The leader-in-waiting knows he needs to plug the gaps in defence spending and the soaring national debt if he’s going to deliver his hopeful vision for the country. Raising capital gains tax won’t touch the sides, and slashing welfare is toxic for Labour. But, there is a case for a ‘compassionate cuts’ agenda, writes James Kirkup

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s ambitious £298-billion Defence Investment Plan (DIP) has sparked a political row after it emerged that nearly £5 billion required to fund the…

As a defence minister admits Starmer only told Burnham about a £5bn black hole in the Defence Improvement Plan at the last minute, the prime minister-in-waiting is under pressure…