Nothing ministers do matters more than our defence

SELDOM do prime ministers speak of our fighting forces without a lump in their throats.

As Rishi Sunak gushed in his Christmas message to Britain’s troops: ‘In a dangerous world, I’ve seen how you’re working around the clock for the good of us all.’

So much for the gratitude of politicians. While our leaders are quick to become dewy-eyed over the selfless dedication and bravery of our servicemen and women, they are depressingly reluctant to match their words with deeds.

even Tory governments – who should know better – have run down the Armed Forces they are so ready to send into battle or on other perilous deployments.

Defence budgets have been plundered to prop up unsustainable levels of funding elsewhere, most strikingly for health.

To govern is to choose, of course. But the choices are coming back to haunt Britain.

The threats facing us are far more unpredictable and serious than even during the Cold War. Yet the Army is so short of troops, it couldn’t even field a single 10,000strong division. The Royal navy has been reduced to little more than a coastal force.

To make matters worse, the Commons’ spending watchdog says the Forces face a £29billion funding black hole, which means further vital equipment could be axed.

With war raging in europe and authoritarian regimes on the rise, it was simply unforgivable for Mr Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to conjure up not a bean in the Budget to urgently upgrade our threadbare defences. This is a shortsighted and dangerous mistake.

That is why the Mail has launched our Don’t Leave Britain Defenceless campaign. Calling for increases to Ministry of Defence funding from 2.3 to 4 per cent of GDP within a decade, it is supported by former defence secretaries, top brass and war heroes.

With the Budget gone, the perfect time to announce a surge in funding would be nato’s 75th anniversary summit in July.

Donald Trump has said he would let Russia ‘do whatever the hell they want’ to pact members who failed to spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence. Yes, his comments were puerile. But it is hard not to have a grain of sympathy with his sentiments.

For too long, some europeans countries have skimped on security, opting instead to piggy-back on America’s military might.

By pledging to bump up our military budget, Britain can show real leadership.

If we are to get serious about defence spending, the MoD’s notorious procurement operation must be licked into shape.

The department has long set the Whitehall benchmark for incompetence and serial mismanagement of its budget. Taxpayers’ money must not be squandered.

And while we need more troops, tanks, guns and jets, modern warfare will involve cyber conflict, unmanned aircraft, drones and computer-controlled battlefleets. We must be prepared for that, too.

With an election looming, Mr Sunak fears losing votes by slashing other budgets. But none of the Government’s obligations is more crucial than the defence of the realm. If our security is compromised, all other areas of life are endangered. Only through military strength will we deter our enemies.

Time and again, our Armed Forces have proved their incalculable worth to this country. The very least we can do in return is give them the resources and tools they need to do their job and keep us safe.