She said we should have jumped into the war without thinking about the consequences then said oh no we shouldn't be in the war the next week now she says what I meant was we should give verbal support order the front bench expect them to be quiet here I also expected but it's the same people I suspect next week you won't be in for PMQs if it carries on prime minister this is getting awkward and not in a subtle way. Kiestama just faced one of his most uncomfortable moments yet at Prime Minister's questions challenged, interrupted, and frankly struggling to stay on message while parliament turns increasingly hostile. We're talking defense failures, delayed plans, rising pressure, and a response that raised more questions than answers.
Want to hear about what he's going to do, not him prosecuting past governments. He promised the defense investment plan would be pub He promised that the defense investment plan would be published last autumn. I asked him at PMQ 6 weeks ago when it would be published.
He had no idea. It is now the middle of April. What's the hold up?
But here's what the mainstream clips won't show you. What actually triggered the backlash and why this moment could be far more damaging than it looks on the surface. Mr Mr Speaker, Lord Robertson's criticisms were of the prime minister and he said Britain's national security is in peril.
Our armed forces are at the end of their tether waiting for this government to fund the strategic defense review. There are still two weeks of the parliamentary session left. So why won't the prime minister publish the defense investment plan before then?
Watch closely because this wasn't just political theater. It may have exposed something much bigger. If you want the truth behind the headlines, hit subscribe now because this is exactly the kind of story they won't break down for you.
Uh, Mr Speaker, that was a very interesting answer from the Prime Minister. Lord Robertson, who authored the government's strategic defense review, has said the prime minister has a corrosive complacency when it comes to defense. Why did he say that?
Mr Speaker, let me start by saying I respect Lord Robertson uh and I thank him again. I thank him again for carrying out the strategic review. My responsibility is to keep the British people safe and that is a duty I take seriously.
That is why I don't agree with his comments. Last February, that was 7 months after taking office, I took the decision to increase defense spending from 2. 3 to 2.
6% 6% paid by by a difficult decision on overseas aid. Last June at the NATO summit, I committed to raising core defense spending to 3. 5%.
Last November, Mr Speaker, the budget committed record funding to defense. I reaffirm those commitments now. The spending, the strategic defense review is a 10-year blueprint for national security.
The defense investment plan will put that into effect. It will be published as soon as possible. We need to get it right.
We inherited plans that were uncosted and undeliverable and we're not going to repeat those mistakes. Mr Speaker, he says he doesn't agree with Lord Robertson. Lord Robertson is a former Labor defense secretary, a former NATO secretary general.
He also said, and I quote, "We are underprepared. We are underinsured. We are under attack.
He said he said order. Sorry. I don't think it looks good shouting somebody down at the dispatch box.
Mr Speaker, Lord Robertson's criticisms were of the prime minister and he said Britain's national security is in peril. Our armed forces are at the end of their tether waiting for this government to fund the strategic defense review. There are still two weeks of the parliamentary session left.
So why would the prime minister publish the defense investment plan before then? Mr Speaker, uh I remind the house that we put in place the biggest sustained increase in defense spending since the cold war. Mr Speaker, let me spell that out.
That means we're spending 270 billion pounds over this parliament. That's5 billion pounds more this year with defense funding increasing every year. These are record amounts, Mr Speaker.
Decisions of a Labor Prime Minister, a Labor Chancellor, and a Labor government. And what a contrast. When they came into office, defense spending was 2.
5%. When they left, it was 2. 3.
When they came into office, the army was 100,000. When they left office, 72,000. They cut frigots and destroyers by 25%.
They cut mine hunters by 50%. She said at the weekend, "Our defenses are the weakest for 400 years. " That is what they left behind.
Mr Speaker, he's talking about the biggest sustained increase. Talking about an increase is not the same as giving an increase. The military and the defense industry want to hear about what he's going to do, not him prosecuting past governments.
He promised the defense investment plan would be p He promised that the defense investment plan would be published last autumn. I asked him at PMQ 6 weeks ago when it would be published. He had no idea.
It is now the middle of April. What's the hold up? Right, let's set the scene.
Pressure is mounting on Star over defense spending and national security. Minister, Mr Speaker, I've set out my position. Uh the defense investment plan is the first line by line review of defense budgets for 18 years.
She talks about talking. If you're going to support and make your country safe, you have to get the right calls on the big issues. She called for us to jump into the war.
