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| Volume 55 Number 29, November 22, 2025 | ARCHIVE | HOME | JBCENTRE | SUBSCRIBE |
Stop the War Coalition, Newsletter, November 21, 2025
It is no accident that hysteria about military threats seem to be peaking in the run up to the budget. But as Chris Nineham says in his recent article, "The idea that Russia is a military threat to Britain is a complete fantasy. Russia's military power has been stretched to the limit fighting in Ukraine." Yet still Defence Minister John Healey announced a massive expansion of arms factories across the country. [1]
There is an escalating arms race in Europe and our government is playing its part, cynically ratcheting up the fear of war alongside people's concerns about jobs to justify hiking military spending.
And we're not just spending on conventional weapons, this spending spree has gone nuclear. On Monday StW Convenor, Lindsey German stood alongside CND, MPs and trade unionists to hand in a letter calling on the Prime Minister to rethink his decision to purchase 12 nuclear-capable F-35A jets. The jets have been designed to launch deadly US nuclear bombs and are to be stationed in the UK.
"Buying nuclear-capable F-35s to please Donald Trump and his belligerent foreign policy puts everyone in Britain at risk of being on the frontline of a nuclear war," said Lindsey.
At a time when public services are collapsing and millions are struggling to make ends meet, we need to fight for real security. We can only do this by tackling welfare cuts and breaking with decades of subordination to US foreign policy.
Join us at the eve of budget protest demanding Welfare not Warfare on
Tuesday, November 25, 6pm outside Downing Street.
Workers' Weekly Note
[1] Sources say that defence spending is set to rise to 2.6% of GDP by 2027, the largest sustained increase since the Cold War, with an ambition to reach 3% in the next Parliament. The Ministry of Defence budget will reach £73.5 billion by 2028/29, with major investments in nuclear warheads (£15 billion), directed energy weapons (£1 billion), autonomous systems (£4 billion), munitions (£6 billion), and military accommodation (£7 billion). Intelligence and border security budgets are also being increased.
