Keir Starmer (Image: Getty)
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is about to make a statement to the nation in Downing Street about his plan to massively increase defence spending.
It follows his dramatic statement in Parliament earlier today.
Sir Keir set out that his commitment to increase spending on defence to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027.
He has also set an ambition to spend 3% of GDP on defence in the next parliament, as economic and fiscal conditions allow, in order to keep the British people safe and secure for generations to come.
He said national security is the first duty of the government. In recent years, the world has be reshaped by global instability, including Russian aggression in , increasing threats from malign actors, rapid technological change, and the accelerating impacts of climate change.
The Prime Minister has today set out how the UK will be stepping up to meet this generational challenge with a generational response.
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The announcement came the day after the third anniversary of ’s barbaric illegal war in . Sir Keir said the increased spending will sustain our globally competitive industry, supporting highly skilled jobs and apprenticeships across the whole of the UK. In 2023-24, defence spending by the UK Government supported over 430,000 jobs across the UK, the equivalent to one in every 60.
68% of defence spending goes to businesses outside London and the South East, bolstering regional economies from Scotland to the North West.
Through the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy, this substantial investment will drive R&D and innovation across the UK, including developing technologies such as AI, quantum and space capabilities.
Prime Minister said: “It is my first duty as Prime Minister to keep our country safe. In an ever more dangerous world, increasing the resilience of our country so we can protect the British people, resist future shocks and bolster British interests, is vital.
“By spending more on defence, we will deliver the stability that underpins economic growth, and will unlock prosperity through new jobs, skills and opportunity across the country.
“As we enter this new era for national security, Britain will once again lead the way.”
In addition to our plan to reach 2.5%, the Prime Minister also announced that the definition of defence spending will be updated to recognise what our security and intelligence agencies do to boost our security, as well as our military. This change means that the UK will now spend 2.6% of GDP on defence in 2027.
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The increase in defence spending will be funded by reducing Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5% to 0.3% of GNI and reinvesting it into defence – although some Tory and Labour MPs have attacked this cut.
This comes alongside an ongoing review into aid spending which will ensure that every pound of development assistance is spent in the most impactful way.
The Government says this increase in defence investment will help us build a modern and resilient Armed Forces. It will accelerate the adoption of cutting-edge capabilities that are vital to retain a decisive edge as threats rapidly evolve. Targeted investment will reverse the hollowing out of recent decades and rebuild stockpiles, munitions, and enablers depleted after a period focused on international terrorism and global crises.
The Prime Minister has also committed to publishing a single new national security strategy, bringing together all reviews into one document and reflecting the decisions on resource set out today. This will be published following the Spring Statement next month and ahead of the NATO Summit in June.
The new commitment on spending comes ahead of Prime Minister’s visit to Washington DC this week, where he will tell President Trump that he wants to see the UK-USA bilateral relationship strengthened and deepened even further, to secure the prosperity and security of both nations for decades to come.