The Spending Review confirms once again that the government is willing to invest billions in military expansion while neglecting the urgent social and environmental challenges facing the UK.
CND condemns the government’s decision to inject £250 million into HM Naval Base Clyde to bolster Britain’s nuclear-armed submarine fleet. This is not a step forward in defence —it’s a reckless deepening of the UK’s commitment to nuclear weapons.
This community is already at risk from 50 billion units of radioactive water that has been dumped into the Clyde between 2018 and 2023, according to Scottish Environment Protection Agency reports.
There is far more long-term economic value in strengthening our public services than in funding weapons that risk civilian lives.
The Chancellor’s statement boasts of a “record” increase in defence spending, pushing military funding to 2.6% of GDP by 2027. This follows a trend of escalating militarism — just in the Spring Statement this year, the government announced a £2.2 billion uplift to the Ministry of Defence budget.
The government also expects the public to foot the bill for its failing nuclear energy agenda. The tens of billions pledged for nuclear power — including an additional £14.2 billion for Sizewell C and £2.5 billion for small modular reactors — represent yet another taxpayer-funded subsidy for a dangerous and outdated technology. Once again, public money is being used to prop up the nuclear industry, while truly sustainable and safe alternatives like wind and solar continue to be underfunded.
This imbalance is indefensible. At a time of growing inequality, crumbling public services, and a deepening climate crisis, military and nuclear priorities dominate the political agenda. Despite headline-grabbing figures for health and science, the total investment in military programmes still dwarfs what’s being spent on housing, transport, and community welfare combined.
CND General Secretary Sophie Bolt said:
“The government’s claims this spending is necessary to “safeguard the UK’s cutting-edge military,” but the true threats to our security are being ignored: poverty, climate breakdown, and the chronic underfunding of our NHS, schools, and social care.
“This is not a budget for safety or sustainability — it is a budget that entrenches militarism and nuclear dependency at the expense of peace, people, and the planet. The £205+ billion cost of replacing and maintaining the Britain’s nuclear weapons system is a colossal waste. This money should be redirected to areas that genuinely improve lives — education, healthcare, green jobs, and the transition to a carbon-free future.
“Climate change and nuclear weapons are the two greatest threats to human survival. The government must stop fuelling both.”