Starmer refuses to reveal date of defence investment plan
Sir Keir Starmer hit back at criticism the UK government was not spending enough on defence amid an escalating conflict in the Middle East putting RAF jets and British nationals at risk.
The Prime Minister declined to reveal when the much-anticipated defence investment plan would be published as Kemi Badenoch centred her attacks on the pace of the government’s defence spending and response to the war in Iran.
Badenoch said there was “no urgency” in government plans to boost the UK military.
Starmer said he was “focused on what matters” and drew attention to the previous Conservative government’s cuts to defence.
“I won’t take lessons on defence from the party opposite,” Starmer said, pointing to Tory backbenchers.
“They cut the defence budget. Not only did they cut the defence budget but they missed army recruit targets.”
The Tories have suggested that extra defence funding could come from diverting the National Wealth Fund’s resources towards supporting the UK armed forces.
It has not outlined a full plan on how the government should fund higher defence spending.
Defence spending plan still being written
Badenoch also referenced the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR)’s updated forecasts from Tuesday stating that the government would not reach a target to get defence spending up to 2.6 per cent of GDP on current plans laid out in the Spending Review.
The OBR suggested that the government would have to commit a further £6bn by 2029, the year the next General Election is due, in order for Nato defence spending targets to be met according to the linear path set out.
The final target would be for defence spending to reach 3.5 per cent as a share of GDP by 2035.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman declined to reveal when the defence investment plan, which was due in the middle of last year, would be published.
The plan is expected to include details on leveraging private sector financing from the CIty to support the UK’s industrialisation. The spokesman said he would not “get ahead” of announcements.
The renewed focus on defence has come as UK military bases in Cyprus and Bahrain have come under attack from Iranian missiles.
Starmer has held that bases in the region were only being used for defensive purposes, emphasising that the government was not prepared to be drawn into the war.
The Prime Minister said F-35 jets and Typhoon combat aircraft have been acting to taken down Iranian weaponry during the conflict.
HMS Dragon, a warship, is also docked in Portsmouth for re-supplying ahead of its deployment to Cyprus.
Starmer also said nearly a dozen flights had been organised to evacuate Britons from Oman and other countries.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is meanwhile meeting with bosses of BP, Serica and TotalEnergies on Wednesday as the government hopes to handle the ramifications of higher energy prices hitting households as a result of the war.