Starmer to ready UK for war with billions in defence spending
14 Mins Read
Sir Keir Starmer is poised to unveil a multi-billion pound package to boost the UK defence industry and armed forces in order to ready the country for war and seal his legacy as Prime Minister, The i Paper understands.
The long-awaited Defence Investment Plan, which was originally scheduled for last autumn but has been held up over Cabinet disagreements about funding, will be published as soon as next week, it is understood.
The plan is expected to be backed by £18bn of government funding for new contracts with defence companies to boost the UK’s weapons capabilities and better equip the country for conflict in response to a decrease in global security.
Shorts
science
Women’s faces more attractive to both sexes
Caption: Group of stylish young women with different appearances standing together on a white background. Overhead camera angle creates a modern, trendy look. Perfect for fashion, beauty, and diversity concepts. High-quality stock photo for ads, blogs, and social media Photographer: Galina Zhigalova Provider: Getty Images Source: Moment RF
Women’s faces are rated as more attractive than men’s by both sexes with only slight variations in terms of sexual orientation, a major study has found.
German researchers who compared 1.5m ratings of 17,000 adult faces found that the average female face is scored as more appealing than about 60 per cent of male faces. The results were similar across 76 countries.
The perceived gap in attractiveness declines with age and more or less disappears when people reach their 80s.
Universal allure
The preference for female faces is repeated across multiple cultures but seems strongest in the West.
Caption: Two young adult women from different backgrounds celebrating diversity and natural beauty, sharing a close bond and looking directly at the camera with confidence Photographer: Diem.ph Provider: Getty Images Source: E+
The results suggest both sexes tend to prefer the rounder female face rather than the more rectangular male face.
How humans buck the beauty trend
The study by the Max Planck Institute in Germany appears to confirm Charles Darwin’s observation that humans are different from other animals in that females are perceived as the fairer sex. Sexual orientation only had a small impact on the preference for female faces.
Baby having her first meal by herself sitting in high chair – stock photo. (Photo: Getty)Photographer: Catherine Falls Commercial Provider: Getty Images Source: Moment RF
The researchers were unable to scientifically explain the basis for the preference but believe it is more than cultural. Possible factors include that sexual selection has shaped female faces over milennia or that rounded faces appeal because they are similar to those of babies.
Ed Sheeran in Los Angeles, California. (Photo: Earl Gibson III/deadline via Getty Images)
culture
Ed Sheeran crowned UK’s most-played artist
Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran has beaten fellow music megastar Taylor Swift to be named the UK’s most-played artist in 2025.
The 35-year-old Briton topped the chart of the popular artists across radio, TV and public places for the eighth time in 11 years. Swift was second and Dua Lipa was third.
What you need to know
The figures compiled by music licensing agency PPL show that Sheeran’s music was played on average 574 times per day – equating to 24 plays per hour.
The Briton said he was “so grateful” to be named the most-played artist for the eighth time and offered “huge thanks” to his fans and supporters.
Other artists who featured in the top ten were Calvin Harris (four), Cold Play (six), Sir Elton John (seven), Ariana Grande (eight) and Lady Gaga (10).
Nice to play you
Myles Smith’s “Nice to Meet You” was the single most-played track across all platforms, followed by Lola Young’s “Messy” and Alex Warren’s “Ordinary”. Sam Fender’s “People Watching” was fourth.
Caption: The biggest-selling song by a Brit was Myles Smith’s folk-pop stomper Stargazing, which came twelfth (Photo by Griffin Lotz/Rolling Stone via Getty Images)Caption: EMBARGOED TO 0001 WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 31
File photo dated 7/9/2025 of Lola Young British breakthrough artists including Olivia Dean and Young have led a British music revival over the past 12 months as the UK recorded music market grew for an 11th consecutive year, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) said. Issue date: Wednesday December 31, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Doug Peters/PA Wire
Photographer: Doug Peters Provider: Doug Peters/PA Wire Source: PA
Smith said having the most-played song “doesn’t feel real”. He added: “I’m so grateful to everyone who has listened.” PPL is the organisation responsible for collecting royalties for artists when their music is broadcast or played in public.
society
Country where a social media ban is failing
BATH, UNITED KINGDOM – FEBRUARY 23: In this photo illustration a 14-year-old boy holds an iPhone screen displaying various social media and messaging apps on February 23, 2026 in Bath, England. In the UK, a ban on social media for under-16s has been backed by the House of Lords following the Australian law which aims to stop children under 16 from having social media accounts and social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X, formerly Twitter, and Instagram potentially being be fined for preventing children younger than 16 from having social media accounts. (Photo by Anna Barclay/Getty Images)
Australia set the global pace in regulating social media last December by becoming the first country to ban under-16s from all major platforms.
But six months after the measure was put in place, evidence suggests that more than 60 per cent of Australian children are still using social media. Apps used to hide a user’s location have surged in popularity.
What you need to know
As the UK Government mulls its own restrictions on social media use by young people, Australia’s experience has produced mixed results.
The country’s online regulator reported in March that about 7 in 10 parents stated their child still had social media accounts and there were “major gaps” in the implementation of the ban.
Australian youngsters were found to be using virtual private networks (VPNs) to hide their location and circumvent the ban. Use of lesser-known platforms has also boomed.
UK faces ‘high-stakes gamble’ if it follows Australian model
The Molly Rose Foundation, a UK-based online safety charity, said its research showed there were “major questions” about the effectiveness of the Australian ban. The organisation said following the same model in the UK would be a “high-stakes gamble” and stronger regulation is required. Others argue the Australian ban is still in its early stages.
Explained
3 min read
Exclusive
3 min read
Peter Murrell (Photo Andy Buchanan – POOL/Getty Images)
crime
Cars, iPads and Fifa: What Murrell bought
Disgraced ex-SNP chief Peter Murrell is awaiting sentencing after admitting embezzling £400,310 from the party he once headed.
The list of luxury items he bought using the stolen funds runs to about 100 pages and ranges from luxury watches and a Jaguar to a robotic lawnmower and a £3,500 silver wine coaster. He also bought computers and games including Fifa 14.
Everything you need to know
Cars and a motorhome
Murrell, 61, bought a Jaguar iPace luxury SUV partly using party funds, as well as a £125,000 motorhome.
Car giant Jaguar Land Rover is giving a business update on Thursday which is expected to include job losses as well as investment plans (Photo: PA)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 05: Atmosphere at the Montblanc x The Webster Collaboration Launch Event at The Webster on November 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images for Montblanc)
Pens and grinders
He splurged £9,350 on Bremont watches and £1,407 on Montblanc pens. £2,618 went on salt and pepper grinders.
Coffee and wine
Murrell enjoyed coffee, including a £3,233 espresso machine. He also spent £50 on a Le Creuset wine pourer.
A 12-year spending splurge
The former SNP chief executive stole from his party at a jaw-dropping scale between 2010 and 2022. Using funds earmarked for campaigning, Murrell’s spending ranged from box sets of Sherlock Holmes DVDs to a £2,495 jewellery box and £165 musical advent calendar.
Murrell’s estranged wife, former SNP First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, has insisted she had “no knowledge or suspicion whatsoever” that her husband was using party funds for personal purposes. She said she was unaware of many of the items he bought, including the campervan he parked on his mother’s driveway.
NEWS
BP removes chairman Albert Manifold after ‘serious concerns’ over conduct
Caption: Albert Manifold, chief executive officer of CRH Plc, left, pauses during a Bloomberg Television interview in London, U.K., on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2014. CRH, the biggest company on the benchmark Irish stock index, said it may spend as much as 1.5 billion euros ($2 billion) on acquisitions over the next 18 months, after the building-materials supplier reported a 27 percent increase in first-half earnings. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images Photographer: Bloomberg Provider: Bloomberg via Getty Images Source: Bloomberg
BP has removed chairman Albert Manifold in the face of “serious concerns” related to his conduct, oversight and governance at the oil giant.
The London-listed firm said its board “unanimously decided that [he] should no longer serve as chair and director with immediate effect”.
Albert has helped bring a welcome focus and pace to BP’s transformation. However, the board has been surprised and disappointed to learn of governance oversight and conduct issues it deems unacceptable and has taken decisive action
Amanda Blanc, senior independent director at BP
Caption: SHENZHEN, CHINA – APRIL 26: A BP electric vehicle charging station is seen beside parked cars on April 26, 2026, in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. BP is a British multinational energy company expanding its presence in electric vehicle charging infrastructure as part of the global transition to cleaner energy. (Photo by Cheng Xin/Getty Images) Photographer: Cheng Xin Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images AsiaPac
What happens now?
The board has appointed Ian Tyler as interim chairman and launched a search process for a permanent replacement.
Shares in BP dropped by as much as 5 per cent after Manifold’s departure was confirmed.
Exclusive
4 min read
Exclusive
5 min read
weather
When will the heatwave come to an end?
