UK campaigners call for spending shift from weapons to welfare
- UK military spending sixth highest in the world
- Campaign events taking place in 11 UK cities as part of Global Day of Action on Military Spending
The UK plans to spend £38 billion in 2014/15, and has committed to renewing trident nuclear weapons at a cost of £100 billion.
Campaigners, who will be marking the Global Day of Action on Military Spending, have called for military spending to instead be redirected towards vital public services.
SIPRI's report reveals that global military spending is estimated to be roughly $1.75 trillion, with large increases having taken place in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America in the last year.
Campaigners have pointed out that this would represent an equivalent of almost £150 per person and almost 30 times the amount that would be required to meet the Millennium Development goals.
Andrew Smith, a spokesperson for Campaign Against Arms Trade, said: “At the same time as our public services are facing drastic cuts, the government is continuing to spend more than almost every other country in the world on weapons and war.In the UK, a coalition of 42 organisations have actions planned in Bradford, Bristol, Reading, Oxford, Leeds, Liverpool, Glasgow, Newbiggen by Sea and London. Action will range from information stalls to street-theatre and visits to government departments that could benefit from redistribution.
Andrew continued: “For too long we have been hearing the myth that high military spending is essential for building peace, creating jobs and combating terrorism. It's a myth that is promoted by governments and the multinational arms companies that benefit from the global arms trade politically and economically.”
End Notes 1. You can see a full list of planned campaign actions here. 2. A full list of organisations supporting the campaign can be found here.blog comments powered by Disqus
