Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge has called for UK defence spending to be raised to 3.5 per cent of GDP, emphasising the urgent need for increased military procurement.
Speaking on GB News, Cartlidge stressed that timing was crucial in strengthening Britain's defence capabilities.
"I believe the government should have been getting along with that after the election," he said on GB News, adding that the UK needs to "order more shells, more missiles" to replenish supplies given to Ukraine and bolster defences against current threats.
Cartlidge highlighted the shifting dynamics within NATO, pointing to recent discussions in Munich as a "wake-up call" for European members.
James Cartlidge says Keir Starmer has been served a 'wake-up call'
PA / GB NEWS
"Increasingly, you're going to see the US focused, as they have been for a long time now, on the threat from China. And that's why it's right that we in Europe do more of that heavy lifting in respect of the Russian threat," he said.
His comments follow US Vice-President JD Vance's statement that Europe must "step up in a big way to provide for its own defence."
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James Cartlidge joined Camilla Tominey on GB News
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Drawing from his experience as minister of defence procurement, Cartlidge emphasised the importance of multi-year planning for military acquisitions.
"What really mattered to the finance people in the MoD was knowing where they stood over a multi-year period," he explained.
He noted that ordering new equipment like Storm Shadow missiles isn't an overnight process: "They will not suddenly arrive tomorrow in a parcel from Amazon... they will take several years to appear in your inventory."
Cartlidge also voiced strong opposition to the proposed Chagos Islands deal, arguing against spending billions to lease back a military base.
Putin and Trump pictured in 2018GETTY"We're being asked to spend billions to lease back a military base that we own freehold," he said.
"Our view in the Conservative Party as the opposition is, forget the deal and spend every penny of that on our armed forces."
Britain currently spends 2.3 per cent of GDP on defence, amounting to £56.9 billion this financial year and £59.8 billion next year.
The debate over spending targets has intensified, with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte calling for a new target of "considerably more than three per cent" to be agreed at its June summit.
Donald Trump has pushed for even higher spending, demanding European nations increase defence budgets to five per cent as the US shifts focus to the Indo-Pacific region.
