May pledges boost in spending every year on defence of Britain
DEFENCE spending will rise in every year of the next parliament if the Tories win the General Election, Theresa May pledged last night.
The promise came as she sought to take advantage of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s weakness on national security.
The Tory manifesto will guarantee defence spending rises by at least 0.5 per cent above inflation annually over the next five years.
It will be at least two per cent of the country’s national income as required by the rules of Nato membership.
The flagship policy was revealed as Mrs May declared: “As Prime Minister I always have and always will put Britain’s national security first.”
Delivering her manifesto commitment, she said: “Under my leadership the Conservathe tives will ensure that the brave men and women of our Armed Forces have the equipment and resources they need to keep our country safe – and that we meet our obligations to the world.”
She added: “Only a vote for me and my Conservative team will deliver the strong and stable leadership that is vital for our national security.”
The peacenik Labour leader is due to deliver a major speech on defence tomorrow.
Senior Tories see defence as an issue on which hard-Left Mr Corbyn has little or no credibility.
A life-long supporter of the campaign for nuclear disarmament, he has repeatedly wobbled over backing Britain’s Nato membership and has refused to support RAF strikes against Islamist terrorists in the Middle East.
Mrs May’s promise came after she met Nato secretarygeneral Jens Stoltenberg for talks in Downing Street.
Britain is one of only five of 28 Nato member countries that meets the alliance’s two per cent of GDP target for defence spending.
Mrs May’s promise is likely to be welcomed by US President Donald Trump, who has urged European countries to take more responsibility for funding the alliance.
Meanwhile on the campaign trail yesterday, Mrs May urged voters to forget their past party allegiances and back her as the best leader to fight for Britain in the Brexit negotiations. During a visit to Nottingham, the Prime Minister warned that her need for a strong hand in the coming wrangle with the EU meant the outcome of the General Election was too important to be determined by long-standing tribal loyalties.
Speaking to an audience of Tory candidates for the June 8 poll, she said: “Every vote for me and my local candidates is a vote that strengthens our hand in those Brexit negotiations. Just stop for a minute to think what the alternative would be – to risk making Jeremy Corbyn our prime minister. Can you picture it? Jeremy Corbyn, sitting at the negotiating table with the combined might of the European Commission and 27 other European countries ranged against him?”
She warned that the Labour leader could sneak into Downing Street with the combined backing of smaller parties.
THERESA MAY has reaffirmed her commitment to Nato and to spending two per cent of GDP on defence. This is the level expected of all Nato members and yet it is an obligation that many nations fail to meet. It is now more important than ever that the UK takes a lead when it comes to military matters.
President Trump has previously complained about European countries which fail to meet this target, nevertheless continuing to rely on the might of the US military to keep them safe.
To ensure the US remains a committed partner progress has to be made on encouraging all members to meet their obligations.
As Europe’s primary military power we are well placed to lead this effort. However it will be impossible if we are not ourselves committed to maintaining a strong army, navy and air force.
Mrs May’s commitment to Nato does not come as a surprise. She is after all a sensible and grown-up politician who recognises the importance of an alliance that won the Cold War and has ensured peace in Europe since the end of the Second World War.
The same cannot be said of Jeremy Corbyn whose barmy ideas for the military have included sending Trident submarines to sea without their missiles.
If there is anything that exposes the difference between Mrs May’s practical politics and the student union-style idiocy of her opponent it is their attitude to defence.