Government announces record £25bn spend last year on defence industry…

But it’s all too little, too late, as we have warned for years

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2024

Facts4EU reports on defence expenditure, our current weaknesses, and the EU’s failures

On Thursday (08 Feb 2024) the Government published a statement and statistics showing that its spending with defence contractors had increased to £25bn in the last year – a record sum – and that overall defence spending by the MoD is now at £50bn per year.

In today’s report we analyse the data and look at the positives and negatives of the latest announcement.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

UK annual defence spending on contractors, in £’s billions, adjusted for inflation

2013/14 : £23.3
2014/15 : £23.3
2015/16 : £22.7
2016/17 : £22.0
2017/18 : £22.0
2018/19 : £22.0
2019/20 : £22.6
2020/21 : £21.5
2021/22 : £23.2
2022/23 : £25.0

[Source : Ministry of Defence, 09 Feb 2024.]

Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps said:

“As threats increase across the globe, it’s crucial that investment in our Armed Forces matches that picture.
“That’s why we’re spending more than £50 billion annually on helping equip our military with cutting-edge capabilities, so they can continue to protect our freedoms around the clock.
“These statistics demonstrate how all parts of the UK are playing their part in that crucial work, delivering through our fantastic defence industry and boosting local prosperity.”

The United Kingdom’s record on defence is SO much better than the EU’s

Before we look at the UK’s defence spending, we should point out that for years we have highlighted how the UK in this critical area has been the shining beacon in Europe.

In comparative terms, the EU’s contribution to its own defence has been pitiful. Without the US and the UK, Europe would have been in a very sorry state if it came to defending itself against aggressors.

Spending on defence in Western Europe

As we have reported on many occasions over the years, the United Kingdom has been the mainstay for defence within Western Europe for decades. The UK has spent far more than any EU nation, including Germany which has an economy much larger than that of the United Kingdom.

In the example below we have singled out expenditure on military equipment, as this was the subject of the MoD's statement.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

Percentage of total defence spend on equipment – 2014-2022 average

United Kingdom : 23.5%
Germany : 14.8%

[Source: NATO defence expenditure data released 21 Mar 2023.]

In the last nine years the UK has devoted proportionately almost 60% more than Germany to its defence equipment budget.

What about Germany, where Ursula von der Leyen was Defence Secretary for so many years?

Sadly, Germany’s record on defence has been somewhat disappointing, to put it mildly. Above we have shown Germany’s underspend on defence equipment compared to the NATO minimum.

From Germany sending soldiers to NATO exercises with broomsticks due to a shortage of rifles, to most of its jet fighters being unserviceable, to tanks unable to be driven, it is not surprising that Ms von der Leyen was lambasted in the German press for being the worst-performing minister in Angela Merkel’s government, before she was parachuted into her current role in Brussels.

In our next reports we will go into this in more detail.

Spending on defence takes years to take effect

Putting the EU’s failings to one side, it is a simple fact that spending on defence takes years to have an effect on a country’s military capabilities. Thursday’s report from the MoD might be welcome but any increase in expenditure is not like turning on a tap.

Increased production of tanks, missiles, drones, ammunition, ships and aeroplanes, and the recruitment and training of military personnel does not happen overnight.

This is why for the last eight years of its existence Facts4EU has argued strongly for a minimum doubling of defence expenditure to 4% of GDP. We also argued that business people should be brought in to replace the grossly inefficient procurement heads in the MoD, to ensure that projects are delivered on time and on budget.

In Parts II and III – The EU’s appalling appeasement policies and the hypocrisy over the Tucker Carlson interview of Putin

Observations

We live in an increasingly dangerous world. This was most amply demonstrated 10 years ago, way back in 2014, when Putin’s Russia illegally invaded and annexed Crimea – a sovereign part of Ukraine.

Western governments can hardly say they were not warned. The UK responded, as we shall reveal, while the EU stood idly by.

We now face multiple threats. In Parts II and III of this report we will look at the controversy over the Tucker Carlson interview of Putin. We will also review the EU’s policies of appeasing dictatorial regimes over many years. In addition we will look at the threats from Iran, the Houthis, Hezbollah, plus the growing threats in the South China Sea from President Xi-Jinping.

These are all key issues which will directly affect the livelihoods and safety of the British people and the fortunes of the newly-independent United Kingdom.

