Starmer’s Ukraine Bill: Billions for War While Social Care and Pensioners Are Left Behind

As Sir Keir Starmer’s government continues to pledge billions to Ukraine, British taxpayers are left wondering why their hard-earned money is being funnelled into a foreign war while pensioners shiver in cold homes, and the country’s social care system collapses. Since 2022, the UK has already spent £7.8 billion in military aid to Ukraine, with a further £3 billion per year pledged until at least 2030-31—a staggering long-term commitment that does nothing for the people of Britain.

But direct military aid is only part of the cost. The UK has also contributed £2.26 billion to Ukraine’s loans under the G7’s ‘Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration’ scheme, which uses profits from frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s recovery. However, these are still loans. Ukraine is a country at war, its economy shattered, and its ability to repay these debts is at best uncertain.

Training Ukraine’s Troops While Our Own Services Crumble

Beyond direct funding and weapons, the UK has also trained over 51,000 Ukrainian troops under Operation Interflex, teaching them combat skills, mental resilience, and tactics for the battlefield. This extensive training programme, spanning multiple locations in the UK, has cost millions—money that could instead have been invested in our own struggling armed forces, our depleted NHS, or the collapsing social care system.

The question must be asked: Why is the UK government spending vast sums to train a foreign military while failing to invest in its own defence and essential public services?

Why Are We Encouraging a War Between Two European Nations?

The UK’s approach to Ukraine is not about peace; it is about escalation. The billions being pumped into this conflict are not bringing the war any closer to an end—instead, they are prolonging the suffering, delaying diplomacy, and pushing Ukraine into an unwinnable position. The West continues to fuel the conflict rather than negotiate an end to the bloodshed.

Our national interest is not at stake in this war. Russia has not threatened the UK, nor is Britain under any obligation to be a major funder of Ukraine’s military campaign. Yet, under both the Conservative and Labour governments, we have been among the most aggressive funders of Ukraine’s war effort, despite our own citizens suffering from a cost-of-living crisis, declining public services, and pension cuts.

The Next Drain on Our Resources: “Peacekeeping” Missions?

Just when we thought the costs couldn’t get any worse, Starmer is now discussing UK peacekeeping duties in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. This would mean deploying British troops—at British taxpayers’ expense—to a volatile region where no strategic UK interest exists. More money, more risks, and no benefit to the British people.

Would Starmer’s government be able to guarantee that UK forces wouldn’t be dragged into a prolonged, unwinnable situation? Can they justify spending even more taxpayer money on an operation that does nothing to improve life for the people who actually live in the UK?

A Time for Priorities, Not Endless Spending on War

The UK is facing serious economic and social challenges. The £3 billion per year pledged to Ukraine could fully restore Winter Fuel Payments, ensuring pensioners don’t have to choose between heating and eating. It could also provide much-needed investment in our crumbling social care system, which is at breaking point due to chronic underfunding.

Instead, the UK government is pouring endless billions into a war that does not serve British interests while failing to care for its own people. The British taxpayer deserves better. It is time to put Britain first—to focus on fixing our country, rather than funding a conflict that should be resolved through diplomacy, not endless war or an uncertain ‘peace’.

By Pat Harrington