British Military Official Warns of Defense Budget Shortfall

Reference News Network reported on June 20 According to a report from Bloomberg News on June 16, the UK's top military official stated that the country will be forced to "scale back" its armed forces' operations, exercises, and training. This highlights the consequences of the budget dispute, which led to the resignation of the UK Defense Secretary last week.

UK Chief of the Defence Staff Richard Nugee stated that without increasing the actual funding amount proposed in last week's defense investment plan, military operations must be reduced to fill a £28 billion budget gap. Nugee told Parliament that he is most concerned about the day-to-day funding for real combat and exercises from the NATO region to the Middle East.

Nugee said on the 16th: "If the current plan does not change, those areas will face pressure. If the level of available resources does not increase, we will have to scale back the size of our activities, exercises, and operations."

Former Defense Secretary John Healey and former Minister of State for the Armed Forces Alok Sharma resigned last week over the funding plan, as well as Healey's assertion that the UK's plan to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP is progressing too slowly.

In his resignation speech to the House of Commons on the 16th, Healey stated that he was "very regretful and reluctant" to make the decision to resign, but he believes that "over time, this will be seen as a necessary action to ensure the future of our armed forces and our alliances."

He warned that the increasing threat from Russia, conflicts in the Middle East, and the U.S. plan to withdraw troops from Europe all mean that "incremental changes" in defense investment are insufficient. He said: "It is our generation of politicians' responsibility to prepare the UK for the uncertainties of the coming years."

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on the 16th at the G7 meeting in Évian, France, that the delayed defense investment plan—which outlines the government's spending priorities for the next decade—will enable the UK to have "future-facing capabilities." Nugee stated that the funding plan has not yet been finalized within the government, and it is unclear whether the new Defense Secretary Dan Jarvis will receive more funding than Healey had sought.

Luke Pollard, the Minister of State for Armed Forces Affairs at the Ministry of Defence, told the House of Commons on the 15th that he remained in his position at Healey's request. He hinted at the ongoing struggle between the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury over funding issues, stating that the Ministry of Defence continues to demand an increase in the budget.

Healey sharply warned in his resignation speech: "Our adversaries will not act according to the Treasury's timetable." (Translation by Feng Xue)