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Sir Keir Starmer has told LBC that funding defence is his “top priority” - but refused to deny that cuts may be needed elsewhere to pay to keep Britain safe. He also told LBC that he "won't walk away" from Number 10 as he warned a contest would "plunge the country into chaos" amid wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. Listen to the full show on the all-new LBC App: https://app.af.lbc.co.uk/btnc/thenewlbcapp #natashaclark #keirstarmer #LBC #ukpolitics #uknews LBC is the home of live debate around news and current affairs in the UK. Join in the conversation and listen at https://www.lbc.co.uk/ Sign up to LBC’s weekly newsletter here: https://l-bc.co/signup
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0:00
Prime Minister, thank you so much for speaking to us here on LBC today
0:03
Not at all. You're looking to reveal your defence investment plan very soon
0:07
Would you like this to be a part of your legacy? And are you confident that £15 billion will be enough to see off the threats that we face
0:14
Well, we're finalising the defence investment plan. It is really important because, look, we face a more dangerous, more volatile world
0:23
than at any time during my or your lifetime. and as the Chief of Defence Staff said this morning
0:30
he's had 35 years service. He's never known it so dangerous. Now, obviously, we've already stepped up defence spending
0:37
That's gone to 2.6%. That's the biggest sustained increase since the Cold War
0:42
But I've always said we need to go further. We have to meet this moment. It's the first duty of the Prime Minister to keep our country safe
0:49
The Strategic Defence Review was to give me advice on what capability we need now and into the future
0:55
Defence Investment Plan is to put that into effect. Clearly, we've been in discussions with the armed forces, with the MOD across government about this
1:05
We'll publish this now before NATO. But it's very much about the capability we need for the future
1:11
And it is my top priority as a prime minister because my first responsibility is to keep our country safe
1:17
And we spoke to Lord Robertson this week. He suggested that departmental cuts might have to be on the table. Is that right
1:22
Well, obviously, I've always said we're going to have to spend more on defence
1:27
And so we will set out the funding in relation to the defence investment plan
1:32
It is about a question of priorities. And this is the top priority
1:36
I think everybody watching or listening to this will know in their heart of hearts that that has to be the top priority, defending our country, particularly at the moment
1:46
It does come with huge opportunities because I'm absolutely determined that every penny that we spend extra on defence, and we will, has to be seen in jobs and opportunities across the country in every community
2:00
Because we are saying to the country, this has to be the priority. But we also have to say it has to be the opportunity, actually, for good, well-paid, skilled jobs right across the country
2:11
and I determined that going to be in every community not just the big defence communities but in many other communities as well Should we be worried about a potential war with the UK involved Well we do have to be ready And I always argued that deterrence is the best way of abiding war
2:29
But to deter, you have to be ready. And that's what this is all about. our intelligence and the intelligence of other countries is that Russia could attack NATO as
2:40
early as 2030. So that is why we need to be ready. Nobody wants war. Absolutely nobody wants war
2:47
But we do already have a war in Ukraine. We do already have conflict in the Middle East
2:52
in Iran. And those conflicts affect us. They affect our economy. They affect our capability
2:59
our resources and of course the attacks that go beyond the geography the cyber attacks
3:04
the incursions into our water our airspace and the constant threat to undersea's capabilities
3:11
particularly our cables that is a daily event that we have to be prepared for so we don't want war
3:18
but the way to avoid war is to be ready and to be ready we've got to step up and that's what this
3:23
is all about and you're confident we're going to have enough money to pay for this plan yes it'll
3:27
be fully funded we'll settle that um out and this will give us the capability that we need
3:31
going forward um from here it's vital that we do that and just can i ask you about social media
3:36
you've been asked you've been speaking to technology bosses and families about a possible
3:40
ban is that what we should expect from your government in the coming weeks well i have talked to tech companies um and to families i have to say meeting the families um of those that
3:49
have lost children was incredibly moving. The message to the tech companies was very simple
3:57
which is nobody's getting a free pass here. Things are going to change. I was very clear with them
4:02
