“Ministry of Defence seeks £3.2bn as costs overrun in Yemen and Ukraine”

Utter madness to spend this on death and war and incompetence to overrun budget.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/feb/29/ministry-of-defence-costs-overrun-yemen-ukraine-grant-shapps

Ministry of Defence seeks £3.2bn as costs overrun in Yemen and Ukraine

Grant Shapps tells MPs his department’s spending exceeded its allocation in last year’s budget in light of unstable global situation

The Guardian

@therightarticle @Lazarou Bllame fucking Putin for that. And remember, it could be worse: last time the UK was in a REAL war, the country came within a week of bankruptcy and the top income tax rate hit 97% and food rationing didn't end for another nine years afterwards.

Certainly blame the Tories for most of the shit we're in, but it's not *all* their fault (except for not getting serious about Putin earlier—say, after the Litvinenko and Salisbury murders).

@cstross @therightarticle @Lazarou what would "getting serious about Putin" consisted of?
@nickj @therightarticle @Lazarou To start with, circa 2014, taking SERIOUS measures to counter disinformation and political meddling. (Brexit was close enough that it might not have happened. Ditto Trump, although that's less certain.) Counter Russian military action in Syria and Africa via Wagner Group (and successors). And stand up to Putin over Ukraine before the invasion started.
@cstross standing up would consist of what?