British voters will not forgive a chancellor who fails to boost defence

SIR – I share the belief expressed to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt by both Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, and Penny Mordaunt (report, March 2) that defence expenditure should be increased in the forthcoming Budget, particularly in view of the crises facing us in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

We have also learnt that due to the introduction of two new frigates, the Navy will have to stand down two perfectly serviceable vessels because of a lack of crew – and budget.

The British public will not soon forgive a chancellor who is seen to sacrifice national security for the sake of tax cuts, however desirable.

Robert Hickman

Andover, Hampshire

SIR – The Chancellor should inform the Treasury that scaling up defence spending is shrewd commercially – an obvious example being the diplomatic leverage that bigger UK defence contributions to Europe’s security would give London. One could also add the importance of the military industry and its supply chains to the UK’S employment and economic activity, which feed into Treasury revenues.

John Barstow

Fittleworth, West Sussex

SIR – The only spending the Chancellor needs to increase in his Budget is on defence. Every other sector has ample money, but it is wasted by poorly administered departments.

It has been proven beyond doubt that cuts to immigration would save the country plenty of money.

To obtain growth, the only solution is to be unashamedly pro-business and cut business taxes.

Finally, to obtain the feel-good factor our country so desperately needs, he should raise income-tax thresholds.

Lady Dutton

Sherborne, Dorset

SIR – I’d be content to pay a bit more tax to finance the well-resourced defence forces we need in these uncertain times. But I will be very unhappy if my taxes continue to underpin the badly managed and bloated structures in government, the NHS and the broader Civil Service.

Bill Halkett

Bispham, Lancashire

SIR – How can this Government have money to spend on aid to India and China, which run space programmes and align themselves to Vladimir Putin, yet say there is no extra money to spend on the defence of the realm?

Judith Rixon

Bourne, Lincolnshire

SIR – The first duty of a government is to protect the country from external aggression. The second is to secure the welfare of its citizens. If it has not achieved the first, it is unlikely to succeed in the second.

K Kenworthy

Mansfield, Nottinghamshire