Defence Secretary Grant Shapps yesterday warned that Labour ‘presents a danger’ to Britain after failing to match Conservative pledges on military spending.
He said the Opposition’s reluctance to boost investment in the Armed Forces risked ‘sending a signal’ to the UK’s enemies that ‘we are not serious about defence’.
In a speech, Mr Shapps unveiled plans for ‘a golden age’ of Royal Navy shipbuilding, with as many as 28 vessels in the pipeline or under construction.
Following the Mail’s Don’t Leave Britain Defenceless campaign, the Government recently pledged £75billion of additional funding from 2025 to 2030.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps yesterday warned that Labour ‘presents a danger’ to Britain after failing to match Conservative pledges on military spending
But Sir Keir Starmer has refused to match this commitment, prompting Mr Shapps to claim another Conservative government would be safer for the country than a Labour administration.
He said: ‘You can’t wish your way to more defence spending. You have to set out the plans and do it and that is why our plans now are fundamentally different to Labour.
‘And I have to say as Defence Secretary, with everything that I know in this role, that I think Labour’s position presents a danger to this country because it will send a signal to our adversaries that we are not serious about our defence – if we won’t set out a timetable.’
It came just 24 hours after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak suggested that Labour’s weakness on national security would make the UK more vulnerable.
The Government recently pledged £75billion of additional funding from 2025 to 2030 but Sir Keir Starmer has refused to match this commitment
Mr Shapps said the planned expansion of the Royal Navy had been made possible by the commitment to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence.
Under current party policy, a Labour government would only hit the 2.5 per cent target ‘when economic circumstances allow’. The overhaul will include up to six Multi-Role Support Ships (MRSS) to be used by the Royal Marines. The ships are expected to include DragonFire, a laser-directed energy weapon capable of destroying incoming missiles, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
Mr Shapps added: ‘We’re making these critical investments to deter our adversaries and then win if they are not deterred. We must make sure the UK leads our allies so that the West is not left behind Russia and China.’
Veterans minister Johnny Mercer suggested that a vote for Labour on defence or veterans’ issues ‘was not serious’
Veterans minister Johnny Mercer joined in the attack, suggesting that a vote for Labour on defence or veterans’ issues ‘was not serious’. The former Army captain recalled troops being sent into conflict zones in poorly protected vehicles when Labour was last in office. He said: ‘Essential body armour was shared among tank crews because there was not enough to go around, the rifles didn’t work in sand and we were sent out to fight in vehicles that gave us scant protection against enemy attack.’
But a Labour Party source said: ‘The Defence Secretary is re-announcing plans for ships that have already been announced.
‘He is trying to pull the wool over the public’s eyes. Over 14 years, Tory ministers have sent shipbuilding work abroad, hollowed out and underfunded defence, cut one in five ships from the Royal Navy and missed recruitment targets.’