Streeting vs Reeves: Defence vs Welfare

0:00On April 16th, Health Secretary West Streeting is turning up the heat on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to slash welfare spending and pump more cash into. Defense, he's the first Cabinet Minister to openly break ranks on this emergency, saying yeah, he backpulling funds from benefits to support the armed, forces amid global threats. Earlier this week, Streeting told LBC Radio that the government has already boosted defense budgets but needs even more, and that cash has to come. Somewhere, this comes as ministers uncover a 28 billion-pound shortfall in defense over the next four years, with Reeves only offering 10 billion so far. Critics are piling on, with Tory leader Kemi Badanash calling out Reeves for allegedly blocking funds over the military's lack of gender balance, labeling it a new low. Former NATO boss Lord Robertson slammed Treasury non-experts for wrecking defense plans while the long-awaited 10-year investment blueprint is now, over six months late.

1:01The Treasury shot down those gender parity claims as nonsense and downing street-dashed questions, insisting they're just finalizing the defense. Plan, Reeves mentioned at an IMF meeting their eyeing various options to sort this out. With Britain's security on the line and welfare in the crosshairs, expect this cabinet clash to rumble on as they scramble for a fix.