Iran: Chancellor Rachel Reeves accused of 'gaslighting' over state of Royal Navy amid Middle East 'tinderbox'
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Vicious remarks regarding the state of the British armed forces overshadowed the Chancellor’s Spring Statement - with the government accused of “gaslighting” the public.
Bitter remarks swirled in parliament today as Rachel Reeves defended Labour’s record on the defence sector since the last General Election. Dame Caroline Dinenage, Conservative MP for Gosport, disagreed and stated the party was not serious about bolstering the armed forces at a time of increased tensions.
This comes as the government is considering whether to deploy a Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer to the Middle East after hostilities broke out in Iran over the weekend. Portsmouth-based destroyer HMS Duncan is the most likely candidate out of the current three operational Daring-class ships. Tehran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on Saturday (February 28) during American-Israeli strikes on the nation.
Retaliatory strikes against Middle East nations and Western positions followed. RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was hit with several drone strikes in the early hours of Monday (March 2). Defence secretary John Healey previously confirmed minimal damage was caused and there were no casualties. Families were evacuated as a precautionary measure.
Beginning her spring statement, Ms Reeves said she is in “no doubt about Britain’s ability to navigate” challenges, as she defended Labour’s performance since the 2024 election. She said: “I want to reassure this House that I am in regular contact with the governor of the Bank of England (Andrew Bailey), with my international counterparts and with key affected industries, including our maritime sector, and tomorrow. I will meet with our North Sea industry leaders to discuss the implications that they face and work with them to manage this uncertain period. In an increasingly dangerous world.
She added: “I am in no doubt about Britain’s ability to navigate the challenges we face. The plan that I have been driving forward since the election is the right one – stability in our public finances, investment in our infrastructure including our Armed Forces, and reform for Britain’s economy.”
Dame Caroline was less than impressed by the chancellor’s response. She said: “The chancellor’s words on defence simply do not reflect the reality at a time when the world has never felt more unstable. Every corner of our armed forces are being asked to find cuts.
“People currently in Gosport only have to look out of their windows to see our Type 45 destroyers are currently laid up at Portsmouth Harbour. This is the first years since the 1980s that we haven’t had a ship in the Gulf at a time the Middle East is a tinderbox.
“The RFA is on its knees. Defence companies are being tied up with bureaucracy. She’s mentioned a couple of contracts, but so many of them are bogged down with dither and delay. She’s gaslighting the British people. This is a disaster for our defence and our armed forces. When is she going to face reality?”
Three of the six Type 45s - HMS Duncan, Dauntless and Dragon - are currently operational. HMS Daring, Defender, and Diamond, are currently undergoing Power Improvement Project (PIP) enhancements to restore their engines.
Responding to Dame Caroline, Ms Reeves said: “I am the chancellor who has overseen the largest increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War. We are spending more on defence than the previous government. That is why I was able to announce a helicopter contract worth £1bn, why a new frigate came from Rosyth, and it’s why we’ve been able to invest in the Typhoon jet. I don’t take any lessons from the party opposite, when we are increasing defence spending and they oversaw a cut.”