UK Reeves' NHS Gamble Sparks Criticism Over Defence and Policing Cuts

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Reeves' NHS Gamble Sparks Criticism Over Defence and Policing Cuts

 

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is facing a storm of criticism after unveiling a spending review that delivers a record financial boost to the National Health Service while leaving the UK's police and defence forces with significantly less support. Critics warn the move jeopardises national security and breaks key election promises, as tax increases also appear inevitable.

 

The centrepiece of Reeves’ plan is a £29 billion annual increase in NHS funding compared to 2023-24, even though there is no detailed roadmap for reform. The Chancellor defended the decision by declaring, “I have made my choices. These are my choices. These are the choices of the British people.” In an op-ed for The Telegraph, she added, “We are keeping our country safe,” insisting the health investment would be tied to structural reform.

 

However, police chiefs and former military leaders argue that the spending priorities endanger national safety and fall short of the Government’s own targets. Gavin Stephens, chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, warned the rise in police funding will barely cover inflation, stating, “The amount falls far short of what is required to fund the Government’s ambitions and maintain our existing workforce.” Tiff Lynch, acting chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said, “When this Government came in, they said they had the police’s back. It feels like we have been incredibly let down.”

 

Police budgets are set to rise by just 1.7 per cent per year, with an overall gain of only £200 million by the decade’s end. Senior officers also questioned Treasury claims of a 2.3 per cent increase, pointing out the figure included a past boost to cover National Insurance costs. With Reeves banking on higher council tax police precepts as part of “additional income,” there are fears Labour’s pledge to recruit 13,000 neighbourhood police officers and halve violence against women and girls may be missed.

 

The military has not fared much better. While overall defence spending is projected to rise by 3.8 per cent annually until the next election, the real increase in day-to-day budgets for the Armed Forces is just 0.7 per cent. Former defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace accused the Government of manipulating figures, claiming intelligence and Foreign Office spending were misleadingly counted as defence to inflate the numbers. “Today’s spending review confirmed what we all feared,” he said. “Rather than making tough decisions on public spending priorities, Rachel Reeves chose to use Treasury tricks to deceive us all.”

 

Boris Johnson was scathing in his assessment, saying Labour’s “feeble” commitment to defence left Britain vulnerable. “Labour are congenitally hostile to defence spending,” he told The Telegraph, warning the party’s grassroots still held pro-Russian sentiments. Former Army chief Lord Dannatt echoed the alarm, calling the figures “totally inadequate” and warning of UK embarrassment at the upcoming NATO summit.

 

Meanwhile, the Resolution Foundation noted the NHS windfall—amounting to nearly 90 per cent of additional day-to-day spending—would leave little room to restore other public services. Council tax is expected to rise by 5 per cent annually until 2028, adding £395 a year to the average Band D household bill. Economists say broader tax hikes in the autumn budget are now all but certain.

 

In her defence, Reeves promised NHS reform, stating, “It’s not enough to spend money on a broken system. It is about investing to reform services so they are fit for the modern century.” She also claimed national security was not being neglected, citing an £11 billion real-terms increase in defence and added resources for intelligence services.

 

Still, Conservative shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride criticised the approach as “spend now, tax later,” warning it would hit families hard in the autumn. “Rachel Reeves confirmed that she is a ‘spend today, tax tomorrow’ Chancellor,” he wrote. “Her spending spree on the country’s credit card has set us on a collision course.”

 

With a NATO summit looming and domestic security concerns rising, Reeves' decision to prioritise the NHS over traditional pillars of national defence is shaping up to be one of the most contentious moves of her tenure so far.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Times  2025-06-13