During my service in the armed forces, I was introduced to the concept of a ‘bank account of courage’.

The idea is simple: when times are tough, we all withdraw from our inner reserves of courage, exactly like when we withdraw from our bank accounts when we need to buy something.

Like a bank account, our inner reserves of courage can be depleted if we’re not careful - we need to make sure that we don’t take too much out in one go and leave ourselves in the red.

The idea of the bank account of courage is something that has never left me. It’s also something that has been on my mind a lot lately, not least in the wake of Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

Brave Ukrainians have now been fighting to protect their country for three years against Putin’s brutality. They fight on, but their bank accounts of courage are now battered and demoralised. We must help top them up.

This is a war that the Ukrainians must win. They fight not only to defend their homeland, but to defend Western democracy itself from those who think that they can take what they like without consequences.

There is no polite way of saying it: those who think Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not also a threat to UK prosperity and security could not be more wrong.

That’s why it’s great to see that the UK government is stepping up by committing to the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War. This will mean that defence spending will raise to 2.5 per cent of GDP from April 2027, with the target of reaching 3 per cent in the next Parliament.

This is the right thing to do. The increase in defence spending will be funded by reducing overseas aid from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent of GNI and reinvesting it into defence. This is not a decision the government takes lightly - but in the circumstances we find ourselves in, it is the right decision for the challenges we face.

In government, the Labour Party have a strong record on defence. With international partners, our party founded NATO, an organisation that has kept us safe for over 75 years. Successive Labour Defence Secretaries have played their part in keeping Britain safe, not least Barnsley’s own Roy Mason, one of my predecessors.

The first duty of any government is to keep its people safe. That’s why I’m proud to be a part of a government that is taking this duty so seriously.

I’m also pleased that the government’s plans are being supported by many colleagues from across the political spectrum. Of course, as ever, there are those on the wrong side of the argument - those with short memories who are gullible enough to echo lines from the Kremlin. Those who have never had a bank account of courage, let alone a full one.

This government will take the tough decisions that are necessary to keep us safe.

Slava Ukraini.