Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, has told the TUC conference in Brighton that the government should redirect spending away from defence and towards climate change, education and housing. Her intervention comes as Labour faces pressure from defence chiefs and Nato to raise military spending amid warnings that conflict could reach Britain within five years, putting her at odds with other union leaders such as Unite's Sharon Graham, who wants defence spending raised to 3% of GDP by 2030.

Addressing delegates, Grady argued that contracts for firms like BAE Systems do not make people safer and said money spent on weapons could instead fund housing, schools, the NHS and transport infrastructure. She urged members to back the "Wages Not Weapons" motion, prioritising investment in workers and public services, citing the trauma suffered by soldiers who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, where the UK lost more than 600 troops. She also criticised the US and Israel over what she called a "war of aggression" against Iran.