‘It’s fake!’: Burnham accused of inflating defence spend as he hits 100 days as PM

Andy Burnham’s first 100 days as Prime Minister reveal a government struggling to translate campaign rhetoric into concrete legislative action. While his personal approval ratings remain resilient, the administration faces criticism for policy inconsistency, particularly regarding Brexit-related alignment and the potential for future tax increases. Sir Ben Wallace, former Defence Secretary, highlights a systemic issue of "Treasury tricks" where the government inflates defense spending figures by including non-military items like intelligence budgets and town center improvements. This accounting practice masks a real-terms decline in operational readiness and morale within the armed forces. The discussion emphasizes that modern defense requires prioritizing lethality and technological capability over outdated models of mass mobilization, yet the current government continues to prioritize political optics over the necessary funding for national security.