024.
But when the ripples reach the UK in the form of higher prices, the Bank’s MPC is at the forefront of the policy response. Yet, as Dhingra points out, raising interest rates to offset the inflationary impacts of the climate crisis also increases the cost of borrowing to make much-needed investments in the transition to net zero and climate adaptation.
Similarly, using higher rates to constrain the inflationary effects of rocketing energy prices resulting from geopolitical chaos – most recently the Iran war – could raise the cost of investing in the renewable alternatives that would help to insulate the UK from such chaos.
Her argument is that monetary policy – interest rates, in other words – and government tax and spend policies may have to work more closely to break that cycle.
This is the challenge that Burnham will face if he becomes Prime Minister. We will see if he is up to it, or even if it is actually manageable.
Sunday, June 28, 2026
A power vacuum?
The paper says that for all Keir Starmer’s call for unity, the rancour is everywhere, Burnham is now inevitable: he will become prime minister on July 20, the day after the World Cup final:
The scale of his win in the Makerfield by-election, where he crushed Reform UK and won more than 50 per cent of the vote, was enough to make the case for him. It was ultimately a bloodless coup, but for Starmer loyalists it is still a bitter pill to swallow.
“We’ve passed the two most left-wing budgets in more than half a century, then bled votes to the Greens,” one senior Labour source said. “We should probably reflect about why that is before lurching off to the left again.”
Burnham finds himself attempting to build a fully fledged policy platform and a cabinet in the space of three and a half weeks, which allies have compared to attempting to build a plane mid-flight. It is no small task and unsurprisingly has left something of a vacuum.
The Labour Party is in a state of suspended animation where everyone’s political future, barring Starmer’s, lies in the balance.
In the bars of Westminster this week there has been a heady mix of fear, hope, anger and elation, depending on who you talk to. Some have descended into all-out civil war.
The battle to become Burnham’s chancellor has turned into an increasingly vitriolic briefing war as Ed Miliband’s critics do everything they can to stop him entering No 11.
Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, is attempting to sack her migration minister for writing an unauthorised article in The Times about Labour’s migration policy. Starmer won’t let her.
Meanwhile, the beleaguered defence spending plan is finally about to see the light of day next week as Starmer seeks to secure at least one part of legacy. Senior Labour figures and defence chiefs remain seriously concerned it is not enough.
The paper adds that there are likely to be big jobs for Burnham’s most senior allies: Josh Simons, who made way for him to stand in Makerfield, Louise Haigh, the former transport secretary, and the MP Anneliese Midgley.
However, they add that almost the entire cabinet is in the dark about their futures, with particular uncertainty around the role of chancellor, as Burnham’s allies are clear that Rachel Reeves will not stay in the role. It is expected to come down to a two-horse race between Miliband, the energy secretary, and Shabana Mahmood.
In the meantime, it is almost as if the process of government is on ice.
Saturday, June 27, 2026
When the GIs came to Swansea
As you can see from the map below, large areas of the park have since been sacrificed to accommodate the university campus and a large hospital, but it remains a jewel in the city's crown.
As part of Marshalling Area X, it accommodated over 1,500 personnel preparing for the D-Day invasion. Troops staged here before embarking through Swansea Docks on June 4, 1944, to land on Omaha Beach. The site says:
The American army and airforce poured into Britain in 1943 and although greeted with much goodwill, some of the population harboured a deep seated resentment to their presence.
Well fed, smartly dressed and better paid than their British counterparts, pleasure-seeking 'Yanks', with their glamorous film star auras, proved irresistible to many young women. American 'Hollywood-style' glamour was powerful and unwanted competition for war-weary British servicemen home on leave. Local young women, married and unmarried, were always getting 'involved' with American servicemen and there were the inevitable explosive
The potential for trouble in the vicinity the Patti Pavillion - a popular dance venue - and the Cricketer's Hotel was ever present. On Friday and Saturday nights groups of young women 'dressed up to the nines' descended on these places, from all over town, for a good night out. The US Military Police were also there in force to keep the peace, but the mixture of young British and American servicemen, young ladies, music and booze was a powder keg.
...
The Americans came after its heaviest bombing raids were over. The centre of the town was a mass of rubble with well defined streets.There were two large US Army bases - one at either end of the town - and there were jeeps and American servicemen everywhere. Kids and yanks were a great social mix.
