In 2017 Britain will be the world's third biggest defence spender and second biggest aid donor. Indeed, according to IHS Janes Britain will in 2017 spend £54bn or $66bn on defence, whilst the British government's own figures show that London will spend some £13bn or $17bn on aid and development. Hoorah!
And yet Britain's defence budget is apparently again in crisis with some estimates suggesting Britain's armed forces face a £20bn/$26bn funding gap between defence commitments and defence investment. This gap matters. The entire point of Britain's defence strategy is to leverage the power of alliance and coalitions by acting as a leadership hub or 'framework' power in the worst-case event of multiple and simultaneous crises.
