<\/p>\n

With two wars now raging in the northern hemisphere, Britain must increase military spending to keep pace with “epoch-defining challenges”, the chairman of Parliament\u2019s defence committee has warned.<\/p>\n

Robert Courts was speaking as Israel announced it had completely encircled Gaza City as it seeks to root out Hamas gunmen in the wake of the terror attacks of October 7.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the fighting continues unabated in Ukraine, with recently obtained satellite images suggesting Vladimir Putin has ordered Russia to ramp up the production of weapons.<\/p>\n

Further afield, China has made no secret of its antipathy towards Taiwan\u2019s democratic regime, or its desire to seize control of the island in accordance with its \u201cone China\u201d doctrine.<\/p>\n

Mr Courts told Express.co.uk: \u201cThere’s no two ways about it. We are in the most challenging times we have seen as a country since World War 2.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: <\/strong> Labour revolt as one in five poised to quit over Starmer’s Gaza stance[INSIGHT] <\/strong><\/p>\n

Robert Courts speaks on the war in Ukraine<\/h3>\n

\u201cWe’ve seen the return of industrial, mechanised warfare on the continent of Europe, something that many people thought was left behind forever.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that makes clear that we are going to have to spend more on defence. The reality is that we just don’t have sufficient mass to face the challenges that we have.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe face the very real prospect of peer conflict, we have real epoch-defining challenges in the face of China and Russia, and to meet those, we are going to have to spend more.\u201d<\/p>\n

The amount the nation should spend should be governed by the challenge faced rather than simply an \u201carbitrary figure\u201d, Mr Courts stressed.<\/p>\n

However, referring to the percentage of GDP the government allocates to defence spending, currently set at two percent, he added: \u201cNonetheless, we should be moving towards three percent in any event.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, the Government has recognised this and has said that they will look to move towards 2.5 percent when circumstances allow.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut that to me seems to put the cart before the horse. The first duty of government is to defend its people, the first duty of any government is defence.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s defence, that guarantees our security and our prosperity.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued: \u201cFor example, the Navy protects our sea lanes, which means it protects our trade, which means it protects our prosperity.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you don’t have a navy of sufficient size, then you are taking risks with your prosperity.<\/p>\n

\n

• <\/p>\n

  China at the \u2018height of its power\u2019 claims John Bolton<\/h3>\n

  <\/p>\n

  \u201cSo simply put Government has to consider spending much more on defence and it needs to do it now.<\/p>\n

  \u201cWe need to look to 2.5 percent And then upwards to three.\u201d<\/p>\n

  It was crucial to take a \u201ccold and clear-eyed look at the challenges and the threats that we face\u201d and adjust spending accordingly, Mr Courts explained.<\/p>\n

  He said: \u201cAt this point, we have to accept it’s going to be a lot more and that’s going to mean the Government has to take difficult decisions but the reality is defence must come first.<\/p>\n

  \u201cWhether you look at the Royal Air Force, the Royal Navy or the British Army, they’re not big enough.<\/p>\n

  <\/p>\n

  Don’t miss… <\/strong>
  Humza Yousaf brutally snubbed by Rishi Sunak as SNP left out of major UK summit[INSIGHT] <\/strong>
  Eurozone hammer blow as gloomy forecast warns of \u2018sluggish\u2019 economic growth[ANALYSIS] <\/strong>
  US & China hold nuclear talks as Biden unveils bomb 13 times size of Hiroshima’s[PICTURES] <\/strong><\/p>\n

  <\/p>\n

  \u201cWhilst they have outstanding people and very good capabilities, they are being asked to ever more with ever less in the face of an increasingly challenging international environment.<\/p>\n

  \u201cThat is unsustainable. We need to ensure that we have capabilities that match the government’s level of ambition.\u201d<\/p>\n

  The Government\u2019s Integrated Review, published in 2021, sets out the Government\u2019s proposals for defence spending in the current years, including a plan to cut the size of army personnel from 82,000 to 72,500.<\/p>\n

  Asked about the wisdom of such a move, Mr Courts said: \u201cAgain, it needs to be threat-based but the plan to cut 10,000 seems utterly counterintuitive at a time when we are asking our soldiers to do evermore.<\/p>\n

  \u201cThe reality is, however capable an aircraft, however brilliant a ship, however capable the people, none of them can be in the same in two places at once.<\/p>\n

  \u201cSo whether it’s the Army, or the Air Force, if we are to match this level of ambition, if our armed forces have to do what as a country will want to do, they need to have the resources in order to match that ambition.\u201d<\/p>\n

  <\/p>\n

  Describing his new role, in which he has replaced fellow Tory MP Tobias Ellwood, Mr Courts said: \u201cThis is without doubt one of the most important jobs in Westminster.<\/p>\n

  \u201cI represent Witney in west Oxfordshire, which includes RAF Brize Norton, so that\u2019s a quarter of the entire RAF based in my constituency.<\/p>\n

  \u201cSo I live and breathe on a constituency level the importance of the armed forces, in terms of kit, particularly people, and we have the amazing ability here.<\/p>\n

  \u201cWe’re very lucky as a country that we have incredibly dedicated, incredibly well-trained people who make our armed forces well respected all over the world.<\/p>\n

  \u201cThe UK armed forces are real quality and it’s our job as a committee to ensure that the whole of Government is held to account to make sure that these incredibly dedicated people have the kit and the living conditions that they deserve.<\/p>\n

  \u201cFrom my perspective, this is a massive honour. It’s the ability for me to serve those who serve us.\u201d<\/p>\n

  Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  With two wars now raging in the northern hemisphere, Britain must increase military spending to keep pace with “epoch-defining challenges”, the chairman of Parliament\u2019s defence […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":134761,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n