00:00Moving to war-fighting readiness in a moment of danger and threat for our country.
00:06That was the message the Prime Minister brought to Glasgow today, as he outlined the UK's
00:11largest defence spending plans since the Cold War.
00:14In the world of today, the front line, if you like, is here.
00:20We face war in Europe, new nuclear risks, daily cyber attacks, growing Russian aggression
00:28in our waters, menacing our skies, their reckless actions driving up the cost of living here
00:35at home.
00:36The government has committed to investing £15 billion in its nuclear warhead programme,
00:42as well as building up to 12 new attack submarines.
00:46£1.5 billion will be spent on at least six new munitions factories, creating more than
00:521,000 jobs.
00:53Britain will also procure up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons.
00:58And a new cyber command will be set up, investing £1 billion in digital capabilities.
01:04Our carriers will carry the first hybrid airwings in Europe.
01:11We will develop the next generation RAF with F-35s, upgraded Typhoons, 6th Gen GCAP and autonomous
01:19fighters to defend Britain's skies and to be able to strike anywhere in the world.
01:25And we will make the British army ten times more lethal by combining future technology
01:30of drones, autonomy and AI with the heavy metal of tanks and artillery.
01:37Having already committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence by 2027, the government aims
01:44to raise that to 3% by 2034, although the Treasury has not yet guaranteed to fund it.
01:51Keir Starmer's talk is tough, but the urgency is lacking according to Labour's political opponents,
01:57as well as a former army chief.
01:59What I would say to people at home who hear all this and think, you know, are we really
02:03under threat?
02:04The one way to deter war from happening is to be ready for it and to show your adversaries
02:08that you're strong.
02:09That's why we need to back defence, but we need clarity from the government on their spending
02:13plans.
02:14Unless it's fully funded, then frankly it will not be the success that the government
02:17wants it to be.
02:18It's a bit like in 1937 saying to Hitler, hold on, don't attack us until 1946 because
02:23we're not ready.
02:24The Prime Minister says he is 100% confident that cash will be available for the commitments
02:30made in the strategic review.
02:32Some of Britain's European NATO allies have already said the UK is not doing enough, as the
02:38alliance calls for member states to spend 5% of GDP on defence by 2032.
02:44But today's announcement setting out long-term defence objectives is unlikely to have any
02:49impact on the current conflict raging between Ukraine and Russia.
Comments