Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has declared he would resign from his position if the Labour party does not commit to increasing military spending, echoing the stance of his predecessor. Streeting stated that his departure would be a "matter of principle" if the defense plan falls short.
This commitment comes as the new Prime Minister declined to provide a timeline for meeting the target of increasing defense spending to 3% of GDP by 2030. Streeting indicated he would not have accepted the defense portfolio without assurances of increased funding, expressing confidence that the Chancellor would prioritize defense investments despite the current budget uncertainties.
Streeting also voiced concerns that former Chancellor Rachel Reeves and the Prime Minister risked the nation's security by not outlining how the defense spending goal would be achieved. The head of BAE Systems, Europe's largest defense contractor, recently warned of the most threatening period Britain has faced.
Former Chancellor John Healey resigned last month, citing the government's inability and the Treasury's unwillingness to allocate necessary resources for national defense amid rising global threats. Healey suggested that he would seek to identify billions in additional funding for defense in his new role as Chancellor. Despite a recent pledge of a £15 billion increase in UK defense spending, Treasury documents revealed that £4.7 billion of this amount remains unfunded and will need to be secured in the upcoming Budget, which would only bring Britain's defense budget to 2.7% of GDP by 2029. Defense officials, however, estimate a need for £28 billion.
Streeting is reportedly working to improve relations with the United States, which had become strained. He informed his U.S. counterpart Pete Hegseth that the UK would not support offensive actions in Iran but would work to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Burnham is expected to visit a naval base with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, announcing the sharing of technology for an electronic warfare system with Ukraine. Burnham stated that Britain stands with Ukraine and will not back down until a just peace is achieved.