At Prime Minister’s Questions today, Andy Burnham was asked a simple question: Would he reform welfare to fund our armed forces properly? He said no.
His weak-willed answer will have been noted in Moscow and Tehran
Labour’s addiction to spending ever more on welfare is a poor shield against missiles, drones and cyber attacks.
The bond market has also heard it, on whom Britain’s parlous finances rely.
Under Chancellor Healey the Second, Britain borrows more expensively than any other G7 country.
The people who lend us that money are not interested in what plays well with Labour backbenchers.
They only care whether the government has the guts to make tough decisions to protect the nation’s physical and financial security.
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I will never shirk that duty. In my first week as Shadow Chancellor, Kemi and I found the money for defence by cracking down on working-age benefits and the flawed Motability scheme.
We found the funding for defence in a fiscally responsible way.
That’s a plan Burnham could copy for free, but the Prime Minister is not interested.
Having spent 25 years in business before entering Westminster, I’ve learned you don’t solve problems by denying they exist.
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Nettles are best grasped, and tough decisions made.
After yesterday’s performance by the Prime Minister, it’s clear he is playing a dangerous game of chicken with the nation’s security.