Tag: arms

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Arms spending 4 – Public service workers Nil

Arms spend 4, public services pay Nil

Arms spending 4 - Public service workers Nil

Arms spend 4, public services pay Nil

Ambulance drivers’, nurses, and other public service workers pay demands are described as “unaffordable”. Yet spending on arms has consistently gone above inflation and even this has been added to. Biggest increase in defence spending for 30 years, way above commitments in the rest of Europe.

● 2019 Conservative Manifesto commitment to increase defence spending every year by ½ percent ABOVE INFLATION.
● 19 November 2020: Government announced £16.5 billion increase in defence spending ABOVE MANIFESTO COMMITMENT.
● Total increase in arms spending £24.1 billion over four years compared to 2019
● Further huge increase in defence spending promised in next 7 years.

Liz Truss planned to spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030. To do this the government would need to increase defence spending by about 60% in real terms. This is equivalent to about £157 billion in additional spending. 

This spending target for arms spending by 2030 remains the government’s aim.

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Where to cut government spending

Where to cut government spending

It’s easy to find half the money needed to plug the current government cash shortage. Cut that whopping increase in arms spending

November 2020   –   what happened

On 19th of November 2020 the government announced the largest military spending budget for 30 years, giving the UK the biggest defence/arms spending budget in Europe.

This amounted to a £16.5 billion increase above the Conservative manifesto commitment over four years.

On existing forecasts, this is an overall cash increase of £24.1 billion over four years compared to the previous year’s budget (2019).

Liz Truss’s proposed escalation

This is quite separate from the proposed further huge increase in arms spending proposed by Liz Truss. Her proposal was unbelievable and would have caused outrage if it had been pursued.

Her commitment was to spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030. To do this Liz Truss’s government would have needed to increase defence spending by about 60% in real terms. This is equivalent to about £157 billion in additional spending.

Cut what?

But the 2020 commitment remains in place and is an obvious place to save money.

Just a starter

We have two new super aircraft carriers run at enormous cost. Great for use in the Second World War, but how can they be deployed to defend Britain!? These should be mothballed or sold.

This would enable us to stop the manufacture all the aircraft needed to equip these currently emasculated weapons/super-ships.

I’m sure the government does not need to exceed its manifesto commitment on defence spending.

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Email to MP: Stop arms sales to Israel. Condemn Israeli aggression

andrew-griffith-mp-web
12 May 2021
 
Andrew Griffith MP, Arundel and South Downs
 
Dear Andrew Griffith
 
On Monday night Israel carried out airstrikes that are reported to have killed 24 people including at least 9 children. The air strikes follow several days of attacks by Israeli police and settlers on Palestinians in Jerusalem, injuring over 300 people.
 
This morning I heard on the radio that a 13 storey apartment block in Gaza had been destroyed by Israeli air attacks  – all evidence of the continuing abuse of Palestinians and grossly disproportionate use of force by Israel against Palestinians. I trust you are aware of what Israel has been doing to Palestinians over the decades. Let’s not fudge the issue of who the abusers are in this conflict.
 

MY REQUEST IS THAT YOU LOBBY FOR THE CESSATION OF BRITISH ARMS SALES TO ISRAEL AND CONDEMN ISRAELI AGGRESSION 

 

Why I support the Palestinians

Ever since I read a Christian Aid report about twenty years ago on the treatment of Palestinians I have realised that we get a distorted view of the conflict in Israel and Palestine (the latter literally wiped off the map although the people are still there). I trusted the report especially as it came from a Christian organisation writing on behalf of a predominantly muslim people. Since then I have taken a bit more interest in what Israel does to Palestinians and I find it shocking that Britain supports Israel in its appalling policies towards Palestinians. 
 
More on my blog.
Best wishes
David Roberts,   www.davidrobertsblog.com
 
Protests around the world
Protest have erupted in cities around the world condemning Israeli action.
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Palestinians suffer once again at the hands of one of the most militarised states in the world

Tuesday 11 May 2021

Britain should halt the sale of our British arms to Israel and unequivocally condemn Israeli abuses and provocations.

I have written to my MP today and urge readers to write to their MPs. See my separate post to read what I said to him.

Last night’s airstrikes

Air strikes by Israeli jets on Gaza last night are reported to have killed 24 people including at least 9 children. The air strikes follow several days of attacks by Israeli police and settlers on Palestinians in Jerusalem, injuring over 300 people. Israeli forces stormed the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Palestinian homes fired on by Israeli jets

Regrettably Palestinians have retaliated with a barrage of their primitive rockets fired into Israel, killing 5 people.

From the Christian Aid website

Today, as Palestinians continue to experience exile, blockade, relentless spikes in violence and huge increases in land dispossession, we work with Palestinian and Israeli partners to protect human rights and promote resilience for Palestinian communities and civil society.

All our work aims to support the foundations for a just, lasting peace for all.  We work on protecting human rights. Our partners work to challenge discriminatory laws, practices and decisions affecting Palestinians living under occupation in the West Bank and Gaza, and Palestinian citizens of Israel.

From Al Jazeera website 11 May 2021

Arab League chief, Ahmed Aboul Gheit  condemned deadly Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip as “indiscriminate and irresponsible” and said Israel had provoked an earlier increase in violence by its actions in Jerusalem.

The violence began after Israeli forces stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on Monday for a third consecutive day, firing rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades and tear gas at Palestinian worshippers inside Islam’s third holiest site in the final days of the holy month of Ramadan.

David Roberts

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Billions for more weapons – why?

Billions for more weapons - why?

More of this? What are the problems

that this is a solution to?

Britain’s defence budget is is in the wrong hands

Britain is planning the largest military spending budget for 30 years. This amounts to a £16.5 billion increase above the Conservative manifesto commitment over four years. (New Defence policy explained in parliament 16 March 2021.)

To justify all this spending defence planners have given a little thought to defending Britain, but mostly they are concerned with the machinery and equipment of war. Hence the vastly increased budget for defence at a time of dire financial need in the country. 

They have proved themselves to be unfit to be in charge large numbers of lethal weapons.  This century they have not used them to defend Britain. Instead, they have attacked other countries with disastrous consequences, including Iraq and Afghanistan. 

When I think of the destruction death and the refugees brought about by Britain’s military interventions it makes me ashamed to be British. 

We should not be planning and preparing for more military action. We have enough problems to deal with at home. 

We should be cutting arms spending, not increasing it.

David Roberts

www.davidrobertsblog.com

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