𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

The first duty of any government is to protect its people. Without security, there can be no real economic growth. Without strong armed forces, there can be no credible foreign policy. If we don’t show Britain is a serious power, how can we expect to be taken seriously?

When Andy Burnham appointed John Healey as Chancellor of the Exchequer, I assumed it was a sign that the new Prime Minister had recognised this essential truth. In case you’ve forgotten, John Healey was the Defence Secretary under Keir Starmer. Then Healey resigned because he felt the government was not taking defence seriously.

In his resignation letter, Healey shockingly accused Starmer of forcing him to “make decisions that would reduce the readiness of our forces and increase the risk to personnel on operations and could make the country less safe.” John Healey resigned on a clear point of principle – that Britain should be hitting 3% of GDP on defence spending by 2030. But on Labour’s current funding levels at best we’d be around 2.7% of GDP by the end of the decade.

While the new Prime Minister has been happy to tell us how he makes his tea and his favourite pub snacks, he’s been weirdly evasive on whether he will give the military the cash it needs. This matters. The world is getting more dangerous. Russia invasion of Ukraine continues and it’s ramping up its aggression in Europe. Iran is causing instability across the Middle East and blocking crucial oil shipments. China is expanding its military power and challenging the international order.

Meanwhile, new threats in cyber warfare and artificial intelligence are changing the nature of conflict. This is not the moment for complacency or wishful thinking. It is a moment for serious government. Labour talks endlessly about values but too rarely about the hard choices required to defend them. Ministers announce reviews, commissions and strategies, but our armed forces need more than warm words, they need the financial backing to ensure they have the equipment they require to deal with the threats we face.

It feels like Keir Starmer all over again. Teasing lots of goodies but never delivering.

The Conservative approach is different. We understand that government cannot keep promising ever-higher spending while pretending there is no bill. That’s why I want to reform the welfare system so that it supports those who genuinely need help, while reducing unsustainable levels of spending on benefits for those who can work but choose not to. This is about restoring fairness, encouraging people into work, and ensuring taxpayers’ money is focused on where it delivers the greatest public good.

Every pound wasted on a welfare system that is not working is a pound that cannot be invested in modern equipment and better housing for service personnel, increasing the size of our armed forces and the industrial capacity needed to sustain Britain in more dangerous times.

The Labour Party has been reluctant to make those difficult choices, especially when it comes to welfare. Instead, it has preferred to borrow more, tax more, or simply hope that something will come along and save them from making the decision. Hope is not a defence policy. It is not a funding strategy either.

None of this is easy. Every budget involves choices, and every choice reflects values. Conservatives believe that defending the nation must come before expanding an already costly welfare state that often traps people in dependency instead of helping them towards work and independence.

Andy Burnham has been able to spend the summer avoiding scrutiny. The same goes for John Healey. But September is approaching and the markets, the military and the public need answers to serious questions. Chiefly, will the government finally commit to spending 3% of our GDP on defence by 2030 as the Conservatives have done?

In an increasingly dangerous world, we need a government prepared to put national security first, make responsible choices about public spending, and ensure our armed forces have the resources they need to keep our country safe.