A political rift has emerged over a proposed ten-year Defence Investment Plan (DIP) as Prime Minister Keir Starmer aims to secure its approval before a leadership transition. The plan, which reportedly includes cuts to defense capabilities, has angered allies of Andy Burnham, who is expected to succeed Starmer and wants to review the blueprints himself. The outgoing Prime Minister intends to present the DIP before an upcoming NATO summit, despite concerns that it fails to adequately address the needs of the armed forces.
Military officials have warned that a projected £10 billion increase in defense spending over four years falls short of requirements, potentially necessitating a scaling back of operations critical to national security. Sources close to Burnham indicated that he wishes to examine the plans and make his own decisions regarding defense spending. He is understood to have discussed the matter privately with John Healey, who resigned as defense secretary over the plan's funding, and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.
An ally of Healey argued against publishing the DIP in its current form, stating, "We know this DIP settlement falls well short and an incoming PM will still have to meet the same requirements. So clearly there is a strong argument against publishing a half-baked DIP now." Former Cabinet Secretary Lord Case suggested that the outgoing prime minister would be "wasting his breath" if he introduced proposals that his successor might later discard. Kevan Jones, chairman of parliament's intelligence and security committee, also questioned the timing of such a critical decision so close to Starmer's departure, remarking that the plan would inevitably be revisited by any new prime minister due to national security imperatives.
Dan Jarvis, appointed Defense Secretary by Starmer following Healey's resignation, confirmed on Tuesday that the DIP will be published before the NATO meeting in Ankara on July 7. In a speech at the RUSI Land Warfare Conference in London, Jarvis stated that the DIP would "lay out significant savings" and that he had spent his first 12 days in the role scrutinizing expenditures to ensure efficiency. He emphasized the "urgent" need for the DIP's publication.
Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch drew attention to the government's spending priorities, noting that "one pound in three" is allocated to benefits while only "one in seven" goes to the armed forces.