Defence Spending

Lord Jackson of Peterborough Excerpts

Thursday 10th September 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee (Non-Afl)]

My Lords—

[Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Con)]

My Lords—

[Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms and Chief Whip (Lord Kennedy of Southwark) (Lab Co-op)]

My Lords, we will hear from the noble Baroness, Lady Foster, next and then the Conservative Benches.

[Lord Coaker (Lab)]

I thank the noble Baroness for remarks about me attending the Royal Air Force show in Enniskillen last Saturday and for hosting me. Something the Government need to accelerate is the national conversation and the ability to explain to people why changes may be needed for welfare and other budgets right the way across government to fund defence. We need to set that out clearly, by saying that this is the threat that the country faces and these are the things that we need to do, and therefore difficult priorities will need to be made, including moving some things from areas where we would like to spend to defence. We need to make those tough decisions in a calm way, without referring to cheap headlines.

[Lord Jackson of Peterborough (Con)]

I have a straightforward question for the Minister. Will the damaging, dangerous and wholly unnecessary Chagos deal be funded by mainstream defence expenditure?

[Lord Coaker (Lab)]

I have seen various figures around the Chagos deal and where the funding may go. The previous Government sought to ensure that the Diego Garcia base was maintained; they were in negotiations about that. This Government are determined that ,whatever the rights and wrongs of the debate—this debate will continue whatever the Government go forward with—the fundamental principle, accepted by both the previous Government and this one, is that we have to make sure that one of the most strategically important bases to our nation, and to the defence of democracy and freedom, is maintained at Diego Garcia. That is the intent of this Government.