Al Carns, the minister for the Armed Forces, has resigned from the Government following a major Cabinet row over defence spending. In his resignation letter to the Prime Minister, Carns warned that the UK faces a “more unstable and dangerous world than at any point in recent decades”. His departure comes shortly after Defence Secretary John Healey also quit, plunging the Government into a defence crisis.
Labour MPs are urging Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham to abandon the manifesto commitment to the triple lock on state pensions. The policy, introduced by the Conservatives in 2010, ensures the state pension rises by the highest of inflation, wage growth, or 2.5 per cent. Party insiders believe scrapping it could free up cash for defence and support for young people, though Burnham previously opposed such measures.
Sir General Richard Barrons, chair of the strategic defence review, commented on the resignations, stating there is “no point” in a comfortable retirement if the country is left at great military risk. Meanwhile, Dame Meg Hillier told The i Paper that Labour MPs are now ready to back welfare reform, following Alan Milburn’s upcoming review of youth joblessness.
In a separate incident, dozens of arrests were made outside Woolwich Crown Court as around 500 Palestine Action supporters protested the sentencing of four activists. The activists had broken into an Elbit Systems factory in Bristol in 2024, causing £1.2 million in damage and assaulting a police officer. Charlotte Head, 30, and Leona Kamio, 30, were each jailed for 4 years and 10 months for criminal damage; Fatema Rajwani, 21, received 4 years and 6 months; and Samuel Corner, 23, was jailed for 7 years and 8 months for grievous bodily harm. The judge ruled the offences were linked to terrorism, though defence lawyers argued the defendants are not terrorists. Palestine Action was designated a terrorist organisation in August 2024, a ruling deemed unlawful by a judge in February but still in force.
