Sunak has committed to raising defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, which he plans to fund through cuts
Good morning. Normally foreign policy is not a central issue in an election year but yesterday Rishi Sunak embraced it; after months and years of trying to find a compelling reason why he thinks people should not trust Keir Starmer to form the next government, he focused on the argument that with Labour in power Britain would be less safe. Grant Shapps, the defence secretary, has been giving interviews this morning and he has been doubling down on the message.
In truth, the gap between Labour and the Conservatives on defence spending is not enormous. Sunak has given a firm commitment to raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, which he plans to fund through civil service jobs cuts and efficiency savings, but he does not plan to reach the 2.5% target until 2030. Labour has said that it aims to increase defence spending to 2.5%, but only when resources allow (which means that it does have have a costed plan to get there).
You can’t wish your way to more defence spending. You have to set out the plans and do it and that is why our plans now are fundamentally different to Labour.
And I have to say as defence Secretary, with everything that I know in this role, that I think that the Labour position presents a danger to this country because it will send a signal to our adversaries that we are not serious about our defence if we won’t set out that timetable.
Personally, I don’t mind people expressing their views on these things. It doesn’t, you know, what lanyard somebody wears, doesn’t particularly concern me.
But I do think – and this is where I think Esther McVey has a point – that what we want is our civil servants to be getting on with the main job. And the main job is to serve the department they work for, in my case, defence, but across Whitehall.
Continue reading…Sunak has committed to raising defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, which he plans to fund through cutsGood morning. Normally foreign policy is not a central issue in an election year but yesterday Rishi Sunak embraced it; after months and years of trying to find a compelling reason why he thinks people should not trust Keir Starmer to form the next government, he focused on the argument that with Labour in power Britain would be less safe. Grant Shapps, the defence secretary, has been giving interviews this morning and he has been doubling down on the message.In truth, the gap between Labour and the Conservatives on defence spending is not enormous. Sunak has given a firm commitment to raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, which he plans to fund through civil service jobs cuts and efficiency savings, but he does not plan to reach the 2.5% target until 2030. Labour has said that it aims to increase defence spending to 2.5%, but only when resources allow (which means that it does have have a costed plan to get there).You can’t wish your way to more defence spending. You have to set out the plans and do it and that is why our plans now are fundamentally different to Labour.And I have to say as defence Secretary, with everything that I know in this role, that I think that the Labour position presents a danger to this country because it will send a signal to our adversaries that we are not serious about our defence if we won’t set out that timetable.Personally, I don’t mind people expressing their views on these things. It doesn’t, you know, what lanyard somebody wears, doesn’t particularly concern me.But I do think – and this is where I think Esther McVey has a point – that what we want is our civil servants to be getting on with the main job. And the main job is to serve the department they work for, in my case, defence, but across Whitehall. Continue reading…