Squeezing defense spending will increase the risk of a deadly war with Russia, the head of Parliament’s intelligence and security committee warned last night.
Julian Lewis told the Mail that the Government could not afford to scrap plans to increase defense spending to 3 percent of GDP at a time when Vladimir Putin is threatening the West.
Dr. Lewis, chairman of the intelligence and security committee, which produced a landmark report on the threat posed by Russia, said any downgrading of the defense pledge would be seen by Putin as a sign of ‘weakness’.
And he urged ministers to ‘ramp up’ defense spending to ‘deter’ the Russian tyrant from further acts of aggression.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace are locked in a stand-off over defense spending ahead of the November 17 Budget.
Whitehall sources said planned increases over the next two years are likely to be protected. But Mr. Hunt is resisting pressure to deliver on a pledge made by Liz Truss to increase spending from 2.2 percent of GDP to 2.5.
The commitment to increase it to 3 percent by 2030 may survive as it falls outside the spending period being considered by the Chancellor. But defense experts have warned that the pledge will be worthless unless spending begins to increase in the coming years.
Dr. Lewis said: ‘We have to decide how much of our national priorities at a time of great danger ought to be put into deterrence and defense. It would send a very weak signal if we were not to be ramping up defense spending.
‘If, God forbid, we got into a live conflict with Russia then all of the resources of the nation would have to be put into the military effort.’
He added: ‘It would be far better now to invest in deterrence. Now is the worst possible time to be rowing back on defense commitments.’
Mr. Wallace has backed away from reports he had threatened to resign if the 3 percent target is ditched.
He said: ‘I haven’t said I would resign on 2.5, 3.5, 4 percent. Obviously, the media might like that.’
