Army Veteran Stuart Anderson has endorsed the Government’s new commitment on defence spending. The Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that the UK will increase defence spending to 2.5% by 2030. Stuart said the plans will help to defend Britain’s national interests in the greatest strengthening of our national defence since the Cold War.
Stuart welcomed the ‘game-changing’ funding, which will see an unprecedented £75 billion over the next 6 years to ensure expenditure on defence reaches 2.5% by the end of the decade. It means that the UK will spend £87 billion on defence in 2030-31. Stuart added that the funding will help to modernise our Armed Forces, putting the defence industry on a war footing and defending freedom’s frontline against an axis of authoritarian states including tyrants like Putin in Russia.
Stuart said that the funding will be a real boost to UK defence science, innovation, and manufacturing sectors - with a new munitions strategy and opportunities for British start-ups and businesses to design and build cutting-edge technologies. It already supports over 200,000 jobs and adds £11 billion a year to the economy through exports. The funding also guarantees support to Ukraine for the long-term by providing an additional £500 million to Ukraine immediately to support the highest priority capability requirements. It brings the total package of support to Ukraine to £3 billion. In fact, the UK’s total support since Putin’s full-scale invasion is more than £12.5 billion, £7.5 billion of which is in military aid.
Stuart Anderson said:
“As a soldier, I have seen first-hand the great sacrifices made by the Armed Forces and their families. We must ensure that our troops have the very latest equipment and technology to ensure the security of the British people. Indeed, this first duty of government. So, I welcome the Prime Minister’s commitment to increase defence spending to a new baseline of 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 – an extra £75 billion for defence by the end of the decade. This is game-changing and secures our place as Europe’s largest defence power. By investing in our national defence and security, Britain will be both safer at home and stronger abroad.”
