Donald Trump 'pushes UK to pump billions of pounds more into defence spending' and reach 3% 'ambition' years earlier than PM had planned
The US President is said to want the UK to increase its military budget to 3 per cent of GDP by 2029, which is years earlier than Sir Keir Starmer had been planning.
In February, following Mr Trump's return to the White House, the Prime Minister pledged to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP from 2027.
Sir Keir also set an 'ambition' to spend 3 per cent of GDP on the country's Armed Forces in the next parliament, as economic conditions allow.
But, according to The Times, Pentagon chiefs have made it known that Mr Trump would be 'happier' if the UK reached 3 per cent by the end of this parliament in 2029.
A senior US official told the newspaper that Mr Trump's administration does not believe the UK's current planned increase in defence spending goes far enough.
America has 'sought the potential' for reaching the higher figure in the present parliament, the official added.
The Office for Budget Responsibility has estimated that boosting defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP by the next parliament would cost an extra £17.3billion in 2029/30.
In 2024/25, UK defence spending was around 2.3 per cent of GDP. The Government has forecast it will be spending an extra £6.4billion in 2027 to reach 2.5 per cent.
A Whitehall source said, while some members of the US government had raised the prospect of Britain reaching 3 per cent in this parliament, others were asking if the UK could go even higher in the longer term.
The source added there was not a 'consistent' view across the US administration and Mr Trump 'hasn't given his final expectations'.
The US President has previously demanded that NATO allies hike their defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP.
Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there has been a marked increase in the number of NATO countries meeting the current 2 per cent target.
But, last year, none of them - including the US - spent five per cent of GDP on defence.
Poland was the biggest spender at 4.12 per cent of GDP, followed by Estonia (3.43 per cent), the US (3.38 per cent), and Latvia (3.15 per cent).
A Ministry of Defence spokeswoman said: 'This Government is delivering for defence.
'We have announced the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War.
'This investment will make Britain stronger and safer in an insecure world and will help us build a modern and resilient armed forces, with cutting-edge capabilities.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
28 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Britain loses another industry after Starmer refuses to step in
Britain's largest bioethanol plant faces closure after Sir Keir Starmer refused to step in and save the industry. On Friday, the Government announced it would not give any funding to the Vivergo Fuels business in Hull, which is losing £3m a month. Around 150 workers are expected to lose their jobs at the factory, which is expected to close by Sept 13 and is one of only two domestic bioethanol production sites. The industry had hoped for a bailout after Sir Keir Starmer's trade deal with Donald Trump, which will allow the US to supply Britain with 1.4bn litres of duty free ethanol. But on Friday afternoon, a government spokesman said: 'This Government will always take decisions in the national interest. 'That's why we negotiated a landmark deal with the US which protected hundreds of thousands of jobs in sectors like auto and aerospace.' It said it had worked to understand the challenges faced by both Vivergo and the Ensus bioethanol plant in Redcar on Teesside, which has also been refused a bailout. But the spokesman said the Government would not offer any direct funding 'as it would not provide value for the taxpayer or solve the long-term problems the industry faces'. They continued: 'We recognise this is a difficult time for the workers and their families and we will work with trade unions, local partners and the companies to support them through this process. 'We also continue to work up proposals that ensure the resilience of our CO2 supply in the long term in consultation with the sector.' Unite, Labour's biggest trade union backer, heavily criticised the Government for refusing to bail out the bioethanol industry. Sharon Graham, general secretary, said: 'This is a short-sighted decision that totally disregards the benefits the domestic bioethanol sector will bring to jobs and energy security. 'Once again, the Government's total lack of a plan to support oil and gas workers as the industry transitions is glaring.' The union noted that bioethanol was a key component of sustainable aviation fuel, which is expected to be in huge demand in the coming years. The closure of the Vivergo plant will also represent a fresh blow to thousands of British farmers who supply grain to the site. A record number of farms are already closing for good after Rachel Reeves's changes to agricultural property relief made the future of thousands of rural businesses unviable. As well as the collapse of a major domestic market, the closure will risk pushing previously profitable farms into making a loss. A spokesman for Associated British Foods (ABF), the owner of Vivergo, said: 'It is deeply regrettable that the Government has chosen not to support a key national asset. 'We have been fighting for months to keep this plant open. We initiated and led talks with the Government in good faith. 'We presented a clear plan to restore Vivergo to profitability within two years under policy levers already aligned with the Government's own green industrial strategy.' ABF accused the Government of having 'thrown away billions in potential growth' and the chance to lead the world in bioethanol. 'The loss of Vivergo will be felt most acutely by our dedicated workforce and their families and by the thousands whose livelihoods depend on our supply chain, from farmers to hauliers and engineers.' During its talks with Jonathan Reynolds, the Business Secretary, ABF had demanded ministers step in to cover 'short-term funding of Vivergo's losses' as well as striking a longer-term deal to put its plant on a profitable footing again. Investment from Vivergo is thought to support around 1,220 farming jobs across the north-east of England. The UK imports around 45 per cent of its CO2 and sources have previously warned of a supply crisis without a domestic bioethanol industry if foreign sources were disrupted. In June, The Telegraph revealed a leaked memo by industry leaders that said the bioethanol sector was a 'critical component' of British food security and energy resilience. The memo warned: 'The closure of Vivergo would damage farm incomes, increase import dependency and undermine the Government's strategic goals across multiple departments.'
