A CABINET Minister broke ranks yesterday to warn colleagues against squeezing the armed forces.
Penny Mordaunt went public with concerns over cuts to the Royal Navy’s fleet as she weighed into an ongoing row over defence cash.
The Commons leader - and Naval reservist - said: “The Royal Navy and its partners must keep pace with the growing capabilities of other nations.
"If not, Britain's interests cannot be secured.”
Her intervention came as Defence Secretary Grant Shapps could not pledge when MoD spending would increase to 2.5 per cent of GDP.
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He could only say: “There is a trajectory upwards.
"I can't give you the exact date because we've always said it's as the economic conditions allow.
"But the point is we're working to a plan.”
Mr Shapps insisted Britain is “comfortably” above the 2 per cent NATO target, and its defence budget is second only to the United States in the military alliance.
Quizzed on Ms Mordaunt’s remarks, Mr Shapps rebuked: “I'm in a post where there are a lot of people with opinions and a lot of people who've been in the military and armed forces will often express them.”
Last week former chief of the general staff Lord Dannatt branded the shrinking size of the army “woeful” after dropping from 102,000 in 2006 to 74,000 today.
Mr Shapps - has claimed the UK is in a “pre-war world” - promised the force would not dip below 73,000, plus the reserves.
He previously argued defence spending should rise to 3 per cent of GDP.
Shadow Home Secretary refused to say Labour would pledge to hit 3 per cent, saying: “Decisions for future spending if Labour wins the election would be for a Labour chancellor and in opposition is for Labour's shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, but we have been clear about the importance of our national security.”
Meanwhile, Mr Shapps urged European countries to “step up” their support for Ukraine following Britain’s latest £2.5billion cash package.
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He said continental colleagues needed to “do their part” in the fight against Putin after funding for the war effort has stalled.