We must boost defence spending to meet dangerous new threats
We have entered a dangerous new era of aggression. e threats we face are broader and less predictable than ever seen before. Russia is waging war on our doorstep, and China is exing its muscles in a stark warning to Taiwan. Our government must refocus on the big picture and reassure the public that security is a priority. To do this, we need to invest in defence.
roughout this parliamentary term, the Defence Commi ee has undertaken inquiries on a breadth of issues, from foreign involvement in the defence supply chain to the experience of women in the armed forces. One message has come through loud and clear: we need to spend more and spend it wisely.
Since the publication of the government’s defence strategies in 2021, international security and stability have su ered hit a er hit: the withdrawal from Afghanistan; the invasion of Ukraine; and one of the most profound economic crises in living memory.
When facts change on the ground, strategy must change with them. Of particular concern is mounting in ation, meaning our armed forces face a real terms fall in funding.
At a time when vulnerability can be so easily exploited, our defence capabilities cannot be allowed to wither. For this reason, we need con dence our forces have the equipment they need, when they need it.
And with the pounds in our pocket worth less, we must be wise with our money, not wasteful. Over the last couple of years, the Defence Commi ee has conducted a series of inquiries into each of the services, concluding that the government must provide sustained and strategic investment. e commi ee’s report, Obsolescent and outgunned, found that our Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV) programme has been plagued with
nancial mismanagement and military indecision, leaving our forces potentially outmatched by adversaries.
Our report We’re going to need a bigger Navy concluded that successive governments’ “failure to fund the ha’porth of tar the Royal Navy needs has literally spoiled the ships”. We have now turned our a ention to a two-part inquiry on aviation, investigating planned reductions to the eet and concerns around the early retirement of aircra and subsequent capability gaps.
Sending arms to Ukraine is not only the right thing to do but helps keep the West
“Our defence capabilities cannot be allowed to wither”