Andy Burnham accused of 'squandering 365 days' by delaying defence spending decisions

Prime Minister Andy Burnham is "squandering 365 days" by delaying an announcement on funding the Defence Investment Plan, according to the former head of the Army, Lord Richard Dannatt.

He told the Camilla Tominey Show on GB News: "I think all the indications before the Budget were that we were not going to see anything very substantial for defence out of this budget. All I would say is that there is some form of commitment to fund the £4.7 billion pounds of the defence investment plan that was previously not funded, and that seems to be a sort of whip around by other spending departments trying to find that that additional money.

"And then, of course, we've got the oft-repeated intention of kicking this particular can, like so many others, down the track for a while. But here's an oddity, really: you've got Wes Streeting as the Defence Secretary saying a few days ago, we must be ready for war with Russia in 1,000 days. And then in the budget, we've got the former Defence Secretary, now the Chancellor, saying that, 'Oh, hang on, we'll wait until the spending review'.

"So effectively, they're squandering the next 365 days, waiting for that overall spending review, when we know there's a problem. We know we've got to spend more money. So work harder and find it."

He added: "Of course, it's being led by Burnham. Burnham is the Prime Minister. He is also, as his front door tells him, the first Lord of the Treasury. So it is down to him.

"The Chancellor, okay, well, not traditionally, over recent years, Chancellors have had much more autonomy than perhaps they originally were intended to have. But it is a leadership function, and it should come from the top, come from the Prime Minister, and it's up to Andy Burnham to take seriously the threats to this country and address that as the highest priority.

"Yes, of course he wants social security. Of course he wants a national care scheme. These are all very good. But frankly, you can't have those things if we are insecure physically and practically as a nation. And that's where we are now. "

On Defence Secretary Wes Streeting: "I'm more impressed with him than I thought I was going to be. Let's give him a bit more time. It's a difficult portfolio to learn. I think he's doing quite a good job, but he can't do it with words. They've got to put more money there. Andy Burnham, John Healey, and Wes Streeting together have got to sing off the same song sheet now."

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