Labour warned against ‘ill-thought-out’ welfare cuts to boost defence budget
Wes Streeting’s comments suggesting ministers are considering plans to cut welfare spending to boost the UK’s defense budget have been criticized by MPs and campaigners.
Speaking to LBC yesterday, the health minister said defense funding “has to come from somewhere”, in a move interpreted earlier this week as support for George Robertson, Labour’s former defense minister and former NATO secretary-general.
Lord Robertson, now a key government adviser, warned in his speech: “We cannot defend Britain with an ever-expanding welfare budget.”
Mr Streeting has previously said the money would not be allocated to health costs. Employee manifesto commitment to increase But when asked whether he would support switching funds from the welfare budget, Mr Streeting told LBC: “Yes, we want to reduce the welfare budget.”
“As a government we are spending more on defence, but we will need more. That is the reality of the world challenge we face,” he added.
Many MPs and campaigners reacted negatively to his comments, with one describing them as “extremely worrying”.
Last July, the government was forced to abandon a proposed £4bn cut in disability benefits after Labor MPs launched a rebellion against the plans.
Labor MP Rachael Maskell, one of the leaders of the welfare rebellion, said: “I am clear that we need to ensure home security and national security. Playing one against the other is the wrong choice. People supported by the Department for Work and Pensions are already struggling to make ends meet. The Government should not be considering moves like this.”
Liberal Democrat work and pensions spokesman Steve Darling MP reacted: “We urgently need to increase defense spending after the Tory party reduced our military to its smallest size in 200 years – but it’s clear the Labor government has no idea how to do this.
“The country needs serious solutions to fund our national defense – not ill-conceived, but self-defeating plans to cut support to the most vulnerable in society.”
But following his comments, chancellor Rachel Reeves said she supported the health secretary’s position, telling reporters she was “willing to make tough choices” to raise money for defence.
The government has pledged to increase defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP from April next year, and to 3 percent in the next parliament. But military chiefs believe there is a deficit of around £28bn after cuts made by successive administrations.
Meanwhile, social security spending is forecast to reach £322.6bn in 2025/26, reaching 10.6 per cent of GDP. Just under half of this will be spent maintaining the state pension (£146.1bn).
Evan John, policy adviser at Sense, said it was “extremely worrying that the government appears to be laying the groundwork for further cuts to disability benefits”, while James Taylor, strategy director at disability charity Scope, warned the approach was “not a solution to any of our country’s problems”.
Shelley Hopkinson, head of policy and influence at welfare charity Turn2us, added: “Welfare should not be attacked when spending options arise. Cutting support will only push thousands of families into further hardship.”
A government spokesman said: “This government is investing in defense and welfare reform; the last government did neither.
“Defence spending is already rising to record levels, the largest sustained increase since the Cold War, with £270bn allocated for this Parliament.
“We are also focused on delivering serious and meaningful welfare reforms, with measures coming into force this month delivering savings of around £2 billion by the end of the decade. We are also investing £3.5 billion to help sick and disabled people into work because this is the best way to put welfare spending on a sustainable basis in the long term.”
