Broken defence guarantees: Labour’s dithering is placing Britain’s nationwide safety in danger, says MAGGIE PAGANO

Once again, Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves are breaking their promises.

Only a few months ago, the dreary duo boasted about how extra defence spending was going to turbo-charge economic growth, creating thousands of jobs and new specialist SME industry hubs across the country as well as boosting Britain’s national security at a time of such great geopolitical uncertainty.

Indeed, Starmer was one of the first Nato leaders to react to President Trump’s big stick, promising to raise the UK’s contribution to the alliance to 2.5 per cent of GDP – adding another £6billion – by 2027 and then 3 per cent by the end of the decade.

What’s more, the Prime Minister and Reeves even hinted there were to be cuts to welfare spending and the foreign aid budget to pay for the increase. 

That was then. So far the increases have yet to materialise. In fact, the reverse is true.

Now, the Treasury is demanding the Ministry of Defence make cuts to spending next year, claiming there is a black hole of £9billion that needs to be filled before the department gets any new money.

Off target: Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves claimed extra defence spending was going to turbo-charge economic growth

Hardly an efficient way to run any business, let alone one making military equipment that takes years to design and build. 

Industrialists are deeply frustrated – if not downright furious – about what they describe as the ‘vitriolic’ warfare going on behind the scenes between the Treasury and the MoD over future spending plans. 

They claim that the cutbacks and indecision means that new orders are months, if not years away.

So three cheers for Chemring, which has dared to break cover with its warning about government delays. 

While Chemring itself is doing extremely well, announcing a big jump in profits and a bulging order book helped by the international spread of its customers, it’s unusual for a defence maker to publicly sound the alarm.

Chemring is unlikely to be the last to do so. There are many big orders hanging in the ether. One of the biggest is the tender submitted by Italian defence maker Leonardo to replace the RAF’s Pumas helicopters with its latest helicopter.

Although Leonardo put in its final £1billion offer in April, it is still waiting for the MoD to decide. That’s appalling – as the Leonardo boss warned, the company can’t subsidise the business forever.

But if confirmed, the helicopters would be made at its Yeovil site that employs more than 3,000 workers.

Industry frustration is more than matched by our military leaders who have been warning for months that further cutbacks to our forces will endanger national security. 

Out of an army of 75,000 personnel, fewer than 20,000 are what’s called the ‘teeth arm’, those on the front-line.

Their fears were magnified again this week by the First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins who criticised the Chancellor for her failure to fund defence. 

Sir Gwyn claims the UK is close to losing control over the North Atlantic because the Royal Navy is ‘stretched’ by Russia’s warships, spy vessels and submarines.

Quite how Starmer managed to keep a straight face when telling President Zelensky, with fellow European leaders in London this week, that they will stand with Ukraine against Russia, is difficult to understand when he can’t even meet the target for his own country.

Sheridan’s genius

Taylor Sheridan is a genius. The American screenwriter, producer, director and actor (he’s often in his shows in a minor part) is the mastermind behind Paramount’s brilliant Yellowstone TV series, its prequels and sequels, and the nearly as brilliant Landman TV show, now into its second season which, if you haven’t watched, you really should.

It’s also fair to say that Sheridan’s sensational TV writing skills are behind the renaissance at Paramount. Yet he is said to have clashed with Paramount’s boss, David Ellison, (son of Larry Ellison, head of Oracle and the world’s second richest man). 

Which is why Sheridan is soon to join NBCUniversal – for a reported $1billion pay cheque. That could turn out to be a blessing. Sheridan will now be free to write up yet another blockbuster.

This time he can turn his pen to the bidding war that’s broken out between Paramount and Netflix in their desire to own Warner Bros Discovery.

Eat your heart out, ranchers and oilmen. Watch out for Tinseltown unleashed.