Alfred John Whitby remembers the generosity of American soldiers........
"By the time I was eight or nine years old the Americans had built an army base opposite Townhill which is now the Gendros/Penlan area of the city. We, as children, used to visit the army base during the day and were very often given tins of 'Bully Beef ', which was their version of our corned beef, and chewing gum with names like 'Ukatan/Dentine', 'Juicyfruit' etc.."
I have borrowed a photo at the top of this post from the Swansea History Society Facebook Group to show how the troops were garrisoned within the available space.
Nation Cymru adds to this story with an article detailing a forgotten visit to Swansea by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery in the weeks leading up to D-Day.
The news site confirms that historical records show Swansea and the surrounding Gower Peninsula hosted thousands of American troops as south Wales became a major staging post for the invasion. They add that Swansea Docks handled military supplies and served as a departure point for personnel travelling to France in the days around D-Day.
Swansea historian and content creator Jay Curtis's research is referred to as revealing the significance of a diary entry detailing the military commander’s visit to Swansea and Singleton Park in 1944:
Curtis said the discovery highlighted how important Swansea had been to the Allied war effort.
“People know Monty as one of Britain’s most recognisable wartime figures, but what fascinated me was discovering there are still stories connected to places like Swansea that many people have never heard before,” he said.
...
Montgomery’s links with Swansea extended beyond the war itself. In 1948 he was awarded the Honorary Freedom of the City in recognition of his contribution to Allied victory in Europe. The ceremonial scroll and presentation casket were later returned to Swansea for preservation in 2004.
The American army and airforce poured into Britain in 1943 and although greeted with much goodwill, some of the population harboured a deep seated resentment to their presence.
Well fed, smartly dressed and better paid than their British counterparts, pleasure-seeking 'Yanks', with their glamorous film star auras, proved irresistible to many young women. American 'Hollywood-style' glamour was powerful and unwanted competition for war-weary British servicemen home on leave. Local young women, married and unmarried, were always getting 'involved' with American servicemen and there were the inevitable explosive
The potential for trouble in the vicinity the Patti Pavillion - a popular dance venue - and the Cricketer's Hotel was ever present. On Friday and Saturday nights groups of young women 'dressed up to the nines' descended on these places, from all over town, for a good night out. The US Military Police were also there in force to keep the peace, but the mixture of young British and American servicemen, young ladies, music and booze was a powder keg.
...
The Americans came after its heaviest bombing raids were over. The centre of the town was a mass of rubble with well defined streets.There were two large US Army bases - one at either end of the town - and there were jeeps and American servicemen everywhere. Kids and yanks were a great social mix.
Alfred John Whitby remembers the generosity of American soldiers........
"By the time I was eight or nine years old the Americans had built an army base opposite Townhill which is now the Gendros/Penlan area of the city. We, as children, used to visit the army base during the day and were very often given tins of 'Bully Beef ', which was their version of our corned beef, and chewing gum with names like 'Ukatan/Dentine', 'Juicyfruit' etc.."
I have borrowed a photo at the top of this post from the Swansea History Society Facebook Group to show how the troops were garrisoned within the available space.
Nation Cymru adds to this story with an article detailing a forgotten visit to Swansea by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery in the weeks leading up to D-Day.
The news site confirms that historical records show Swansea and the surrounding Gower Peninsula hosted thousands of American troops as south Wales became a major staging post for the invasion. They add that Swansea Docks handled military supplies and served as a departure point for personnel travelling to France in the days around D-Day.
Swansea historian and content creator Jay Curtis's research is referred to as revealing the significance of a diary entry detailing the military commander’s visit to Swansea and Singleton Park in 1944:
Curtis said the discovery highlighted how important Swansea had been to the Allied war effort.
“People know Monty as one of Britain’s most recognisable wartime figures, but what fascinated me was discovering there are still stories connected to places like Swansea that many people have never heard before,” he said.
...
Montgomery’s links with Swansea extended beyond the war itself. In 1948 he was awarded the Honorary Freedom of the City in recognition of his contribution to Allied victory in Europe. The ceremonial scroll and presentation casket were later returned to Swansea for preservation in 2004.
