'National security not at the expense of social security': Burnham blasts Badenoch defence plan amid promise
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Labour is being pressured to set out a clear timeline for defence spending increases amid growing threats to the UK
Bullish Andy Burnham has promised to properly support the armed forces, but not at the expense of welfare.
The Labour prime minister intimated that a target to reach three per cent of GDP by 2030 would be announced in the upcoming Spending Review. Military spending dominated proceedings at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) in the House of Commons this afternoon (September 9).
The issue caused problems under former prime minister Keir Starmer’s leadership, with-then defence secretary and current chancellor John Healey resigning following the announcement of the Defence Investment Plan. This was due to a lack of financial support, something which the politician said would put the armed forces at risk.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the armed forces would be properly funded by making cuts to the welfare budget. The prime minister criticised the Tories’ plans to cut housing benefit.
He said: “I don’t think myself that taking £4bn out of housing benefit is going to get the right consensus around this issue, because that would create levels of homelessness in this country that we wouldn’t have seen before – hundreds of thousands of children in temporary accommodation.
“We do everything to support our national security, but it can’t come at the expense of social security. Having strong national security also depends upon having resilience in our communities. This side of the House will not be forced to choose between the two, and we will set out a plan to get to 3.5 per cent (of GDP spent on defence) by 2035 at the spending review.”
Ms Badenoch replied: “It’s unbelievable that the Prime Minister would say that. He’s clearly unwilling. We need to fund our defence, not spend all of our money on welfare.”
Earlier in PMQs, Ms Badenoch said the UK faces “clear threats” to national security that cannot wait to be addressed, and the government should commit to reaching three per cent of GDP on defence by 2030. “His chancellor resigned as defence secretary because the Labour government would not increase defence spending,” she added. “Does the prime minister think he was right to quit?”
Mr Burnham replied: “I appointed the chancellor because of his strong commitment to the defence of this nation. We will honour our Nato commitments of 3.5 per cent, and set a target date for three per cent. That will all be set out in the spending review.
“I don’t think you get the right to come to this house and claim the moral high-ground and point fingers however you can, when defence spending was 2.3 per cent of GDP and fell under 14 years of Conservative government. On this issue, we should do more problem solving than point scoring. We would do our armed forces well if we could agree on this crucial issue more across the floor of this house.”
A lack of funding is starting to put pressure on the armed forces. As reported in the Daily Telegraph, the British Army is being pressured to use reserves less and reduce their training days to save costs. This will also impact the Royal Navy and RAF, but the Army will be hit the most.
Ms Badenoch said the 2035 target is a decade away, and Labour couldn’t be trusted to hit it if they can’t reach three per cent. “The spending review is next year,” she added. “The threats are now. Argentina is threatening The Falklands now. Russia is threatening the North Sea now.
“The chancellor was right to quit. He said Keir Starmer was unable, and the Treasury unwilling, to provide that funding. Is the prime minister unwilling or unable to provide that funding?”
Mr Burnham said: “This government’s commitment to the defence of this country is absolute. We’ve taken the strongest possible stance in supporting Ukraine, and playing our role around the world. We’ll continue to do so.”
Ms Badenoch pressed the prime minister on where the money for defence was going to come from. Mr Burnham said he could not comment on quasi-judicial decisions, but Labour would fund defence and trim the welfare budget in a sensible way.