Grant Shapps has stated the UK “cannot afford to not” enhance defence spending and desires to extend it to three per cent of GDP.
Writing in The Instances, the Transport Secretary stated: “Freedom isn’t free. That’s the reason, as prime minister, I’ll elevate defence spending to 3pc of GDP, in distinction to Nato’s beneficial minimal of 2pc.”
Boris Johnson not too long ago dedicated to rising defence spending to 2.5pc of GDP by the top of the last decade after a Cupboard row over the difficulty.
However this isn’t sufficient to stop Britain from falling behind different Nato international locations within the spending league desk, together with Poland and Lithuania, which have elevated their navy budgets following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, in response to Mr Hunt.
Mr Shapps pointed to the package limitations of the Navy and the RAF, including: “The Army is shrinking in manpower, artillery and armour. High quality is important, however amount has a top quality all of its personal.”
“The defence of the realm is the primary responsibility of Her Majesty’s Authorities. Can we afford to spend extra money on this core accountability? The reply is, we will not afford to not.”
