Already a subscriber? Make sure to log into your account before viewing this content. You can access your account by hitting the “login” button on the top right corner. Still unable to see the content after signing in? Make sure your card on file is up-to-date.

In a heated exchange this week, UK lawmakers and Defense Secretary Grant Shapps sparred over the projected cuts to the nation’s core defense spending for the upcoming fiscal year.

The clash came during the parliamentary Defense Committee session on March 26, triggered by the government’s announcement of a reduction in defense funding in its 2024-2025 budget plan. Shapps argued that the apparent decrease was a misunderstanding, citing a failure to include additional funds designated for Ukraine aid and ammunition stockpiles in the budget documents.

According to Shapps, the Treasury’s documents overlooked $3.2 billion allocated for Ukraine and $350 million for ammunition, which, when accounted for, actually signify a 1.8% real-terms increase in the defense budget. He said, “Once you add those two things in, which are then comparable to the outturn of last year with the outturn of this year, you get a 1.8 percent real-terms increase of £1.5 billion.” The government’s Spring budget outlined a decrease in the operating budget for the Ministry of Defence, from £35 billion ($44 billion) in 2023-24 to £32.8 billion ($40 billion) in 2024-25, alongside a slight drop in capital spending.

Critics, however, were quick to challenge Shapps’ interpretation. Mark Francois, a member of the defense committee, highlighted a combined £2.5 billion ($3 billion) decrease in defense spending for the next year, noting that the additional funds for Ukraine should not be conflated with the national defense budget. Francois accused Shapps of employing “smoke and mirrors” to mask the impact of the cuts, a sentiment echoed by Jeremy Quin, chair of the Defence Committee, who agreed that the defense budget was experiencing a real-term reduction.

The debate comes after concerns about the UK’s military preparedness, underscored by a February defense committee report and a Public Accounts Committee review in March. These reports painted a troubling picture of capability gaps, stockpile shortages, and a decline in personnel numbers, all of which could hinder Britain’s readiness for high-intensity conflicts.