“We cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget.”
This is what ex-Nato chief and former Labour minister, George Robertson, said earlier this year. It would appear that most MPs, including the Prime Minister, agree with him.
Earlier this year, the Labour government boasted about “the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the cold war.” This is the same government that attempted to implement the largest cuts to disability support in a generation; the same government that was dragged kicking and screaming over the abolition of the two-child benefit cap; and the same government that has repeatedly told working-class people that “tough choices” need to be made. Why is it that the “tough choices” always seem to hit the poor?
From the moment this government was elected, it has decided there isn’t any money to feed, house or care for people — but there is always money to bomb, kill and injure them. This isn’t about scarcity — it’s about priorities.
And this government’s priorities are clear: no money for the poor, endless money for war. Time and time again, ministers stand at the despatch box and tell the country that “defence” is their highest priority. Not the homelessness crisis. Not child poverty. Not the climate catastrophe. Not genocide. Simply: “defence.”
But what does that actually mean? It means more money on ammunition, guns, tanks and nuclear weapons. It means parts for F-35 jets that are being used to commit crimes against humanity in Gaza and Lebanon. It means more money on equipment that is used to kill human beings abroad.
There is only one real winner of increased military spending: the profiteers of war. We are told that military spending can be “a driver of economic growth.” What this really means is that taxpayers’ money will be paid directly to arms companies, who have a stake in an endless arms race to fuel the conflicts around the world. It’s worth noting that Lord George Robertson’s “registered interests” include his role as a senior counsellor for the Cohen Group, a Washington-based strategic advisory firm known for its consultancy work for major global businesses, including those in the arms and defence sector.
During almost every debate in Parliament, MPs stand up to justify and normalise the endless rise in military spending. Some stand up to criticise the cuts that are used to fund it: namely the cuts to foreign aid. It is disappointing, though, that the vast majority of MPs agree with the principle of a military spending boost.
“Find the money, just not from there,” they say. MPs are obsessed with asking how we can find the money to increase our military spending. They should be asking a different question: what can we be doing to bring about peace?
It is now four years since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. From the beginning, I opposed Russia’s invasion and called for an end to the conflict as soon as possible to save human life. Four years on, and hundreds of thousands of grieving mothers later, I renew this call. There is no glory to war — there is only death and destruction. When leaders neglect to use the language of peace, they should remember that it’s those who are sent to die on the battlefield who end up paying the price. That’s why I continue to call for an end to all wars: in Ukraine, Gaza, Yemen, Sudan, West Papua, the DR Congo and beyond.
Meanwhile, the government is failing to tackle what is by far the largest threat to global security: climate disaster. If the government was really interested in building a safer world, it would understand that there is no such thing as growth on a dead planet, and use the billions they’re spending on weapons on renewable energy instead.
Military spending is not just rising in Britain, but all around the world. According to the Stockholm Institute, world military expenditure reached $2718 billion in 2024, representing the steepest year-on-year rise since at least the end of the cold war.
The top five military spenders — the United States, China, Russia, Germany and India — accounted for 60 per cent of the global total. The world spends $100 million every year on nuclear weapons alone.
We are trapped in an endless, global arms race. Together, we must break the cycle to trigger a new path: toward disarmament, de-escalation and peace. That’s why I am proud to be attending the International Conference Against War on June 20. Imagine if we stopped pumping money into weapons of war, and started spending it on renewable energy, social housing, public healthcare and schools instead?
Security is not the ability to threaten and destroy your neighbour. Real security is getting on with your neighbour. It’s when human beings are not displaced by poverty. It’s when our children can be confident that they will grow up in a habitable world — a world not of endless war, but of lasting peace.
The International Anti-War Conference takes place at Central Hall Westminster, Storey’s Gate, London SW1H 9NH on Saturday June 20. Tickets and more information here
Source: Morning Star