This is not the answer to the threats Britain faces | Letters

The strategic defence review is premised on an increasing threat in Europe from Russian territorial expansion (Keir Starmer vows to make Britain ‘battle-ready’ as he unveils defence spending plans, 2 June). The lessons of Ukraine underline the reality of that threat. But there are other threats to the UK that require engagement across the world and that will not be solved by more drones and more bullets.Battles for territory and for political power beyond Ukraine result in death and despair for millions. Climate change, deepening inequality, poverty, famine and the displacement of populations generate humanitarian agendas that a country such as ours should respond to

Truss should be banned from ever running as Tory candidate again to show ‘we get it’, says former minister – as it happened

Conor Burns, a fomer Tory minister who lost his seat at the election, has welcomed Mel Stride’s speech this morning (see 10.19am), but urged the party to go further – and rule out Liz Truss ever again being allowed to stand as a candidate for the Conservatives.In a post on social media, he said:It is long overdue for the Conservative Party to draw a line under the ClusterTruss. It was a period of shame in the Party’s noble history. With a lack of any self awareness, zero contrition and deranged conspiracy theories she has made it hard for the party to rebuild

Like a rural bank manager, Sideshow Mel wades into the Tories’ battle for irrelevance | John Crace

Some things in life you just don’t see coming. Like a lottery win. Like Spurs winning a European trophy. You can now add to those two: Mel Stride getting a full house for one of his speeches. Not even standing room was available

Reform UK row as party chair calls new MP’s burqa ban question ‘dumb’

A row has broken out in Reform UK after its newest MP called on the prime minister to ban the burqa, with the party’s chair, Zia Yusuf, saying it was a “dumb” question given that was not party policy.Sarah Pochin, who recently won the Runcorn and Helsby byelection, asked Keir Starmer in parliament on Wednesday: “Given the prime minister’s desire to strengthen strategic alignment with our European neighbours, will he in the interests of public safety follow the lead of France, Denmark, Belgium and others and ban the burqa?”Her call was met with cries of “shame” from some MPs, and Reform later clarified it was not the party’s policy but that it could be part of a debate.Nigel Farage, the party leader, also weighed in later on GB News, saying: “I don’t think face coverings in public places make sense, and we deserve a debate about this.”However, Yusuf responded to the idea on X on Thursday suggesting the question should not have been asked.“Nothing to do with me

Labour’s £13.2bn warm homes plan will not face cuts in spending review

Ministers have decided not to cut Labour’s landmark £13.2bn fund to fix draughty homes and install heat pumps and solar panels in next week’s spending review, it has emerged.A government source confirmed Rachel Reeves, the chancellor, would not be making cuts to the flagship warm homes plan. The decision, which was first reported by the Daily Telegraph, marks a victory for Ed Miliband in his negotiations with the Treasury over the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s budget.Labour pledged in its manifesto to spend an extra £6

Fears Tata Steel could be excluded from Starmer’s Trump tariff deal

Ministers are reportedly working to stop the UK’s biggest steelmaker, Tata Steel, from being left out of tariff-free access to the US under Keir Starmer’s trade deal with Donald Trump.The prime minister said on Wednesday that he hoped his deal with the US – which has been agreed but not signed – would come into effect “in just a couple of weeks”, after the US president decided to pause 50% tariffs on British steel and aluminium products for five weeks.However, the deal could end up excluding Indian-owned Tata Steel, which runs the vast Port Talbot steelworks in south Wales, because of the origin of some of its products, its bosses fear. The company exports more than $100m worth of goods into the US market every year.Tata Steel shut down its blast furnace at Port Talbot last year owing to its transition to a greener electric arc furnace