L

Lord Coaker (Lab)

Speaking in the House of Lords on 10 September 2026

Debate

Defence Spending

Contribution

Let me first say something that I have always said from the Dispatch Box: I do not believe that there is anybody in this House or the other place who does not want to keep this country safe—I just do not believe that. On the noble Baroness’s question, presumably about cutting welfare spending in order to put it into defence, this Government’s position is very clear. Of course we all want to reduce the welfare bill, but we will do it in a planned, methodical way that gets people into work, and we will act on what the Timms review and the Milburn review say. What I do not think is helpful for a debate on spending is to pitch welfare against defence spending; that is a really unfortunate way to frame the debate. Of course we want to reduce the welfare bill and to spend more on defence, and this Government will do both.

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