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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Jessica Elgot, Alexandra Topping and Daniel Boffey

Boosting military spending by slashing welfare is not the answer, senior Labour figures warn Reeves

Rachel Reeves Sir Keir Starmer George Robertson John Healey Peter Hain Unite
Rachel Reeves pictured with a military vehicle in the background.
Rachel Reeves at RAF Northolt in 2025. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Senior Labour figures have warned that Rachel Reeves must find alternative ways to increase military spending rather than slashing welfare, saying it risks diminishing public support for investment in defence.

Pressure has been mounting from Labour backbenchers for the Treasury to urgently agree the defence investment plan (Dip) after George Robertson, a former Nato secretary general, said there was a “corrosive complacency” on defence funding.

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