Blueprint for Defence Spending Will Be a ‘Step up’, Starmer Vows Amid Delay
The plan is said to add more than £18 billion to defence spending, though ministers are weighing changes over affordability concerns.
- Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced the Defence Investment Plan will be published before the NATO summit in Turkey on July 7, following his visit to a Wiltshire defence contractor.
- Delayed since last year by Cabinet stand-offs over costs, the plan provides funding for the "capability" outlined in the Strategic Defence Review, Sir Keir said during his visit.
- The proposed boost to defence spending is worth more than £18 billion, but Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Prime Minister are reportedly considering watering down the amount over affordability concerns.
- Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton warned that Britain faces its "most dangerous period" in decades, necessitating preparation for "longer conflicts" as seen in Ukraine.
- Ministers have faced repeated criticism regarding the delay, with Commons Defence Committee chairman Tan Dhesi stating that Britain's military and defence industry "need to know where we stand and where we are going.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Keir Starmer 'considers watering down' defence spending increase ahead of crunch Nato summit
Sir Keir Starmer is said to be considering watering down his pledge to increase defence spending ahead of a crunch Nato summit next month.Several Whitehall sources have indicated the 10-year defence investment plan (DIP) could be prepared as soon as next week after it was postponed in autumn.Sir Keir was forced to spend months battling with the Treasury over the commitment, although a Treasury source insisted it would be "fully affordable".Now, …
"The plan links financial resources with the necessary capabilities. It is a new increase in investment, but it is essential. It is the right thing to defend our country," he said in statements on a visit to a defense industry company in Swindon, in the east of the country.
The Droitwich Standard
rugbyobserver.co.ukStarmer Faces Questions Over Defence Spending Plan Amid Economic Pressures – NATIONAL NEWS
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is reportedly considering scaling back a planned increase in defence spending as ministers continue to face pressure over the state of the UK’s finances. Reports suggest that a long-awaited Defence Investment Plan, expected to set out military spending over the coming years, could be reduced from an anticipated £18 billion package to around £15 billion. According to reports, Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves h…
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