- By Eleanor Montague & Sam Francis
- BBC News, in Kyiv & London
Jeremy Hunt has defended plans to slash civil service jobs to increase defence spending and Ukraine support, throughout a shock journey to Kyiv.
The chancellor stated chopping public providers will value “a great deal less” in contrast to permitting Russia to succeed.
Mr Hunt confirmed the increase will value an additional £20bn, which unions declare shall be funded by chopping 70,000 jobs.
Downing Street stated the plans can be funded by way of current commitments to scale back the civil service headcount to pre-Covid ranges, and giving the ministry of defence (MoD) a share of an already-announced increase in authorities analysis spending.
The Public and Commercial Services Union stated chopping civil servants’ jobs to pay for greater defence spending would lead to longer ready lists for brand spanking new passports, driving assessments and driving licence.
The announcement comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed the UK would supply an extra £500m for Ukraine this yr, on high of £2.5bn already allotted.
Mr Sunak added that the UK might proceed to present “at least the current level of military support to Ukraine for every year it is needed”.
Speaking in Kyiv forward of a gathering with President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mr Hunt stated he hope the elevated funding can be “a turning point in this war”.
“We think other European countries will follow us and that will send a message to Putin that he is not going to succeed,” Mr Hunt stated.
The “UK has a special role” in supporting the Ukraine conflict effort, as a result of “we have the largest defence budget in Europe,” he added.
“I’m here because if we want to restore peace in Europe, we must make sure that Putin does not succeed with his evil war of aggression right here in Ukraine,” he stated.
Image supply, Getty Images
On shrinking the civil service to pay for defence spending and Ukraine support, he stated: “This is a alternative however the alternative we’re making is to put money into European safety and defence.
“And if we cease Putin doing what he’s making an attempt to do in Ukraine, in the long run, it’s going to value all of us a terrific deal much less.
“I think it is reasonable to reduce the civil service to the size it was pre-Covid, and I’m confident we can do that with more efficient delivery of public services.”
Mr Hunt confirmed the spending, which is able to progressively increase over the following six years, can be £20bn greater than if spending stayed at its present degree of 2.3% of GDP.
The further funding can even assist useful resource MoD programmes already underneath method – reminiscent of an order for brand spanking new naval frigates, the event of a brand new fighter jet, and the modernisation of Britain’s nuclear weapons techniques.
These programmes are proving to be very costly and the MoD has been struggling to make ends meet on its current assets.
Labour’s shadow defence secretary John Healey stated on Tuesday his occasion “wants to see a fully funded plan” to attain this degree.
But the Tories had “shown time and time again that they cannot be trusted on defence”, he added.
He stated Labour would assessment assets for the armed forces inside a yr of taking workplace, if it wins the overall election later this yr.
