𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

John Healey has been accused of putting “benefits before bullets” after leaving Britain’s defence budget £1billion worse off and failing to deliver a promised spending boost. The Chancellor, who quit as Defence Secretary just four months ago in a bitter row over military funding, pushed back setting out a plan to raise defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2030 until next year’s spending review in his Budget.

In a bitter irony, he told MPs how his own son had been left without ammunition during a military training exercise – even as he delayed committing the billions needed to bolster Britain’s Armed Forces. He told the Commons: “At the spending review next year, I confirm that I will set out the details of how we will meet our Nato commitment to spend 3.5% of GDP on defence by 2035, with a target date for 3% in 2030. And today I am getting work under way to get there in a fiscally sustainable way.”

But former defence secretary Ben Wallace criticised Andy Burnham’s party for “risking the lives” of soldiers while the welfare bill soars.

Documents from the Budget showed the Ministry of Defence is set to receive £1 billion a year less for the next two years than set out by former chancellor Rachel Reeves.

Mr Wallace told the Daily Express: “Labour are putting benefits before bullets and in doing so risking the lives of our men and women of our armed forces defending this nation is not a game to be carried out by press release and empty promises.

“The Chancellor confirmed that our armed forces are going to see a real term cut to their day-to-day funding next year that means less maintenance, less training, less ammunition and less operations at a time of very, very dangerous world.”

During his Budget statement, Mr Healey revealed his son, who is an Army Reservist, returned early from training four years ago saying they “had no kit and no bullets to fire”.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the Chancellor’s announcement as a “plan to have a plan”.

She said: “He should have set out a plan for 3% today. So now he is the man who is increasing risk to personnel on operations, he is the man who is making our country less safe, he has failed his own test.

“This is on him and no-one will ever forget. If he had any decency he would resign again today.

“What he’s done is he’s given himself a bit of breathing space until next year. Instead what we have is a plan to have a plan. I bet Putin’s really scared now.”

Reform UK’s Robert Jenrick added: “John Healey resigned as Defence Secretary and demanded 3% of GDP is spent on our armed forces by 2030.

“He is now Chancellor and won’t say how he will find the money. He has failed his own test. He should resign again.”

Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: “Hidden in the back of the budget – John Healey is actually cutting £1billion from the MoD in a Budget where he should have been increasing defence spending, to keep Britain safe in a dangerous world.

“The same John Healey who resigned demanding 3% on defence by 2030 has failed to deliver this as Chancellor, and has instead resorted to penny pinching our military.

“We all know why Healey’s kicked down the road on 3% and hit defence with further cuts – because he’s got no plan to cut welfare. Labour are still putting social security before national security. This is a complete dereliction of duty from the Chancellor.”

Labour MP Tan Dhesi, who chairs the defence committee, warned there is a “cost to inaction”.

He said: “Investment in our nation’s defence and security cannot be kicked into the long grass. Our adversaries are not bound by fiscal years and spending cycles.

“We need to urgently rebuild our capabilities now, or we risk leaving ourselves seriously vulnerable in the event of a major conflict. It will take more than promises for the Government to transform its ambitions into reality.”

Former defence minister and ex-soldier Tobias Ellwood said that “an opportunity to improve security has been ignored in favour of an election strategy to pay for welfare”.

He said: “Burnham’s whole strategic approach is to woo a slice of the electorate that will certainly reward him at the ballot box for greater spending on all matters connected with welfare.

“What Burnham is doing is setting up an election-winning Budget, an election-winning strategy that targets your typical voters, your typical socialist voters. The old red wall seats he’s targeting, rather than putting Britain first.”

Reaching the 3% target by the end of the decade is estimated by the Office for Budget Responsibility to cost an extra £17.3 billion in 2029-30.

But Mr Healey’s announcement was welcomed by Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and NATO chief Mark Rutte.

Mr Streeting said: “This Labour Chancellor is investing in our defence – a Britain ready to fight and a country worth fighting for.”

Mr Rutte said it would put Britain “on a credible path” towards meeting its Nato commitments.

The NATO general secretary said: “Good news on the new budget from Mr Healey with a strong commitment on defence.

“The UK role in transatlantic security is vital and I welcome this move to put Britain on a credible path towards meeting the commitment made by all Nato allies in The Hague – to ensure we’re all investing what’s needed to remain ready (and) able to deter aggression, and defend our freedom and security.”

Treasury officials said the missing £2 billion was due to previous forecasts for the cost of Armed Forces pensions being revised down.