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Starmer to count rural broadband as defence spending
The Telegraph ^ | 17 June 2025 | Joe Barnes and Tony Diver

Posted on 06/17/2025 4:25:08 AM PDT by fluorescence

Broadband and Heathrow’s third runway are to be counted as defence spending under Sir Keir Starmer’s plans to redraw the definition of national security.

The Government’s national security review, due to be published before a Nato summit next week, will expand the definition to include economic stability, food prices, supply chains, crime and the internet.

It could allow the UK to hit Nato’s new defence spending target of five per cent of GDP without committing any further public money.

Mark Rutte, Nato’s secretary general, has proposed member states spend 3.5 per cent on core defence activities and a further 1.5 per cent on related infrastructure.

Ministers are considering meeting the latter target by spending money on roads, strengthening bridges and increasing runway capacity, The Telegraph understands.

Cyber, energy and telecommunications security projects will also be offset against the goal.

While Nato countries will still be required to hit 3.5 per cent of core defence spending each year – far higher than Sir Keir’s current pledge of three per cent by the next parliament – the additional 1.5 per cent will come from other budgets.

The plans, first reported by Bloomberg, will include various infrastructure projects that have already been announced as “national security” spending, including a third runway at Heathrow Airport that is estimated to cost at least £42bn.

Other projects to be allocated to the “defence” budget for Nato’s accounting purposes could include Project Gigabit, a £5bn plan to upgrade rural broadband services, a £1bn pot to upgrade weak bridges and build the Lower Thames Crossing tunnel.

In a move that is likely to draw scepticism from some in the defence sector, the national security review will also include reference to “street crime”, which the Home Office currently tackles with a £17.4bn budget for local policing.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: nato; returnthesausages; starmer

1 posted on 06/17/2025 4:25:08 AM PDT by fluorescence
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To: fluorescence

Back in the old days they used to call that an “accounting trick”. In the past people were arrested for accounting tricks.


2 posted on 06/17/2025 4:36:32 AM PDT by rottweiller_inc (Lupus urbem intravit. Fulminis icShouldn't shetu vultures super turrem exanimat.)
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To: rottweiller_inc

That’s past an accounting trick and into the realm of cooking the books. Run by the types of accountants who think “CPA” stands for “Cut, Paste and Alter”.

CC


3 posted on 06/17/2025 4:43:42 AM PDT by Celtic Conservative (Pedisequus parasiticus es popularium!)
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To: fluorescence

“””Broadband and Heathrow’s third runway are to be counted as defence spending””””


Why stop there Starmer? Why not declare the entire UK Budget as defense spending? That will send a strong “PEACE THRU STRENGTH” message.


4 posted on 06/17/2025 5:22:36 AM PDT by Presbyterian Reporter
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To: Celtic Conservative

You know I’ve noticed Starmer seems really desperate for money, like fining Apple, and cutting off fuel aid for the elderly(talk about political suicide) and make what seems to be a Brentrance(the opposite of a Brexit) with his EU fishing deal.


5 posted on 06/17/2025 5:27:09 AM PDT by rottweiller_inc (Lupus urbem intravit. Fulminis icShouldn't shetu vultures super turrem exanimat.)
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To: rottweiller_inc

The first thing I thought of when I saw this is Starmer is trying to satisfy the NATO military spending requirement without really doing it. Trump talking about getting out of NATO, with Russia/Ukraine going on, as well as Israel/Iran and India/Pakistan, with China sitting back watching, may have encouraged Starmer to appreciate the U.S.’s protection and fear losing it.


6 posted on 06/17/2025 5:45:29 AM PDT by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: rottweiller_inc

These days the sun never sets on the British propaganda empire.

That is why they consider communications a critical part of “national defense”.

Remember: “truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies”... Winston Churchill


7 posted on 06/17/2025 5:51:51 AM PDT by cgbg (It was not us. It was them--all along.)
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To: cgbg

I’ve noticed something about the Daily Mail headlines. Even though they are ,Technically, true in the article, the sensational headlines they use leave an entirely different impression.


8 posted on 06/17/2025 5:59:37 AM PDT by rottweiller_inc (Lupus urbem intravit. Fulminis icShouldn't shetu vultures super turrem exanimat.)
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To: Tell It Right

“The first thing I thought of when I saw this is Starmer is trying to satisfy the NATO military spending requirement without really doing it.”

Am I the only one that got that impression of being really desperate for cash, without wanting to seem desperate?


9 posted on 06/17/2025 6:02:15 AM PDT by rottweiller_inc (Lupus urbem intravit. Fulminis icShouldn't shetu vultures super turrem exanimat.)
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To: fluorescence

Do they really think this “defense spend” will scare off Putin or the Mad Muĺlahs?


10 posted on 06/17/2025 6:13:34 AM PDT by RedMonqey (Trump, the once and future president!)
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To: fluorescence

Kier Starmer: the Jeb Bush of Marxist UK “gits.”


11 posted on 06/17/2025 6:15:57 AM PDT by niteowl77
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To: Celtic Conservative

Starmer to count rural broadband as defence spending“

Orwell. England was racing towards the cliff so they floored it and put Labour in charge


12 posted on 06/17/2025 6:54:49 AM PDT by iamgalt
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To: Tell It Right

And the idiot thinks Trump WON’T NOTICE?


13 posted on 06/17/2025 6:56:10 AM PDT by Mr Rogers
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