Labels: lochist
Saturday, June 20, 2026
A medieval street at the heart of Swansea's social life
Wind Street (Wyne Street in 1567) follows virtually the same line as it did in medieval times. It is likely that several of its buildings, in all or in part date from these times. Its curve follows that of the Tawe. Along with Butter Street (now St Mary Street), Castle Street and Castle Bailey Street (Bayliff Castella Street in 1626) and High Street.
Wind Street was an important centre of commerce and small industries, hotels and public houses. It was the site of two of Swansea's important hotels, The George and The Mackworth, which was the scene of many of the towns chief functions, and the centre of much of its social life. "The Cambrian" newspaper offices once occupied offices at the north end of Wind Street, close to where "Island House" used to stand. The offices of "The Cambrian" were adorned at ground floor level, by the first curved glass window in Swansea which became an important draw for tourists.
Dating back to the 11th Century, the Castle is in location and visually one of Swansea's most important buildings. It has been occupied through the ages as a debtors prison, fruit and vegetable market, Town Hall, market house, Roman Catholic Chapel, glass works, post office, drawing school and printing works. The old clock tower of the castle still dominates Castle Gardens; an exercise is in hand to include the old post office tower and Evening Post façade into a new Information Centre.
Situated at the northern end of the proposed conservation area and beside the Debtors Prison, the Castle cinema, it is believed was the first picture house in Swansea to have a "talking picture" around 1926. The cinema has an imposing façade to The Strand.
The Inn was formerly part of the Hospital of the Blessed David of Sweynes, founded in 1332 by Henry De Gower, Bishop of St Davids. It dates from 1547 as an Inn. Badly damaged in the 1941 air raids, it was remodelled in the 1950s and subsequently won a Civic Trust Award.
The best remaining example of a pedestrian lane, Salubrious Passage is largely flanked on Wind Street by buildings which are shown on the 1852 survey - the old Shades Tavern is now a shop.
Wind Street itself is the finest remaining street in Swansea, appearing today with only two significant exceptions, as it did at the turn of the century. With so many other streets lost in the war, its retention is all the more important. Its gracious curve is in the best tradition of good townscape.
The eastern (river) side of the street dates mainly from the mid to late 19th Century and contains many very fine examples of Victorian commercial architecture, the Mackwork buildings (No's. 9-10) being the finest.
The western side of the street is older. The frontage is mainly late 18th and early 19th Century built in soft red brick, typical of the Georgian period. However, with much of the medieval street and court pattern remaining, it is likely that many of the building structures also date back to this period. This area is unique to Swansea and as important as any in Wales.
Labels: lochist
Friday, June 19, 2026
Brexit has cut trade in almost every sector of the UK economy
The paper says that the study found that exports of chemicals and pharmaceuticals have fallen by 21 per cent since the UK left the EU, while those classed as “agrifood” are down 29 per cent:
The report argues that many of the economic costs of Brexit stem from Britain’s departure from the bloc’s single market, suggesting recent calls for a new customs union with the EU would only have a limited impact.
Almost 10 years on from the Brexit vote, the experts urge politicians not to risk repeating the mistakes of that era by pursuing “options that are either unavailable on the terms they envisage, or… unlikely to contribute meaningfully to economic growth”.
While calls for a customs union have gained support among some politicians and business groups, the researchers argue that rejoining the single market would do more to boost trade and economic growth.
Such a move, however, would likely involve a return to freedom of movement and substantial contributions to the EU’s Budget – both of which would be politically fraught.
But the scale of the challenge is laid bare in the report, which found that Brexit “has reduced trade in nearly every sector of the UK economy”.
When it comes to services, for example, the travel industry is down 39 per cent, while financial services exports have fallen 24 per cent.
Total UK exports to the EU have fallen by about 12 per cent and total imports by about 16 per cent. Overall, the losses amount to a reduction in Britain’s worldwide exports of 5 per cent and imports of 8 per cent.
The case for rejoining is overwhelming.
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Reform own goals
The newsletter tells us that Reform have been on quite a journey when it comes to childcare:
During the election campaign, their manifesto didn’t even mention it. Then last week 11 of their 34 MSs – a third of their members – bizarrely voted in favour of an amendment that criticised its absence from their proposals for Wales.
We asked Reform why this had happened but didn’t receive a response. It seems they didn’t understand the motion and accidentally voted the wrong way.
