PM vows to boost UK defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030
WORLD 25 April 2024 - 09:07
BBC carries an article about UK’s prime minister who has promised billions to counter threats from "an axis of authoritarian states", Caliber.Az reprints the article.
UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised billions more for defence to counter threats from "an axis of authoritarian states".
The prime minister said UK military spending would rise to 2.5 per cent of national income by 2030, in a move that hardens a previous spending pledge.
He stressed the UK was "not on the brink of war" but claimed the extra money would put the country's defence industry "on a war footing".
Labour is also committed to a 2.5 per cent target, when economic conditions allow.
Making the defence announcement during a visit to Poland, Mr Sunak said the UK was facing the most dangerous international environment since the days of the Cold War between the West and the former Soviet Union.
The investment was required because the UK was facing an "axis of authoritarian states with different values to ours," including Russia, Iran, North Korea, and China, he said.
These countries, he argued, were showing a "new assertiveness" and were increasingly working together.
It represents a significant increase in UK defence spending, but it will not change the size of the UK armed forces or reverse cuts to the size of the army.
Expensive programmes
Defence sources say it will enable the UK to build up its own stockpiles of ammunition, especially of artillery shells and missiles.
One lesson from the war in Ukraine is that most Nato nations would run out very quickly if they were involved in a war.
The additional funding will also help resource Ministry of Defence programmes already under way - such as an order for new frigates, the development of a new fighter jet, and the modernisation of Britain's nuclear weapons systems.
These programmes are proving to be very expensive and the MoD has been struggling to make ends meet on its existing resources.
But there is also clearly a political dimension to this extra cash injection, ahead of a general election.
There has been no clear distance between Labour and the Conservatives on defence spending, with both committed to 2.5 per cent of GDP when the economy allows.
Now the Conservatives have set a specific date, but with no guarantee that they will still be in power.
'Reprioritisation'
Downing Street says spending would increase gradually over the next six years, reaching 87.1 billion pounds by 2030 – 7 billion pounds higher than if spending stayed at its current level of 2.3 per cent of GDP.
A briefing document given to journalists alongside the plan said it would not lead to higher borrowing, but did not cite specific sources of extra revenue.
Instead, Mr Sunak's spokeswoman said the plans would be funded through existing plans to shrink the size of the Civil Service, and by giving the MoD a share of an already-announced increase in government research spending.
Ben Zaranko, an economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank, said this implied the extra spending would come from cuts to departments with unprotected budgets.
Former defence secretary Ben Wallace also said he thought the extra money would come from a "re-prioritisation of the pie".
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's PM programme, he said the prime minister had told him earlier he had decided defence spending would be a priority, ahead of "some other commitments we thought we may or may not do at the election".
Labour's shadow defence secretary John Healey said the party "wants to see a fully funded plan" to reach this level, but he said the Tories had "shown time and time again that they cannot be trusted on defence".
He said Labour would review resources for the armed forces within a year of taking office, if it wins the general election later this year.
Mr Sunak said his new 2.5 per cent target could set a "new benchmark" for Nato, whose target for members to spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence is now a decade old.
The UK spent 2.07 per cent of GDP on defence last year, according to Nato data, but it estimates it will spend 2.3 per cent this year, including resources given to Ukraine.
Poland was Nato's top spender as a share of its economy, allocating 3.9 per cent of GDP - more than twice the amount it had spent in 2022.
The US was in second place, spending 3.5 per cent, although it is by far the biggest spender overall.
The announcement comes after Mr Sunak confirmed the UK would provide an additional 500 million pounds for Ukraine this year, on top of 2.5 billion pounds already allocated.
He added that the UK could continue to provide "at least the current level of military support to Ukraine for every year it is needed".
Pressure to spend
The government has been facing pressure to increase defence spending since the March Budget, which did not allocate extra money to the Ministry of Defence.
Conservative MPs have been arguing for more, whilst two ministers publicly urged him to increase spending last month.
The new commitment echoes one made by former PM Boris Johnson, who promised in 2022 to raise spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by the end of the decade.
Mr Sunak did not restate this target during his unsuccessful Tory leadership bid that year, instead only committing to the 2 per cent Nato minimum.
Until now, he had been pledging to hit that level at an unspecified point in the future when economic conditions allowed.
Nato has also been pushing its members to spend more. Speaking alongside Mr Sunak, the alliance's secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said the UK was "leading by example".
Last month, MPs on the Public Accounts Committee warned the government lacked a "credible plan" to fund the MoD.
And last year, the National Audit Office said the Ministry of Defence was facing a 16.9 billion pounds black hole in its finances - despite an injection of 46.3 billion pounds over the next 10 years.
