Westminster politics is adept at hiding consensus. The oppositional style, embedded in the layout of the House of Commons, requires a performance of partisanship that often goes beyond genuine differences of opinion. It was predictable that the Conservatives would accuse the government of weakening national defences by scrapping old military hardware as part of a departmental savings drive. John Healey, the defence secretary, says the items in question – mostly helicopters and sea vessels – are obsolete or defective. Military chiefs confirm that assessment. The savings for the defence budget are £500m.
But James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, laments an injudicious disposal of capabilities “just as the threats to our nation are growing”. Ben Wallace, a former Conservative defence secretary, describes it as “pure folly”. The Tories would like this argument to reinforce their claim that Labour is weak on national security, as evidenced by refusal to match the timetable Rishi Sunak set for raising defence spending to at least 2.5% of gross domestic product. Sir Keir Starmer has a “cast-iron commitment” to reach that target – the current figure is about 2.3% – but not a specific date. The prime minister’s argument is that defence priorities will be settled as part of a wider review, due next year. That will then dictate the rate at which spending can usefully be ramped up.