They could pretend otherwise. I remember walking in, standing here for the first time, saying we would not get drawn into the war. We would not join the offensive.
And they all shouted shame. They remember it. I remember it.
They're just embarrassed by it. Now, a week later, when she realized she'd made a massive error of judgment, she attempted the mother of you. all U-turns.
That didn't work. So this weekend she said when I said we should jump into the war, she said this weekend, Mr Speaker, that what she meant she was talking about verbal support. Prime Minister, it's Prime Minister's questions.
We've got We've got to concentrate. Just answer the question. Mr Speaker, the prime minister loves to m misrepresent my position on Iran.
So, he done he lost him as representative. Let's stop talking about what I didn't say. Let's start talking about what he isn't doing.
Mr Speaker, you will recall that on Monday I offered to work with the prime minister to identify the welfare savings we need. What did he say? No thanks.
Now that Lord Robertson Now that Lord Robertson has said, and I quote, "We cannot defend Britain with an everexpanding welfare budget. Will the Prime Minister think again and work with us to find savings to fund defense? " Prime Minister, she was clear in what she was saying.
She said we should give She said we should give verbal support. I suppose that standing on the side said, "Get in there. Good luck, mate.
You've got this, Mr Speaker. That is her proof. We are reforming welfare and spending more on defense.
They did neither. The welfare bill rose by 88 billion pounds on their watch. It soared by 33 billion under the shadow chancellor's watch.
We're fixing it. What did they do? They voted against it.
They voted to keep the broken system. So taking advice from the party opposite on reforming welfare and defense spending is like asking Liz Truss how to keep your mortgage down. Not this is so poor from the prime minister.
This is this is Labour MPs are laughing. Labour MPs are laughing. Mr Speaker, this is a moment of profound national seriousness.
And what are they doing? They're promoting sex toys in parliament. That's what they're doing, Mr Speaker.
Yeah. It gives a whole new meaning to fiddling while Rome burns. Mr Speaker, it is being that's what they're doing.
Mr Speaker, let's get back to the issue of the defense investment plan and defense spending. It is being reported that the Treasury is asking the MOD to make three and a half billion pounds worth of cuts this year. He won't fund our military because he wants to fund more welfare.
That's why he has a welfare plan to 2031, but no defense investment plan at all. Now that the Chaos surrender deal is dead, will the Prime Minister put the billions saved from ditching Chaos into defense or is that going into welfare as well? Prime Minister, Mr Speaker, we are spending more on defense, record amounts on defense, 270 billion pounds in this parliament, 5 billion extra.
and she talks about the chancellor. It's because of the decisions of this chancellor. We've got the biggest boost to defense spending since the Cold War.
We've also got the biggest pay rise for our armed forces for over 20 years. We've also got the biggest investment in military housing for over half a century. What did D do with the budget?
They voted against all of that. Not very weird. That sounds like he doesn't want to spend the chaos money on defense.
Well, Mr Speaker, Labor MPs will know Lord Robertson, a former defense secretary, a former NATO secretary general. He is Labor through and through. They all need to think about why he stuck his head above the parapet.
I went through the strategic defense review with Lord Robertson last year. The Libdens and Reform refused to meet him. No other party is taking this seriously.
So, Mr Speaker, I want to ask the prime minister a very specific question. In January 2024, Conservatives approved an upgrade of destroyers like HMS Drgon so they can better intercept ballistic missiles. In July 2024, the Prime Minister paused that plan.
Will he immediately approve and fund that critical upgrade now? Prime Minister, Mr Speaker, the dragon was commissioned by a Labor government uh as it happened, but she she stands and says, "Please forget the fact that we hollowed out the armed forces. Please clear up our mess.
" I went to the Gulf last week and thanked our armed forces protecting British lives. She said we should have jumped into the war without thinking about the consequences. Then said, "Oh, no, we shouldn't be in the war the next week.
" Now she says what I meant was we should give verbal support order the front bench expect them to be quiet here. I also expect it but it's the same people. I suspect next week you won't be in for PMQs if it carries on.
Prime Minister in addition to saying her position is we should just say to Americans get in there. Uh she insulted our armed forces Mr Speaker saying they were just hanging around. These are pilots who within two hours of this conflict were up risking their lives taking missiles out of the sky.
And she insulted them and she's never apologized for that. She said a few weeks ago that serious times call for serious people. She is not one of them.
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