Sir Keir Starmer has announced defence spending will increase by £13.4billion as the Prime Minister brings forward his 2.5 per cent security splurge to 2027.
The Prime Minister, who delivered his update to the House of Commons at 12.30pm, also confirmed Labour will look to bring defence spending up to three per cent in the next Parliament.
Britain had spent £53.9billion on defence in 2023/24, with the confirmed surge taking the haul up to around £67.3billion.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Starmer told MPs: “Starting today, I can announce this Government will begin the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War.
GB NEWS
“We will deliver our commitment to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence but we will bring it forward so that we reach that level in 2027.
“And we will maintain that for the rest of this parliament. And let me spell that out, that means spending £13.4 billion more on defence every year from 2027.
“But we also face enemies that are sophisticated in cyberattacks, sabotage, even assassination and our intelligence and security services are an increasingly vital part of protecting both us and our allies.
“So on top of the funding of 2.5 per cent that I have just announced, going forward we will recognise the incredible contribution of our intelligence and security services to the defence of the nation which means taken together we will be spending 2.6 per cent on our defence from 2027.”
However, Starmer also stressed "difficult decisions" had to be made to ensure the UK could meet its defence spending commitments, later confirming Britain's foreign aid budget would be slashed from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Sir Keir Starmer alongside Volodymyr ZelenskyPAExplaining his decision, the Prime Minister said: “In the short term it can only be funded through hard choices and in this case that means we will cut our spending on development assistance, moving from 0.5 per cent of GNI today to 0.3 per cent in 2027, fully funding our increased investment in defence.”
Starmer's Labour Government allocated £13.3billion in aid for 2024/25, with today's announcement bringing the sum down to just shy of £8billion.
The Prime Minister's emergency update to MPs comes as Starmer prepares to jet off to Washington to meet Donald Trump at the White House.
Trump, who last month demanded European nations cough up to five per cent on defence expenditure, yesterday met with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The 47th President took aim at both Starmer and Macron after the pair criticised Trump over his comments about Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky being a "dictator".
Starmer labelled Moscow as a "menace" in a major warning about the threat from Russia, adding: "We must deploy all of our resources to achieve security."
However, the Prime Minister remains committed to strengthening the special relationship and resetting the UK's alliance with Europe.
He said the UK must “reject any false choice between our allies, between one side of the Atlantic and the other”, later labelling the special relationship as Britain's "most important bilateral alliance".
Despite swiping at the Prime Minister over the Chagos Islands, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch welcomed the cut to foreign aid but hinted at more funding going on defence.
She said: "The first duty of every government is to protect its people. That means a strong state that stands up for our national interest.
“Our foreign policy should seek to support our national interest. MNational interest should always come first.
“So I am very pleased to hear the Prime Minister announce that increase to 2.5 per cent by 2027.
“All of us on this side of the House welcome that. We all wanted to see more spending on defence.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also welcomed the announcement but took exception with the Prime Minister's decision to slash foreign aid.
"We strongly support the prime minister raising defence spending to 2.5 per cent, preferably using seize Russian assets to pay for extra defence support for Ukraine," Davey said.
Meanwhile, Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice was left fuming after accusing the Prime Minister of "copying" the populist party's policies.
"We said increase defence spending to three per cent in six years," the Boston & Skegness MP said. "We said slash the foreign aid budget. Starmer agrees with the Reform. We are the real opposition."
Labour MP Sarah Champion also voiced her concern with the cut to foreign aid, warning: "It is deeply short-sighted and doesn't make anyone safer."
However, ex-Defence Secretary Ben Wallace claimed that Starmer's commitment was inadequate.
He said: "A staggering desertion of leadership. Tone deaf to dangers of the world and demands of the United States. Such a weak commitment to our security and nation. It puts us all at risk."
