Chris Mason: The crunching trade-offs and big numbers Burnham may soon confront
Key takeaways
- The numbers accompanying the much delayed plan point to a big gap that the current government anticipates the next one will need to fill this autumn.
- Finding the thick edge of another £5bn from existing budgets could prompt plenty more backbench gnashing of teeth.
- Sir Keir Starmer was in a reflective mood as he took public ownership of the unveiling of the DIP.
Why this matters: a developing story that could shape the day's news cycle.
Published5 minutes ago If, as expected, Andy Burnham becomes prime minister next month, he will inherit a £4.7bn bill to deliver the Defence Investment Plan, or DIP, and that is before he worries about how to boost defence spending further as the next general election looms.
The numbers accompanying the much delayed plan point to a big gap that the current government anticipates the next one will need to fill this autumn.
Already, the sharp trade-offs to get the DIP out of the door have provoked a backlash, including from a serving minister, Hamish Falconer, who went public about his frustration at the uncertainty that now swirls around a road widening project for the A46 Newark bypass near his constituency of Lincoln.