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Tony Diver Political Editor |
John Healey’s dramatic exit from the Cabinet may have come as a surprise to his friends in Westminster, who know him as one of the most loyal Labour men in the land.
It might not be that shocking for those on the inside of the defence investment plan talks, who have witnessed months of bitter negotiation over the extent of military funding increases. Or to readers of this newsletter, which reported yesterday morning on tensions between Sir Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and Ed Miliband over how to plug the spending hole.
Healey’s departure is a savage blow to Starmer’s authority and lays bare the implacable differences between the former defence secretary and Rachel Reeves, who has rejected requests for more money.
Rachel Reeves and John Healey meet RAF personnel at Waddington in February |
Last night, only a few hours after Healey’s letter, Al Carns resigned as Armed Forces minister, citing similar concerns over a “failure” to commit proper funding to the military.
Starmer’s opponents say that he is now a prime minister in office, but not in power. Kemi Badenoch says he is a “lame duck”. His allies claim Reeves is at fault, but that he can do nothing to rein her in.
This is a dire position for a prime minister, and has only fuelled expectations that Andy Burnham will replace him next month. This may have only been a row about defence spending, but it could soon be remembered as the final days of Starmer’s political life.
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David Blair Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator |
What on earth does it take for Starmer to steel himself to spend enough on defence? That is the vital question posed by John Healey and Al Carns’s resignations.
If Vladimir Putin’s onslaught against Ukraine, the raging crisis in the Middle East and Donald Trump shaking the very foundations of Western security are insufficient, then heaven knows what might budge our paralysed Prime Minister.
The tragedy is that even if Dan Jarvis, who was appointed last night as Healey’s successor, manages to convince Starmer to spend what he must – the Government has already wasted the past two years.
Britain could have spent that time rearming and insuring itself against the worst. Many of our European allies have been doing exactly that. Instead, thanks to Starmer, these are the years the locusts ate.
Go deeper with our full coverage:
• Healey exit torpedoes Starmer ➤
• Former defence secretary’s resignation letter lays bare year-long power struggle over defence ➤ |
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Ben Wallace The ex-defence secretary is a decent man. But he allowed himself to be constrained by Rachel Reeves Continue reading ➤
Tom Tugendhat Starmer has chosen welfare over defence, and Britain will pay a terrible price Continue reading ➤
Hamish de Bretton-Gordon Britain’s military chiefs can’t endure PM’s insult. They should quit too Continue reading ➤ |
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Raul Jimenez scored Mexico’s second goal |
In yesterday’s newsletter, we surmised that this would be a World Cup like no other. In the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, there were three red cards. The previous two tournaments saw just four each across the whole tournament. Outside the ground, Oliver Brown, our Chief Sports Writer, witnessed the two sides of this competition. On one hand were countless fans in Mexico’s bold green shirts joining the mariachi bands and dancers in a scene which resembled a Frida Kahlo retrospective, and on the other violent clashes between protesters and police. This mad World Cup is finally under way.
Read the full report here ➤
The eight changes you need to know about for this World Cup ➤
Plus, sign up to our Total Football newsletter for daily editions during the tournament ➤ |
Joanna (not her real name), 30, is struggling to solve her young son’s uncontrolled fits of rage |
My five-year-old son has threatened me with knives, and said he might kill me, writes Joanna*. I’m terrified. Children being violent towards their parents is on the rise, with increasing numbers of incidents being reported to police and local authorities. This is what it is like to live with a young abuser. Continue reading ➤ |
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SpaceX is poised to list on the New York Stock Exchange but the excitement created by Elon Musk’s rocket company stretches far beyond Wall Street, writes Chris Price, our Markets Editor. For the first time, British investors can buy shares in a US company during its initial public offering on stock markets. However, in rushing to own a piece of the largest listing in history – expected to value SpaceX at $1.8tn – retail investors are also taking on the risks of Musk’s ambitions while putting him on the path to becoming a trillionaire. For subscribers only ➤ |
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‘Middlemen prey on holidaymakers confused by the online red tape’ |
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Prof Lewis Halsey of the University of Roehampton studies energy expenditure |
After spending a decade studying how we burn calories, Prof Lewis Halsey has uncovered exactly how our bodies fight to remain the same size, scuppering weight-loss goals. Here, he explains the calorie-compensation phenomenon and shares three exercise and diet techniques to overcome it and start shifting the scales. Continue reading ➤ Here is another article that I hope you’ll find helpful this morning:
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‘To everyone complaining that the fifth series is repetitive and contrived: if it ain’t broke…’ |
Television Clarkson’s Farm ★★★★★ Critics who complain that the new series of Clarkson’s Farm is repetitive are entirely missing the point. Once again, there are cows, sheep, grumbles about bureaucracy, zany business ventures, an indecipherable Gerald and scenes of Clarkson despairing about the things of which Kaleb has never heard (the latest being the game of Poohsticks and Roger Taylor from Queen). Why would we want it any other way?
