Public services may be cut to get UK on ‘war footing’, Sunak admits

Professor Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director general of the Royal United Services Institute, said Labour would likely be forced to raise taxes or cut spending for other departments if they won the election to fund the boost to the armed forces. Professor Chalmers said the increase to 2.5 per cent implied an extra spend of £10bn a year, compared to previous planning assumptions, rather than the £4.5bn set out by the Government.