UK government launches ‘branch and root’ review into defence

With the future of America's military spending abroad looking uncertain, in the UK, the government has commissioned a review into Britain's defensive capabilities.
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The prime minister has promised to outline a route towards increasing defence spending to 2.5% of the economy. But Keir Starmer hasn't yet said when that might happen.
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[@michaelkavanagh5947]

It’s kind of funny people say labour spend too much then hassle the PM to break the bank. It’s a paradox.

[@hmq9052]

Or trap, perhaps. Glad you spotted it too

[@riverdeep399]

I think the people want money spent on services, not government paying their buddies for dodgy over priced contracts and ridiculous bonuses. Government are Nepo Babies,not real folk.

[@redbeard3923]

Send the politicians to defend Britain

[@da90sReAlvloc]

Farage wouldn't he'd hide so would Boris Johnson

[@redbeard3923]

@@da90sReAlvloc So like the rest starmer etc

[@hourbee5535]

When money grows on trees 😂

[@elcunto7623]

It does, uks #1 export is marajua!

[@rodolphodecastrorodrigues7457]

people DID NOT VOTE for that.

[@strangemagic5502]

They voted for all of what labour will do

[@rodolphodecastrorodrigues7457]

@@strangemagic5502 that is not how it works.

[@strangemagic5502]

@@rodolphodecastrorodrigues7457 well actually it does even if we don't like it. You have to read their manifestos and we vote every five years if we don't like their decisions

[@timwade4397]

With the majority they have who's to stop them pushing through anything.​@@rodolphodecastrorodrigues7457

[@gotenksjr]

@@strangemagic5502 No we didn't some of us didn't vote for Labour, only about 34% of those who voted did I think

[@dasdasdatics420]

Britain is not at war

[@Statueshop297]

Forces are needed to keep it that way

[@AngloSaxonFreeBritain]

Islam wants us to keep them away

[@paulgibbons2320]

They have a full regiment deployed to delete my comments. 😂 Think they have far too much coin 😂

[@reallymakesyouthink]

Better to put the money into the NHS.

[@csharpe5787]

I don’t see you, but my comment will be deleted as it has been!

[@susie6133]

So what if you are not here anymore due to war, we are seriously lacking in our defence. Think before you type and understand

[@Jase29]

It's a waste of money. Experts have said over the last 20 years the way the NHS is mismanaged putting the entire GDP for 5 years wouldn't fix the NHS. Reform is needed, shame Labour and the mainstream media isn't creating hysteria over Wes' comments, which sound identical to Tory comments for the last 20 years. Wonder if Wes is looking at selling off the NHS?..

[@paxundpeace9970]

I used think this too but defense has gained in importance since 2014. Still the UK has to spend far more on the NHS. Under Labour NHS spending was up 6.5% on average over an entire decade. Which meant 10.000 additional GP doctors and many more hospital doctors. Nurses got better wages every year even during the crisis 2008/2009. Now wages for nurses are 18% lower then in 2009. Junior doctors make about 30% less then in 2009.

[@AngloSaxonFreeBritain]

The NHS needs more money to provide health care for the 8 million new import people

[@fuckbankers]

The UK is America's poodle.

[@da90sReAlvloc]

No it's the other way around

[@philipdurling1964]

What British defence capability?

[@meme4one]

Very smart marching and the US on speed dial.

[@shawnurch8755]

@@meme4one tbf it's a pretty good number to have in your phone. Love them or hate them the Yanks will be there when we call

[@csharpe5787]

@@shawnurch8755 really are you that stupid to think? Trump will be there if we needed him?

[@jwadaow]

@@shawnurch8755 You are on your own.

[@davidkavanagh189]

@@shawnurch8755 Only if it suits them

[@PauloRLustosa]

More money to USA? More and more. Poor people UK.

[@Statueshop297]

Nope. The U.K. doesn’t get most of its stuff from the USA.

[@stephendalton1648]

What exactly are we supposed to be defending? Don't listen to this aging golem

[@Jen-lg4hp]

Certainly not Dover.

[@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx]

@@Jen-lg4hp Dover is not under attack.

[@roughwalkers]

​@@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx 😂😂😂😂

[@Jen-lg4hp]

@@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx Are you sure about that? Islamist hordes arriving daily.

[@Jen-lg4hp]

@@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx Are you sure about that? Islamist hordes arriving daily.

[@petestobbs5844]

1:02 "As an America.....Uk government.!

