Defence spending needs to rise but bold decisions are needed
Arguably the biggest issue facing Britain today is security of its borders and of its allies. The war in Ukraine has been a sobering reminder of what happens when peace is taken for granted and allied nations take their eye off the ball when it comes to defence.
The Prime Minister is right to say that Britain “needs to go faster” on increasing defence spending. The big question that the Government needs to grapple with is how Britain is going to achieve that.
The PM has already committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP next year and 3 per cent after the next election.
US President Donald Trump can’t be trusted, however, his actions have held up a mirror to European nations, including Britain, that we cannot continue to outsource our defence to other countries.
With the Trump administration showing little interest in flying the flag for democratic values, if Britain is going to take up this mantle then it will need firepower. Especially if British forces are going to police the Ukrainian front as part of any peace agreement with Russia.
As the PM says “We want a just and lasting peace, but that will not extinguish the Russian threat, and we need to be alert to that”.
Tough decisions need to be taken in order to find the resources to protect Britain and its allies.
The failure to tackle welfare reform is a reminder of where the country is going wrong. Welfare is where the challenge is. Without reforms, there will never be enough funding for defence. The truth is welfare begins with national security. As it stands, Britain is ill-equipped when it comes to defence.