Tory MPs furious after Jeremy Hunt confirms no cash boost for defence

• James Heappey, Mark Francois and Tobias Ellwood have called for spending rise
•  Chief Secretary to the Treasury Laura Trott confirmed any hike will have to wait
•  Chancellor Jeremy Hunt pledged to boost defence budget when it is affordable

Despairing Conservative MPs opened fire last night after the Treasury confirmed there will be no increase in defence spending before the General Election.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s refusal to commit to a cash boost, despite just yesterday talking up the need for more defence spending, could mean the Tories face an even tougher battle at the ballot box.

The attack was led by three former Defence Ministers; James Heappey, Mark Francois and Tobias Ellwood.

Mr Heappey, who has repeatedly called for defence spending to rise to 2.5 per cent of GDP, had submitted a written parliamentary question asking when an increase would happen.

The Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Laura Trott, responded on Mr Hunt’s behalf saying the ‘pathway’ to 2.5 per cent ‘will be set out at the next Spending Review’.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt ‘s refusal to commit to a cash boost, despite just yesterday talking up the need for more defence spending, could mean the Tories face an even tougher battle at the ballot box

As no government Spending Review is due to take place this year, her answer confirmed any hike will have to wait until the next parliament.

READ MORE:  The RAF is spread too thin and needs more fighter jets, Rishi Sunak is warned after British planes rush to defend Israel against Iran

She also told Mr Heappey the Government had ‘consistently prioritised’ defence, including giving his former department the largest investment uplift since the Cold War.

Ms Trott’s response coincided with an interview with Mr Hunt in which he pledged, yet again, to boost defence spending when it is affordable to do so.

But furious former defence ministers have grown weary of the Chancellor’s rhetoric, in particular as recent Mail polling shows voters support higher spending on the Armed Forces.

This paper’s ‘Don’t Leave Britain Defenceless’ campaign, which has called for an immediate rise to 2.5 per cent of GDP – an extra £9 billion this year in real terms, has been backed by former defence secretaries, defence ministers, former senior officers and decorated war heroes.

Last night, Mr Heappey said: ‘I was hugely disappointed by this answer. It treats an increase in defence funding as just another routine Government spending decision which can wait until a post-election spending review.

‘It is as if Treasury mandarins are not watching the news or reading their intelligence reports. The world is getting more dangerous, our brave armed forces are ever busier, and yet the Treasury simply won’t bother to engage until next year.’

On a visit to the United States, Mr Hunt told reporters the UK needs to spend more on defence. He also said former US President Donald Trump was right to demand European members of NATO take more responsibility for their own security.

James Heappey has repeatedly called for defence spending to rise to 2.5 per cent of GDP

Mr Hunt said: ‘It is very important European countries recognise that, when it comes to America’s role in the world, we are actors, not observers.

‘In the end, we have to be prepared to spend more on defence. That is a reasonable request from the United States.’

READ MORE: The West is already at war against enemies who believe we are divided, weak and exhausted: DAVID PATRIKARAKOS reveals why the Britain MUST step up and rearm after seeing first hand the gravity of the threats our nation faces

But it is Britain which risks letting down its allies on military investment. As former UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace pointed out on X: ‘Nearly every NATO country has increased defence spending since the invasion of Ukraine. We haven’t.’

Additional Treasury investment has focused on large-scale defence projects.

Meanwhile, day-to-day running costs budgets have been tightened. UK aid to Ukraine has also flatlined – with Germany set to double or even treble Britain’s contribution to the defence of the country this year.

Meanwhile, Ukraine is running out of ammunition to fend off Russian invaders. In recent years, UK defence spending has been between 2.0 and 2.3 per cent of GDP – roughly half what Britain invested at the end of the Cold War.

Former defence Minister Mark Francois backed Mr Heappey saying: ‘The parallels with the 1930s, when our then Chancellor, Neville Chamberlain, persistently resisted increasing defence spending are becoming starker by the day.

‘With Russian tank factories working around the clock, someone needs to send HM Treasury a copy of Winston Churchill’s history of the Second World War – and explain to them what happens if you don’t maintain strong defence spending.’

His Conservative colleague Tobias Ellwood also called for an increase and for an immediate review of the UK’s security priorities to ensure the money is spent where it is needed.

Read more