“Healey’s resignation provides the government with an opportunity to change course and tackle the real security issues that we face: investing in climate action, healthcare, education, and food security.”
By the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Following the resignation of John Healey as Defence Secretary, CND is calling for the government to take a new direction – away from the disastrous war drive and nuclear expansion which is making the world more dangerous, and towards action to tackle the urgent security threats we face – from the looming global recession and climate breakdown.
Healey’s resignation comes amid arguments between the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury over the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan – a multi-billion hike to military spending that would be funded by deep cuts to public services, including new hospital building programmes, transport and climate action.
Healey and top military officials have been calling for a minimum hike of £18 billion over the next four years, with the MoD claiming it had a £28 billion shortfall in its current spending plans. Amongst the weapons programmes they want to fund are 12 nuclear-capable F-35A fighter jets from the US, that launch US nuclear bombs.
Healey’s resignation letter makes clear he thinks increasing military spending will keep us safe. But the government’s war drive has only contributed to and prolonged the devastating conflict in Ukraine. Britain’s 17% increase in nuclear spending is adding to global nuclear dangers, not reducing them.
Healey argues that Britain’s military is under-funded. Yet according to analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, British military spending in real terms is now actually higher than during the Cold War. Figures published this week by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, show Britain’s military spending has already increased by 32% since 2016.
One of the key arguments used by the Healey to justify attempts to turn Britain into a war economy is that it will kick start growth and create huge employment opportunities across the country. Yet the facts don’t bear this out. Areas where some of Britain’s largest nuclear weapons manufacturers have been based for decades, like Barrow-in-Furness and Devonport, remain amongst the most deprived in the country.
In fact, the military sector is amongst the least jobs-rich economic sectors when compared to other areas of spending like healthcare and transport. Redirecting military spending into these areas will be far more effective in supporting economic growth and creating jobs.But it is also totally reckless to raid the budgets of public services that are vital to protect the population from the looming global recession caused by the illegal war on Iran. This would only make the country more insecure, not less.
The deadlock over the Defence Investment Plan and Healey’s resignation provides the government with an opportunity to change course and tackle the real security issues that we face: investing in climate action, healthcare, education, and food security. These are all critical to the long-term security not just of this country but globally.
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- This article was originally published by the CND on 11 June.
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