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Prime Minister Boris Johnson is about to announce a £ 16.5 billion surge in military spending over the next four years, in part for aggressive hacking, artificial intelligence development and a “ space command ” to assert Kingdom power. United after Brexit.
Major media reported on the budget deal, citing sources at 10 Downing Street ahead of the official announcement in the Commons on Thursday. Johnson reportedly said so “The defense of the kingdom must come first”, even as Britain struggles to cope with the economic and health impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This would put the UK among the 10 NATO member states that would keep a pledge to spend 2% of GDP on military this year, along with Estonia, France, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Romania.
The yet to be announced increase in defense spending has already earned the praise of US Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller.
“The US Department of Defense welcomes the UK announcement to significantly increase defense spending,” Miller said, noting that it was “indicative” of London’s commitment to NATO.
The push will reportedly add to the commitment to raise the current £ 41.5 billion budget by half a percentage point above inflation, which would make the total increase of £ 21.5 billion by March 2025, the biggest since Margaret Thatcher’s Cold War.
Reports say part of this generosity will go to the creation of a National Cyber Force, a group of hackers that would conduct cyber attacks overseas, a new agency tasked with developing artificial intelligence, and a space command that should be able to launch its rockets into orbit by 2022.
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The rest would presumably fill the £ 13bn gap in the Defense Ministry’s equipment budget, reported by the National Audit Office earlier this year. Tanks will not be abolished entirely, although their numbers will be reduced along with other cuts to the British army, while the development of drones and upgrades to Trident nuclear missiles will receive a boost.
The announcement is seen as a victory for Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, who pushed for long-term arms and systems contracts. It also follows the departure last week of Johnson aide Dominic Cummings, who had once called the British military supply to “stage” that “He went on to squander billions of pounds, enriching some of the worst corporate looters and corrupting public life through the revolving door of officials / lobbyists.”
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On Tuesday, the number 10 announced it would cut its foreign aid budget from 0.7% to 0.5% of gross national income, attracting criticism from Johnson’s party. The Labor opposition, meanwhile, has criticized the prime minister for not extending the addition of £ 20 per week to universal credit payments beyond April, saying this would lead to increased child poverty.
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