Originally Posted by
WE Branch Fanatic
Does the current situation with a hung Parliament have implications for defence?
Potentially, maybe.
Purdah, I believe is now over and there's no change of government so it should be carrying on from where we left off. But of course, the Government is in a very different place from where it was 2 months ago. It now needs to tread carefully; bold decisions are unlikely to be made and politically difficult issues might get put on the back burner which could affect Defence if they are linked in any way. And if austerity is cancelled, expect to see cuts in budgets to keep other politically sensitive areas e.g. welfare, education, policing etc funded. Could Defence spending take a hit or be re-profiled to keep benefits flowing to stave off the potential threats inherent in a second election down the line? Of course, with books fudged to then hit the 2% target.