THE Security Minister has piled fresh pressure on Rishi Sunak by calling for an immediate rise in defence spending.
Tom Tugendhat said he wants 2.5 per cent of national income spent on defence “as soon as possible”.
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It comes after he wrote an opinion piece with Foreign Office Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan last week to urge the PM to “lead the way” in defence.
The Government’s position is that defence spending would hit the 2.5 per cent target “as soon as economic conditions allow”.
Mr Tugendhat said yesterday: “I want to achieve 2.5 per cent now, as soon as possible. First step is to get to 2.5 per cent, then we’ll adjust as challenges evolve.”
Asked whether No10 had approved Mr Tugendhat and Ms Trevelyan’s article, Downing Street said it “wouldn’t expect” to sign off on “posts in line with agreed Government policy”.
Mr Sunak’s spokesman added: “He agrees with his ministers in the importance of investing in defence. It’s exactly why the Government has overseen the largest sustained defence spending increase since the Cold War..”
But Defence Minister James Cartlidge yesterday suggested the Government cannot afford to increase spending to 2.5 per cent.
He said: “The economy has to be able to sustain it.”
Mr Cartlidge said defence spending would rise to 2.3 per cent next year but capital spending will fall from £20.3billion last year to £18.9billion in 2024-25.
