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UK must halt defence cuts and lead the way for Europe in NATO, says Labour’s shadow defence secretary | UK News


The government must secure the UK’s place as Europe’s leading country in NATO and stop further cuts in troops, Labour’s shadow defense secretary will say.

John Healey will also call Rishi Sunak to spur British industry to produce arms and ammunition to supplement the of the army your own depleted stockpile and keep arming Ukraine.

“The next government will inherit the Ukraine conflict and the broader Russian aggression,” he will say in a speech at the Royal United Services Institute in London. London on Tuesday.

“With a general election, there may be a shift for the Labor Party but there will be no change to Britain’s resolve to confront Russian threats, pursue [Vladimir] Putin’s crimes and siding with Ukraine,” he will say, according to excerpts of his pre-published speech.

The comments came after Sky News revealed that The Treasury has signaled no new money for the armed forces despite recognizing the urgent need to rearm after the war in Ukraine.

Defense sources also warned that Britain – after decades of defense cuts have exhausted the army – will not be able to “reliably” provide as many troops as NATO allies expect for the new large force structure being built by the alliance to bolster its defenses against war in Ukraine.

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Are we spending enough on defense?

Outlining the steps he believes the government needs to take to protect the UK, Mr Healey said the government must give security the highest priority in EuropeAtlantic and Arctic, ensuring NATO commitments are met.

He will say that Labor in the government will conduct a “NATO trial” for the first 100 days to ensure Britain is on track to meet its commitments to the union.

This should include halting any further cuts to the military.

Under current plans, the army will be reduced to 73,000 regular soldiers from 82,000. It is currently just under 76,000.

Read more:
Analysis: What is the current state of the British armed forces?
US general warns British troops no longer have the highest level of combat force

But any reversal in the cuts would require a significant increase in defense spending to fund not only troops but their equipment as well.

On replenishing stockpiles of weapons and ammunition – currently at dangerously low levels – the shadow defense secretary will call for a “stockpile strategy” to overhaul the “time-wasting procurement system”. peace” and promote domestic industry to maintain British military support for Ukraine and replenish arms and ammunition for the UK armed forces.

He would say: “We need to move parts of the defense industry and Department of Defense procurement to an urgent operation, both to support Ukraine in the long term and to replenish the UK’s stockpile. Great Britain for any future conflict.”

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Is the British Army to the top?

The comments are designed to offer advice to the government as it completes a “refreshing” extensive review of defense and security policy.

The document is expected to be released on March 7, to inform defense spending plans in the March 15 budget.

However, defense sources have told Sky News that the announcement of the “refresh” could be delayed until after the budget because the initial draft did not fully reflect the lessons learned from the war. Ukraine, specifically the need for a reliable army.

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