UK Chancellor Faces Pressure on Defence Spending Targets

Chancellor John Healey is under pressure from opposition parties to commit to the military spending targets he previously advocated for, amid reports that the upcoming budget will only include an initial allocation towards increasing defense expenditure. Healey resigned as Defence Secretary in June, citing the Treasury's reluctance to fund the necessary defense increases to meet stated targets.

His resignation letter highlighted the need for the UK to reach three percent of GDP spending on defense by 2030, a figure higher than the 2.68 percent currently planned under Keir Starmer's administration. However, The Spectator reports that Healey is expected to delay outlining a concrete timeline for reaching this target until a spending review next autumn, with the budget expected to feature only a 'down-payment'.

Shadow defense secretary James Cartlidge stated that despite Healey now being in charge of the nation's finances, Britain is "no closer to hitting the target he said was essential." Cartlidge added, "The Chancellor absolutely has to set out his plan for 3 per cent in the Budget – anything less would be a dereliction of duty."

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch echoed these sentiments, asserting that if Healey "cannot do this job, then he should resign." She argued that a delay in setting out how defense funding will increase is "unconscionable" given the current geopolitical threats.

These calls come as new polling indicates a public appetite for increased defense spending. A Savanta survey of 2,130 UK adults found that 44 percent support cutting benefits to boost defense spending, while 34 percent oppose such measures. Nearly two-thirds (63 percent) of respondents favor a reduction in foreign aid spending to fund the Armed Forces, while there is little support for increased borrowing, higher taxes, or cuts to public services like the NHS, schools, or police.

Specifically, 47 percent oppose an increase in government borrowing, and 64 percent do not want taxes to rise to fund greater defense spending. Conversely, 75 percent do not want spending on public services to be reduced.

Support for cutting foreign aid is particularly strong among Conservative and Reform UK voters. Among those who voted Conservative in the 2024 general election, 81 percent support cutting foreign aid, and 85 percent of Reform UK voters agree. Similarly, 70 percent of Conservative voters and 64 percent of Reform voters back welfare cuts to boost defense spending. In contrast, only 39 percent of Labour voters want to see welfare spending cut for this purpose.

When asked about personal tax increases, 62 percent of all voters are unwilling to pay more tax to allow for an increase in defense spending, with only 30 percent willing to do so. On their current tax burden, 43 percent believe they pay too much, while an equal proportion feel they pay the right amount.

Healey is scheduled to address the nation's finances in his first budget next week, where he is expected to detail how the government will address a £4.7 billion shortfall in current defense spending plans. However, he is not anticipated to lay out a clear path to achieving the 3 percent of GDP defense spending target by 2030, or 3.5 percent by 2035, before a spending review next year.