Prime Minister Andy Burnham has affirmed his commitment to increasing defense spending to 3 percent of the UK's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2030. The commitment was reiterated during a session in the House of Commons where he faced questions regarding the pace of defense investment.
Tan Singh Dhesi, the Labour MP and chairman of the Defence Select Committee, raised concerns about the government's adherence to this goal, warning that "vibes" are insufficient for national security. Dhesi urged the Prime Minister to urgently outline a clear pathway to achieving the 3 percent GDP defense spending target by 2030.
Burnham responded by stating his commitment has been consistent and was recently reinforced during a visit to Ukraine. He asserted that the government would fully fund the Defense Investment Plan (Dip), which aims to raise spending to 2.7 percent of GDP by 2027-28. He further indicated that a plan to meet the NATO commitment of 3.5 percent by 2035 would be detailed during the upcoming spending review.
The Prime Minister's statement appeared to advance the government's previously stated position, which had avoided setting a firm deadline for the spending increase. Chancellor John Healey had previously indicated that details on the path to increased spending would not be revealed at the upcoming Budget, but rather in the following year's spending review.
Healey himself had resigned as the shadow defense secretary partly in protest of the administration's reluctance to establish a schedule for reaching the 3 percent target and the subsequent NATO goal of 3.5 percent by 2035. During Prime Minister's Questions, Burnham was pressed by another MP to cut welfare spending and redirect those funds to defense.
Burnham defended his appointment of Healey, citing his strong commitment to national defense and spending. He concluded that there was no doubt about the government's dedication to defense.