 promised a staggering 50% rise in military spending, to 3% of gross national product by 2030. This naive pledge would cost an additional £157billion over the next eight years, the largest military budget since the Korean War era of the 1950s. Naturally, this was music to the ears of Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who let it be known that he would resign if it is not honoured by her successor. But Sunak did not sign up to this bizarre pledge, and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is reportedly considering a freeze on defence spending over the next five years to help plug a £40billion hole in the public finances. The stage is set for a battle royal between the brass hats and the Treasury. Hunt, the smiling assassin of the junior hospital doctors in 2016, is not known){kind=link}
Paul Routledge wonders whether Jeremy Hunt’s tight rein on the Government’s fiscal strings will mean the defence budget gets frozen and the UK’s support of Ukraine will suffer
The farcical Tory leadership battle and the TV comedy show Fawlty Towers had one thing in common.
Nobody mentioned the war. Britain’s proxy war against Russia, which threatens to become a nuclear conflict.
Now that the Conservatives have called a truce in their civil war, our new Prime Minister must fight on the Ukraine front.
As Chancellor under Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak faithfully stumped up Âmilitary and economic aid, so far costing £3.8billion in less than six months.