UK defence spending plan ‘well short of what’s required’ and harder choices needed, says John Healey - as it happened

Britain will have to “dial back” on military operations and exercises in the next few years if the Ministry of Defence (MoD) does not receive extra funding from Downing Street and the Treasury, Rich Knighton, the chief of the defence staff, has told peers. Later John Healey and Al Carns both delivered speeches in the Commons explaining why they resigned last week as defence ministers. Healey , the former defence secretary, said that the defence investment plan fell “well short of what is required” and, referring to Rachel Reeves refusing requests to escalate defence spending more quickly, he said: “Our adversaries don’t follow timetables set by the Treasury.” The UK environment secretary has objected to a £10bn rescue proposal for Thames Water because it would place an “undue burden” on consumers, pushing the troubled utilities firm closer towards public ownership. Refugee groups and lawyers have described Conservative proposals to strip judges of their powers to rule on asylum seekers’ appeals against deportations as “an attack on the concept of justice and equality under the law”. For a full list of all the stories covered on the blog today, do scroll through the list of key event headlines near the top of the blog. Wes Streeting giving a speech on progressive capitalism at an office in London. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA