Labour backs nuclear deterrent as 'bedrock' of UK's security
The shadow armed forces minister says Labour has committed to raising defence spending by 2.5 percent of GDP "as resources allow". Luke Pollard adds that the move is to reflect "the threats the UK and our allies are facing", and that the UK's nuclear deterrent is the "bedrock" of Sir Keir Starmer's plan to help keep the nation safe. Report by Brooksl. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn
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00:00 So today, Labour's announcing our ambition to get to 2.5% of GDP spent on defence as resources allow.
00:08 That's to reflect the growing international concerns and threats that the UK and our
00:12 allies are facing, as well as supporting our renewal of the independent nuclear deterrence.
00:17 Big challenges facing our country and we're setting out a clear defence policy
00:22 that will meet those challenges today. When Labour left power in 2010, we were spending 2.5%
00:28 of GDP on defence. Since then, the Tories have cut and hollowed out our armed forces. We've lost
00:34 200 planes in the RAF, one in five Royal Navy warships and our army's the smallest it's been
00:40 since the Napoleonic War. This is a concerning situation when our adversaries are massing and
00:46 attacking our allies. That's why we're committing today to an ambition to increase defence spending,
00:51 but also to renew our independent nuclear deterrence. We need to win votes from every
00:56 part of British society, but the first duty of any government is to keep the nation safe.
01:02 That is something that Keir has absolutely determined that we would go into the next
01:06 general election trusted on defence. That's why we've been setting out our agenda for what a
01:12 reformed armed forces looks like, with more resources and with the capability gaps properly
01:17 addressed. But the bedrock of our national security is that independent nuclear deterrence.
01:22 And that's why Keir is in Barrow today, visiting those submarines and
01:27 meeting the workers that build our nuclear deterrence.