A candidate for the leadership of one of Britain's biggest unions sparked uproar over suggestions the UK's defence budget should be diverted to pay for gypsy and traveller sites. Howard Beckett is running to succeed Len McCluskey as general secretary of Unite, whose membership includes thousands of defence workers. But he suffered a backlash after his supporters claimed he would seek to slash military spending, putting jobs at risk. In a statement announcing it would support Mr Beckett's candidacy, campaign group Labour Black Socialists said: 'He believes in a foreign policy that promotes peace not war. 'The government has 143 military bases in 42 countries - money that could be spent on reinforcing flood defences, making sites available for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, support for youth within communities, support for women suffering from domestic and gender-based violence.'