Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced plans to increase UK military spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030. This would be billions of pounds more spent on the military, likely at the expense of programmes which aim to alleviate poverty and tackle climate change at home and around the world. Estimates from the PCS trade union indicate that this could cost up to 70,000 jobs in the civil service.
During the Global Days of Action on Military Spending we are calling on the UK government to take a different approach. Rather than ever-increasing amounts being spent on the military we should instead tackle the social crises we face at home and further afield. Add your name below to call on Rishi Sunak to redirect spending away from the military towards tackling the social issues affecting the UK including climate change, housing, NHS waiting lists and the cost of living crisis.
Latest figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) show that UK military spending increased by 7.9% during 2023. This is part of a global increase in military spending of 6.8%, taking the total amount spent to $2.44 trillion.
Figures from the Spring Budget showed that core military spending in the UK reached £54.2 billion for the year ending in March. Both main political parties are committed to increasing spending to 2.5% of GDP when able in the future.
Core military spending in the UK 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. It is time for these spending priorities to be rethought.
PETITION TEXT
Dear Prime Minister
We, the undersigned, call on you to scrap plans to increase military spending to 2.5% of GDP and instead focus spending priorities on socially productive projects which can tackle poverty and climate change at home and overseas.
We are deeply concerned that this increase will come at the cost of budgets in other Whitehall departments, with Trade Unions estimating 70,000 jobs could be at risk as a result.
We do not believe that spending billions of pounds more on the military will do anything to increase our security, it will only further a global arms race which increases the risks of major conflict. Latest figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) show that 2023 saw a global increase in military spending of 6.8%, taking the total amount spent to $2.44 trillion.
In the UK Core military spending is already 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.
We call on you to scrap these plans.
