𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Kemi Badenoch is to promise the “biggest uplift in defence spending in a generation”, funded by dramatic cuts to welfare. The Conservative leader will today announce plans to ensure the UK spends 3% of GDP on defence by 2029-30. She will argue there is a stark contrast between her approach and Andy Burnham’s failure to explain how he will boost defence spending, with Tories accusing the Labour Prime Minister of “dither and delay”.

Mrs Badenoch said: “The first duty of every Government is defence, and the Conservatives will always put our defence first. That’s why we are setting out our plans to reach 3% on defence spending by the end of this Parliament through further cuts to welfare and restoring the two-child benefit cap.”

John Healey, Mr Burnham’s Chancellor, resigned as Defence Secretary in July over former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s failure to commit to meeting the 3% target. Mr Healey warned that the UK faced “a new era of threat” including growing danger from Russia. But he is expected to set out plans to spend 2.7% of GDP on defence in his Budget statement on October 28, with firm proposals to increase this to 3% and eventually to meet a NATO target of 3.5%, to be set out in a spending review next year.

The Tory defence boost will be funded partly by saving £4 billion annually through reforms to Housing Benefit, and £3.1 billion by reimposing the two-child benefit cap.

Conservatives would save another £1 billion by ending VAT exemptions for Motability vehicles, and £200 million by scrapping plans to hand the Chagos islands to Mauritius while leasing back a military base.

Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge said: “Andy Burnham came to office with no plan for how to fund our defence and no idea what to do about the out-of-control welfare bill.

“The longer he dithers and delays, the greater the risk to our security and to the British public, who will keep paying more and more in benefits while the armed forces who keep us safe have to make do with less and less.

“The Conservatives are clear: we must cut the welfare bill, reprioritise funding from other areas and invest an extra £10 billion a year in our armed forces so we can meet our 3% target, honouring our NATO commitments and keeping Britain safe.”

Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith added: “The Conservatives have already set out plans to cut the ballooning welfare bill by £23 billion, but now we are going further. Our changes will make the welfare system fairer at the same time as ensuring our country is fit to face growing global threats.”

Questioned in the House of Commons, Mr Burnham insisted he and the Chancellor would increase defence funding. He said: “The very reason I appointed this Chancellor to his position is because of his strong commitment to the defence of our country and to defence spending. We will fully fund the defence investment plan.

“At the spending review we will set out a plan to meet our NATO commitments by 2035. There is no problem with our commitment to defence.”