Local MP for North West Essex and Leader of the Conservative Party, Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP, has set out how the Conservatives would cut welfare spending to bolster defence and help keep residents across Uttlesford and Chelmsford safe.
Alongside the new Shadow Chancellor, Andrew Griffith MP, Mrs Badenoch has outlined measures to reduce the welfare bill, enabling an additional £10 billion per year to be invested in the Armed Forces.
The proposed measures include reforming housing benefit, which would save £4 billion a year; reinstating the two-child benefit cap, which would save £3.1 billion a year; and ending VAT exemptions for Motability vehicles, which would save £1 billion a year.
These savings, together with other measures such as repurposing funds from the British Business Bank and scrapping the Chagos deal, would help deliver the Conservatives' target of increasing defence spending to 3% of GDP.
Commenting, Rt Hon Kemi Badenoch MP said:
"Andy Burnham admitted the quiet part out loud at PMQs recently. He cares more about welfare than national security.
"My party has been clear, we must cut welfare to fund our defence. You do not defend Britain with a bigger welfare bill and I want residents across North West Essex to know we have a plan to keep our country safe.”
