Grant Shapps has said the UK “cannot afford not to” increase defense spending and wants to increase it to 3 per cent of GDP.
Writing in The Times, the Transport Secretary said: “Freedom is not free. That is why, as Prime Minister, I will increase defense spending to 3% of GDP, in contrast to the NATO-recommended minimum of 2 % “.
Boris Johnson recently pledged to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by the end of the decade following a cabinet dispute over the issue.
But this is not enough to prevent Britain from lagging behind other NATO countries at the expense league table, including Poland and Lithuania, which have increased their military budgets since the invasion of Ukraine by Moscow, according to Hunt.
Shapps noted the limitations of the Navy and RAF kit, adding, “The Army is shrinking in manpower, artillery and armor. Quality is vital, but quantity has a quality of its own.”
“Defending the kingdom is the first duty of Her Majesty’s Government. Can we afford to spend more money on this basic responsibility? The answer is that we cannot afford not to.”