A SCOTTISH Labour MP has slammed Keir Starmer’s “war economy” plans – after billions were pledged over the weekend for weapons.
The UK Government has announced plans to significantly ramp up defence spending – aiming to hit 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2027 and then 3% during the next parliament.
And over the weekend, Keir Starmer announced a £1.6 billion loan to Ukraine to buy more than 5000 missiles to be manufactured by Thales in Belfast, while Chancellor Rachel Reeves (below) pledged £2bn for the country in frozen Russian assets.
On Monday, the Government said it had brought in new spending targets for the defence budget to ensure more was spent with small and medium-sized firms, sparking warnings from anti-war campaigners.
Brian Leishman, the MP for Alloa and Grangemouth, has hit out at the Government’s largesse.
In a tweet, the Labour MP said: “It shouldn’t need to be a ‘war economy’ to provide jobs. We need job creation for doctors, nurses, police officers [et cetera] and in activities like building houses and hospitals.
“A wise man once said that the same determination should be applied to meet the needs in peace as in war.”
