NUCLEAR weapons corporations have an “absolutely inappropriate” involvement in shaping government policy on the issue, a damning report shows.

It states that as Britain’s spending on nuclear weapons climbs inexorably, the companies who make and sell them spend millions of pounds funding think tanks that advise the government on the issue.

The report also reveals that nuclear manufacturers met top government officials last year ahead of its announcement of an increase in defence spending.

“Surge: 2023 Global Nuclear Weapons Spending” has been released today by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).

It states that global spending on nuclear weapons has surged by 34 per cent in the last five years and that the increase in British spending has risen by even more —over 43 per cent.

As schools across Britain crumble and the National Health Service teeters on the brink of collapse, the Tory government spent £6.5 billion of taxpayers’ money on nuclear weapons in 2023 alone, up 17.1 per cent on 2022, making Britain the fourth-highest nuclear spender after Russia, China and the United States — which spends more than the rest of the world combined.

The report was welcomed by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, whose general secretary Kate Hudson said: “The billions of pounds being funnelled into these weapons of mass destruction are a gross misallocation of resources that could be used to address pressing issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and poverty alleviation.

“This report also makes absolutely clear the influence of arms companies in the shaping of defence and foreign policy, their funding of think tanks, and their meetings with government officials.

“This runs against all democracy and accountability, and must be exposed, investigated and ended.”

Labour has pledged to continue the Tories’ military spending increases if it is elected on July 4.

Ms Hudson said CND “urges voters to elect MPs who prioritise peace, disarmament, and justice.

“It is time for political parties to determine policy based on the interests of the people, not the arms companies,” she said.

“We want a decent peaceful future that does not include reckless expenditure on nuclear weapons but creates a safer, fairer world for all.”