#defence spending

[ceevee5]

Streeting says Burnham government will prioritise military over other spending

Defence secretary says he will give arms industry ‘clarity and confidence’ in contrast to row preceding Starmer’s exit

Funding bus fare cap from aid budget will hit world’s poorest, Burnham told

Proposal ‘throws global south countries under the bus’, says ActionAid UK directorr

But you know, this doesn’t matter, because he wears a dark t-shirt and trainers.

[eaglesnick]

“Even today we don’t pay serious attention to the issue of poverty, because the powerful remain relatively untouched by it. Most people distance themselves from the issue by saying that if the poor worked harder, they wouldn’t be poor.”

— Muhammad Yunus

Never was the expression “same old, same old" more appropriate than when it comes to government statements and attitude towards welfare payments.

Below is a series of statements by various Conservative Chancellors since 2010.

“Work or lose your benefits: Iain Duncan Smith heralds biggest shake-up of welfare state since the war." (Mail Online 28/05/10)

“Hammond calls for fresh welfare cuts to protect military spending." (The Herald: 03/03/13)

“The benefit system is broken. I  think people in this country understand that the welfare system needs to change."  (George Osborne 02/04/2013

“DWP’s own statics show that nearly 90 people died every month between December 2011 and February 2014 after their ESA benefit stopped because a work capability assessment found them able to work." (Independent: 23/11/16)

“Sajid Javid insists Universal Credit cut will go ahead amid warnings of ‘catastrophic’ consequences" (Canary:12/09/21)

“Jeremy Hunt has been accused of "demonising" disabled people after announcing sweeping welfare changes that will strip them of benefits if they don't look for a job.”  (Sky News: 22/11/23)

“Tories pledge to cut rising welfare bills." (Rishi Sunak LBC News: 08/06/24)

Every Tory Chancellor has cut welfare payments. It is what we expect from uncaring Conservative governments whose priorities are always  cutting government spending.

No Tory government seems to be concerned about the causes of a rising welfare bill – junk food leading to ill health, decades of low wages, a rigged housing market leading to unaffordable rents and a lack of social housing, starving the NHS of sufficient funding, a total lack of planning regarding social care of the elderly. I could go on.

The one connecting theme is those on welfare are seen as unworthy of even the little help they are given. Time and time again, it is the poorest and least healthy in our society who are told they must make sacrifices to save the country money because it is their fault they are poor or sick.

Strangely it is never the rich and wealthy who are asked to contribute more. They can go on enjoying paying a lower tax rate for their unearned income than the ordinary men and women who have to work for a living; and while the British government provides £23billion to corporations and big business over the next three years, the poorest in our society  must take a cut in their benefits. In short, the poor and the sick are subsidizing big business.

This is what we expect from the Tories and comes as no surprise. What is disheartening is that this is now the policy of the Starmer Labour government.

“Keir Starmer defends planned welfare cuts …Prime minister wants to reform disability benefit payments to help fund greater spending on defence." (Financial Time: 10/03/25)

Really?  The poor and the sick are to pay for the defence of the rich and wealthy? It's a novel idea but how about the rich and the wealthy paying some of the necessary increase in defence spending? Perhaps an end to their tax breaks? Perhaps an end to their tax avoidance schemes? Perhaps a tax on their wealth? Maybe British business could be charged a defence levy?

But no, that just isn’t going to happen. Starmer is a Blairite and Blaire is a supporter of the old neo-liberal economic order. The disillusionment with neo-liberal free market economics and its failure to boost the living standards of ordinary Americans has led to the rise of the populist hard-right Donald Trump. The same thing is going to happen here and Starmer and the Conservative party will only have themselves to blame.

[defensenows]

[generalelectionmusings]

[eaglesnick]

101 Things You Should Know About the UK Tory Government

Thing 31

In 2019, Boris Johnson, then Prime Minister, pledged “to bring shipbuilding back to the UK and strengthen the Royal Navy.” GOV.UK:12/09/19).

Ben Wallace was Johnson’s Secretary of State for Defence at the time. Ben Wallace is still Secretary of State for Defence under Sunak, but now the message has changed. Instead of bringing back shipbuilding to the UK Wallace has been accused of betraying British workers.

“Tories hand shipbuilding contract to Spanish-led bid in ‘a stab in the back’ for UK. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace used a visit to a shipyard in Devon to confirm the £1.6 billion order for Fleet Solid Support ships would be awarded to Team Resolute, led by Spanish firm Navantia.” (Mirror: 16/11/22)

On the day he took office, unelected Sunak made the country a number of promises including:

“Levelling up and building an economy that embraces the opportunities of Brexit, where businesses invest, innovate, and create jobs."

What he didn’t tell us was that many of those jobs he wanted to create would be going abroad and that British taxpayer's money would be paid into the coffers of over-seas companies.

[markdowe]

Labour’s defence spending. A ruse

UK DEFENCE SPENDING Intro: Ministers are resorting to desperate measures to boost Britain’s military budget “We cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget … We are under prepared. We are under insured. We are under attack. We are not safe … Britain’s national security and safety is in peril.” If these words had been said by James Cartlidge, Britain’s almost invisible shadow…

[israel-palestine-doc]

Israel estimates Iran war cost $11.5B, defense officials seek billions more

Even as the Finance Ministry Says Reserves Can Cover Costs if Fighting Doesn't Expand, the Defense Ministry Pegs the Iran Campaign Higher an

[thoughtlessarse]

Dutch defense spending surges past NATO targets as alliance sets sights higher

The Netherlands comfortably met NATO’s previous defense spending target last year, while only a few other member states barely reached it. F

The Netherlands comfortably met NATO’s previous defense spending target last year, while only a few other member states barely reached it. Following the summit in The Hague, NATO countries are now expected to aim for a significantly higher minimum. However, not all nations have met the agreed threshold for the portion of their budget devoted to weapons. In 2025, the Netherlands spent 2.59 percent of its GDP on defense, surpassing the agreed minimum of 2 percent, according to NATO. Since President Donald Trump took office, the United States has intensified pressure on European allies and Canada to raise their defense budgets, even threatening to withhold protection from allies who fail to contribute sufficiently, challenging the core principles of NATO. Southern European nations have been especially reluctant to increase their defense spending, though they made small last-minute contributions to ensure that Trump would attend the summit in The Hague. In the past year, Spain, Portugal, Canada, Belgium, and Albania each hit the 2 percent target, while Italy and the Czech Republic only slightly exceeded it with 2.1 percent. Despite earlier reluctance, European countries and Canada increased their defense spending by 20 percent compared to the previous year, NATO reports in its annual briefing by Secretary General Mark Rutte.

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