Read Anita Singh’s full review ➤ Opera Giulio Cesare ★★★★★ Handel’s breathtaking 1724 opera Giulio Cesare opens with a barrage of virtuoso arias and never lets up. This clever new production for the Grange Festival, by David Alden, is a whimsical and witty take on the story of Caesar’s infatuation with Cleopatra, featuring no fewer than four counter-tenors under the unobtrusive baton of Christian Curnyn. It’s a great night out.
Read Nicholas Kenyon’s full review ➤ Film Disclosure Day ★★☆☆☆ Steven Spielberg has a long-standing flair for interspersing fun films with serious ones: for every Jurassic Park, a Schindler’s List. His latest – a conspiracy thriller in which Emily Blunt and Josh O’Connor try to blow the lid off a 70-year-old UFO cover-up – is a rare attempt to pull off those two modes at once, and regrettably ends up bungling both. The result feels oddly empty and derivative: like Men in Black without the jokes.
Read Robbie Collin’s full review ➤ |
Chivalry lives onEvery weekday, Orlando Bird, our loyal reader correspondent, shares an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Orlando writes...
Is chivalry dead? That was Lorna Perry’s contention – and I must say that by the time I had finished reading her article, I was wondering where I could find the nearest florist (of course, I should have known already).
Telegraph readers weren’t so sure, though. If recent letters are anything to go by, Arthurian ideals are alive and well, at least in places.
Robyn Maitland wrote: “I feel so sorry for young people these days. Forty-five years ago, when I was going out with the man who became my husband, he would not let me walk on the outside of the pavement, always walked me to my door, and cared for me above all else. He’s still the same after all these years.”
Cherry Tugby added: “Thirty-one years ago, my then boyfriend opened the car’s passenger door for me to get in. ‘How long will this last?’ I wondered, thinking he was trying to impress me. Today, my husband still opens the door for me.”
Pam Haworth offered this tale of recent gallantry: “As I walked with my stick through Stansted Airport on Monday, three men asked if I needed help going down stairs. I didn’t – but I was so pleased to know that people care.”
Finally, there was a touching letter from Ken Hope: “I have been married for nearly 62 years, and am still fortunate enough to wake up my wife every day with a kiss, before helping her dress.
“I do all the basic shopping and cooking (mostly ‘ping cuisine’), and always buy her fresh flowers. She has Alzheimer’s disease. I only have vascular dementia. Reading The Telegraph and doing the daily crosswords may be helpful.” What's your view on the state of chivalry? Send your replies here and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of this newsletter.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. |
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1931 | Al Capone is indicted on 5,000 counts
2018 | Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un meet: a first for a North Korean leader and a sitting US president
2025 | Air India Flight 171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick crashes. All but one of the 242 people aboard are killed (see the front page from the following day below)
Birthdays: Dave Franco (41), Rick Hoffman (56), Jordan Peterson (64)
Plus, in the news today, a sheepdog named Tilly was reported to the authorities by a passerby for... chasing sheep. Who did the do-good-er call?
Tom Trueman with his sheepdog Tilly, an eight-year-old border collie |
1. The local police force
2. The RSPCA
3. PETA
4. The NFU
Click one of the options to reveal the answer... |
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Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including The 1% Club, Cogs, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was EVALUATOR. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. |
Please let me know what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback here.
Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow.
Chris Evans, Editor |
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