Editorial: Labour's defence plan to use reservists in their 60s ducks the need to spend properly more on military by making savings in areas such as welfare

​The defence of the nation is the greatest – and most solemn – duty of any government.

In today's uncertain world, with Russia having launched a war in Ukraine, and the threat posed by China, how countries actually build their defence capabilities is now, rightly, a matter of major political concern.

We all hope that we will never again see a conflict involving multiple nations, but should one break out, and the UK finds itself under attack, it seems the Labour government has a new plan to help bolster the numbers in our armed forces.

As we report on page 12, the Armed Forces Bill will raise the recall age from 55 to 65 in order to make mobilisation easier in any future crisis. It’s understood such former service personnel would be involved in strategic work – such as cyber, medicine, intelligence and communications – rather than combat roles.

Local reaction garnered by this newspaper has been mixed, with one veteran describing it as "a ridiculous idea", while another is a lot more positive, hailing the experience and knowledge our brave veterans could bring to any emergency.

Undoubtedly, veterans will indeed "answer the call", and this newspaper would be the last to question the contribution that older generations could make.

But this is the wrong solution to the lack of manpower in defence.

Labour has refused to cut the UK’s out-of-control welfare budget in any meaningful way. In fact, it will barely cut expenditure at all. Thus Britain, which has long had a much-admired military, is not spending anywhere near enough on defence. It just cannot afford to do so.

Keir Starmer needs to make difficult spending decisions so that he can find the funds to finance the defence of the realm properly, and restore the UK’s reputation as a serious international player.