Lord West, who served as a security minister in the Home Office during Gordon Brown’s administration, has urged Labour to get ahead of the Conservatives on defence spending
British soldiers taking part in Nato defence drills in Poland earlier this month One of the UK’s most senior military figures has called on the Labour Party to commit to spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence in its manifesto for the forthcoming general election.to pledge to raise defence spending if Labour wins power from £54.2bn, or just under 2.3 per cent, to more than £70bn.
The Labour Party has emphasised its tight fiscal rules under Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who has repeatedly said the it will not borrow for day-to-day government spending and aims to get the national debt falling as a percentage of GDP. “We have to be much better prepared. Defence is the best way to protect ourselves against a military conflict – you have to show your adversaries – so I am clearly in favour .Defence secretary Grant Shapps met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv on 7 March In an unusual move, security minister Tom Tugendhat and Foreign Office minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan both called for defence spending to increase immediately from the current 2.27 per cent to 2.
The Defence Secretary had travelled on an overnight train from Poland to Ukraine, accompanied by chief of the defence staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, and a small team of British officials. The aim of their journey was to meet Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and senior members of his wartime administration.
Lord West warned that Russia president Vladimir Putin would be prepared to kill senior Western politicians like Mr Shapps if he were given the opportunity.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Latest politics news as hopes grow UK could exit recession as GDP rises 0.2% in JanuaryGross domestic product (GDP) is estimated to have risen by 0.2 per cent in January, following a decline of 0.1 per cent in December, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said
Read more »
Glasgow Lord Provost has historic lampposts installed outside west end home at a cost of £17kIt's a tradition that all of the city's lord provosts are entitled to, but neighbours have asked if it's the right use of public funds after the street outside the property was dug up and resurfaced.
Read more »
Pro-Palestine protesters target Lord Balfour painting at Trinity College in CambridgeCambridge Police said no arrests have been made after they received a report of criminal damage.
Read more »
Tonight with Andrew Marr: Lord David Frost, Stephen Flynn, and moreAndrew Marr is joined by Lord David Frost, Stephen Flynn, Lord James Arbuthnot, Natasha Clark, Neil Basu, Fraser Knight, and Dr Gillian Wright on Wednesday's episode of Tonight with Andrew Marr. The show covers various topics including Brexit, politics, and healthcare. Watch the full episode on Global Player.
Read more »
My insane night out in Manchester with a drunken star from The Lord of the Rings'I think about it every day of my life.'
Read more »
Hundreds gather for mass trespass demo at Lord Bathurst's Cotswolds estate: Huge crowds descend on...Hundreds of Right to Roam protesters have gathered for a mass trespass demonstration at Cirencester Park in Gloucestershire today, after the Bathurst Estate introduced entry fees.
Read more »