The warning lights were flashing red well before Vladimir Putin‘s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. And there are few reasons to believe the world is going to become more stable or more safe any time soon.
Authoritarian regimes are not just looking to expand their borders by force, they are increasingly and collectively trying to undermine our way of life. From North Korean cyber attacks to Iran supplying Russia with weapons, the freedoms we cherish and the international rules-based order are under threat.
As a former foreign secretary and home secretary, national security has long been at the forefront of my mind.
I have seen the threats first-hand, in Ukraine, on the Baltic border with Russia, at Israel‘s border with Gaza, Lebanon, and the Gulf states bordering Iran and Taiwan. I have looked the Chinese and Russians in the eye. We cannot take peace for granted.
Increased defence spending must be a national priority. Instead of Keir Starmer‘s dithering, I would move heaven and earth to spend 3 per cent of GDP on defence as soon as possible.
‘I have seen the threats first-hand, in Ukraine, on the Baltic border with Russia, at Israel’s border with Gaza, Lebanon, and the Gulf states bordering Iran and Taiwan,’ writes James Cleverly. ‘I have looked the Chinese and Russians in the eye. We cannot take peace for granted’
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un (front centre)is pictured inspecting a performance test of drones organised by the Drone Institute of the Academy of Defence Sciences at an undisclosed location in North Korea on August 24, 2024
The warning lights were flashing red well before Vladimir Putin’s (left, pictured on August 26, 2024) invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. From North Korean cyber attacks to Iran (right, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on August 25, 2024) supplying Russia with weapons, the freedoms we cherish and the international rules-based order are under threat
Despite what Labour and the other Left-wing parties say, the UK is a vital actor on the international stage and we must play our full role. We are one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, we are a nuclear power and the cornerstone of European defence within Nato.
The world is watching, and what we do next matters. To protect the United Kingdom, deter international aggressors and steer our allies to a safer time, we should invest now.
By spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence, we can increase the size of our fighting forces, invest in new technologies, backfill our support to Ukraine and put our nuclear defence programme on a sustainable footing. You can’t penny-pinch your way to peace.
We spend a quarter of GDP on health, welfare and pensions, and less than 2.5 per cent on defence. To those who say we can’t afford more defence spending, I say we can’t afford not to.
Starmer is ducking the tough decisions. Scrapping Tory welfare reforms and civil service efficiency programmes gobbles up money that should properly fund our national security.
This photo taken from a position in northern Israel shows a Hezbollah UAV intercepted by Israeli air forces over north Israel on August 25, 2024
CGI IMAGE Undated handout computer generated image (CGI) issued by BAE Systems of the latest concept model of the UK’s next generation combat aircraft, the Tempes
In the same week that he sided with Labour union paymasters to hand out bumper pay rises to militant strikers, he has undermined our support to Ukraine.
It’s a national embarrassment.
In the interest of our allies and ourselves, we must take defence seriously – and that means funding it properly.
- James Cleverly is the Shadow Home Secretary and MP for Braintree