We must get reports like this out there

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Facts4EU.Org needs you today

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[ Sources: Ministry of Defence | NATO ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Sat 10 Feb 2024

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Reader Comments 4

1. Have You Wondered , Saturday, February 10, 2024, 10:58:

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A little satire on the subject.
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How’s the EU going to finance an Army?
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Meanwhile, back at the Kremlimont in Brussels another secret undocumented meeting with the Politburo and the Portugese EU Defence Guru, speaking at a recent meeting of EU Defence ministers (formerly the Consortium Glorified Greengrocers.)
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“Ach so! JoGo, tell us just how the EU nations are going to finance an Army?” asks ‘Dokumente Verloren ’ VDL at the head of the table.
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JoGo replies “ Simples! We only want 2% …. what’s that? Speak up - Oh! – only 9 EU nations now pay 2% or over to NATO - up from 3 - oh dear – yes -right – er ..”
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“OK - Segundo - we print the money aka Quantative Easing – oh -didn’t know that – Vaca sagrada! How much? What do you mean they stopped but reinvesting the proceeds?”
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JoGo continues “ Here’s a good one, I propose we put the finance on top of the Target2 €1.7tn debt…Eh! Who’s Prof. David Blake and Nickolai Hubble – oh – Wow! And that debt went where....?"
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“Let’s try a grab back of the Recovery Fund dosh …eh? - want to keep them vassal states – ok maybe not.”
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“We could get dirty and put a convicted offender in to lead the central bank and fiddle the books to buy the goods – oh – could be ‘iffy’ - Greece..? Have I met her?”
.
“Ei ! VDL - we get someone to issue some dodgy defence contracts to get the weapons. What's that? Who lost the data on two phones and ordered some broomsticks? Ooops – er .. desculpe VDL. Didn’t mean to bring that up.”
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“Meu Deus ! What’s left – I don’t know. Ask the mafia to help? – what ! - I don't believe it! What mafia trial …..?”
.
A spooky voice, from within the EU flag draped Arc de Triomphe , is heard to say “Ahem- Alors! Anyone want to buy some security compromised submarines for your navy?”
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Ghostly whispers "thought we were trading Apples and Pears for peace?"
.

2. Gazzablack , Saturday, February 10, 2024, 11:24:

1, Have You Wondered.
.
They've actually started an extensive training programme exploring how to block any invasion from the East.
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Taking their inspiration from the success of Ukrainian farmers in capturing Russian tanks, they've mobilised the EU's farmers to barricade roads and cities all across the bloc.
.
These blockades have been so successful that the EU Politburol is scrambling to pretend it's rolling back on it's "green agenda".
.
A particular tactic being pursued is the "scorched Earth" policy successfully employed by the Soviets in WW2.
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An army marches on it's stomach, so by closing down al! the farms in the EU, they will prevent an invading force from feeding their trops.

3. jon iivesey , Saturday, February 10, 2024, 18:25:

I don't have much to say about the defence budget in general - it is certain to go up - but I think it is worth noting that the Houthies are doing us a huge favour in the Red Sea, first by testing our anti-air weapons, which seem to work well, but are far too expensive, and second by helpfully letting us know that the coming long war has in fact begun.
One key requirement for rearmament is a situation where no major Party can deny it is needed, and that is where we are now. As Shapps said, a pre-war, not a post-war World.

4. Gazzablack , Saturday, February 10, 2024, 23:24:

There's nothing new about the British army being small
.
At the start of 'the Great War' both France and Germany fielded armies of 6 million men each.
On the other hand the British Expeditionary force under Field Marshal John French consisted of 274,000 men, prompting one of either the French commander in chief or the Kaiser (there are differing accounts on which one) to observe that the British army "is contemptibly small"
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Hence the name "The old contemptibles" which is worn as a badge of pride to this day.
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And that "conemptibly small" army was extremely professional (as is todays), and it fought the German army to a standstill, allowing Britain the time to raise and train a sizeable army.
By the end of the war, 8.7 million had served.
.
A little bit of trivia about WW1
The artillery units of both sides would fire at locations where they knew their enemy units were not.
It would be in the vicinity, but deliberately not on target.
An unspoken agreement between foes, similar in nature and culminating in the 'Christmas Truce'

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