It was the dog that did not bark in the night. Analysts who deplore the fact that defence has for decades been the Cinderella of government funding had hoped that, considering the current tense geopolitical situation and the war in Ukraine, this month’s Budget speech would recognise the need to beef up Britain’s inadequate defences and pledge extra cash for that purpose, but they were disappointed. The Chancellor dismissed the topic in just 47 words: blink and you would have missed them.
“Our armed forces remain the most professional and best-funded in Europe with defence spending already more than 2 per cent of GDP,” said the Chancellor. “We are providing more military support to Ukraine than nearly any other country and our spending will rise to 2.5 per cent as soon as economic conditions allow.”
