Prime Minister Keir Starmer has unveiled a new defense plan allocating an additional £15 billion over four years, a move met with criticism from some within his own party and former defense officials. The plan, announced at a drone factory, aims to increase annual defense spending from £54 billion to £80 billion by 2029, which Starmer stated would reverse the "corrosive hollowing out" of the armed forces. The announcement comes shortly before Starmer is set to attend the NATO summit in Turkiye, where he will face scrutiny from allies, including former President Donald Trump, regarding the UK's defense investment.
John Healey, a former defense secretary who recently resigned from the Cabinet, argued that the £15 billion package is insufficient to ensure the country's safety against growing threats. He expressed disappointment that the plan lacks a specific timetable for increasing defense spending to 3 percent of GDP, a benchmark suggested by NATO, and falls short of the 3.5 percent Donald Trump has demanded. Healey stated that by 2030, the UK would still be spending only 2.7 percent of GDP on defense, a figure he deems inadequate given NATO's warnings of potential Russian aggression by that year.
Despite the criticism, Starmer defended the plan as the "right choice for the country," emphasizing that it would be funded through reallocation of government spending, including a one-penny reduction in capital budgets for some road and energy projects, rather than cutting day-to-day spending on frontline services like health and education. He also dismissed proposals for "defense bonds" as a form of borrowing that would increase interest rates.
Details of the plan include £1.5 billion for a "hybrid Navy" integrating crewed and uncrewed vessels, £3.2 billion for space capabilities, £2.5 billion for cyber warfare, and £790 million for new homeland Integrated Air and Missile Defence systems. A 12 percent increase in the Special Forces budget was also announced, alongside a £64 billion upgrade to the UK's nuclear deterrent, including new Dreadnought submarines and F-35A jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Overall, the UK is projected to spend £298 billion on defense over the next four years, reaching 2.7 percent of GDP by 2030.
Critics point out that this level of spending lags behind other NATO allies. Germany expects to reach the 3 percent GDP target by 2030, while countries like Poland and the Baltic states are already spending over 4 percent. The plan's pivot towards autonomy across the services, with uncrewed vessels, aircraft, and vehicles being phased in as crewed platforms are phased out, is a notable aspect. However, it remains unclear which specific programs might be cut, though the Ministry of Defense confirmed continued support for projects like the GCAP sixth-generation stealth jet, the Ajax armored vehicle, and the Challenger 3 tank.
Former Conservative Defense Secretary Ben Wallace characterized the plan as "half measures," asserting that the government had ignored warnings from senior officers and intelligence chiefs. He stated, "They have chosen to put benefits before bullets." The defense plan is also facing scrutiny as Starmer's tenure as Prime Minister is nearing its end, with succession anticipated soon. The upcoming NATO summit presents a challenging international stage for Starmer to address these defense commitments amid persistent geopolitical tensions.