PM gives multi-billion boost to defence spending

PM gives multi-billion boost to defence spending

The Prime Minister has unveiled ambitious £16.5 billion plans to upgrade the UK’s armed forces.

The military is to receive an extra £4 billion a year over the next four years, Boris Johnson said.

Downing Street hailed it as the biggest programme of investment in British defence since the end of the Cold War.

The money will fund space and cyber defence projects such as an artificial intelligence agency, and could create 40,000 new jobs.

It will also fune a new RAF Space Command that will launch British satellites and “our first rocket from Scotland in 2022”.

The Prime Minister also committed to renewing the UK’s nuclear deterrent as well as increasing shipbuilding in the UK.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said “letting go” of older weapons would create “headroom to invest”.

The Ministry of Defence’s annual budget is around £40 billion, so the £16.5 billion over four years is about a 10% increase.

Mr Wallace told BBC Breakfast: “When I looked across at the armed forces today I saw them with equipment that was out-of-date, I saw our adversaries across the world having better equipment, the ability to attack us and harm us getting wider and wider from our capabilities.

“And when that happens, time runs out and you need to modernise your forces. You need to sometimes let go of some older capabilities and that takes money in order to first of all create the headroom to invest.”

Boris Johnson told the Commons: “We’re going to use our extra defence spending to restore Britain’s position as the foremost naval power in Europe.”

He said: “This will spur a renaissance of British shipbuilding across the UK. In Glasgow and South Belfast, Appledore and Birkenhead.

“Guaranteed jobs and illuminating the benefits of the Union in the white light of the arc-welders’ torch.