Jack Rankin for Windsor

Jack Rankin discussed our level of military spending and the United Kingdom's support for Ukraine during a meeting with Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.

We are now spending 2.3% of GDP on Defence, up from the NATO floor of 2%, and at the recent Budget the Chancellor indicated that he targeted raising this to 2.5% when economic and fiscal conditions allow.

Jack said: "I welcome this but if I become Windsor's next MP I will push for higher spending, because in my view, we are now in a pre-war environment and the UK should be re-arming. The current Labour plans to return to 2% (and hence a £7 billion cut in military expenditure) concern me hugely."

On Ukraine, this financial year the UK is increasing its military funding to £2.5 billion (an increase of £200 million on the past two years). This takes total military aid to £7 billion, not including substantial donations of stockpiles from our inventory.

Jack added: "I feel an enormous sense of pride in how the British have led the free world in our support for Ukraine and urged this to continue until all of Ukraine was free of occupation."