Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has issued a stark warning to Prime Minister Andy Burnham, asserting that defense spending must be prioritized, even if it means other areas of government expenditure are deemed "valueless."
Streeting's remarks, made in a challenge to Downing Street, directly addressed Burnham's recent statement at Prime Minister's Questions that "national security cannot come at the expense of social security." The Defence Secretary countered this in the House of Commons, stating, "Schools, hospitals, homes, those are important things. But they're valueless if those things are reduced to rubble. That is the experience of the Ukrainians and that is the kind of threat we are operating amongst. That's why we must commit and continue to commit to increase defence spending."
The Prime Minister's stance on prioritizing social security over national security has ignited a significant political debate. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch criticized Burnham's position, writing that "For our new PM, social security – welfare – comes above national security. The Labour Party has become the Welfare Party. The first duty of government is defence of the country, not paying more benefits."
This is not the first time Streeting has publicly diverged from Burnham on defense matters. In June, he stated, "There is no social justice without national security."
Defence spending is increasingly shaping up to be a key dividing line in British politics. A central issue is the timeline for the UK to reach the NATO target of 3% of GDP for defense spending, and the longer-term goal of 3.5%. Former defence secretary John Healey had previously called for the government to spend 3% by 2030, but this commitment was later shelved by Chancellor Healey when he took office, with the decision attributed to budget constraints ahead of the next budget announcement.
Current projections indicate that UK defense spending will remain at 2.7% in 2030. In contrast, Germany aims to reach 3.5% by 2030, and Poland is already spending 4.7% of its GDP on defense.
Streeting's comments come as the Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Air Force have been instructed to find efficiencies totaling £3 billion within the current financial year. These cuts have already resulted in the cancellation of critical military exercises, grounded aircraft, and ships remaining docked. The Army faces the largest reduction, with its running costs budget cut by £1.2 billion over the next six months, while the Navy and RAF must collectively reduce spending by £1.8 billion.
"Training continues. There have been some re-prioritisations to make sure we prioritise those activities that will provide most impact at this point," Streeting stated. "Yes, we've got to make the case for more defence investment and spending, but what we shouldn't enable in the process is a distraction from making sure we live within our means."
Streeting also acknowledged a shortfall of nearly £5 billion in the government's £298 billion Defense Investment Plan for the period between 2026 and 2030. Burnham is facing increasing pressure to bolster defense spending amid escalating threats from Russia.