Proceeding contribution from Edward Leigh (Conservative) in the House of Commons on Monday, 2 June 2025. It occurred during Ministerial statement on Strategic Defence Review.
Strategic Defence Review
History repeats itself. In 1935, we spent just 3% of national wealth on defence, and because we rearmed almost too late, we almost lost civilisation. By 1945, we were spending 52% of national wealth on defence. Given that we face a crisis in Europe, with an unparalleled Russian rearmament almost as great as that of Germany in the 1930s, will the Secretary of State do the right thing by history and give this House a firm commitment to 3.5%, not as an ambition, but by a set date?
Secondary information
- Type
- Proceeding contribution
- Reference
- 768 c58
- Session
- 2024-26
- Chamber / Committee
- House of Commons chamber
- Subjects
- Defence Army Air force Cadets Expenditure Innovation Recruitment Procurement Navy Nuclear submarines Military aircraft Ukraine Young people NATO Strategic Defence Review Chagos Islands
- Link
- View this Proceeding contribution on hansard.parliament.uk
Librarians' tools
- Timestamp
- 2025-09-05 22:50:55 +0100
- URI
- http://hansard.intranet.data.parliament.uk/Commons/2025-06-02/25060278000013
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- http://indexing.parliament.uk/Content/Edit/1?uri=http://hansard.intranet.data.parliament.uk/Commons/2025-06-02/25060278000013
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