Kemi Badenoch issues huge challenge to Andy Burnham in major speech_D

Responding to Kemi Badenoch’s press conference on defence, A Labour spokesperson said: “Kemi Badenoch’s new economics team is already failing. Their so-called ‘further’ cuts to welfare were all announced last year. You can’t spend money twice.

“These unserious plans are hardly surprising from the same Tory Party that hollowed out our Armed Forces, shrinking the British Army to its smallest size since the Napoleonic era.

“Andy Burnham has made it clear that his Labour Government is determined to give our Armed Forces the investment needed to keep us safe. In just two years, Labour has delivered the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, with funding already higher than at any point during 14 years of Conservative government.”

Small boat crossings and the EU-UK relationship are at the top of the agenda for discussion, Andy Burnham said as he welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron to Downing Street.

As he greeted Mr Macron at No 10, the Prime Minister said: “I’m very pleased today to welcome my first overseas visitor as Prime Minister, and it’s so fitting that it is our nearest neighbour and close friend Emmanuel.

“On behalf of everyone here, Mr Le President, can I thank you for your huge personal gesture of goodwill, trust and friendship with Britain in allowing the Bayeux Tapestry to be displayed here.”

Mr Burnham said the exhibition would “lift so many lives”.

He added: “It shows what collaboration can achieve, just as we are also showing on Ukraine, on small boats, and also on strengthening the UK-EU relationship. So I look forward to discussing those themes further with you today.”

Kemi Badenoch insisted Andy Burnham should call a general election if he is not willing to find the money for the defence boost now.

She adding: “The Prime Minister cannot defend us by capping bus fares.”

Kemi Badenoch accused Andy Burnham of “kicking defence spending into the long grass”.

The Tory leader pointed to the threat from hostile states like Russia and Iran as well as other countries that are boosting defence spending, including Poland and Germany.

She said: “Conflict is coming, we must act now.”

Mrs Badenoch said 3% spending by 2030 is needed and “anything after that is too late”.

“Andy Burnham is kicking defence spending into the long grass,” she said.

“Our enemies are not going to sit around and wait for Labour to find the money to fight them.”

Kemi Badenoch is setting out how she would raise £10 billion a year to hike defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2030.

The plan includes saving £4 billion by reforming housing benefit, and a further £3.1 billion through reimposing the two-child benefit cap.

They would also save £1 billion by ending VAT exemptions for Motability cars, and scrap the Chagos deal to save £200 million a year.

Kemi Badenoch is now giving her speech as the Tory press conference gets underway.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch will set out her defence plans

Reform UK’s three-day conference in Birmingham gets underway today with a business day.

The party’s leader Nigel Farage will give his keynote speech tomorrow.

Read our insider’s guide to the jamboree here.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski will stand in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election triggered by Sir Keir Starmer‘s resignation.

He told the Camden New Journal: “Holborn and St Pancras has everything that’s the best of our country and so much potential.

“But for too long now it’s been held back by governments who have failed to make the changes to improve people’s lives.

“We know that the Greens can win here, and by electing me, voters will have someone who will always fight their corner – never scared of big donors or the party whip. Too often Labour has stood up for corporations and big money. I will stand up for people struggling to pay their bills.”

Labour MP Diane Abbott was “wrong” to suggest that the threat from Russia is a fiction created by Nato, a minister has said.

The MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington criticised plans to hike defence spending, writing on X: “The imminent threat from Russia is a Nato fiction to justify their complete capitulation to Trump’s demands for more military spending. The increase should not go ahead.”

But Home Office minister Anna Turley told Times Radio: “I completely disagree with Diane Abbott, I’m afraid. I think she’s wrong on this.

“We’ve been very clear in our commitment to Ukraine. The Prime Minister has met President Zelensky and avowed our support for their nation in a steadfast way, as we have been as a Labour Government and cross-party on this issue as well.

“So I’m afraid I fundamentally disagree with Diane Abbott on that. We stand wholeheartedly behind Ukraine in this country.”

The UK and France are boosting police officer numbers on the French coast to stop “mega dinghies” from launching across the English Channel, Downing Street said as Andy Burnham prepared to host Emmanuel Macron at No 10 today.

Ahead of the talks, the Prime Minister said the two countries must “stay one step ahead” of the criminals’ evolving tactics as he vowed not to be “complacent” after a fall in the number of small boat arrivals.

But smugglers appear to have started loading more people on to fewer, larger vessels.

No 10 said measures to counter the trend include deploying a surge team of 45 officers to French western beaches in the coming weeks, almost tripling resources in the area.

Ahead of her speech, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said: “The first duty of every government is defence and the Conservatives will always put our defence first.

“That’s why we are setting out our plans to reach 3% on defence spending by the end of this Parliament through further cuts to welfare and restoring the two-child benefit cap.

“John Healey resigned from Keir Starmer’s Government saying Labour were not keeping our country safe. Now he is the Chancellor he should adopt our plans and make sure our armed forces have the funding they need.”

Andy Burnham should make sweeping welfare cuts and scrap the Chagos Islands deal to raise £10 billion a year for defence, Kemi Badenoch will say in a speech this morning.

The Tory leader will set out how she would hike defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2030 in a major intervention.

The Prime Minister has so far only given assurances that the Government will meet its defence commitments.