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£19.99Joshua Nevett and Sam Francis report on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s recent announcement regarding plans to increase defence spending to 2.5% of national income by 2027. This decision comes as peace talks to end the war in Ukraine gain momentum. Sir Keir revealed his intention to reduce the UK’s international aid budget to facilitate the rise in defence spending, which currently stands at 2.3% of GDP.
Opposition parties have lauded the move to allocate more funds towards defence, however, charities have criticized the cut in aid as a betrayal to vulnerable populations. The upcoming meeting between Sir Keir and US President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday is surrounded by high stakes. President Trump has been urging European countries to also ramp up their defence spending as efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine continue.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth praised the UK’s decision, describing it as a strong step from a longstanding partner. Sir Keir highlighted that the UK’s aid budget would experience a decrease from 0.5% of gross national income to 0.3% by 2027, fully supporting the increased investment in defence. The prime minister emphasized that this would result in an additional £13.4 billion annual expenditure on defence from 2027 onwards.
Labour’s election manifesto had initially pledged to restore development spending to 0.6% of gross national income at the appropriate fiscal juncture – a commitment that the government stated it remains dedicated to. Charities, including Save the Children, expressed dismay at the aid cut, labeling it as detrimental to the world’s most vulnerable individuals and the UK’s national interest. Responding to the backlash, Sir Keir acknowledged that the decision was regrettable but argued that conflicts contribute significantly to migration and poverty
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