Starmer Under Pressure Over Delayed Defence Investment Plan
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, has declined to specify a publication date for the government's military funding blueprint, intensifying a debate over the UK's defence expenditure.
Mounting Pressure
Pressure on the government has escalated following a scathing public critique by Lord Robertson, a Labour peer and former Defence Secretary. Lord Robertson, who conducted a review of defence capability last year, accused the government of “corrosive complacency” in the face of increasing global threats.
Reports suggest the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has sought billions in additional funding for equipment, prompted by an internal assessment last year. This assessment, conducted after Lord Robertson's June review, outlined requirements for enhanced ammunition, next-generation fast jets, drones, and new attack submarines to bolster Britain's war-fighting capabilities.
Negotiations with the Treasury over this funding have stalled the release of the 10-year defence investment plan, originally slated for autumn last year.
Parliamentary Scrutiny
During Prime Minister's Questions, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch pressed Sir Keir to publish the plan before the current parliamentary session concludes. Sir Keir responded that it would be published “as soon as possible” but offered no firm date. He rebutted Lord Robertson's criticisms, stating disagreement with the comments and highlighting Labour's increased defence funding, including the “difficult decision” to reduce overseas aid spending.
Sir Keir also criticised the previous Conservative government for leaving “uncosted and undeliverable” investment plans, citing cuts to Navy frigates and minehunters. In response, Ms Badenoch accused the Prime Minister of “prosecuting past governments” instead of reassuring defence companies about future plans.
Defence Minister Luke Pollard affirmed in Parliament that the government was “not waiting” on the investment plan for new defence projects, working “flat out” for its publication. However, he faced calls from Labour MP Tan Dhesi, chair of the defence select committee, who warned that further delays risked “further damage to our defence-industrial base.”
The MoD's budget is set to increase by 3.6% in real terms by 2029. An analysis from December 2023 indicated the MoD's most recent equipment plan was projected to exceed its budget by £16.9 billion, largely due to spiralling costs for the UK's nuclear weapons system and inflation.
