Why On Earth......

[diddlydo]

Is this government spending EXTRA billions on defence when the biggest war we're fighting at the moment is Covid? Complete madness.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54988870

[emmie]

I support our military and support the government for uping the spending on defence

[ichkeria]

It’s for the wars of the future.

[Bobbisox1]

Because we still need to defend ourselves , I thought that was obvious?

[dannyk13]

Diddly, we need a competent defence system and be capable of defending ourselves against any would be aggressor.

[emmie]

would you we rather no spend any money on our defences, besides which we are in an alliance of sorts with the Americans, they have a defence budget that makes ours look puny

[ToraToraTora]

because we need it, the military have been eroded for years, good on yer Boris.

[ToraToraTora]

"Because we still need to defend ourselves , I thought that was obvious? " - not to the anti British bobbs, they'd rather we were run by foreigners anyway.

[ToraToraTora]

I saw this story earlier, I wondered how long it would take someone like diddly to pick it up! PMSL!

[tomus42]

It's also about maintaining a commitment to NATO. One of Trump's complaints was that the other members don't pay their share.

[diddlydo]

Who takes any notice of Trump's complaints?

[emmie]

Joe Biden then, he will want a stable partner and we are it.

[Ken4155]

TTT, i've made you yet another appointment with the Urologist at your local hospital. Please attend this one :-)

[ichkeria]

This is about an increase in defence spending, not our contribution to NATO, by the way.

[jno]

personally, I'd sooner they spent some of it on policing: the country's having more internal problems than external ones and I don't foresee that changing any time soon.

[tomus42]

//This is about an increase in defence spending, not our contribution to NATO, by the way.//

Being able to defend ourselves demonstrates that we're a useful member of the alliance.

[ichkeria]

Of course it does.
But that isn’t the point of this.

[tomus42]

//personally, I'd sooner they spent some of it on policing: the country's having more internal problems than external ones and I don't foresee that changing any time soon.//

12bn spaffed up the wall on a useless track and trace system, which is a fair chunk of the 16.5bn they're talking about here. Just saying.

[dannyk13]

jno, the government is spending on policing:-
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/policing-gets-biggest-funding-boost-in-decade-to-put-more-bobbies-on-the-beat

[jno]

dannyk, that should take us back to slightly lower police numbers than before the coalition began slashing them. If that proves sufficient, fine. But I tire of reading that defendants are "already known to the security services". And I can only say that I haven't seen a policeman in my neighbourhood for years. (Though I sometimes see horse dung in the streets, indicating that some may have ridden by.)

[ToraToraTora]

ich: "This is about an increase in defence spending, not our contribution to NATO, by the way." - no but it does affect our abilities to carry out our commitments under NATO. TBF I think the US has a point about the other members niggardly attitude to defence spending.