The News Agents

Will Labour hike taxes to placate Trump?


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Less than 24 hours after the Defence Secretary stood up in the Commons to unveil the government's strategic defence review, months in the making, and it looks like NATO are forcing the MOD to go back to the drawing board.

The PM couldn't completely commit to 3% of GDP going on defence spending, despite that being an essential part of the review. And now, according to briefings in the newspapers, NATO is forcing Britain (and all members) to commit to a new 3.5% target within a decade. The aim? Convince Trump that NATO is worth standing by - with Russia feeling emboldened, there are heightened warnings that a NATO country could be his next target.

But the timing could hardly be more awkward for the Labour government. Just a week out from what could be a brutal spending review, the additional demands on defence will force tens of billions of more to be found to fund our army. Are taxes rises and harsh spending cuts now inevitable to placate the US president?

The News Agents is brought to you by HSBC UK - https://www.hsbc.co.uk/

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