Why Armed Forces accommodation needs to be a priority
The need for Britain to bolster its defence capabilities has never been more apparent. The war in Ukraine and the stop-start conflicts in the Middle East means no country can turn a blind eye to defence, not least nations in Western Europe. Especially as US President Donald Trump has indicated that America will no longer underwrite the security of its allies.
While there has been a lot of rhetoric about meeting defence spending targets, reports suggesting that the Government is to defer much needed spending on Armed Forces housing sends out the opposite message.
The Government has a moral obligation to ensure that members of the Armed Forces and their families are living in accommodation that is fit for purpose. The whole point of this funding was to tackle issues of mould and damp in Armed Forces accomodation.
What does it say if we’re not able to provide those that have sacrificed so much to defend this country are left living in squalid conditions. It is simply not acceptable.
Armed Forces have been treated as an afterthought for too long by successive governments.
Last year, now Chancellor, then Defence Secretary, John Healey said the Government would undertake “the biggest renewal of armed forces housing in more than 50 years” in a drive to “back Britain’s military families”.
The two deferrals of funding on military accommodation is not backing military families.
There has been a lot of speculation about the Chancellor pulling a rabbit out of the hat and finding the money to meet the target of spending 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence.
Balancing the books at the cost of Armed Forces families would not be acceptable.