The ‘refresh’ of the UK’s military strategy – published in mid-July – announced new spending of £2.5 billion, and provided more detail on earlier spending commitments. So, what has been revealed, and how does it compare with civilian public spending? The updated strategy says that the new £2.5bn will be spent on “munitions and stockpiles”, …
New data on global military spending – published today – shows that last year it grew by 3.7% above inflation to a massive $2.24 trillion. The UK’s percentage increase – 3.7% – was higher than its largest NATO allies – the USA, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, and Turkiye. The new spending data has been published …
This short briefing examines UK government spending presented by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt, in his Spring Budget 2023 (SB-23).i Summary The detailed figures for SB-23 show that UK military spending over the period 2021-25 has been boosted by £7.1 billion when compared with budget figures announced in last autumn. This includes an …
The UK government is considering increasing its military budget in the wake of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia. It claims that the range of military threats now faced by Britain are greater than those it identified in a 2021 government review. Below are eight reasons why we think the UK’s military budget should …
We were pleased to be asked to discuss the work of GCOMS UK on the Warrior Nation Podcast, produced by ForcesWatch one of our newest UK supporting organisations. As the sentiment goes, there always seems to be money for warfare but never quite enough for welfare. So what’s the picture in the UK – that …
The UK government’s Spring Statement announced that its core budget for the military, for the four years 2021-25, has been slightly increased from that given its Autumn Budget to £190.9 billion. The increase is £0.4bn, which includes £0.1bn of military aid (to date) for Ukraine. This expenditure level follows the largest increase in military spending …
“Instead of peace through strength we caused war through weakness… other democratic powers, especially in Europe, must commit to matching US defence spending as a proportion of GDP.” Jeremy Hunt MP, writing in The Telegraph 11/03/22 As the world watches in horror the Russian invasion of Ukraine, an extremely dangerous narrative is emerging. One that …
The Military Balance 2022, published today by The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) ranks the UK as the country with the third highest military spending in 2021, after the US and China. The IISS ranked the UK as the fourth largest spender in 2020 (behind India) and fifth for 2019 (after Russia). The changes …
On 14 September the British Government-backed arms fair Defence and Security Equipment International was launched in London. A biennial defence and security trade exhibition that in 2019 welcomed 1,700 exhibitors from 58 countries, it has been the source of much criticism arising from concerns that a British-backed arm trade helps fuel human rights abuses worldwide. Despite such ethical concerns, …
