Quotes
It would look a lot worst if Europe erupts into chaos due to Putin. But you can’t see the bigger picture. Try commenting on subjects you can understand.”
The comment sparked a reaction from dozens of X users, including one who raged
Defence is super important at the moment so that's a good thing. Perhaps if landlords weren't so greedy people could afford to rent shop spaces.”
Another arguedHalf of British towns look like shanty towns in a third world country. Yet let's increase defence spending.”
The 51-year-old tweeted on WednesdayFair point but then some will suggest defence spending way is needed to protect these one-eyed towns from being hit..not that this will never happen.”
A third said
The whole country stands behind the people of Ukraine but there is also a view that taking money from aid and development to spend on armaments and tanks makes people less safe... because the desperation and the poverty that so often leads to warfare is what aid and development money is supposed to help."
And left-wingLabour MP Diane Abbott told the House of CommonsLet me spell it out, that means spending £13.4 billion more on defence every year from 2027,
Sir Keir told the CommonsWe need clarity and transparency over the money"
Mrs Badenoch saidWe haven't seen the detail of any proposals."
Highlighting the Government's plan to send British troops to Ukraine as a peacekeeping force, she saidShe didn't feature in my thinking at all."
But Sir Keir mocked her questions, telling ParliamentShe has appointed herself saviour of western civilisation."
And he saidIt is important that I am clear that we will continue our support in areas such as Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine of course. That’s the context in which we’ve made this decision.”
The Prime Minister, who previously backed calls to increase the aid budget, also told reporters
I am hosting a number of countries at the weekend for us to continue to discuss how we go forward together as allies in light of the situation that we face,
he saidBasically there will be no new money. All Labour are doing is transferring the money needed to pay for the Chagos deal with the MoD who will now have to pay for it. This is smoke and mirrors.”
A Tory source saidIf Labour are serious about boosting our armed forces, they need to be straight about the facts of what they’ve announced,
he addedIt now appears the figure is just half of what Keir Starmer promised to parliament today,
he saidCan the Prime Minister not see that funding this uplift through ODA (official development assistance) is short-sighted and a strategic and moral mistake because prevention is cheaper than wars, because it gives more leverage for Russia and China and because we do it on the back of the world's poorest.
Monica Harding, the Lib Dem spokeswoman for international development, said
In that circumstance you can argue that aid is almost part of your defence because obviously if a country is unstable, it's more likely to ferment the conditions where terrorism or those sort of disruptive organisations succeed
He said
President Trump, over the last two weeks, has been very direct in his challenge,
Healey said
Let’s just explain this in really simple terms, shall we? £13.4 billion the number would be correct if the government then did not increase the defence budget year-on-year in line with inflation - am I right?”
Host Sally Nugent pointed outHe’s reaching for a bigger number to make his announcement, perhaps one aimed at the US president, sound more dramatic, but I think that he's come unstuck by using numbers which don't quite cohere across the board.”
He explained