Defence Secretary John Healey warns Nigel Farage and Reform are unfit to keep Britain safe, saying he wouldn’t trust Farage with national security. His comments follow Farage’s statement that he wouldn’t back a potential UK peacekeeping deployment overseas.

Robert Jenrick was sacked by Kemi Badenoch after a leak suggesting he planned to defect. He then joined Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, becoming the 24th former Tory MP to switch. The move, days after Nadhim Zahawi’s defection, adds pressure on the Conservatives.

Britain and the US have raised readiness as global tensions escalate, activating contingency plans and reinforcing deployments. Ministers signalled a firmer deterrent posture and pledged to protect allies, with forces prepared to respond proportionately to any incident.

Ministers will unveil a £45bn Northern Powerhouse Rail package, including new lines to Manchester and upgrades across West Yorkshire. The long-delayed plan aims to cut journey times, boost capacity and reliability, and support growth across the North. Work will span more than a decade.