Sky News halted to deliver an update from Prime Minster Keir Starmer (Image: Sky News)
Sky News halted its usual broadcast to air an update from Sir Keir Starmer. The Prime Minister was visiting a defence factory in Wiltshire when he addressed the government’s budget for keeping the country safe from attack. “I often say you can sit in Westminster and read a briefing about what people are doing, or you can go and see it for yourself, and there is no substitute for coming to see it for yourselves,” he told the assembled crowd.
“And so I’ve really learned a lot from you this morning… It reminds me of something that I hold fast to every single day as Prime Minister, and that is that my first duty, the duty above everything else, is to keep our country safe and to keep our people safe. That is the top-most important duty of any Prime Minister, and it’s the one…that I hold very, very close every single day,” he said.
“He continued: “It is particularly important at the moment, because it is no exaggeration to say that we’re living in more dangerous and volatile times than at any time in my life or in your life.
“We’re living through that now. The Chief of Defence Staff was out this morning on media, and he said in 35 years of service, that’s his service, he’s never known the world as dangerous as it is at the moment.
During his speech, Starmer revealed the 2.6 per cent increase in defence spending marks the biggest sustained increase since the Cold War.
His remarks came as the government’s defence spending came under scrutiny after Rachel Reeves put forward a defence spending increase of less than £10billion over the next four years in April. Defence chiefs voiced fear that it falls far short of what is needed as Britain faces mounting security threats.
Rachel Reeves planned spend on defence came under scrutiny earlier this year (Image: Getty)
The Chancellor outlined what sources describe as a “limited” increase with the Prime Minister amid concern over the impact of the Iran war on public finances.
The Iran war has pushed up government borrowing costs, while households face higher energy bills, dearer petrol and rising shop prices.
Reeves is drawing up plans for a targeted energy bill bailout for low-income households this winter and is expected to abandon a planned 5p-a-litre fuel duty rise from September – a move costing around £2.6 billion – adding further strain to the public finances.
