‘Nationwide scandal!’ Tory MP warns cash being spent ‘very badly’ on defence package

A Conservative MP has warned defence procurement is a “national scandal”.

Bob Seely, a former soldier, stated cash has been spent “very badly” on navy package “for years”.

But the Isle of Wight MP stated Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who’s seen as extremely competent, is “now trying to solve this”.

Mr Seely additionally stated defence spending, which stood at 2.1 % of gross home product (GDP) final 12 months, needs to be bumped up.

He instructed GB News: “I’d advocate more than we’re doing at the moment. But it’s not a question of how much money because you can spend that money very badly as we know on procurement where it’s still a national scandal.

READ MORE: Britain’s military shame with ‘1 in 3 troops’ saying equipment ‘not good enough’

“Some of our package is billions over finances and nonetheless does not work and offers you again ache and earache should you’re utilizing it.

“The procurement in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has been a scandal for years. To Ben Wallace’s credit he is now trying to solve this.”

Mr Seely’s feedback come after the Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey discovered lower than one in three British troops imagine their gear is nice sufficient.

Meanwhile, a report by the Public Accounts Committee in April into the MoD’s Equipment Plan stated there have been “recurring” issues with defence procurement programmes.

It stated gear “arrives into service many years late and significantly over-budget, with depressing regularity”.

At the time, the federal government division stated it didn’t “recognise” the claims, including that it delivers the “vast majority” of initiatives on time and in finances”.

Elsewhere through the interview, Mr Seely – who sits on the Foreign Affairs Select Committee – praised Britain for main the way in which in offering navy gear to Ukraine.

But he instructed the response from different international locations in Europe has been discovered wanting.

The Conservative MP stated: “We’re doing a number of nice stuff and we have led the way in which and really congratulations to the earlier Boris authorities and the Rishi authorities.

“But it’s the Americans that are supplying about 85 percent of the kit.

“Considering the EU’s financial measurement, our skill to help the Ukrainians has been fairly poor. When I say our, I imply Europe as a complete.

“I think we’ve been pretty good, I think the Americans have been pretty good but I think Europe’s been lacking.”

Mr Seely stated Vladimir Putin‘s invasion of Ukraine is “going badly” however added that the thought he has misplaced the struggle is “not true”.

He stated: “Russia nonetheless occupies 20 % of Ukraine and in the event that they preserve occupying that for the following 12 months or two then really Putin is profitable. So the thought Putin’s misplaced this struggle I do not purchase.”

Mr Seely additionally warned of the prospect of the determined Russian chief resorting to tactical nuclear weapons, that are designed for use on the battlefield.

He stated: “I think we underestimate the potential for Russians to use tactical nuclear weapons.

“I did a examine for the Heritage Institute a couple of months in the past and there was a latest examine put out by a retired US common who stated really the probability of utilizing that is increased than we expect.

“It is horrifying. But on the balance of probabilities, the Russians probably won’t do it because the Chinese and the Indians would effectively withdraw their support significantly.

“But Putin all the time escalates out of a disaster, how is he going to escalaTe out of this disaster aside from one other spherical of mobilisation, extra artillery, extra strikes on Kyiv and different Ukrainian cities, which is not working.”