DefenceNational 20h 44m left
Is delaying a firm date for 3% defence spending the right choice?
UK defence spending is projected to reach 2.7% of GDP by 2030 under the Defence Investment Plan, which added £15bn over four years to hit £80bn annually by 2029. The government is committed to 3.5% by 2035 per Nato but has delayed specifying when 3% will be achieved, citing fiscal constraints and the need for a full spending review. This comes amid rising global threats, with former Defence Secretary John Healey having resigned earlier over insufficient ambition.
8 Opinions
Absolutely. Nature of warfare has changed dramatically; we need to invest in new technologies. Anyway, many big capital defence projects suffer massive cost overruns, design failings, delays.. There’s also concern about motivating volunteers to enlist. People have more media access & are cynical about a call of patriotism from politicians (safely, with family members) kept away from front line danger! Similarly the wealthy - some of them benefiting from investments in war
With the wast waste UK budget is, it should be eas task to find required cuts to find out the money for the pledge.
Defence of the realm should be the first priority of any government, particularly at a time when Russia is becoming more dangerous. The armed forces are underfunded, particularly the navy and need more money.
Rushing to pledge 3% before completing a defence review is reckless posturing that threatens domestic public services when borrowing costs are already sky high. The MOD has a notorious track record of wasting billions on botched procurement... pouring more money into a broken system without fixing how it's spent is pure waste.