Cost of Iraq war tops £1.5bn per year

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 28th May 2004

Cable: War could cost UK up to £6 or £7 billion

Tony Blair's plans to send more troops to Iraq will cost British taxpayers over £65 million extra a year, Liberal Democrat Shadow Chancellor, Dr Vince Cable, said today.

This £65 million will be in addition to the £1.5 billion a year already being spent to keep British forces in Iraq.

Thirteen years ago, the 1991 Gulf conflict cost £2.3 billion. Like everything else, the cost of war today is much higher. However, in 1991 friendly Arab countries repaid 80% of the costs of that war, while the price of this conflict is being borne fully by British taxpayers.

Dr Cable said: "This need for extra troops is a direct result of a lack of proper planning about what might and should have happened in Iraq after any conflict."

"British taxpayers are paying a heavy price for Tony Blair and George Bush's hastily conceived war, with no planned exit strategy for UK forces."

"Because we went to war unilaterally with the United States, this time it is British taxpayers who are alone suffering the huge financial burden of war. The eventual cost to us - UK taxpayers - could be as much as £6 or £7 billion."

"The simple fact is there is no such thing as a free war. However, if Britain and America had followed the UN route, rather than insist on going it alone, much of this cost could have been shared with other countries, as happened in 1991."

"The safety of British troops is paramount, as is our obligation to extricate Iraq from the mess it is in currently. Finding a credible UN solution, and a proper exit strategy is of the utmost urgency now."