A reduction in the size of the army is being considered as part of the government’s foreign policy and defence review, which is set to end by the autumn in a victory for Dominic Cummings.

Boris Johnson will announce plans today to overhaul the approach to foreign policy through the cross-Whitehall exercise, which he has pledged will be the most sweeping review of defence and security since the Cold War.

The Ministry of Defence is in line for a funding increase after No 10 sources said that the review would not be “cost-neutral”. While some of the extra cash is likely to fund investment in cutting-edge weapons, cybercapabilities and space technology, the department’s multibillion-pound funding black hole in its ten-year equipment plan will have