Calls for the UK government to increase defence spending to above 2.5% of national income have been made by two ministers, Anne-Marie Trevelyan and Tom Tugendhat. In a post on LinkedIn, the ministers said global risks posed by countries such as Russia and China meant that there was no time for delay. The UK needed to invest at a much greater pace and lead the way in defence spending, they added. The move follows criticism of this week’s budget for failing to increase defence spending.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt had stated that national spending was above the NATO target of 2% and would rise to 2.5% as soon as economic conditions allowed. However, the ministers stated that the world was no longer benign and investment was required to protect the country. They added that effective investment necessitated industrial growth and strengthening at a greater pace than the current rate. The UK’s military platform was crucial and growth needed to start now to maintain an advantage over adversaries.
Although ministers often lobby the chancellor before budgets, it is unusual for them to speak out afterwards. The move highlights the ministers’ support of current government policy to reach 2.5% GDP as soon as possible but wanted to stress the importance of hitting the target speedily. However, the Public Accounts Committee has warned that the real deficit could be nearer £29bn as not all requested capability investments were included in the armed forces’ budget.
The LinkedIn article did not receive clearance from Downing Street, but a No 10 source stated that this was typical of social media posts. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has assured MPs that the government would outline a path towards 2.5%, including the £24bn cash increase in the previous spending review, the most substantial sustained increase since the end of the Cold War
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