My speech in perhaps the most important debate this Parliament: are we ready for war? Recent Defence Committee and Public Accounts Committee reports show we are not.
Government is investing significantly in aspects of defence. But our overall spending is still far too low. We need at least 3% of GDP - bearing in mind we’ll need a lot more if US pulls out of Europe, and many multiples more if we actually end up in a hot war. (It was 50% in WW2).
How to spend it? Major upscale of the Navy - subs, escorts, minesweepers, & undersea defence.
And major investment in the Army - on vehicles yes, & weapons stockpiles certainly, but most of all on people: pay, accommodation & training, to reverse the crisis in recruitment and retention. We need a bigger regular Army and many more Reservists.
The Government gets the need for more funding and I’m sure more is coming, as well as procurement reform to fix the chronic waste in MOD spending.
As per the NewBletchley Foundation report published yesterday, we must be ready to fight the war we want to deter. But we are in a 1930s moment. We have had decades of disinvestment under governments of all colours. It is imperative we reverse it now.
