The Integrated Review has been published. The main headlines here. At its heart is a declaration that the post-WW2 international rules based system is crumbling, and no longer strong enough for the UK to rely on. We will have to do more to defend democracy ourselves, it says. 
It identifies China as the biggest challenge in the difficult new world, but not as an enemy but “a competitor”. The last decade’s twin track approach of trade engagement with security wariness at the same time will continue, albeit a bit more muscular.
Also because of the crumbling world order, the UK is rebuilding its nuclear arsenal after decades of reduction - taking it back up to 260 war heads from 180 (precise numbers never stated for security).
Aid spending will one day return to 0.7% of GNI, but crucially no date given for this, just “when the fiscal situation allows”. As the whole document is aimed at the world in 2030, perhaps that’s the final backstop date for it.
Terrorism hasn’t gone away as a threat either. The international threat will increase as countries in the Middle East and Africa fail. By 2030, it’s “likely” a terror group - perhaps state-sponsored - will have pulled off a Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear attack.
How do we deter rogue states from trying to sponsor mass destruction attacks by terror groups? A major reversal of decades of policy here - we threaten to nuke them.
What of Russia? Its named as "the most acute direct threat to the UK" because of its hybrid warfare to undermine the West. And its activities to destabilise European states predicted to increase.
PM asked directly in the Commons if there will be troop cuts? He totally ducks. 10,000 expected to be chopped from the Army alone to balance MoD books. No mention of that in the IR, just this: "Our land force will undergo its most comprehensive modernisation for two decades".
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