Gavin Grey: UK correspondent on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer raising defence spending

The UK has confirmed its biggest boost in defence spending since the Cold War, with its Prime Minister warning the world has entered a 'dangerous new era'.

The UK says its spending will rise from 2.3 percent of GDP to 2.5 over the next few years.

UK correspondent Gavin Grey says this money will be taken out of the international aid budget - prompting criticism from advocates. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
When you go to visit an old friend, you take

(00:02):
a gift, don't you, Especially if you go into the house,
you take a gift. You make some muffins or something
when you go over. Gavin Gray's our UK correspondent, Gavin
good evening, Hi.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
There, Hy and I know where you're going with this.

Speaker 1 (00:13):
He is Kistan has taking quite the gift of them.
Isn't he a very expensive one in there?

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Yes? He is, so as kids farmer flying out to
meet the US President Donald Trump today all over Ukraine,
the UK and Europe pushing for a seat at the table,
a bigger say in the future of Ukraine and supporting
Ukraine following a complete about face from America about their
future plans for the country, and the UK has announced

(00:40):
in the last twenty four hours that it is to
spend much much more on defense. It is increasing here
the percentage of its gross domestic product spent on defense
from two point three percent to two point five percent.
It's a very bigger, big figure in real terms. So
how's the government getting this because we're told budgets are tight.
But the answer is it is taking that money directly

(01:02):
out of the international aid budget. That is money that
goes from the UK to countries around the world for
charitable causes, sort of soft diplomacy, as it's called. Now.
Critics are saying the cut to the aid budget is
a betrayal of charitable work around the world. Others are saying, frankly,
we are spending far too much trying to prop up
charities in places like China and India that have space programs.

(01:25):
We don't have a space program, and so why should
we be funding them? And it has already been hailed
this increase in defense spending by the US Defense Secretary
Pete Hesketh called it a strong step from an enduring partner.
The focus Now, Ryan, we'll move on to countries like
Spain that spends just one and a quarter percent of
national income on defense. Italy, another big hitter in Europe,

(01:46):
spends less than one point five percent.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
This is a big story out of the UK BP,
the energy giant. We all know it. They've got a
big announcement they're making.

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Yeah, it's long been mooted, it's long been suggested. We
have talked about this before, Ryan, but now we actually
believe in the next few hours they are going to
come out and say it and that is, they are
going to slash renewable energy investments and instead focus on
increasing oil and gas. In other words, the complete opposite
of what environmentalists are demanding and indeed what the most

(02:19):
recent cop agreements have suggested. But of course we've heard
Donald Trump saying drill, baby, drills, suggesting that America is
going to really push to make the most of it.
The UK has at the moment not been giving new
licenses to oil fields that have been found on the
premise that it's trying to hit this net zero goal.
But BP to outline its strategy later. It's under huge

(02:41):
pressure from investors. Profits are down, the share price has
been much lower than its rivals, and indeed it's not
alone Shell. Of course, another oil giant, Norwegian company Equinor,
they have already announced they are scaling back their plans
to invest in green energy, and some shareholders and environmental
groups voicing concerns over the potential ramping up of production

(03:02):
on fossil fuels. But of course they look across at China,
look across at Russia, and that's exactly what they are doing,
and now look across at America. Five years ago, BP,
once known as British Petroleum said some of the most
ambitious targets among any big oil companies to cut production
of oil and gas by forty percent by twenty thirty
and ramp up investments on renewables. In twenty twenty three,

(03:25):
the company lowered this oil and gas reduction target to
just twenty five percent. Later we expect a new figure.

Speaker 1 (03:31):
The Isle of Man is having a look at legalizing
assisted dying givin Yeah.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
It could therefore become the first place in the United
Kingdom to make it legal. It's being debated in the
parliaments of England and Wales, in Scotland as well, and
then in the Senate in Wales. But it looks in
England and Wales anyway that this is going to put
a lot of pressure on politicians. I think people on
the Isle of Man will and that is the little

(03:59):
island between northwest England and Ireland, and people on there
are going to be eligible to request assisted dying if
they are terminally ill and expected to die within twelve
months over the age of eighteen, registered with local doctors.
There's been a debate about how long you should be
resident for. Currently it's a minimum of five years residency.

(04:22):
So this kind of stops people from becoming flying over
in order to get assisted dying, but at the age
of eighteen, anyone over that and with a prognosis of
twelve months or fewer to live will be eligible under
this legislation being debated. It looks like it's going to
get the go ahead now. They've been talking about it
for a long time and big pressure now on politicians

(04:44):
in England and Wales to follow suit.

Speaker 1 (04:46):
Kevin, thanks so much for that up there, Devin Gray,
our UK correspondent. For more from Hither Duplasy Alan Drive,
listen live to news talks it'd be from four pm weekdays,
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