Britain continues to sleep walk into danger as defence funding falls short
Britain is at risk of sleep walking into a danger if it does not ramp up investment in defence. The resignation of John Healey as Defence Secretary earlier this month should have been a wake up call. Yet the Government continues to persist with leaving the nation short when it comes to defence.
The defence investment plan (Dip) rapidly descended into a political crisis, which contributed to Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership falling apart.
The scrapping of plans to replace Britain’s ageing warships from the Dip will inspire little confidence. Modernising the armed forces and prioritising drones should not mean that destroyers and frigates won’t be needed.
The new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is to be applauded if, as is widely understood, he has secured around £1bn extra for the plan after Healey resigned in protest over funding.
But it is clear that even a total settlement of £14.5bn, an uplift on the £13.5bn offer rejected by Healey, falls well short of what is required. Officials previously said £28bn was needed.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin says that Britain finds itself in the “unprecedented” and “unusual position” of being second from the bottom in a Nato league table that ranks member states based on how they are hitting the alliance’s capability requirements.
Britain is a long way off being able to come to the aid of allies but it is increasingly apparent that Britain is vulnerable when it comes to defending its own realm.
The US has made it obvious that it will no longer be charitable and underwrite the defence shortcomings of allies.