A PARLIAMENTARY candidate has said that the £75 billion defence spending boost announced by the government will directly benefit Cumbria by 'securing employment opportunities.' 

Matty Jackman is the Conservative candidate for Westmorland and Lonsdale. 

The prime minister committed to boost spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product by 2030. Lord Cameron, the foreign secretary, acknowledged that public spending 'trade-offs' will be needed to meet the government's pledge to increase the defence budget. 

Prime minister Rishi Sunak said the plan is 'fully funded' with a reduction in the civil service headcount and an uplift in research and development spending, but added 'we are making a choice to prioritise defence.' 

Mr Jackman said: "As a Reserve Army Officer and working in the Defence sector, I know how important the Conservative Government’s steadfast support for our Armed Forces and the significant £75 billion injection into defence funding is. This investment is crucial for defending the nation's values, freedom, and democracy.

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"With defence investment already benefiting local communities in Warcop, a training area I know well, and elsewhere in Cumbria, I'm confident we will see a direct impact through increased employment, innovation, and growth.

"This announcement will confirm our place as the biggest defence power in Europe, second only to the USA in NATO. This is only possible because we are sticking to our plan for the economy, which is working.”

Shadow defence secretary John Healey said in response to the announcement of the spending: “Since 2010, the Conservatives have wasted more than £15 billion mismanaging defence procurement, shrunk the army to its smallest size since Napoleon, missed their recruitment targets every year, and allowed morale to fall to record lows." 

Former defence secretary Ben Wallace and ex-armed forces minister James Heappey have previously pushed for an increase in spending in response to foreign conflicts such as Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

Mr Wallace claimed in April that some in government are 'hoping' threats to the UK 'will go away.' 

Former defence secretary and Labour peer Lord Robertson questioned the funding of the defence budget, with the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Resolution Foundation doubting if the proposed cuts to the civil service would be enough to free up the spending.