The UK’s top military chief has begged Labour to urgently give the critically underfunded armed forces more money or face inevitable military personnel layoffs and kit cuts.
With the Budget’s tax rises wreaking havoc on Westminster, a confrontation with the armed forces will prove yet another headache for Keir Starmer. An unprecedented letter is set to be written to John Healey, the Defence Secretary, explainingthe Government's defence plans are not achievable unless they are given more money.
In a meeting at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) this week, the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, laid down his demands, reported the Spectator. At one point, the chiefs kicked out all the civil servants and their military aides, and one chief was reportedly particularly vocal.
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It comes at a time when a worrying report has revealed Britain “lacks a plan for defending the homeland” as Labour moves at a “glacial” pace in defence, despite renewed threats. The Commons defence committee has concluded that Britain was failing to meet its NATO Article 3 defence requirements in order to “maintain and develop individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack”. The report added that the UK had “next to nothing” regarding air and missile defences.
The shadow defence secretary, James Cartlidge, said: “These reports are absolutely shocking. At a time when we face the gravest threats, it is unprecedented for our most senior military leaders to expose Labour’s gulf between their rhetoric and reality.”
Funding delays have cut the army hard, with budgets in the MoD being stretched to their limits. Earlier this year, the Prime Minister announced defence spending would rise from 2.3 per cent of GDP to 2.5 per cent by 2027. Yesterday, Rachel Reeves announced it would rise to 2.6%.
“These meetings have become increasingly fraught,” a source revealed. “A letter will be sent to John Healey expressing the united, unanimous view of the chiefs they can deliver the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) but need more money, more quickly.”
“It’s no secret that defence is woefully underfunded and the promises of getting to sensible numbers by 2034 just doesn’t cut it,” one defence official told The Telegraph. “It’s absolutely right that this message is explained to political leaders.”