Downing Street intervenes in row over armed forces pay rise

No 10 offers compromise to defence secretary amid bitter rift over overall MoD budgetDowning Street has directly intervened in a standoff between the defence secretary, Gavin Williamson, and the chancellor, Philip Hammond, over a pay rise for the armed services, according to Whitehall sources.
The move comes against the backdrop of an increasingly acrimonious row between Williamson and Hammond over a push for an extra £2bn a year in defence spending on top of the existing £35.3bn bud