Andy Burnham has made clear that he accepts Sir Keir Starmer’s new £15billion defence spending increase.
Sources close to Andy Burnham told the media
“The Defence Investment Plan has been settled. It’s important for confidence in the defence industry and preparedness that the investments are delivered.
“Andy Burnham recognises the rising demands on defence and has been clear on the need for defence investment which unambiguously backs British jobs and British industry.
In a press conference Kier Starmer announced that £15bn extra will be spent on defence by “reprioritising spending across government”
Road and energy projects that are not ‘immediately vital’ will be scrapped to fund the boost, the Prime Minister said and spending on military housing has also been delayed.
It will take total spending to £298bn over the next four years and will take the UK to 4.2% of GDP on defence and national security by 2035
“We’re in a more dangerous and volatile world than at any time for decades” he said
The investment will help build a British Army “10 times more lethal”, with attack drones alongside Apache helicopters, a new surveillance drone fleet, and a “major expansion” of one-way attack drones
The plan will create “almost 60,000 jobs” with the motto “Back British” for defence procurement
The Prime Minister meanwhile rejected claims that defence spending could be funded by defence bonds, warning that it is just borrowing by another name
He says that borrowing more to fund defence spending would just put interest rates even higher
‘We should not sacrifice that now. Strong public finances are a fundamental part of our strength in this world. Lose control of them we’re not just poorer, we’re much less secure
‘The hard truth is there are no easy answers. But the settlement I am setting out today is the right choice for the country’