Their MS Iain McIntosh later posted on X criticising the Welsh Tories for voting the same way he had, alongside a rather odd AI image of the First Minister in bed with Tory leader Darren Millar. He later said he had been referring to the previous amendment, which the Tories supported but Reform didn’t, but the wording of the two were nearly identical.
Sources tell us that that Reform’s chief whip Llyr Powell has contacted Reform MSs to “take ownership” of mistake. He told also them he would personally take responsibility for the error in the media. There is significant anger among some Reform MSs that he doesn’t seem to have done this.
And then there is the foreign funding faux pas:
On Tuesday evening in plenary Reform’s Louise Emery, responding to Culture Minister Heledd Fychan’s statement on culture spending, asked how the Welsh Government “can ensure there's no foreign interference” when it comes to funding news outlets.
Reform UK received £9m from donors in the first quarter of the year, the largest amount given to any political party in that period, with the largest single contribution coming from Thailand-based crypto-billionaire Christopher Harborne who gave a £3m donation between January and March. Crypto magnate Ben Delo (who is based in Hong Kong) also donated £4m to Reform in two £2m lump sums in January and March.
There was widespread laughter in the Senedd after Ms Emery expressed her concern about foreign interference.
Far more seriously, Nation Cymru reports that the Senedd’s Presiding Officer is set to decide whether “dangerous and derogatory” remarks made by a Reform MS about asylum seekers amounted to a breach of the Welsh Parliament’s standing orders.
The news site says that During first minister’s questions on Wednesday (June 16) Joe Martin told the Chamber that supporters of the Welsh Government’s nation of sanctuary scheme oppose its abolition because no Ukrainian refugees have “beheaded people in the streets” yet:
“The same cannot be said for Sudanese asylum seekers,” he added.
Mr Martin cited the case of Stephen Ogilvie, who was the victim of an unprovoked knife attack in Belfast carried out by a Sudanese asylum seeker.
The Reform MS also referred to the case of Rhiannon Whyte, a young mother who was killed by a Sudanese asylum seeker who had been living at the same hotel where she worked.
Mr Martin went on to claim that Welsh Government ministers Mabon ap Gwynfor and Sioned Williams wanted Sudanese men that had raped British women to be welcomed to Wales.
During his speech, another Senedd Member could be heard calling out: “Are you a racist?”
Labour’s Shav Taj, a newly elected Member of Pakistani heritage, became visibly emotional as she branded Mr Martins comments “vile” and “disturbing”.
She also raised concerns about the tone of the language the Reform MS had used whilst children watched Senedd proceedings from the gallery above.
In a post to social media today, First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth shared a clip of Mr Martin speaking in the Chamber with a caption stating: “Reform is using inflammatory language that seeks to drive wedges between our communities.
“As First Minister, I will always stand up to racism.
“My government will always see to being people together in Wales, not deepen division.”
As Will Hayward says in his newsletter, 'it’s worth noting that if Reform are genuinely concerned about asylum seekers posing a threat to people in the UK, they they really should back the Nation of Sanctuary scheme. Key pillars of it include promoting Welsh culture and heritage as well as ensuring that refugees with severe mental health issues are supported.'
This exchange just underlines what a divisive, nasty piece of work Farage's Reform really are.
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
The toxic legacy of Brexit
Speaking to the Guardian’s Today in Focus podcast Leadbeater, who was elected to the same Yorkshire seat held by Cox in a 2021 byelection, said everyone in public life had a responsibility to try and ease tensions.
Referencing the response of some politicians to the murder of Henry Nowak, which was followed by disorder in Southampton, Leadbeater said people should remember that those calling for division were “in the minority” but were very vocal.
Other people, she argued, “have got a duty to drown them out and tell the good stories of this country”.
“After Jo was killed, there was a period where people said all the right things and said: we need to do things differently, we need more compassion, we need more understanding,” said Leadbeater in an interview to mark the 10th anniversary of Cox’s murder by a far-right terrorist on 16 June 2016.
She said: “And it was very short-lived. And sadly and regrettably, I think over the last decade, if anything, things are worse. And I think we have to be honest about that.”
With the anniversary approaching, Leadbeater said, it was time to “have a look at how we can change that narrative”.
