UKNDA (UK National Defence Association)
To campaign for sufficient, appropriate and fully funded Armed Forces that the United Kingdom needs to defend effectively this Country, its people, their vital interests and security at home and throughout the world.
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UKNDA
FOR THE UKNDA TO CAMPAIGN EFFECTIVELY FOR
SUFFICIENT, APPROPRIATE &
FULLY FUNDED ARMED FORCES
WE NEED TO DO THREE THINGS
To promote our MESSAGE
To acquire MANY MORE MEMBERS
To gather in MORE MONEY
To support our
"SUPPORT OUR ARMED FORCES CAMPAIGN"
JOIN US NOW
MORE MONEY FOR “DEFENCE” (THE ARMED FORCES)
Introduction:
This is a summary of the case for more money to be allocated for the Armed Forces to ensure the effective Defence of this Country, its people, their security and vital interests at home and worldwide.
This pie chart illustrates the allocation of the National Budget to the main departments of State for the year 2006. The figures shown represent billions of pounds. In absolute terms of funding provided, Defence lay 6th. Little has changed since 2006. This chart is a realistic indicator of the Government’s priorities.
The position of Defence in the United Kingdom’s list of priorities.
The list below gives the percentage increases in the budgets allocated to the main departments of State over the last ten years.
| Health | 167% | Deputy PM (Local government) | 47% |
| Education | 121% | Media/Sport | 39% |
| Transport | 112% | Environment | 17% |
| Home Office | 79% | Work & Pensions | 14.5% |
| International Development | 77% | DTI | 8% |
| Foreign & Commonwealth | 52% | Constitutional affairs | 5% |
And DEFENCE? A claimed ‘real’ increase of 10% over the past 10-year period – i.e. an average of 1% a year higher than the annual rate of Domestic Retail Price inflation. In reality, however, RPI was, and still is, significantly lower than the higher costs of ‘Defence Inflation’ currently running at between 6 & 8% p.a.
In practice, therefore, the true value of Defence funding has been falling by about 5% a year; this is the reason why, despite the assertions of politicians from both parties for the last 25 years that they were maintaining, or even increasing the ‘real’ value of funding for Defence, in reality it has been falling. This is the reason why the size and overall capability of our forces has fallen constantly.
The Defence of the United Kingdom now takes less than 2.2% of GDP. This Country is not paying the appropriate premium for its Defence ‘insurance policy’. The Defence of this Country is being sold short.
It may thus be seen that Defence is not – as frequently claimed by Ministers and politicians of all persuasions – “the first priority of this (or any recent) government” – but now lags way behind and is the poor relation to ‘social services’ of all types. The UKNDA contends that the first duty of any Government and the greatest essential ‘social service’ that can be provided – is the effective Defence of the Nation, its people, their security and vital interests at home and worldwide.
What percentage of GDP should be allocated to Defence?
The UKNDA urges that 3% of GDP should be allocated to Defence. This is the minimum amount that should, in real terms (i.e. allowing for Defence Inflation) be sustained and adjusted as necessary to meet current National Defence Assumptions. The 2006 Budget for Defence is approximately £32 billion or about 2.2% of GDP. To raise the figure from 2.2% to 3% of GDP would increase the funding for Defence to approximately £44 billion.
How to pay for such an increase?
The decision as to ‘who will pay / how to pay?’ is a matter for the politicians and not for the UKNDA. However, for 50 years Defence Funding has, by the constant imposition of efficiency and economy measures (i.e. ‘cuts’) been reduced to pay for the increases in funding of other Government Departments. The time has come (and is long overdue) for that trend to be reversed. Just 1% from the budgets of the ‘Big Spenders’ would do it. Stop salami slicing the Armed Forces – it’s now Payback time.
THE UKNDA VIEW
Defence and the Armed Forces must be raised in the Nation’s list of priorities.
Funding for Defence should forthwith be raised to and sustained at whatever % of GDP is necessary to solve the existing challenges faced by our Armed Forces and defend our Nation, its people, their security and vital interests effectively.
Governments should then commit to ring fence and provide the requisite funding to meet the requirements of current and anticipated National Defence Assumptions.
DEFENCE IS INDEED THE FIRST PRIORITY OF ANY GOVERNMENT