Defense vs Welfare Clash | Belfast News

The Prime Minister is fiercely defending social security against Conservative plans to slash housing benefits and cap child benefits in order to fund defense spending — a move he warns could spark a homelessness crisis. While the Tories push for urgent NATO targets of 3% GDP by 2030 and 3.5% by 2035, the PM insists national security must be built on resilient communities, not sacrificed at the altar of austerity. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch lashes out, accusing the government of neglecting defense after real-term cuts last year — even hinting at controversial payments to Mauritius. The PM’s team counters that welfare reform will happen without creating long-term chaos, stressing that true security requires unity, not division. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/7bd863199ba87279