'Benefits before bullets': Fury as £2.6billion defence black hole leaves Royal Navy warships delayed

Former military chiefs last night accused Labour of putting 'benefits before bullets' as a £2.6billion black hole in defence funding emerged.

Following an explosion in welfare funding, commanders condemned Defence Secretary John Healey's failure to convince the Treasury to invest in security, with no mention of defence in the Budget.

Conservatives claimed the cash shortage has resulted in delays to the introduction of desperately needed Royal Navy warships.

The Type 31 frigate programme has, it is understood, been 'pushed right' to save money at a time when Russian vessels are probing Britain's defences with impunity.

According to Tory Armed Forces spokesman Mark Francois, the five-strong fleet – HMS Venturer, Active, Formidable, Bulldog and Campbelltown – were initially expected to enter service from the fourth quarter of 2027. Subsequently, the dates have been amended to the 'end of the decade'.

On Thursday night, he predicted they would not be operative before the early 2030s, adding: 'The MoD budget is approaching crisis. It is implementing an efficiency savings programme. So much for the biggest increase in defence spending since the Cold War, which Labour likes to claim.'

When the Daily Mail put this forecast to the Royal Navy, an official source said the wording around the Type 31s had changed but the programme was progressing.

Last week, Mr Healey sent a defiant message to Vladimir Putin over ships from the Kremlin's 'ghost fleet' entering UK waters.

But behind the rhetoric, Britain's defence capability is being reduced, according to senior officers and the shadow front bench.

It was also reported on Thursday how military chiefs plan to write an extraordinary joint letter to Mr Healey. Sources played down the Spectator report, but according to senior officers improving defence provision is impossible without more cash.

Reacting to Chancellor Rachel Reeves announcing another Labour splurge in welfare spending, former Army commander Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon said: 'The 8million people on Universal Credit aren't going to defend this country. The situation is bonkers. Some of these people are receiving more money in benefits than soldiers. This is benefits before bullets.

'The funding plans outlined in the Strategic Defence Review were to be welcomed when announced, but clearly defence needs more money sooner than that. Surely the Government can see that almost all other European countries are investing in defence? We are investing in benefits.'

Welfare spending will be £16billion a year higher by 2030, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility, taking the UK's total welfare costs to £406.2billion. The huge outlay, at a time of a national security crisis, raised further questions last night over whether Labour will meet its defence spending commitments in line with Nato requirements. The failure to invest in UK and European security is also damaging relations with the US, according to former SAS commander Richard Williams.

He said: 'The US is increasingly giving up on us as a reliable partner. John Healey is reducing capability at a time when the world is becoming much more dangerous. It also appears the Defence Secretary is incapable of winning battles with the Treasury.'

Earlier this year, following the Daily Mail's Don't Leave Britain Defenceless campaign, the Prime Minister set out the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, initially to 2.5 per cent of GDP from April 2027. But according to official figures, there is a shortfall of around £2.6billion for the 2025-26 financial year.

The National Audit Office had already identified a £16.9billion black hole in the MoD's ten-year equipment plan, covering the period from 2023 to 2033.

Total UK expenditure on defence is expected to be £62.2billion in this financial year, increasing to £73.5billion from 2028.