Jeremy Corbyn: Why Is There Always Money for War but Not Public Services?
The UK government has announced a surge in military spending, even as it plans a new round of austerity. As Jeremy Corbyn writes, there’s always enough money for war — but never enough for lifesaving services.
Jeremy Corbyn speaks at the EEF Manufacturing Conference at the QEII Centre on February 19, 2019 in London, England.(Chris J Ratcliffe / Getty Images)
Just before last week’s Spending Review, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a £16.5 billion increase to defense spending over the next four years, cementing Britain’s position as the biggest military spender in Europe — and the second-biggest in NATO — despite the current situation of national and international health crisis.
This is the biggest increase in defense spending in decades. As the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) have said: “In the face of the climate emergency, the coronavirus pandemic, and a major economic downturn, the Government is spending billions on weapons systems and extending sabre-rattling to outer space.”
This Tory government has the wrong priorities. They prioritize capital over the future of our climate, nuclear weapons over protecting the international development budget, and now the projection of military power over the COVID-19 pandemic.
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