Reuters
28 minutes ago
- Reuters
U-Blox says in talks about takeover by Advent
Aug 15 (Reuters) - Switzerland's U-Blox Holding (UBXN.S), opens new tab, a maker of microchips and software for car navigation, said on Friday it was in talks with Advent International about being taken over by the private equity firm. "Whether a transaction will materialise is open at this stage," the company said in a statement. Advent declined to comment. Bloomberg reported the talks earlier, adding a deal might value U-Blox at more than 1 billion Swiss francs ($1.2 billion). U-Blox shares were up 19% at 1422 GMT at a three-year high, giving it a market value of about 1 billion francs. The technology group, which went public in 2007, said last week its first-half loss before interest and tax had reduced to 7.7 million francs from a loss of 28 million a year earlier. It cited cost cuts and a 32% jump in revenues to 123.4 million francs. Earlier this year, the company sold a unit making cellular modules for wireless communication to focus on fast-growing navigation and positioning technology used in cars, robots and farm equipment. Globally, dealmaking is up year-to-date, driven by a quest for growth in corporate boardrooms, falling interest rates in many countries, and the impact of a surge in AI activity. ($1 = 0.8048 Swiss francs)
Daily Mail
28 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Joe Rogan launches fresh attack on Trump over issue he warns will sour GOP voters on the president
Joe Rogan has spoken out against Donald Trump once again - saying Americans are frustrated with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) targeting laborers and not violent criminals as he promised during his campaign. Rogan, 58, claimed Wednesday that the president was alienating his base by targeting immigrants whose only crime was crossing the southern border illegally. Rogan tore into the concept, weeks after slamming ICE raids that have been targeting migrant laborers showing up to Home Depot parking lots where they'll often be able to find contractors who'll offer them a day's work. He told Florida Republican Anna Paulina Luna this time around: 'The idea of people just showing up and pulling people out of schools and pulling people out of Home Depot... that were just hardworking people that maybe snuck over here because they didn't have a legal way to get over here... that's what freaks people out. 'Because when people thought about ICE, they thought, "Great, we're going to get rid of the gang members,"' Rogan continued. 'They didn't think, "Great, you're going to get rid of the landscaper."' Rogan, a former Bernie Sanders supporting progressive who now says he's libertarian, later said he understands why some people illegally emigrate from other countries. 'If you're just a landscaper, you're just a guy who lives in a Third World country and you want a better life, and you say, "I heard you can get across, and I heard when you get across, you can get work' — like, what is that guy going to do?"' he asked. Rogan tore into the concept of targeting laborers at places like Home Depot, weeks after slamming ICE for targeting illegals at their places of work during an episode in July 'That guy doesn't have the money to hire a lawyer,' Rogan continued. 'How is he gonna prove that he is more valuable than a United States citizen that's already here doing the exact same job?' The comic clarified he's happy with increased security at the Southern Border, since it aims to prevent cartel members and other criminals from entering. But top White House aide Stephen Miller's strategy of targeting laborers at businesses like Home Depot is as step too far, he said. Miller gave such an order to ICE agents as early as May, The Wall Street Journal reported. Rogan reluctantly endorsed Trump towards the end of last year, after hosting him on his podcast. He has turned on the Republican in recent months, even floating Joe Biden's son Hunter as a potential presidential candidate during an episode in late July. Most of the criticism stems from Trump's immigration approach and the president's recent dismissals of the 'Epstein files', after months of campaigning for their release and increased government transparency. 'Shout out to all the people that still don't believe in conspiracies,' Rogan wrote on his X account in July after the DOJ released findings stating that Epstein never even kept a 'client list' while stating he killed himself in jail. 'Your ability to stick to your guns is inspiring.' Trump faced heat last month after the Wall Street Journal accused him of sending pedophile Epstein a 'bawdy' 50th birthday drawing. The president denied doing so and has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the paper. Rogan first called the administration's deportations 'horrific' during an episode in March, That same month, he said he holds 'more left wing positions than right wing' ones. The former Fear Factor host has also panned the president's deportation policies as 'insane.' Dozens of day laborers continue to be arrested outside various stores in or around LA, New York City, and Baltimore. Protests have propped up in response.
