England

MoD paid £1m to scrap Harriers

The Shadow Defence Secretary has criticised the MoD after it emerged the department spent more then £1 million paying external consultants to negotiate the sale of Britain's Harriers.

The 72 jets were bought by the US for £110 million to be used as spares, after being scrapped in the spending review,

Jim Murphy says "people will find it extraordinary that private consultants are being paid to help slash the defence budget".