That's why I wanted to see them. I'm absolutely clear we need to take further measures to protect
4:07
children and young people, and we will. Consultation's now finished. We're just going through the
4:12
responses but watch this space, we are going to act. My message again to the tech companies is that we will take you on, nobody's getting
4:22
a free pass here I afraid we not going to stick with what we got here Look we took we had battles before Grok were involved in disgusting pictures and images only a few months ago particularly of women And we went into battle with them and we had a fight and we won that fight
4:41
Jess Asato is suing now in relation to that and we're 100% behind her
4:45
But that's the spirit in which I go into this, knowing which side I'm on
4:49
You also met the family of Henry Novak yesterday. Are you concerned about misinformation, about our police, about two-tier policing potentially being whipped up around actors potentially like Russia, like we saw after Southport
5:01
Just on Henry Novak's family, it was humbling to see them to try and apprehend what they have been through
5:13
I found that really hard as a prime minister. I found it even harder as a dad
5:18
I've got a 17-year-old boy and just sitting with them talking through what Henry was like and was really humbling and the dignity that they carry
5:29
So two things I'd say coming out of that. Firstly, it is really important that we make sure that his death is not used to whip up division and hatred in this country
5:42
That's not who we are. That's not what it is to be British. and they've asked us not to do that
5:47
And so every single politician, anyone in a leading position, I think needs to listen to that and respond accordingly
5:54
On the question of two-tier policing, we don't have two-tier policing. Policing, the principle is policing without fear or favour
6:02
everybody under the law, an equal under the law, doesn't mean there aren't searching questions
6:08
You can't see the body cam footage in relation to Henry's case
6:14
and not appreciate the have-to-be difficult questions. We have to look at how accusations and allegations of racism
6:20
impacted on those decisions and other decisions, and already the police are reviewing some of the documentation that they've got
6:27
So we mustn't shy away from the searching questions, but it is really important that we are very, very clear
6:34
policing without fear or favour, whatever anybody else says and wherever they're saying it from, whichever country in the world
6:39
Last night Andy Burnham said he would challenge you in a leadership race Are you prepared to fight him Well I said over and over again I not going to walk away we won an election victory in 2024 with a five mandate we only two years into that and so I
6:57
not going to walk away from that I'm very clear about that Andy has got a lot of talent of course
7:05
has. We're fighting hard in Makerfield. But I also profoundly believe that to plunge our country
7:14
into the chaos of a leadership fight, when, as we're talking about this morning, we're facing
7:20
a war on two fronts. The Ukraine war is going on. We've got conflict in the Middle East. Both of
7:25
these have to be resolved. We're playing a leading part in that. We have to step up on defense and
7:30
security of our country. These are serious issues for our time. Already said, we live in the most
7:36
dangerous and volatile world in our lifetimes. And that's why I sincerely and profoundly believe
7:42
that we should be getting on with the job that we're elected to do in 2024, which is taking
7:47
the decisions that are priority decisions for our country, not plunging into an internal
7:52
fight in the Labour Party, which will distract us from the job that we're elected to do
7:58
And finally, Prime Minister, I'm told you're an avid football fan. I am an Arsenal fan, so I'm smiling this season
8:04
How do you respond to FIFA's announcement overnight, the decision they go to ban plastic bottles from the World Cup
8:10
Some people think that sounds a bit odd. It's just wrong. And I can't help but think that it's about making money
8:17
Saying you can't bring bottles, plastic bottles in, but you can buy water when you get in the ground
8:23
I'm sure they'll be expensive. And then it'll be expensive. And look, it's not, you know, the tickets themselves cost a fortune, far too expensive in my view
8:32
So the ticket sales are too high and this is the wrong policy. Will you be writing to FIFA to ask them what they're going to be doing about this
8:38
Well, I would call on FIFA to just look again at this, think about it, think of the fans, their football fans
8:45
you know, from all sorts of backgrounds across our country, across the world
8:49
They're already spending a fortune getting there. Got to pay a lot for tickets, too much in my book
8:53
don't impose further cost on them. Should we expect to see you there this summer, maybe Prime Minister
8:59
Well, let's see how we get on, but I will be cheering all of the way
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