“On the Left, we need to be clear what our priorities are. They are green technologies, not weapons of war. They are nurses, not nukes. They are books, not bombs. They are welfare, not warfare.”
Ahead of Arise Festival’s ‘Socialism or Barbarism’ Dayschool on March 29th, Matt Willgress‘ latest ‘Red Weekly’ column looks at the urgent call for welfare not warfare, following the Government’s massive military spending hike.
February 19 marked the anniversary of the commencement of bombing in Bush and Blair’s bloody war on Iraq. The human effects of this war were catastrophic. According to a random survey of Iraqi adults conducted by ORB International – an independent London polling agency – this war, which was opposed by public opinion and governments all over the world, caused over 1.2 million deaths.
For Blair, and the Labour Party he led, it not only contributed to the loss of votes and Party members more than any other issue, but also the war – and lies which were used to justify it – led to a massive breakdown of trust in British politicians which has (rightly) never been restored.
This is the recent historical context – alongside the Afghan and Libyan disasters – to the recent announcements from Stamer that British military spending will dramatically rise at Trump’s behest.
The Government has raided the international development budget to pay for military spending to be raised from 2.3% to 2.5% of GDP and confirmed the “aspiration” of further increasing it to 3%.
In these announcements – amidst pieces in the ‘Financial Times’ actively calling for Britain to become a warfare state – we have seen the fruit bearing of years of the ruling-class seeking to lock-in Britain’s high and rising levels of military spending for years, whilst the Labour Party and broader labour movement has avoided any serious discussion on the issue since Starmer became Labour leader with his notorious “anti-war” pledge. This pledge – entitled “Promote peace and human rights” – read in full, “No more illegal wars. Introduce a Prevention of Military Intervention Act and put human rights at the heart of foreign policy. Review all UK arms sales and make us a force for international peace and justice.”
In opposition, this pledge was ditched even faster than others. Then in Government we have seen the continued arming of Israel’s genocide, Starmer just this month denying Israel’s war on Gaza is against international law, and now commitments to more nukes and arms as part of a dangerous, militarist agenda.
Also ignored in much of the discussion on this issue by the ‘mainstream’ media and establishment politicians is that military spending levels in Britain are incredibly high already, with figures for 2021 putting the total UK budget at £45bn a year, making it the fourth highest spending country globally, and highest in Western Europe.
More than ever then, military spending seems to be one area where the ‘Magic Money Tree’ is in full operation. Winter Fuel payments have to go as part of ‘difficult choices.’ We ‘can’t afford’ to scrap the two-child benefit cap even though it would lift 100,000s out of poverty. And now, disabled peoples’ benefit are to be cut in a way so draconian even George Osborne couldn’t stomach it. Yet the public, Labour members and MPs are expected to roll over and unquestionably accept insane levels of military spending.
Yet renewing Trident nuclear weapons alone will cost at least £205 billion according to CND, and that’s before considering Ministry of Defence projects typically go well over budget.
To illustrate how extreme this spending level will be in terms of the 3% ‘target,’ this is a repeat of Liz Truss’ 2022 Tory leadership campaign pledge to spend 3% by 2030. At that time, it was confirmed this would represent an incredible uplift in money terms of £158 billion, with independent experts calculating the increases Truss was talking about would mean income tax rises of 5 per cent, or equivalent spending reductions, so we are realistically talking about even worse than this now.
In speeches, Keir Starmer has previously cited Nye Bevan in arguing that “the ‘language of priorities’ is our religion.”
His priorities, quite frankly, stink. On the Left, we need to be clear what our priorities are. They are green technologies, not weapons of war. They are nurses, not nukes. They are books, not bombs. They are welfare, not warfare. They are people, not profit. They are socialism, not barbarism.
- The Red Weekly Column will appear each Monday on Labour Outlook from one of our regular socialist contributors.
- Matt Willgress will be speaking at the Socialism or Barbarism in-person day-school in London on Saturday March 29, alongside MPs Richard Burgon, Ian Byrne and John McDonnell, campaigner Jess Barnard, socialist economist Michael Roberts and campaigns such as PSC, CND and Stand up to Racism. Register and info here.
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The UK government will OPPOSE a possible parliamentary motion that would ban public funds from being spent on solar panels ptoduced by slave labour —solar farms being a key element of the UK drive to net zero—produced by slave labour.
I think there is, I understand, a suggestion that a sticker of a Union jack sticker being placed on these products. UK promotes products produced by slave labour.
This must stop.