National security cannot come at expense of social security

The Labour Party has stated that national security cannot come at the expense of social security, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham saying he will fund defence and get the welfare bill down in 'the Labour way'. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch challenged Burnham over funding for defence, accusing him of prioritizing welfare over national security. Burnham responded by stating that his commitment to defence is absolute and he will set a target date to reach the 3% figure in the spring.

Badenoch accused Burnham of kicking defence spending into the long grass, saying it would put people into crisis by making them homeless. The government has announced plans to increase defence spending to 3. 5% of GDP by 2035, with a target date for hitting this figure set out in the spending review in the spring.

However, Burnham insisted that his plan would not involve 'crude cuts' and would instead focus on supporting young people and providing more mental health support.

Badenoch also questioned whether Burnham was 'unable' or 'just unwilling' to meet the 2030 target, saying it would be a decade away from being achieved. 'We need to fund our defence, not spend all of our money on welfare,' Burnham said.

Badenoch accused Burnham of being 'continuity Keir', suggesting that he was still failing to cut welfare despite his claims to be the change candidate.