The Latest Breaking News from Grant Shapps

As the war enters its 574th day, these are the main developments.

It marks Mr Shapps’ first meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, after he was promoted in a Cabinet mini-reshuffle in August.

Unlike his predecessor, the chancellor will be presenting an Office for Budget Responsibility forecast alongside the statement

The new Defence Secretary has indicated that he will seek increased funding for the armed forces, as he warned critics not to ‘underestimate’ him.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps defended the time it had taken to make the move.

Whether you’re violently anti or hysterically pro-Ulez, you have to admit that it demonstrated admirable qualities in our Mayor, Sadiq Khan. He showed us he can be refreshingly intractable and dogged, that he doesn’t mind upsetting people under incredible pressure from half of London, and even his own party leader.…

It was once said that no minister could coherently lead a Whitehall department in under two years. Shapps seems to believe he can do it in two days, says Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins

The Chancellor said Rishi Sunak does not care about the ‘personalities’ involved.

Despite their ‘Global Britain’ rhetoric, both the UK’s soft and hard power has diminished under 13 years of Conservative rule