Williamson taunts May over ‘sticking plaster’ for the military
As one of his own Ministers brands him ‘undignif ied’...
DEFENCE Secretary Gavin Williamson has renewed his feud with Theresa May by accusing her of proposing a ‘ sticking plaster’ solution to the military budget.
Mr Williamson was ordered to see Mrs May l ast week after The Mail on Sunday revealed that he had t hreatened to ‘ break’ t he Prime Minister if she didn’t boost defence spending by £ 20 billion over ten years.
But the summit with Mrs May failed to ease tensions: Mr Williams told friends afterwards that he did not believe that Mrs May was committed to long-term investment in the Armed Forces.
Mr Williamson, who ran Mrs May’s leadership campaign, had boasted to senior officers: ‘I made her – and I can break her’.
A senior defence source said last night: ‘Having spoken privately to the Prime Minister, Gavin fears t hat t he Prime Minister i sn’t minded to meet the demands of military chiefs and Conservative MPs for a proper i ncrease in defence spending to somewhere near 3 per cent of GDP.
‘He’s worried he’ll get far less – something to tide him over, just a sticking plaster – because all the bi g money has al r eady been publicly committed to the NHS. It remains to be seen what Gavin does should this happen. He’s entitled to consider his position given how strongly he has argued with Mrs May.’
The row comes as one of Mr Williamson’s own Ministers has made a coded attack on the Defence Secretary for publicly agitating for more money.
Tobias Ellwood, a former Army infantry officer, said: ‘If we are honest and fair it has got a little undignified, and we must move to making a more reasoned, convincing and cost- effective argument that unites rather than divides opinion’.
Mr Williamson caused fury in Downing Street by warning Mrs May that up to 20 Tory MPs could vote down the next Budget if it did not contain enough money for defence. Such a move would be an effective vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister and could lead to the collapse of the Government.
His remark led to a renewed outbreak of Cabinet infighting, with Chief Secretary to the Treasury Liz Truss saying: ‘We have to recognise that it’s not macho just to demand more money. It’s much tougher to demand better value and challenge the blob of vested interests within your department’.
The defence row is poised to come to a head at next month’s Nato summit in Brussels, which Mrs May is due to attend. Mr Williamson wants her use the summit to announce a significant increase in defence spending.
The senior defence source claimed that Mr Ellwood, the Veterans Minister, was positioning himself as a ‘Defence Secretary in waiting’ if Mr Williamson chooses to quit or is sacked over the row.
Mr Williamson has been backed today by General the Lord Dannatt, the former head of the British Army. He writes on this page: ‘ The Prime Minister has t he opportunity to do the right thing now – for our service people and for the nation.
‘At the Nato summit in Brussels next month she should announce that the UK defence budget will rise to 2.5 per cent which would mean an increase of £6 billion to £7 billion per year. About £3 billion of this should come from the oversize Overseas Aid budget and £ 4 billion additional per annum from the Treasury’.
Last night Mr Williamson declined to comment.