[@savethebeesplantherbs8809]

Its pathetic they care nothing for defence at all and i have family serving

[@The_Oracle]

Nice Royal Engineer flash on show there.

[@SkyEcho7]

Where did my comment go 😟 Are you SERIOUSLY more concerned about WORDS than CHILDREN being murdered in Gaza or being starved & homeless in the UK! 🤔 SHAME ON YOU 😡

[@tyethebalder5666]

I hope they realise its not just uk its the British dominions and overseas territory's too they got to defend .

[@strangemagic5502]

Well actually NATO countries too

[@charlespapineau1236]

Hundred of billions that could go to social housing, school, fighting climate change...

[@stephenwalker2924]

'branch and root' Isn't the phrase supposed to be 'root and branch'?

[@johnhopkins4012]

TALK TALK TALK AND LIKE THE CONS WILL DO NOTHING FOR THE BETTER. INSTEAD OF 84 MILLION TO AFRICA GIVE IT TO DEFENCE. HE DOES NOT SOUND CONVINCING.

[@MacrobianNomad]

The magic money tree is going to provide it all, but still nothing to do away with the two-child benefit cap!

[@csharpe5787]

Should I only have children within your budget?

[@xelthiavice4276]

@@csharpe5787 become muslim and you can get benifits for multible wifes

[@hmq9052]

We spend 30 percent of GDP on welfare and just 2 percent on defence. We have plenty of room to recalibrate

[@paxundpeace9970]

​@@hmq9052(that only because pensions and NHS are included. ) Defense spending was higher under Labour. Defense spending has been cut by Cameron by about 40%.

[@hmq9052]

@@paxundpeace9970 It doesn't include those things. But you see the point? We could easily recalibrate so we were supporting both.

[@johnrussell3961]

Brexit has made it harder. No wonder Putin wanted it.

[@lindsayg1983]

He’s bang on!

[@dazstockton8295]

Whyhas my comment been taken down when i reply to the above comment we do need to look after our own people first

[@hmq9052]

We do. We spend 30 percent of GDP on welfare and just 2 percent on defence

[@bobbymozza]

@@hmq9052 Not true.

[@hmq9052]

@@bobbymozza It's in the public record. All forms of welfare is approx 30 percent.

[@VoiceSriLanka]

Comment 🪰 😂😂😂

[@yogitharanachandrasekhar4263]

My District wise is the I district zone map market army district wise is a

[@KT-ff2gy]

No one probably wants to fight for him hes ruined us United we stand united we fall

[@canadianpsychologist]

We STRONGLY criticize Cathy Newman for her poor listening skills and blatant attempts to inject bias in her interview on Jan 16, 2018. Shame on Ben de Pear and Cathy Newman.

[@margharper9327]

Someone voted for him he god help us.all

[@da90sReAlvloc]

Better than voting farage tho aye

[@susilsikdar5135]

Plz save Bangladesh student 😢

[@lyudmilakutsenko7045]

If a native British was a defence secretary, he wouldn't be named "defence secretary".

[@lyudmilakutsenko7045]

First, you aren't attacked from the outside but from the inside by your own government.

[@lyudmilakutsenko7045]

Second, that whisper "alliance of democracies" that was laughable even for a "defence" secretary.

[@lyudmilakutsenko7045]

Third, stop humiliating Britain. Fourth, stop being a coward.

[@mwd331]

What are you on about?

[@user-zi8qe6tf9f]

