Sunak ignored Wallace’s warning over missing Nato spending commitment – report

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace sounded the alarm over a real-terms cut in security spending in a letter according to The Sun.

Sunday 01 May 2022 23:37

Chancellor Rishi Sunak allegedly ignored a Ministry of Defence warning that the UK could fail to meet its Nato spending commitments by 2025 (Aaron Chown/PA)

(PA Wire)

Chancellor Rishi Sunak allegedly ignored a Ministry of Defence warning that the UK could fail to meet its Nato spending commitments by 2025.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace sounded the alarm over a real-terms cut in security spending in a letter to the Chancellor ahead of March’s spring statement, The Sun reported.

Mr Wallace was said to have warned Mr Sunak that Britain would not meet the 2% spending commitment because of rising inflation and the move to arm Ukraine’s battle against Russia.

Mr Wallace was said to have warned Mr Sunak that Britain would not meet the 2% spending commitment (Peter Byrne/PA)

(PA Wire)

The Chancellor did not increase defence spending in his statement and the Treasury did not deny that he failed to respond to his Cabinet colleague’s letter.

A Treasury spokeswoman said: “This Government has provided the largest increase in defence spending since the Cold War, increasing the defence budget by £24 billion.

“This was an exceptional uplift in defence spending and the decision to prioritise taxpayers’ money on our security was the right one.”