The United Kingdom wants to beef up its defense budget

The rumor gave him starting during a reshuffle, at the beginning of 2020, and weakened by future arbitrations to the detriment of his portfolio. It was not: Ben Wallace, the British defense minister, even won his case, Boris Johnson deciding to decide in his favor and significantly increase the defense budget of the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister confirmed, Thursday, November 19, in the House of Commons that he would jump by 10%, thanks to an additional envelope of 16.5 billion pounds sterling (18.4 billion euros) for the next four years.

This sizable sum comes on top of a campaign pledge by the Conservative Party to increase the defense budget annually by 0.5% on top of inflation (this budget was around £ 41.5 billion in 2020 ). “This is the largest contribution of funds since the end of the cold war”, said Mr Johnson. “I decided that the era of budget cuts was over. [Ces sommes supplémentaires] will allow us to post military spending of at least 2.2% of our gross domestic product [PIB] : it is more than our commitment within the framework of NATO [2 % du PIB], more than any other European country and any other country of the Atlantic Alliance, except the United States “, added the prime minister, in great shape, despite still being quarantined in Downing Street (but tested negative), for having rubbed shoulders with an MP who tested positive a week ago.

In the midst of Brexit, government arbitration is all the more remarkable as the country is facing a historic economic crisis (British GDP is likely to collapse by 11% in 2020, the worst fall in … three hundred years). “I made this decision in the middle of the pandemic because the defense of the kingdom is a priority”, Mr Johnson insisted. “The international situation is more perilous than at any time since the end of the Second World War. We must seize our opportunity to transform our armed forces, strengthen our external influence, unify our country, master new technologies, defend our people and our way of life ”, he said again.

Historic budget deficit

With less than fifty days from the end of the transition period, the exit from the internal market and the European customs union, the leader wants to send a message internationally: the United Kingdom intends to remain a military power of foreground, in Europe, as within NATO. he is also “Determined to remain a valuable military ally” of the United States, had also underlined Mr. Johnson, in a video message to the address of the elected president Joe Biden.

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