In comments marking 10 years since Cox’s death, Keir Starmer said the values she had lived by – that “we have far more in common than that which divides us” – were being tested anew.
He added: “At a time when those values are being tested, her legacy feels as vital and urgent as ever. The best way to honour her memory is to stand firmly against hatred and division, to bring communities together, and to show, through both big acts and small, the compassion, decency and solidarity that define our nation at its best.”
Leadbeater said the responsibility for that change lay with “everybody … including politicians and people in public office”.
“We have a voice,” she added. “We’re very lucky to have a voice and to have a platform. But with that voice and with that platform comes a very significant level of responsibility.
The impact of Brexit on the economy, the cost of living and the increase in non-European immigration has created conditions that have enabled bad actors like Farage and his fellow travellers to exploit people's fears for their own political gain.
As Leadbeater says, it is our responsibility to call this out for the sake of the future of our country.
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Indecision costing the taxpayers millions
The paper says that a report by the National Audit Office (NAO) found that parliament currently spends about £1.5 million a week on maintenance of the palace, including refurbishment projects and that this is forecast to increase to about £2 million a week between 2026 and 2030:
The Palace, a Grade I listed building within a Unesco World Heritage site, requires extensive restoration to address serious risks, including failing mechanical and electrical systems, fire safety issues and high levels of asbestos.
The £1.5 million weekly cost of ongoing maintenance is the equivalent of paying the annual salaries of about 35-40 NHS nurses or the base salaries of about 60 soldiers in the Army. There has been deadlock over how to carry out the work as MPs are unable to agree on whether to decant the site while the restoration is carried out.
Four delivery options have been examined, ranging in cost from £11 billion-£56 billion, and taking between 19 and 84 years to complete. The team behind the project plans to reduce the number of options to two so parliament can make a decision by mid-2030.
Option one, the full decant — with both the House of Commons and Lords leaving as well as all staff — is the most cost effective, with a price tag of £11 billion to £16 billion. The work would take 19 to 24 years to complete.
The second option, “Enhanced maintenance and improvement plus”, would involve the palace being split into 14 zones to be worked on in stages. It would aim to ensure that no more than 30 per cent of the palace would be decanted at any one time. The House of Lords would vacate for eight to 13 years and the Commons would use the red Lords chamber for up to two years.
It is expected that option two would cost between £20 billion and £39 billion and take 38 to 61 years to complete.
Parliament is also being urged to approve an initial seven-year package of preparatory works capped at £3 billion to break the deadlock.
Going ahead with renovation may well be difficult, and certainly would not be popular, but the indecision is costing money too. Isn't it time that somebody made a decision?
Monday, June 15, 2026
Have resignations led to a rethink?
The paper says that indications of a rethink came after cabinet minister Lisa Nandy suggested that more money would be allocated for defence, saying she did not believe Mr Healey’s replacement Dan Jarvis “would have taken the job were he not confident that we could meet the moment”:
No 10 sources suggested the defence investment plan has been reopened in the wake of Mr Jarvis’s appointment, telling The Independent: “You’d obviously expect him to have a chance to look at the Dip, and consider issues such as whether Healey had the right balance on how money [is] spent.”
Speaking to Sky News, Ms Nandy said government departments were already looking at further cutting their budgets to help fund defence, insisting the country’s safety remained ministers’ top priority.
While she sidestepped questions on whether more money would be offered to Mr Jarvis than to his predecessor, she said: “I don’t think he would have taken the job were he not confident that we could meet the moment.”
“There’s a clear picture emerging from this government that we have moved resources from other departments in order to fund defence; that includes mine, and it includes other departments as well, and we’re continuing to do that”, Ms Nandy said.
“So defence remains the highest priority, and I don’t agree that we’re not committing the resources that we need. But when the threat level changes, when the global situation changes, we have to change our approach as well.”
However, the culture secretary disagreed with Mr Healey’s claim that Sir Keir Starmer failed to commit the resources the country needs to defend itself at a time of rising threats.
“I don’t agree with him on that point, because these are discussions that are currently being had,” she said.
It comes after Mr Jarvis – himself a former soldier – vowed to get the armed forces the funding they need after his predecessor quit over the issue, saying he had a “big responsibility” towards troops who risk their lives for the country.
So it seems that there might have been more money after all, it just took a high profile resignation to leverage it.
