November 19, 2020
We face an international situation that is more perilous and more intensely competitive than at any time since the Cold War. Britain must continue to be true to our history and stand alongside our allies, while safeguarding the security and prosperity of our nation.
That’s why we will make the largest investment in our nation’s defence since the end of the Cold War.
Over the next four years we will invest an additional £24.1 billion. That’s far exceeding the promises we made in our manifesto, defending Britain from new and evolving threats.
This will help create 10,000 new jobs a year, revitalise British shipbuilding and ensure that the United Kingdom is a global, outward-looking nation now we have left the EU.
This is our chance to end the era of retreat, bolster our global influence, while creating thousands of jobs to level up opportunities across the whole United Kingdom.
We are delivering a funding boost of over £24 billion for our nation’s defence. Ensuring we keep our nation safe from the evolving international threats we face.
This commitment gives our defence budget an extra £24.1 billion over the next four years, the largest investment in our nation’s defence since the end of the Cold War.
This spending will reflect the expertise and ingenuity of British people both inside and outside our Armed Forces harnessing the UK’s skills in construction and science and reinvigorating those industries in the coming decades.
We are also meeting and surpassing our manifesto commitment to exceed our NATO defence spending target. This funding both delivers and surpasses our Manifesto commitment to exceed the NATO defence spending target of 2% of GDP - by providing an extra £16.5 billion in funding above our 2019 manifesto commitment.
And we will revitalise British shipbuilding, by creating and safeguarding thousands of jobs in UK shipyards.
This funding has come alongside a steadfast commitment to finance the UK’s order of 8 Type 26 and 5 Type 31 frigates, which are currently being constructed on the Clyde, creating thousands of jobs. This comes on top of us reaffirming our commitment to build our next generation warships – the Type 32 – here in the UK.
When it comes to the safety of our country, the global picture has changed. Our enemies have studied up on our abilities and adapted.
In response, we too must move our national’s defence forward, evolving, modernising and making ourselves ready for this new generation of threats so we can deliver on our duty to safeguard our nation. This spending commitment reflects that new reality, we must be fit for tomorrow’s battles.
That’s why we are creating a National Cyber Force and Artificial Intelligence agency to protect our people from harm. Our new Cyber Force, will be a joint unit between the MoD and GCHQ, will help to protect Britons at home from cyberattack but will also deploy offensive capabilities against adversaries.
And we will create a new ‘Space Command’, with the first rocket launched from Scotland by 2022. We promised in our manifesto that we would deliver the UK’s first UK Space command based at the RAF High Wycombe. Space Command will give the UK the capability to deploy weapons and military satellites without relying on other nations.
At every opportunity, Starmer’s Labour Party have undermined steps to protect our troops and our nation’s national security.
Sir Keir Starmer ordered MPs to vote against the Overseas Operation Bill’s Third Reading, which gives our troops the support and powers they need to keep our country safe.
And Starmer also ordered Labour MPs to abstain on the second and third readings of our Covert Human Intelligence Sources Bill, which gives our security services the support and powers they need to keep our country safe.
We believe in our Armed Forces, that’s why we are giving them the largest financial boost since the Cold War, ensuring that our nation’s national defence can modernise, plan for the future and adapt to the threats we face.
Britain must be true to our history and stand alongside our allies, sharing the burdens and bringing our expertise to bear on the world’s toughest problems.
Now is the time to transform our Armed Forces, bolster our global influence, unite and level up our country, pioneer new technology and defend our people and way of life.
Commenting, Therese Coffey, Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions, said:
“Corbyn’s Pension Tax will see ten million savers facing a huge bill forcing them to delay their retirement for almost three and a half years.
“This is just one of the ways a Corbyn government would hammer hardworking people on top of his plans to hike up taxes by £2,400 a year, as well as the cost of his plan for unlimited immigration and the chaos of 2020 being dominated by two more referendums – one on Brexit and another on Scottish independence.
“Only Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party can get Brexit done with a deal, get parliament working again and turbocharge our economy to unleash Britain’s potential.”
Read more about how this Pension Tax will impact millions of savers (PDF)