Figures show that military spending throughout the world for the year 2023 was $2.44 trillion, the highest ever. We have witnessed brutal wars from Ukraine/Russia, Gaza and Sudan over this period leaving hundreds of thousands dead. The British prime minister Keir Starmer has now decided to add to this misery by a large increase in military spending of £13.4b or 3% of GDP. This after criticism from Donald Trump that Europe was not spending enough. Starmer is at present trying to gather together along with lame duck French president, Macron a ‘coalition of the willing’ comprising possibly 30 countries pushing for a military intervention in Ukraine. ‘Boots on the ground and planes in the air’. This inspite of the fact that he has no direct involvement with present talks between Putin and Trump to work out a ceasefire on their terms. Starmer’s position is destined to fail and even if it did succeed his sabre rattling would only make things much worse. Starmer’s proposals for ‘peacekeepers’ along with a ceasefire deal are nonsense. Putin’s regime would not tolerate this which inevitably would mean war with soldiers from the UK and elsewhere dying. This possibility does not stop the constant warmongering from sections of the establishment in Britain and Europe. There is even talk of conscription. In Germany the outgoing governing coalition rushed through a massive increase in spending including on weaponry of an unprecedented e1trillion before the new Bundestag meets, in an undemocratic manoeuvre with no public mandate. The announcement in early March of £13.4b, up to 3%of GDP, to be spent on ‘defence’ at the expense of overseas foreign aid with a £6b cut was too much for one of Starmer’s previously loyal ministers, Anneliese Dodds Overseas Development Minister, who resigned in protest. The announcement of £1.6bn state support for French multinational Thales in Belfast for missiles for Ukraine with the possibility of 200 jobs, was a surprise. If these jobs materialise it comes to £8 million per job! In light of this unstable, dangerous situation, the trade union movement needs to take a clear stand in opposition to the rising war mongering and militarism. Unfortunately Unite’s Sharon Graham unconditionally welcomed Starmer’s announcement in a Guardian article, claiming ‘this additional spending is critical for our future defence’. Militant Left completely rejects this wrongheaded position. There is no real evidence that the UK is under threat. We have supported her campaign for the General Secretary election as it meant a serious turn to industrial action against austerity and profiteering. This has enthused the activists and increased membership. This never meant avoiding constructive or serious criticism. This latest turn, however well intentioned, ostensibly in support of the 70 thousand Unite members in the defence, aerospace and logistics sector is a serious mistake. We need to be campaigning for diversification from armaments to socially necessary products to protect the jobs and livelihoods of those workers, under public ownership. The precedent is already there in the Lucas worker’s Plan from the seventies which identified 150 alternative items which are today in common use. The problem with this anti-working class government with its attacks on the disabled and the public sector, is that massive resources are being diverted away to wasteful war materials. This means that Unite members’ jobs and services are at risk in sectors outside of defence. There is no guarantee either that Unite’s members jobs in defence are safe. Much of the military equipment is produced on an international scale. It is clearly time for Unite to begin discussions on a real socialist alternative to Starmer’s Labour.