Campaigners from the Global Campaign on Military Spending UK (GCOMS-UK) have expressed their dismay at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement today (Tuesday 23 April) that UK military spending would reach 2.5% of GDP by 2030.
Figures released yesterday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) showed that the UK is already the highest spending NATO member in Europe. Figures from the International Institute for Strategic Studies show that it is also one of the most heavily armed states in the world.
Analysis by GCOMS-UK on the Spring Budget in March showed that core military spending had reached £54.2 billion for the previous year. Core military spending was 4.8 times the budget for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office – which is responsible for the vast majority of the UK’s overseas aid budget. It was 7.2 times the budget of the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero – which is responsible for government spending on climate action.
Dr Stuart Parkinson, Co-Chair of GCOMS-UK, said “The Prime Minster is pledging billions of extra pounds in unfunded spending for the military. It is very likely that this money would be found by cutting existing budgets for tackling poverty both in the UK and abroad – and climate spending – which is already far below the level that scientists say is needed to tackle an emergency which already threatens communities at home and around the world. It will most likely accelerate international arms races – and hence undermine international security, not improve it.”
