War Costs

I am appalled that His Majesty’s Government cannot find the money to offer old folks the Winter Fuel Allowance, but can easily find eye-watering sums to fund and subsidise the Ukranian war with Russia. According to the government’s official website:

In total, the UK has committed £15 billion for Ukraine:

£10 billion in military support (including our £2.26 billion ERA Loan contribution)

£5 billion in non-military support 

The G7’s ‘Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration’ loan is unlikely to be repaid, so the British taxpayer, via government borrowing, is giving a whopping £15,000,000,000. While I appreciate that we might support weaker countries from aggression and that British national security cannot be maintained by splendid isolation, I am baffled how we can always find money to provide weapons and bombs, but not enough to have smooth roads, warm pensioners and decent public transport. I am sadly reminded of Yuliy Ganf’s 1953 anti-American cartoon (second from the top). I am not a pacifist, and I wish we would spend more on our excellent armed forces, but prosecuting foreign wars seems to be a regular hobby of unpopular British Prime Ministers. 

Come and behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the ends of the world, he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear, and burneth the chariots with fire. Ps 46:8-8, Geneva Bible