‘Full steam ahead’: That was the verdict on the Aukus alliance from Defence Secretary John Healey after the United States concluded its review of the alliance this week. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth delivered the good news to Healey and Richard Marles, Australia’s Minister for Defence, in Washington this week. But there’s a catch: with no mention of increased defence spending in last month’s Budget, does the UK really have the money to fund the grand plans Aukus commits it to?

This renewed commitment to Aukus by America is good news and could not have been taken for granted. When the Pentagon announced in June that it was undertaking the review to determine whether ‘this initiative of the previous administration is aligned with the President’s ‘America First’ agenda’, there was re

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