History shows targeted aid reduces the burden on the military. Labour is risking the very security we are trying to ensure.
The world is more dangerous today than at any time since the cold war. Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine, tensions in the Indo-Pacific, and instability in the Middle East demand that Britain steps up. Our armed forces must be properly funded to meet these threats, and increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP is a welcome and necessary move.
But we need to go further and faster to meet the challenges we face. Britain’s military capabilities must be strengthened to deter aggression, safeguard our interests and maintain a credible global presence. But cutting aid to fund it is a fundamental strategic error that risks making us weaker, not stronger. Funding one out of the money allocated to the other risks undermining the very security we are trying to ensure.
