The United Kingdom has outlined a plan to increase its defense spending with the goal of meeting and surpassing NATO's targets. In February 2025, Sir Keir committed to raising NATO-qualifying defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027.
Under the new plan, the activities of the UK's security and intelligence agencies will be classified as NATO-qualifying defense spending by 2027. This adjustment is projected to bring the total spending to 2.6% of GDP by that year. The plan also expresses a "clear ambition" to increase spending to 3% of GDP within the next parliamentary term.
At a NATO summit in The Hague in June 2025, the UK and other member nations committed to allocating 5% of their GDP to defense and security by 2035, with 3.5% designated for NATO-qualifying "core defense." The remaining 1.5% of GDP can be used for activities such as protecting critical infrastructure, defending networks, ensuring civil preparedness and resilience, fostering innovation, and strengthening the defense industrial base.
According to Sir Keir, the measures within the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) would bring the UK's spending to 4.2% under the alliance's commitment. This strategy aims to address the UK's defense commitments and its role within the NATO alliance.