Chancellor John Healey is facing accusations of hypocrisy following reports that he plans to shelve his own target of spending 3 percent of the UK's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense by 2030. Healey, who previously served as Defence Secretary under Sir Keir Starmer, resigned in June over the former Prime Minister's Defence Investment Plan's failure to commit to this target.
The current government, led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, is reportedly set to abandon the 3% defense spending goal in Healey's first budget this October. This decision comes as the government seeks to identify billions of pounds to fund previously unfunded announcements made by Burnham after entering Downing Street. Government insiders indicated that Healey's budget would address a nearly £5 billion defense equipment funding gap, estimated at approximately £1.2 billion annually, left by the previous administration. However, more significant decisions regarding an increase in defense spending are expected to be postponed until a Treasury spending review next year, according to the Financial Times.
These developments have raised concerns about the Labour party's commitment to defense and national security, despite Burnham's assertions that these areas will be a top priority for his government. The Daily Mail's "Don't Leave Britain Defenceless" campaign has consistently highlighted deficiencies within the Armed Forces and advocated for an increase in defense spending to at least 3% by 2030.
Tory shadow defense secretary James Cartlidge criticized Healey's reversal, stating, "With Russia ramping up its threats every day, the world has only got more dangerous since Mr Healey resigned two months ago, saying Labour’s current plan for 2.7% on Defence would leave Britain 'less safe'." Cartlidge added that Healey's current position is "extraordinary" given his previous advocacy for the 3% target, which he claims contributed to Labour's electoral success. He urged the current government to "make the difficult decisions to fund 3%" and cautioned that "Russia doesn’t work to Treasury timetables, and we can’t wait for a spending review to keep Britain safe."
Labour peer Lord West, a former First Sea Lord, echoed the sentiment, describing Healey's actions as "a bit hypocritical" for resigning over the issue only to seemingly backtrack upon becoming Chancellor. The Institute for Fiscal Studies has estimated that increasing defense spending to 3% by 2030 would cost an additional £10 billion per year in today's terms. Current projections indicate that defense spending will reach 2.7% of GDP by 2030.
A government spokesperson affirmed, "The first duty of government is to keep its citizens safe." The spokesperson added that the Prime Minister and Chancellor are "committed to fully funding the Defence Investment Plan." Furthermore, the government intends to "set out a pathway" during the spending review to meet NATO's commitment of 3.5% of GDP on defense by 2035, and will establish a target date to reach 3% on that path.