New Chancellor knows all too well the importance of defence spending but will John Healey be able to deliver?
The Overton Window has shifted and defence spending can no longer be viewed as an issue that simply requires lip service. Sir Keir Starmer’s downfall was partly down to his failure to commit towards greater defence spending. That should act as an object lesson to the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Therefore the appointment of John Healey, the former Defence Secretary who triggered the end of Starmer’s days as PM, as Chancellor could prove to be a shrewd move. Indeed former head of the British Army Lord Dannatt says it is a “masterstoke” and makes Healey “poacher turned gamekeeper”.
Indeed, Healey accused the Treasury of being “unwilling” to properly fund the Defence Investment Plan (Dip). He must now come up with the solution to this issue that he highlighted a few months ago.
The big question really is how much autonomy Healey will have at Number 11. Is he going to be an independent Chancellor or is the Prime Minister going to look to direct fiscal policy from next door?
Meanwhile, the appointment of Wes Streeting as the new Defence Secretary has raised a few eyebrows, especially as he replaces Dan Jarvis, who had a background in defence.
Lord Dannatt suggests the idea of a defence bond to raise more funding. Any new ideas that help Britain reach its defence funding commitments are to be embraced. But ultimately, Burnham’s Government must be ready to take tough decisions including looking at the welfare bill.
The world has not been this unsafe in generations. Ignoring defence capabilities would be foolish at best and dangerous at worst.