L

Lord Coaker (Lab)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 3 February 2025

Debate

Fiscal Policy: Defence Spending

Contribution

I congratulate my noble friend on winning the debate at Cambridge; I meant to say that earlier. He makes a point about additional money, and there will be a debate about the overall level. I know my noble friend has his views about the level of defence expenditure. He will know that the Government will set out a pathway to 2.5% in the spring. As part of our increased defence expenditure, we will spend £3 billion extra in the next financial year. Of course, alongside all that, he makes the really important point—again, I have made it from the Dispatch Box—that part of the way you prevent war is by preparing for war. That is an unfortunate state of affairs. Deterrence is important. As a country and in our alliances across the world, we need to consider not only how we fight wars but how we prevent them, and deterrence has to be part of that.

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