UK defence spending has slumped since the Tories took power in 2010, a minister has been forced to admit. Britain spent 2.47 per cent of its wealth on armed forces 14 years ago. Spending on Britain’s defence has slumped since the Tories took power, a minister was forced to admitGettyThe decline was revealed by Defence minister the Earl of Minto when quizzed by peers But that has fallen to 2.28 per cent — after a low of 2.03 per cent in 2015. The decline was revealed by Defence minister the Earl of Minto when quizzed by peers. PM Rishi Sunak has said defence spending will go up to 2.5 per cent ..read more

EX-Army Captain Hugh Andree is Defence Secretary in The Sun’s ­Cabinet of readers we have appointed to hold our politicians to account in the run-up to an election. So when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak launched Operation Prosper at the RAF Museum in Colindale, North West London yesterday he invited our Cabinet member for Defence. Hugh Andree backs the Government’s scheme that supports service leavers, veterans and their familiesSimon Walker / No 10 Downing Street Hugh, 55, who served in Ulster and Bosnia, quizzed the PM and Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer about the Government’s new £2.1million s ..read more

RECENTLY I met veteran Mark Harding. In 2010 he was shot in the neck in Afghanistan and told he would never walk again. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledges to make Britain the best country in the world to be a veteranGetty But last year he did just that, walking from John O’Groats to Land’s End for charity. Think of everything that veterans like Mark have given for our nation. Think of what they’re still giving in civilian life. And then ask yourself: are we doing enough to support them? To all those who have served in uniform I have a simple pledge: we are going to make this the best country i ..read more

VETERANS will bag high-flying jobs under a government scheme to help “swap the uniform for a suit”. PM Rishi Sunak has today pledged £2.1million to give ex-squaddies support to take top positions in the City and beyond. GettyRishi Sunak pledged £2.1million to give ex-squaddies support to take top positions in the City and beyond[/caption] GettyThe PM will launch Operation Prosper to provide ‘wraparound employment’ support for Britain’s former soldiers[/caption] He told The Sun: “With their unparalleled resilience and resourcefulness, we should see our veterans for what they are — one of our na ..read more

A SOLDIER who lived off fast food and drank up to six energy drinks a day died of a cardiac arrest during a fitness test. Private Joshua Kennington, 18, had marched 3km with 11kg in his rucksack when he collapsed. army.mod.ukThe inquiry rejected claims Private Joshua Kennington’s death was due to exercise and found his diet of five junk food meals a week and six daily energy drinks played no part[/caption] He was serving with the Royal Logistics Corps at Catterick, North Yorks, when he died in 2022. The Army said the march was “not arduous”. Comrades performed CPR and used thrice used a defibr ..read more

THIS is the touching moment war veterans turned out for a funeral of a paratrooper who died with no family. The veterans showed up to pay their last respects to Lance Corporal Terence ‘Paddy’ Purcell who served with 2 Para and 3 Para even though most had never even met him. Funeral celebrant ex-Para and 22 SAS Bob Craft salutes the coffinVeterans responded to a call on social media to attend the funeral He had no known family or friends and faced a lonely farewell at Kingston upon Thames Crematorium at his 9.40am allocated time slot today. But in a rare celebration of the positive impact of so ..read more

NEARLY 1,500 troops battling to stand to attention in the bedroom are being given Viagra. Some 1,497 squaddies across the Army, RAF, Navy and Marines have had medical codes for erectile dysfunction added to their military profiles in the last four years. AlamyNearly 1,500 troops battling to stand to attention in the bedroom are being given Viagra[/caption] And 877 were prescribed specialist medication to beat the bonk-blocking condition last year alone. The total included 417 from the Army, 232 from the Navy and 228 from the RAF – while 230 patients were Officers. It is the lowest prescription ..read more

RISHI Sunak last night vowed to tackle “unacceptable” accommodation for hero veterans and soldiers. The PM was grilled by The Sun Cabinet over the scandal of former and current service people living in decrepit housing blocks. The Sun Cabinet’s Defence Secretary Hugh Andree last night challenged Rishi Sunak on the quality of veterans’ accommodationDarren FletcherDarren FletcherThe PM vowed to ensure all vets get the “treatment that they deserve”[/caption] Darren FletcherThe PM poses with Sun Health Secretary Bhasha Mukherjee, host Harry Cole, Sun Defence Secretary Hugh Andree and Sun Transport ..read more

RISHI Sunak will TODAY face a no-holds barred grilling from Sun readers. You have sent in hundreds of questions for the Prime Minister ahead of his appearance on our new Never Mind the Ballots show. Rishi Sunak will answer YOUR questionsDan Charity / The SunThe PM will be grilled by The Sun’s Political Editor, Harry ColeDarren Fletcher - The Sun Hot topics for Rishi include if he’ll ever achieve his pledge to stop the boats, the cost of living crisis, NHS and the state of the nation’s defences. He will be quizzed by Political Editor Harry Cole — two weeks after Sir Keir Starmer’s own appearanc ..read more

AN EX-Royal Marine dad-of-three has been revealed as one of three Brits killed in an “unintentional” airstrike on an aid convoy in Gaza. The trio, which included a special forces hero, worked for a security company based in Dorset, The Sun can reveal. Former SBS hero John Chapman, 57, was among the three Brits killedJames Henderson, 33, was travelling in a clearly-marked car when the convoy was hitFacebookEPAThe burnt-out wreckage of World Central Kitchen’s car – where the aid workers were hit[/caption] EPAA burnt out hole in the top of the truck showed where the hit landed – next to the chari ..read more