Sir Keir Starmer‘s pledge to increase defence and security spending to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035 was last night branded ‘a con’.
The Prime Minister will unveil the promise at a Nato summit today, with the alliance’s 31 other members also expected to sign up to it.
It will commit Britain to spending 3.5 per cent of GDP on core defence spending, such as troops and weapons, plus a further 1.5 per cent on security-related domestic infrastructure.
The summit comes after Sir Keir’s meeting yesterday with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at No 10.
But critics pointed out that the pledge does not accelerate spending on core defence beyond what has already been promised by Labour.
By contrast, Germany said it would accelerate its spending to hit the core defence target by 2029 – six years early – amid growing global instability and the prospect of a war in the Middle East.
Sir Keir also faced questions about how the commitment would be paid for amid stagnant growth and the prospect of tax hikes this autumn.
The Royal United Services Institute, a leading defence and security think-tank, estimates hitting the target on core defence alone could cost an extra £40 billion a year.
Sir Keir Starmer’s pledge to increase defence and security spending to 5 per cent of GDP by 2035 was last night branded ‘a con’
US President Donald Trump pictured holding a meeting in the Situation Room at the White House on Saturday
The summit comes after Sir Keir’s meeting yesterday with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at No 10
In a post on X, former defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace (pictured) said the UK Government thinks it can ‘use smoke and mirrors to deceive the public and Donald Trump’
Until now, the Government has pledged to increase core defence spending to 2.6 per cent of GDP in 2027. But under the Nato agreement, this will remain the same.
The 1.5 per cent of GDP spending on security-related domestic infrastructure would be hit by 2027.
However, Nato members effectively decide themselves whether they’re hitting this part of the target and there are fears Labour will try to include items not strictly related to defence.
Downing Street sources said, for example, that it could include spending on beefing up energy security amid the switch to NetZero and fighting migrant-smuggling gangs.
Former defence secretary Sir Ben Wallace posted on X: ‘Tomorrow at the Nato summit we will witness the UK Government trying to con the US and Nato with spin on defence spending.
‘By folding in other departments’ spending and with no real defence £ increases, the PM will claim 5 per cent.
‘The threat to our country is real not spin. This Government thinks it can use smoke and mirrors to deceive the public and Donald Trump.
‘This is an insult to our troops who will see no significant new money. It fools no one.’
