Senior Labour MPs are raising alarms over potential tax hikes following the Prime Minister's announcement of a new strategic defence review (SDR) to bolster the UK's military in the face of increasing threats. With a proposed £6 billion investment in armed forces, experts warn that significant tax increases will be necessary to fund this military expansion. Criticism also comes from the Green Party, arguing for a more diplomatic approach to security that avoids militarization and focuses on underlying issues like poverty and climate change.
Keir Starmer is sounding like he is on a war path with his 'battle-ready, armour-clad nation' rhetoric. Security is not just based on arms expenditure and threats, but on real leadership that uses diplomacy and development too.
There would need to be some really quite chunky tax increases to fund the £6 billion investment into the armed forces, warns Paul Johnson from the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Taxes will have to rise. I don't see any alternative to that and at the same time, there will have to be some quite difficult retrenchment, particularly on parts of the social security budget.
To avoid the horrors of war and armed conflict, we need to look at the deeper causes of insecurity, including poverty and climate breakdown.
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