UK’s Starmer unveils $20 billion defence boost in long-delayed investment plan
Key takeaways
- Healey had accused Starmer of failing to secure enough money to keep Britain safe.
- Starmer’s Defence Investment Plan falls short of the £28 billion wanted by defence chiefs and represents a 5% increase in annual defence spending, which will reach £79 billion a year by 2029.
- But with his expected successor, Andy Burnham, due to take power as soon as July 20, he acknowledged that new governments could “build” on his blueprint.
Why this matters: local context for readers following news across Pakistan and the region.
Add ARY News on Google AAResize Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged on Tuesday to spend an extra £15 billion ($20 billion) to modernise UK’s depleted armed forces in a long-delayed investment plan that is designed to prepare for the wars of the future and mark his legacy.
In what is most likely his last major policy announcement, Starmer said the increased spending over the next four years went further than a previous draft that prompted his ally, John Healey, to resign as defence minister this month. Healey had accused Starmer of failing to secure enough money to keep Britain safe.
Starmer’s Defence Investment Plan falls short of the £28 billion wanted by defence chiefs and represents a 5% increase in annual defence spending, which will reach £79 billion a year by 2029. He will take it to Ankara for a NATO meeting on July 7 to 8, where he will want to signal that UK is on the path to meet its commitment to reach defence spending of 3.5% of GDP by 2035.