I am your sister from Yemen, and by Allah I only spoke out of hunger and distress. My mother, my brothers, and I lessons and tears. We are in a situation that only God knows about. God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs for those who brought us to this situation. By Allah Almighty, I did not write this appeal out of distress and distress. Poverty, O world, they have felt it So, I hope for you. By Allah Almighty, Lord of the Great Throne, he ate what I had in the house. By Allah, my brothers, he is my brothers by sitting in the house. Who has no food? By God, we are in a very difficult situation. We have 4 people entering the house, and my father has died, and there is no one who can depend on us and who lives in it.We live in a rented house because we cannot pay the rent we owe. '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' ''''''''''''' My brother, my first words are: I swear to God that I will not lie to you or deceive you. I am a Yemeni girl displaced from the war. My family and I live in a rented house in Al-Shahrab 20,000 Yemenis among us, and now we owe 60,000 for 3 months. The owner of the house is one of the people who does not have mercy, by God, my brother. He comes every day, insulting us, talking about us, and moving from the house to the street because we were unable to pay him the rent. The neighbors saw us crying and came back.They came back to talk to the neighbors and we were given the weekend. So we made him swear by God. He will take us out into the street. Have mercy on him and us. Our country is due to this war and we do not find food for our day, and my brothers and I live in a difficult life. Our father died, may God have mercy on him, and we have no one in this world who was with us in these harsh circumstances. My younger brothers went out into the street and saw...The neighbors eat and stand at their door in order to give them bread even if they break it. By God, to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, they closed the door and expelled them and came back crying. They are dying of hunger. No one has mercy on them and a holiday is returned. I have made a living, and now if one of us helps us with a kilo of flour, I swear to God, I am dying of hunger. My brother, I am an alien to God. Then, I ask you to help me for the sake of God. I ask you, by God, to love goodness and to help me, even if you can, by messaging me on WhatsApp.On this number 00967717354582 and ask for the name of my card and send it and do not be late and may God reward you with all the best, my brothers Sagar, see how they are and help us and save us before they throw us out in the street, you will be lost or we will die of hunger. My family and I ask you, by God, if you are able to help us, do not be late and may God reward you well..`/--~«««~-♡~♡~♡~~•~•~♡~♡~♡~♡~♡~~♡♡♡;~،~~.،;&;&&;;&🕋☪️☪️ ~:~¡~¡~¡،،~;:I.i.i.i..i.ii!}𝖊≋𝖊𝖊~≋𝖊. i.I.|-◖'˹˛˹˛˹˛˹˛˹˹˛˹˛˹`˛`.;!.|i,]

[@KT-ff2gy]

Seen a couple they scams thing is love you all come and disrespect our culture we been two nice enough is enough Islam to a man is like rabies to a dog

[@dazstockton8295]

Blamed ur government we have people here in Britain also starving people living on the streets we need to look after our own people sorry if this is not what u wanted ro hear but it's the truth we need ro look after our own people who need help

[@fuckbankers]

​@@dazstockton8295she is a bot. Scam

[@roughwalkers]

Great more people praying on the internet .... ohhh the irony

[@AngloSaxonFreeBritain]

Islamic bot

[@ScottishRoss27]

Will they finally correct UK Government's historic failure to set up Scotland's own national defence force or will they still be expecting Scots to pay into the UK Defence in return for no defence force of our own?

[@KingCharles3]

not sure if you know how the United Kingdom works mate

[@ScottishRoss27]

@@KingCharles3 It doesn't work, how come Norwegians, Danes and Irish can get a career in their national defence forces but Scots cannot sign up to the Scottish equivalent?

[@hobbabobba7912]

​@ScottishRoss27 I'm not sure you understand what the United Kingdom is mate.

[@ScottishRoss27]

​@@hobbabobba7912 Its not anything but a failure. 26% decrease in trained armed forces personnel since 2010. Correcting its historic failure to set up Scotland's own defence force would go someway to addressing that 26% decrease. An example of the uptake that could have In Scotland, when Scotland's First Ever Social Security Service started in 2018 there was 170 full time staff. In its March 2024 workforce statistics there was 3,776 full time staff. = An uptake/increase of 95,5 percent or 3,606 full time staff.

[@elliswellington4553]

​@@ScottishRoss27You absolutely can. There are countless Scottish units in the British army, like there are Welsh and Irish. Act of Union (1707) merged the Scottish Army with the English Army to form the British Army. It was the Scottish soldiers who handed Hong Kong over to the PRC. The final song played by the British empire was Auld Lang Syne. I'm Welsh but I recognise the integral role my country plays in the British Army. Your comments do a disservice to the thousands of Scots who died for their country alongside their fellow countrymen.

[@Jase29]

Labour will not spend 2.5% on our armed forces. This standard review by new governments is led by the treasurary which is looking at saving money and increasing taxes. We will have a reduction rather than an increase, but they will say it's to boost future forces. He literally said this at 3.50. Remember how Labour changed the armed forces into an anti terror force and started to decommission our conventional warfare equipment.

[@paxundpeace9970]

Defense budget was growing under Labour. The real cuts came with Cameron and Austerity.

[@Statueshop297]

I don’t think you know what you’re talking about. Defence spending was 2.5 before labour left government.

[@ryanredmond5559]

Labour grew are amered forces untill torys capped there pay rises and cut defence budgets

[@Jase29]

@ryanredmond5559 No, it started under Labour and continued under Tories. You might want to take off those rose tinned spectacles buddy 😜

[@Jase29]

@Statueshop297 hmm, I think you don't realise what has happened to our armed forces of the last few decades...

[@fuckbankers]

More food banks.