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The UK will have to significantly increase defence spending if it is to maintain influence with Washington and Nato allies, MPs have warned.

A Commons Defence Committee report says the defence budget should rise from 2% of GDP (£40bn) to 3% (£60bn).

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has reportedly demanded an extra £20bn for his department.

A government spokesman said: "We have been clear we will continue to exceed Nato's 2% spending target."

The committee said the extra money for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) could be spent on increasing the readiness of the armed forces and to bolster Britain's anti-submarine warfare to counter possible threats from Russia.

The report recommends increasing the defence budget to 3% of GDP but says a rise to 2.5% would "comfortably fill the 'black hole' in the existing MoD budget".

It argued that without such investment the UK armed forces' usefulness to the US would be diminished.

"The government must not let this happen," the report says.

Committee member Madeleine Moon, Labour MP for Bridgend, said the UK's armed forces have been "hollowed out" with the navy "very weak" and air capability "diminished".

She told BBC Radio 4's Today: "Influence is really important because unless you can back it up with capability, you have no credibility."

The MPs' report also notes comments by US Defence Secretary James Mattis that the UK benefits from its defence relationship with the US by £3bn a year.

"This implies that both the UK armed forces and HM Treasury benefit from our close relationship with the US," the report says.

"However, that will continue to be true only while the UK military retains both the capacity and capability to maintain interoperability with the US military and to relieve US burdens.

At next month's Nato summit in Brussels, US President Donald Trump is expected to repeat his demands for European allies to spend more on defence.

 

So basically we have to spend an extra £20bn in order to continue being the USA's lapdog.

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3 hours ago, Rayvin said:

"We/I have been clear" should be a banned phrase once May is out.

Or we could just make it a capital offence until she's out.

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So as well as killing thousands in the middle east, creating ISIS, causing the banking crash, throwing millions on the dole, fucking the NHS with endless PFI's and creating the hostile immigration environment paving the way for Brexit, we also discover today that Labour tolerated "inexcusable treatment of detainees" in the 2000's.

 

Shame :(

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7 hours ago, Christmas Tree said:

So as well as killing thousands in the middle east, creating ISIS, causing the banking crash, throwing millions on the dole, fucking the NHS with endless PFI's and creating the hostile immigration environment paving the way for Brexit, we also discover today that Labour tolerated "inexcusable treatment of detainees" in the 2000's.

 

Shame :(

What did the Romans ever do for us? 

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On 28/06/2018 at 14:34, Christmas Tree said:

So as well as killing thousands in the middle east, creating ISIS, causing the banking crash, throwing millions on the dole, fucking the NHS with endless PFI's and creating the hostile immigration environment paving the way for Brexit, we also discover today that Labour tolerated "inexcusable treatment of detainees" in the 2000's.

 

Shame :(

TAXI DRIVER HAS ALL THE ANSWERS- POLITICIANS HATE HIM! 

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT WHY!

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Well why not give the Labour membership a vote on their approach to the SM. Corbyn has said he will take his direction from the membership so nows the time to do it.

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1 minute ago, ewerk said:

Well why not give the Labour membership a vote on their approach to the SM. Corbyn has said he will take his direction from the membership so nows the time to do it.

 

Because it’s all about keeping his own factions together and letting Brexit / Tories unravel. Plenty of time for him to wait for the tide to fully turn and then change position.

 

Where they have been really poor imo is not building on their “very successful” manifesto and hammering that home week in / week out.

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Just now, Christmas Tree said:

 

Because it’s all about keeping his own factions together and letting Brexit / Tories unravel. Plenty of time for him to wait for the tide to fully turn and then change position.

 

Where they have been really poor imo is not building on their “very successful” manifesto and hammering that home week in / week out.

His factions are largely remain. He wouldn't face much opposition in supporting a People's Vote.

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2 minutes ago, Christmas Tree said:

 

Because it’s all about keeping his own factions together and letting Brexit / Tories unravel. Plenty of time for him to wait for the tide to fully turn and then change position.

 

Where they have been really poor imo is not building on their “very successful” manifesto and hammering that home week in / week out.

Or maybe trust democracy?

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Just now, ewerk said:

His factions are largely remain. He wouldn't face much opposition in supporting a People's Vote.

 

Nah, there’s a lot of places like Sunderland throughout the country who he’d needlessly upset where as now he can bide his time and leave the attention on the Tories.

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2 minutes ago, Christmas Tree said:

 

Nah, there’s a lot of places like Sunderland throughout the country who he’d needlessly upset where as now he can bide his time and leave the attention on the Tories.

Opinions will have changed in places like Sunderland though. Particularly with so many jobs on the line.

It isn't a betrayal of Brexit to ask the people to vote on the final deal.

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5 minutes ago, ewerk said:

Opinions will have changed in places like Sunderland though. Particularly with so many jobs on the line.

It isn't a betrayal of Brexit to ask the people to vote on the final deal.

 

I wasn’t saying it is, just that politically, there’s more to be gained from letting the spotlight of disunity stay on the Tories right now.

 

Let them produce their white paper, have a summer bust up with the EU then change tac just in time for conference. Be seen as the saviours.

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Just now, Christmas Tree said:

 

I wasn’t saying it is, just that politically, there’s more to be gained from letting the spotlight of disunity stay on the Tories right now.

 

Let them produce their white paper, have a summer bust up with the EU then change tac just in time for conference. Be seen as the saviours.

For once I think there is some sense in what you say. Having left it so long they may as well let the Tories fully implode.

I don't understand how you can have such a negative view yet still remain confident that your PM is going to come back with a cracking deal though?

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