Keir Starmer assured allies of Britain that it would be business as usual as regards foreign policy. On July 9th-11th, at the NATO summit in Washington, held to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the military alliance, he pledged £3billion a year towards military support for Ukraine until 2030/31. This is a rise to 2.5% of GDP.
This will follow a review of Britain’s military capabilities later this year, headed up by Lord George Robertson. This former secretary general of NATO, has spelled out that the enemy is the quartet of Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. When holding office as NATO Secretary-General, he supervised the disastrous invasion of Afghanistan, led by the USA, and supported by its allies, including the UK. We have previously reported on the increasing level of war fever and the urging of various generals, retired or still in harness, for more military spending. Now Robertson adds his voice to the clamour.
Starmer also gave a green light for the use of Storm Shadow missiles supplied by Britain, to be fired into Russian territory by the Ukrainian military. These missiles have a range of 350 miles. Up to now, weapons supplied to Ukraine have been used in a defensive capacity. This sabre rattling was contradicted by the NATO policy of supporting a Ukraine on a strictly defensive basis, not because of high moral principles but because they are concerned about escalation to a nuclear war. Shortly after the speech The Ministry of Defence made it clear that this was not current policy to condone such strikes. Ever since the invasion of Ukraine by Putin, British politicians, above all Boris Johnson, have lined up to adopt macho postures to show how tough they are on foreign policy and defence. Starmer is the latest. Perhaps he should contemplate the example of Tony Blair and Iraq. Ukraine could prove to be Starmer’s Iraq.
Money for Arms, None for Children
The Labour government is enthusiastically prepared to spend billions on military spending. But it cannot fork out £2.5 billion to £3.5 billion estimated by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves that would lift the child benefit cap. An ending of the cap would have a beneficial effect on over a million children and their families. Seven Labour MPs were suspended for voting against government policy on the child benefit cap. Others, also opposed to the cap, like Diane Abbott and Kirsty McNeill, a former director of Save the Children, were too worried about their careers and either abstained or voted to keep the cap. Rushanara Ali called on the Tory government back in 2019 to scrap the cap. This time, she voted to keep it. Angela Rayner said in 2020 that “the obscene and inhumane two child cap must go”. This time, she voted to keep it. Emily Thornberry, dropped from the cabinet by Starmer, came out with the mealy mouthed: “”Nobody in the Labour Party likes the two-child benefit cap…but we have just had a general election … we have to show where the money comes from”.
Pay Claims Ahead
Rachel Reeves and the Starmer cabinet will be under pressure with impending pay claims. The Labour government promised to sort out the junior doctors’ strikes over their pay claim. The British Medical Association estimates that £1billion will be needed to settle the claim.
Reeves will also be challenged by the recommendations of pay review bodies of 5.5 % pay rises for teachers and for NHS staff. These will undoubtedly be followed by similar pay claims throughout the public sector. Workers need to organise at grassroots levels to create effective action to win their pay claims. They must not rely on their union leaders, so quick to get into bed with the Labour government. Sharon Graham, general secretary of the Unite union, has already stopped the strike by 1,500 steel workers at Port Talbot to save jobs. It has been revealed that the strike was called off due to the influence of Jonathan Reynolds, now Secretary of State for Business and Trade.
Labour proclaims that it is “the party of working people.” Despite what various Leninists, say it is not. It is a viciously anti-working class party and we have had plenty of evidence of that in the last few weeks.