EXC: Treasury is preparing to seize control from the MoD of spending on the GCAP multibillion-pound fighter jet programme, as part of DIP settlement
Turf grab is part of the final DIP wrangling, with PM set to unveil c. ยฃ15bn extra for military up til 2030, including c. ยฃ6bn for GCAP, in an announcement as soon as next week (with Thurs 11 June mooted as target date)
PM and Chx have a โfundamental disagreementโ over GCAP, which Reeves fears could be โjust the next HS2โ - ie beset by spiralling costs, delivery delays and shrinking scope - acc to govt figure. (Person close to Reeves denies characterisation of disagreement with PM)
The Treasury bid to take control of GCAP spending is designed to help avoid repeat of past MoD debacles on equipment programmes
Officials are set to justify the move by pointing to complicated intl structure of GCAP, which UK is developing with Japan and Italy, and complexity of programme... but some govt insiders fear those same structures will make spending difficult to rein in
Comes ahead of Japanese PMโs planned visit to UK next week
w/ @sylviapfeifer & @Urbandirt
https://t.co/5yRWSJiTBX
Russian warships only do this when theyโre in extreme distress.
(Russian Navy corvette Boikiy burning in drydock after a Ukrainian drone attack via @vantortech)
One thing worth bearing in mind amid the Henry Nowak tragedy: Russia actively exploits these moments.
Before the facts are established and before investigations conclude, an online swarm appears. Some are genuine people, of course. People are right to be upset. However, some are activists, some are opportunists chasing clicks, many will be automated or coordinated influence accounts trying to exploit that natural emotion of outrage. The objective is to deepen division and destroy trust.
Iโve noticed my own replies flooded with anonymous accounts pushing highly emotive claims, demanding instant conclusions and attempting to drive outrage. Some will be real people. Many almost certainly are not.
What strikes me as particularly curious is how many of these accounts appear aligned with Reform. That does not mean Reform is involved, nor that Reform supporters are bots. It is deeply strange that they follow the same playbook, however. Hostile states amplify whatever is most likely to increase polarisation, weaken confidence in institutions and pit citizens against one another.
Russian information operations have spent years exploiting contentious issues across Western democracies. Immigration, policing, identity, social cohesion and political distrust are ideal targets because they already generate strong emotions. Funnily enough, itโs also the same playbook Hamas and their allies use.
The family asked for Henry Nowakโs death not to be politicised. Instead, it has become a canvas onto which everyone is projecting their pre-existing beliefs.
The best defence is to stop and pause. Ask why people want you to see the narrative youโre seeing to try and get you riled up and jump to conclusions. Wait for the evidence, let the investigation run its course, and be wary of anyone demanding certainty before the facts are known.
Donโt let yourself be manipulated. When youโre upset is the worst time to draw conclusions.
My recent peer-reviewed paper explains how the psychology of this all works. https://t.co/0dIIF7oPp3
A reminder that Baroness Casey's Review of the Metropolitan Police had a section titled "Evidence of racism in the Met" and gave an example of police saying "all lives matter".
For weeks, Irish politicians have dodged questions about the refinery in Ireland supplying Russiaโs war machine.
So I tracked down government minister Niall Collins at a farming show.
He refuses to back sanctions & his stance was worse than I expected.
Avoidance.
@Luke_Jahn_@CassieCEW Well said Luke and very articulately put like a true patriot.
โOur island story was not built in a generation, and it will not be lost in one either.โ
We mustnโt and canโt allow that to ever happen, we inherit England from our ancestors, but we borrow it from our children.