Column: ​Government plan is nothing less than our brave service people deserve

​The Conservative Government has increased defence spending to a record £56 billion a year - including an uplift of £24 billion, which is the largest single investment in defence since the end of the Cold War. However, since the Integrated Review Refresh 2023, links have continued to grow between states that pose the greatest challenge to the UK’s interests.

China and Russia declared a ‘no limits partnership’ in 2022. China is now helping Russia to circumvent sanctions and build its military industrial complex.

Russia is relying on Iranian and North Korean supplies to continue its war of aggression in Ukraine - Iranian Shahed drones and North Korean munitions are being used to kill Ukrainian civilians and damage critical national infrastructure.

Iran has agreed the biggest purchase of military hardware from Russia in over 30 years. North Korea is prioritising efforts to build a missile force capable of evading regional defences by using goods imported from China and Russia.

The UK Government recognises that the international environment is steadily deteriorating, with more instability happening quicker and in more places at once. For this reason, the UK needs to deter threats now because, while the cost of doing so is significant, the cost of inaction would be higher still.

This week the Prime Minister announced “the biggest strengthening of our national defence in a generation.” To do this, the UK announced a plan to steadily increase investment in defence, reaching 2.5 per cent of GDP in 2030.

In cash terms, this means the UK will spend £87 billion on defence in 2030-31, an increase of £23 billion on what we will spend in 2024/25.

Over the next six years, spending will increase steadily and consistently, and the UK will spend cumulatively an additional £75 billion on defence.

The UK will continue to lead the way in Europe, securing our position as the second largest spender in NATO. The UK will be the largest cash spender in the G7 other than the US, and creates a new standard that the UK will call its allies to match.

The increased spending will be funded in full, without any increases in borrowing or debt.

This is because the Government’s economic plan for the country is working. The Government will also pay for this by reducing headcount in the Civil Service to pre-pandemic levels.