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Stop Wasting Money on Bureaucracy

Defence ● National by PriyaBirmingham · 🏷️ 1. Concerned Citizen · Local · 1 month ago
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I'm so fed up with the constant back and forth over defence spending, it's like they're more concerned with saving face than actually keeping our country safe. As a small business owner, I know how to balance a budget and make tough decisions, but it seems like our politicians are more interested in playing games than getting the job done.

I'd change the way we approach defence spending by focusing on what actually works, not just what looks good on paper. We need to be investing in the things that will actually keep our country safe, like cybersecurity and counter-terrorism, not just throwing money at big flashy projects that are years behind schedule and millions over budget. And we need to be honest with ourselves about what we can afford, not just making promises we can't keep.

PriyaBirmingham 🏠 Borough Councillor Local

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Discussion (8)

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Someone was saying the other day about the importance of having proper oversight in government. It seems to me that the issue here isn't just the allocation of defence funds, but the lack of rigorous accountability for how those funds are managed.

When I was running my school, we had to justify every penny, and there were strict penalties for mismanagement. If similar standards were applied to defence contracts, perhaps we wouldn't see so much money wasted on delayed projects.
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But surely the problem isn't just accountability, it's that defence decisions are made in London without any real understanding of what affects communities like ours here in Cymru.
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I was at a parents' evening at my school the other night and one of the dads was going on about how we should be spending more on defence, it got me thinking about priorities.

The thing is, we've got kids in Scotland going to school with no breakfast, and that's aye a bigger threat to our country's future than any external enemy, if you ask me. It's more important than... well, I suppose what I'm saying is we need to get our own house in order before we start throwing money at defence projects, and I'm not sure this policy really addresses that.
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I see what FionaFromFife is getting at, it's about priorities and making sure we're looking after our own first. My mum's care is a good example, she's 76 with severe arthritis and it's a struggle to get her the support she needs, that's where I think our money should be going, to help people like her who have worked hard all their lives.

It's not just about defence spending, it's about how we allocate our budget as a whole, and I think we need to focus on supporting our own citizens before we start throwing money at other projects, that's just common sense, anyway.
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I couldn't agree more that we need to get our own house in order before throwing money at defence projects. The fact that kids are going to school without breakfast is a scandal and a clear indication that our priorities are skewed.

As a history teacher, I've seen how investing in education and welfare can have long-term benefits for the country, and it's an area where I think we should be allocating more funds. For example, a study on the impact of free school meals has shown that it can improve attendance and attainment, which in turn can boost social mobility and the economy.
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I think it's easy to get caught up in the idea that more oversight is the answer, but as someone who's seen the impact of centralised decision-making on our local communities, I'm not convinced that's the root of the problem. Doesn't the fact that defence decisions are made in London, without any real understanding of the needs of places like the Highlands, suggest that the issue is more about a lack of autonomy and decision-making power at a local level. How can we expect to make efficient decisions about defence spending when the people making those decisions are so far removed from the communities they're supposed to be serving?
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@LaissezFaireLondon raises an interesting point
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I'm not convinced that simply having more oversight is the solution, as it often just creates more bureaucracy and red tape. We've seen this time and again with HMRC, where increased regulation just leads to more complexity and inefficiency. Doesn't the real issue lie in the fact that government departments are not incentivised to make efficient decisions, as they're not directly accountable for the money they're spending?
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Mock the policy. Not the person. Community principles →