Philip Hammond needs to pay ‘SIX-FIGURE SUM’ to avoid being banned from RAF aircraft fleet

As newly-appointed Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson tussles with the Chancellor over a £2billion increase in military funding, he has now called for Mr Hammond to clear his debts.

A defence source said: “At the moment he is banned from using the flights until he pays for it. It is like getting an Uber account, if you don’t pay…”

A second told The Times: “At the same time as claiming our brave armed forces don’t need any more money and that the army only needs 50,000 troops, it is a huge double standard to willingly use the armed forces’ facilities at the same time as refusing to pay for them.”

The available fleet reportedly offers first-class service with three-course meals and alcoholic drinks.

The Chancellor reportedly used BAE 146 jets, the same type that transport the royal family, over 20 times this year on business that saw him travel to Manchester, Leeds, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Aberdeen, Paris, Brussels and Frankfurt.

All of Mr Hammond’s destinations could have been reached by train or by a cheaper airliner.

The Chancellor used an RAF aircraft yesterday and will use another on Friday if he travels to Europe – after which he will be unable to use the fleet until he pays his debts.

It is understood that the Treasury is preparing to hand over the six-figure sum owed by Mr Hammond – the bill dates as far back as last year.

Theresa May, Boris Johnson and David Davis all have permission to use the same fleet as Mr Hammond – they have reportedly paid their bills.

As the Chancellor and Mr Williamson prepare to meet with Mrs May as early as next week, a former officer blasted Mr Hammond for his previous work as defence secretary.

He stated: “The fact is that he was a bit of a mediocre defence secretary because he never really understood how defence worked and he presided over a shocking decline in capability.

“Hammond didn’t fight the Treasury when he was defence secretary and now that we have got a defence secretary that is prepared to stand up against the Treasury, the Treasury are fighting dirty, including by not paying their bills.

“Well done Williamson for being prepared to stand up to the bully boys at the Treasury.”

They added that “Brexit is the massive distraction” for the Prime Minister – hinting this is the reason talks have not already taken place.

Mr Williamson is seeking £2billion in extra funding to avoid cuts to the military as part of the ongoing review of the MoD.

Mr Hammond served as defence secretary in the coalition Government from 2011 to 2014.

The ongoing spat between the Treasury and Ministry of Defence (MoD) was heightened this week after Mr Hammond was skewered for being “deluded” by Johnny Mercer, Conservative MP for Plymouth Moor View, for claiming the UK only needs 50,000 troops.

Mr Mercer declared: “Philip Hammond is deluded if he really believes this.

“We couldn’t even fulfil our NATO commitments with an Army to 50,000, let alone mount a sustained defence of our nation or its dependent territories.”

He also told The Sun: “The Chancellor also appears to have forgotten that reducing the number of our troops by any number would completely breach our election manifesto promise to maintain force levels made only in June.”

The Chancellor’s comments reportedly came during an exchange with former Defence Secretary Michael Fallon in front of Theresa May at Downing Street.

Mr Hammond’s figure significantly falls behind the size of armies across Europe with France standing at 111,000, Italy at 99,000, Spain coming in at 77,000 and Germany’s 60,000.

Britain’s Army currently sits at 78,000 – recruitment problems have prevented it from reaching its targeted standing strength of 82,000.

Senior military officials reportedly stated on Monday that a number of 50,000 would not allow the UK to initiate a large-scale invasion or peace-keeping operation again – it was also stated that any war could only be sustained for six months.

Over the weekend a furious Cabinet row broke out over military spending – with allies of Philip Hammond claiming the new Defence Secretary “does not know one end of a rifle from the other”.

Sources close to the Treasury are reportedly furious at Mr Williamson, who they claim has orchestrated a backbench rebellion against the Chancellor to force him into offering more money for defence.

In return, they have hit out at the minister’s lack of experience after being elevated to the role following the resignation of Sir Michael Fallon.

One source said: “When Williamson is in with all these grizzled old Forces types he just sits there looking like Private Pike from Dad’s Army.”

However, allies of the Defence Secretary have hit back, claiming the Chancellor “oversaw damaging cuts to the armed forces” when he was in charge of the department.

It comes amid conflict between Conservatives over proposed cuts to armed forces, with MP James Gray urging Mr Hammond to “dig deep in his pockets” or face a “very substantial rebellion”.

And Tobias Ellwood, the hero MP of the Westminster Bridge attack who also served as a captain in the Royal Green jackets, is said to have privately threatened to resign over severe cuts.