
Guns or Butter: the great defence spending row
From The State of It by The Times
April 14, 2026 · 32 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the implications of defence spending priorities in UK politics, featuring insights from key political figures.
Kidney machines replaced with rockets and guns : Keir Starmer says security is his priority but where will the money for defence come from and when will he tell us? On the road with Nigel Farage. If the polls are right, which major cabinet minister is likely to lose their seat? Spoiler: most of them. And as Labour moves closer to the EU, can they convince voters that it's a good idea? Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times Producers: Euan Dawtrey, Harry Kitson Executive producer: Molly Guinness Picture credit: Getty Images This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Guests: Steven Swinford, Patrick Maguire, Lara Spirit
Topics covered
- defence spending
- politics
- Labour Party
- EU relations
- elections
- public opinion
Keywords
- defence spending
- Keir Starmer
- Nigel Farage
- Labour Party
- EU
- politics
- elections
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: The Times, The Sunday Times
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