Sir Ben Wallace warned the UK risks “losing our credibility and leadership on defence amongst allies”.
John Healey and Rachel Reeves visited Wellington Barracks on Wednesday after the Spring Statement (Image: Getty)
The Labour government has been accused of “spin and tinkering” over an announcement to boost defence spending. In her Spring Statement, Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled a £2.2 billion increase for defence and expressed ambitions to make the UK a “defence industrial superpower”.
Sir Ben Wallace, the longest-serving Conservative Defence Secretary, told Sky News he expected better amid heightened global tensions and US pressure for Europe to significantly boost its defence capabilities. He told the broadcaster: “We are at the dawn of a new era of insecurity across the world. The US has warned us for a decade about not taking them for granted, and we all did nothing.
“In Germany, Poland, and France the penny has dropped and they have embraced a necessary culture change and re-prioritisation of government spend.
“In the UK, the government still thinks it is about spin and tinkering. It fools no one, and we risk losing our credibility and leadership on defence amongst allies.”
He added: “The UK is facing some of the highest threats in a generation, yet John Healey thinks spin is the appropriate response. He fools no one – not the men and women of the armed forces and not our enemies. I had expected better of him.”
Sir Ben Wallace warned the UK risks “losing our credibility and leadership on defence amongst allies” (Image: Getty)
It comes as the RAF’s Puma helicopter fleet was retired early this week, without a direct replacement.
The Chancellor, who also announced welfare cuts on Wednesday, said the £2.2 billion increase to next year’s budget was a “further down payment” on plans to boost defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027.
Labour has pushed the rise as “the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War” but defence insiders speaking to Sky News said while new money is welcome, the claim is more spin than substance due to cuts over decades.
Multiple military sources and a defence industry source collectively said the cash injection was not sufficient, Sky reported, with the industry source saying: “This is just another sticking plaster that overlooks decades of underinvestment and chronic financial mismanagement of our armed forces.”
The Daily Express has approached the Ministry of Defence for a comment.
