to resign as defense minister<\/a> in June. Healey had accused Starmer of failing to secure enough money to keep Britain safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\nStarmer\u2019s Defence Investment Plan falls short of the \u00a328 billion wanted by defense chiefs and represents a 5% increase in annual defense spending, which will reach \u00a379 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 Britain is on the path to meet its commitment to reach defense spending of 3.5% of GDP by 2035.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But with his expected successor, Andy Burnham, due to take power as soon as July 20, he acknowledged that new governments could \u201cbuild\u201d on his blueprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some critics said the plan, delayed for more than nine months, was too little, too late, and a government document published after the speech showed the exact source of almost one-third of the extra funding was not defined and would have to be found by Starmer\u2019s successor at the 2026 budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plan will \u2018strengthen Britain\u2019s defense\u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen the world is arming and aggression is rising, the best way to avoid war is to prepare for it, the best way to defend is to deter \u2014 to have the strength to make your adversaries to think again before they act,\u201d Starmer told an audience at a defense company in southern England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Starmer said his blueprint would offer funding of \u00a35 billion for investment in drones and autonomous weapons, create a hybrid navy and make the army more lethal, as part of a plan to make Britain war-ready, especially when military officials have warned that Russia could attack a NATO country as soon as 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It would also strengthen Britain\u2019s nuclear deterrent and bolster a program to build a next-generation stealth fighter jet for the Royal Air Force, Starmer said, adding that would create jobs and boost growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also welcomed Britain\u2019s plan, saying it was a \u201cgood step towards reaching the 3.5% of GDP on defense agreed in The Hague last year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Britain\u2019s biggest defense company, BAE Systems, which has UK sales of more than \u00a38 billion annually, said the plan provided clarity to the industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe government\u2019s commitment to increased defense spending is vital to sustaining the specialist skills across our industrial base critical to national security,\u201d BAE CEO Charles Woodburn said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With European nations under pressure from the United States to do more to defend themselves, NATO allies agreed to spend 5% of gross domestic product on defense by 2035, with 3.5% on core defense requirements and 1.5% on broader national security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The new plan, Starmer said, would take Britain to 4.2% under that commitment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Britain is hoping to spend 3% of GDP on core defense by the next parliament expected in 2029, Germany plans to spend 3.7% of its GDP on defense by 2030 and France is aiming for 2.5%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBy any measure this is a huge historic shift for our nation and a legacy in which I take pride,\u201d he said. Asked if it was sufficient to deter a possible Russian attack, Starmer said: \u201cYes… I am confident in that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018Cost-cutting by another name\u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Defense chiefs have said there is a \u00a328 billion funding gap over the next four years and, with the \u00a315 billion uplift falling short of the total, critics say some equipment would not be bought or would be delayed, and there could be cuts to training, infrastructure maintenance and logistics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is cost-cutting by another name, it\u2019s not an investment plan, it\u2019s sticking plasters,\u201d said Tom Sharpe, a retired Royal Navy commander, adding that the plan for a hybrid navy was \u201cchronically underfunded.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Starmer defended the plan\u2019s costings, and said much of the additional spending would come from reallocating spending from different departments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSome capital projects, for example, on roads and energy, which are important but not immediately vital, will no longer go ahead as planned,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A government document showed that \u00a34 billion would come from cutting long-term public investment and a further \u00a32.8 billion from cutting transport and energy projects over the next four years. An additional \u00a34.7 billion over the same period was marked as \u201cto be funded at Budget 2026.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis plan represents our best judgment for what the country needs to meet this moment, and it is a platform on which I know my successor will build,\u201d Starmer said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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