Caliber.Az
1
|
Phantom arms deal: How false claims aim to derail Baku-Tehran diplomacy Azerbaijan embraces "forewarned is forearmed" principle
25 July 2024 - 15:34
|
2
|
Could France’s anti-NATO rhetoric trigger domestic turmoil? Leftist Mélenchon's stance sparks historical echoes
24 July 2024 - 10:24
|
3
|
Azerbaijan: The new powerhouse of aluminium production amid global market strain "Green" era's requirement
25 July 2024 - 17:05
|
4
|
Brussels' bait and Yerevan's rush to swallow it The visa-free temptation
24 July 2024 - 09:00
|
5
|
West-backed Armenia likely to spark conflict with Azerbaijan rather than seek peace Caliber.Az reveals expert prognoses
25 July 2024 - 11:10
|
Japan addressing increasing incidents of customer harassment
Service culture under strain27 July 2024 - 03:05
Swiss spots struggle with social media-driven visitor impact
Tourism vs. nature27 July 2024 - 01:03
German chancellor tackles EU expansion, internal reform challenges
Path forward26 July 2024 - 23:03
Italian newspaper explores Azerbaijan's ancient Albanian churches
26 July 2024 - 21:08
Azerbaijani prosecutor general declares ties with Türkiye as strategic partnership
PHOTO26 July 2024 - 20:55
Azerbaijan, Italy strengthening military relations
PHOTO26 July 2024 - 20:42
China demands withdrawal of US nuclear weapons from Europe
26 July 2024 - 20:29
Pentagon concedes to spreading anti-Sinovac propaganda in Philippines
26 July 2024 - 20:16
COP29 presidency team hosts events to tackle key climate agenda issues
26 July 2024 - 20:03
Israel targets Türkiye’s TRT Haber team covering Al-Aqsa mosque incident
26 July 2024 - 19:51
COP20 president: Azerbaijan should lead with ambition at COP29
26 July 2024 - 19:38
Turkish defence minister, Azerbaijani ambassador discuss strengthening military ties
26 July 2024 - 19:25
FBI seeking to interview Trump as part of assassination attempt investigation
26 July 2024 - 19:12
US presidential candidate cites potential path to victory with Biden out of race
26 July 2024 - 18:58
Turkish MP confirms plans for official Azerbaijani school in Istanbul
26 July 2024 - 18:44
US vice president’s call for peace in Gaza sparks controversy with Israel
26 July 2024 - 18:30
FM: Italy to appoint ambassador to Syria after 10 years
26 July 2024 - 18:17
Head of Georgian Parliament blames opposition for compromising national safety
Aid to Ukraine at Georgia’s expense26 July 2024 - 18:03
South Caucasus on edge: West fuels Armenia's war drums
Yerevan clings to deceitful rhetoric26 July 2024 - 18:02
Media: Iran arms Hezbollah with advanced weapons
26 July 2024 - 17:49
Bolsonaro intends to run for Brazilian presidency in 2026, citing confidence in winning
26 July 2024 - 17:36
Armenian PM visits modernised Margara checkpoint on Turkish border
VIDEO26 July 2024 - 17:22
Boeing considers to convert its top fighter into an electronic warfare jet
Caliber.Az on YouTube26 July 2024 - 17:17
Belarus ready to expand cooperation with North Korea
26 July 2024 - 17:09
EU appoints new special representative for South Caucasus
26 July 2024 - 17:01
Azerbaijani-Chinese partnership defies "first among equals" attitudes
Rising above geopolitical cynicism26 July 2024 - 16:55
Armenia's militarization: A "peace agenda" with an armed approach
Yerevan must revisit recent historical lessons26 July 2024 - 16:42
Azerbaijan approves cooperation pacts with Türkiye, Kazakhstan
26 July 2024 - 16:33
Media: US informs Iran of readiness to return to nuclear deal
26 July 2024 - 16:29
Turkish forces take down PKK terrorists in coordinated Iraq and Syria raids
VIDEO26 July 2024 - 16:16
Israeli air strikes hit Hezbollah outposts in response to rocket fire
26 July 2024 - 16:03
Kremlin spox: EU ridicules Orban over Moscow visit
26 July 2024 - 15:51
Armenian parliamentary delegation visits Georgia to strengthen bilateral ties
26 July 2024 - 15:38
Washington talks peace while arming Yerevan
26 July 2024 - 15:38
Travellers from 13 nations explore rebuilding of Karabakh, East Zangazur
PHOTO26 July 2024 - 15:25
European Commission transfers €1.5 billion from frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine's defence
26 July 2024 - 15:25
Trump says US to destroy Iran in case of his assassination
26 July 2024 - 15:12
Kremlin declares dialogue with West futile amid hostility toward Russia
26 July 2024 - 14:59
Somalia, Azerbaijan share common positions on many international forums
Minister’s statement26 July 2024 - 14:46
Azerbaijan promoting tourism potential in India
PHOTO26 July 2024 - 14:33