Caption: WEYMOUTH, ENGLAND – MAY 24: Crowds of visitors are seen at the beach, on May 24, 2026 in Weymouth, England. An exceptional bank holiday heatwave is currently bringing record-breaking weather to England with temperatures forecast to climb into the low 30s by Monday. The intense high pressure has prompted the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) to issue rare, amber heat alerts across multiple regions due to the health risks for vulnerable people and extreme UV levels. (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images) Photographer: Finnbarr Webster Provider: Getty Images Source: Getty Images Europe
Britons experienced a “tropical night” on Monday as heat records tumbled. The mark for the highest daily minimum temperature in May was broken for a second consecutive day (21.3°C). A new maximum temperature record could be set on Tuesday.
But the mercury will start to fall by the middle of the week. In eastern areas, a brisk wind will see temperatures drop by around 10°C.
What you need to know
The May heatwave has surprised meteorologists. Temperature records are normally broken by tenths of a degree. On Monday, the previous May peak of 32.8°C was broken by two whole degrees.
More records could be broken after the hottest day ever in May was recorded at Kew Gardens in west London at 34.8°C. A high of 36°C could be reached on Tuesday.
More seasonable temperatures are forecast from Wednesday onwards, but will remain in the high 20°Cs for many.
Heat records broken more frequently
If this week’s temperatures are confirmed it will mean seven of 12 monthly highs for May have been set since 2003, according to the Met Office. Forecasters warn that UK heatwaves are developing more rapidly.
Wildfires were reported in Scotland and Northern Ireland in April (Photo: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty)Caption: People on the beach at Saltburn-by-the-Sea in North Yorkshire. The fourth heatwave of the summer will continue with temperatures expected to climb to 34C in parts of England. Picture date: Wednesday August 13, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire Photographer: Owen Humphreys Provider: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire Source: PA
A previous study has shown that maximum temperature records are now around three times more likely to be set than in a climate unaffected by global warming. This means that a once-in-a-century heat event is now happening on average every 33 years.
While the blueprint has been stuck in Whitehall for months, insiders said the Prime Minister now wants to push ahead with difficult decisions ahead of any leadership battle with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and former health secretary Wes Streeting, which could come within weeks.
Starmer is intent on getting things out of the door because “he doesn’t feel like he has anything to lose” and he “wants to have a legacy”, a source said.
The Defence Investment Plan will fund the recommendations of the Strategic Defence Review, which was published a year ago next week, including an upgrade to the RAF Typhoon fighter jet capability and the purchase of new F-35A fighter jets equipped with nuclear weapons.
The Times reported earlier this month that Starmer had been presented with two options for the funding package: £12bn and £18bn.
Defence Secretary John Healey and National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell have been pushing for the higher figure, but Chancellor Rachel Reeves has resisted this.
And The i Paper understands that Starmer has been set on building a lasting legacy ever since the leadership crisis triggered by more than 100 Labour MPs calling for him to quit and the resignations of Streeting as health secretary and several other ministers.
If, as is likely, Starmer approves the £18bn increase in defence spending, which would be spread over the next four years, it would push the UK’s funding of defence closer to 3 per cent of GDP by the end of this Parliament, ahead of the schedule originally set out by the Prime Minister last year. In 2025, Starmer had pledged to reach 2.5 per cent from April 2027 and 3 per cent during the next Parliament.
But since then, the international outlook has changed dramatically, with increasing demands from Donald Trump for European Nato allies to spend more on defence, Russia stepping up its hybrid war activity, including through its shadow fleet in the waters around the UK, and the conflict in Iran.
While Starmer’s critics on the Labour benches have accused the Prime Minister of acting too slowly on the domestic agenda, he can stake a claim to have enhanced the UK’s standing on the international stage.
Under Starmer, the UK has forged a deeper relationship with its European Nato allies in France, Germany and Poland, and resisted pressure from Trump to join the war in Iran.
If he is still Prime Minister by July, Starmer is also set to meet Trump at the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey. The publication of the Defence Investment Plan will help rebuild bridges with the US President after the falling out over the Iran conflict.
Whatever happens to his premiership in the wake of the Makerfield by-election on 18 June, which Burnham is tipped to win, the publication of the Defence Investment Plan next week would allow Starmer to carve out a legacy on national and international security.
However, defence firms and opposition parties have complained that the delay to publication, from its original expected date of last autumn, has caused more uncertainty to the UK defence industry and armed forces at a time when other countries are spending more on building up their armaments.
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