𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Sir Keir, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, told world leaders: “To meet the wider threat, it’s clear that we are going to have to spend more, faster.” But Conservatives slammed the move, saying that for “all the Prime Minister’s tough talk in Munich, there is still no concrete action”. Tory sources pointed to Kemi badenoch calling for accelerated spending a year ago, when she wrote for a national newspaper that the country should reach 3% by the end of the parliament.

James Cartlidge MP, the Shadow Defence Secretary said: “Starmer can masquerade all he likes on the world stage, but until he publishes the long-overdue Defence Investment Plan and shows he can stand up to his left-wing backbenchers, talk of 3 % defence spending is nothing more than a pipedream.”

He added: “Only the Conservatives have a credible plan to truly stand up for our brave Armed Forces and veterans, and deliver the funding, clarity and long-term investment they deserve.”

No decision has yet been reached by the Government on the ambition to meet increased defence spending. It follows a report in January which suggested that the Ministry of Defence would need to find an extra £28 billion to meet its existing costs over the next four years. Speaking in January, Sir Richard Knighton, the chief of defence staff, told MPs: “We cannot do everything we would want to do, as quickly as we want to do it, within the context of the budget we have set”.

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The Office of Budget Responsibility predicted last March that reaching the largest in time would require the UK to spend an extra £17.3 billion on defence each year. Sir Keir told delegates in Germany over the weekend that “to meet the wider threat, it’s clear that we are going to have to spend more, faster.” 

He added: “We’ve shown our collective intent in this regard as well, with the historic agreement to increase spending to 5% on security and defence. And we’re prepared to explore innovative solutions.”

A spokesperson for the MOD said: “We do not comment on speculation. The government is focused on delivering for defence. We are delivering the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, with an extra £5bn for defence this financial year alone.”