Latest news with #JohnHealey
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Britain will 'without a doubt' spend £10 billion extra on defence, says Labour
LABOUR'S Defence Secretary John Healey said spending 3% of GDP on defence was no longer an 'ambition' but a certainty. The UK Government's 10-year defence plan, which is due to be announced on Monday, is said to be 'unaffordable' without the increased spending, The Times has reported. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had previously outlined the 3% target by 2034 as an 'ambition', but Healey has now said it is a certainty. Healey's comments mean the Labour Government would be committed to spending more than £10 billion extra on defence every year despite criticism over proposed cuts to public services. READ MORE: Labour has 'given up' on by-election amid SNP-Reform contest, says John Swinney In February, Starmer announced that the UK would spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by April 2027, raiding the international development budget, which was a decision branded by the Scottish Government as 'deeply disappointing'. At the same time, Starmer also outlined an 'ambition' to reach 3% by 2034, a target which was reportedly described by government sources as still an 'ambition' this week. However, Healey (below) told The Times on Saturday: 'In the next parliament, this country will spend 3 per cent of our GDP on defence.' When pressed whether this was a firm commitment, he said he had 'no doubt' Britain would be spending 3% 'in the next parliament'. He said there was a 'certain decade of rising defence spending', adding: 'It allows us to plan for the long term. It allows us to deal with the pressures.' It is unclear whether Healey's comments were an attempt to pressure the Treasury into approving the spending or if it was a commitment that has been agreed across Whitehall. It was also reported that the review, which was due to be published during VE Day week this month, into Britain's defence spending had been delayed because of rows with the Treasury. One source told The Times there had been 'discontent that the Ministry of Defence is using it to push for more defence spending'. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has estimated that reaching 3% of GDP by the next parliament would cost the UK an additional £17.3bn in 2029-30. The 130-page review reportedly will warn of the 'immediate and pressing' danger posed by Russia and will also describe Iran and North Korea as 'regional disruptors'. The review comes as other government departments are still negotiating how much they will have to spend over the next three years. A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: 'This government has announced the largest sustained increase to defence spending since the end of the Cold War — 2.5 per cent by 2027 and 3 per cent in the next parliament when fiscal and economic conditions allow, including an extra £5 billion this financial year. 'The review will rightly set the vision for how that uplift will be spent, including new capabilities to put us at the leading edge of innovation in Nato, investment in our people and making defence an engine for growth across the UK — making Britain more secure at home and strong abroad.' NATO member states are expected to agree to a defence spending target during a summit in June with the target reportedly possibly being as high as 3.5% of GDP.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
Britain will spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2034 with 10-year plan to be revealed in days, Labour confirms
BRITAIN will spend 3% of GDP on defence with ten-year plan, set to be revealed in days, "unaffordable" without commitment. Defence secretary John Healey revealed that the defence spend ambition was now a certainty in an interview with The Times. 4 4 The government's ten-year defence plan is set to be unveiled on Monday. Sources said on Wednesday that the 3% of GDP target remained an ambition. However, Defence Secretary John Healey has now told The Times: 'In the next parliament this country will spend 3 per cent of our GDP on defence.' Healey added: "It allows us to plan for the long term. It allows us to deal with the pressures." It remains unclear if the commitment has been agreed across Whitehall. The defence spending review, which was due to be published on VE Day, was reportedly delayed because of disagreements between the Treasury and the Ministry of Defence. An increase spend to 3% of GDP would see the country cough up £10 billion more for defence each year than it currently does. The upcoming review is said to be massive, about 130 pages long, and will not include any plans to cut armed forces numbers. It assumes that the 3% target will be met by 2034, if it isn't Britain's decade long modernisation plan will not have the funding it needs. The review was drafted with troops from America, France and Germany embedded in the team to ensure a collaborative approach with the UK's closest allies. A source said the plan was "really slow" to make it affordable over time. The review is scalable and programmes can be sped up if Starmer decides to spend more on defence. 4 4 Under current spending assumptions some of the modernisation projects could take years to complete. In February the Prime Minister announced an plans to increase defence spend to 2.5% of GDP by 2027. The 3% "ambition" was announced as a goal to reach by 2034. Military chiefs have warned that the UK is not prepared for the possibility of a future war with Russia. The US administration has privately urged the UK to increase defence spending, calling the current 2.3% spend an "irritant." NATO members are expected to commit to an increased defence spend, possibly as high as 3.5%, during a summit in June. A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'This government has announced the largest sustained increase to defence spending since the end of the Cold War — 2.5 per cent by 2027 and 3 per cent in the next parliament when fiscal and economic conditions allow, including an extra £5 billion this financial year. 'The review will rightly set the vision for how that uplift will be spent, including new capabilities to put us at the leading edge of innovation in Nato, investment in our people and making defence an engine for growth across the UK — making Britain more secure at home and strong abroad.'
The Independent
4 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Labour pledges huge increase in defence spending after pressure from Trump
Defence secretary John Healey has pledged that the UK will spend 3 per cent of GDP on defence by 2034, in the wake of demands from Donald Trump. The government previously set out its 'ambition to reach 3 per cent in the next parliament', after it rises to 2.5 per cent within the next two years. But Mr Healy has promised a ' certain decade of rising defence spending' and said there was 'no doubt' the UK would meet its target, in an interview with The Times. Mr Healey told the newspaper: 'It allows us to plan for the long term. It allows us to deal with the pressures.' His comments come amid persistent pressure from President Trump, who has urged Nato allies to raise defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP – more than double the alliance's current 2 per cent target. Ministers are preparing to unveil a new defence review this week, which is expected to warn of an "immediate and pressing" threat by Russia and draw heavily on the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine. It is thought cyber experts will also be sent to the front line alongside regular forces in a move designed to modernise the British military. Ministers have already announced they are to spend an additional £1.5 billion fixing up military houses amid claims years of neglect has led to troops quitting. The pledge on funding could prove controversial. Money to meet the 2.5% target was found by slashing overseas aid from 0.5 per cent to 0.3 per cent of GDP, a move which prompted then-international development minister Anneliese Dodds to resign. At the time told Sir Keir Starmer: 'You have maintained that you want to continue support for Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine; for vaccination; for climate; and for rules-based systems. 'Yet it will be impossible to maintain these priorities given the depth of the cut.' When he announced the targets earlier this year, the prime minister said: 'In an ever more dangerous world, increasing the resilience of our country so we can protect the British people, resist future shocks and bolster British interests, is vital.' Nato heads of government are set to meet in The Hague, in the Netherlands, next month. Addressing the alliance's parliamentary assembly in Dayton, USA this month, Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte said: 'I assume that in The Hague we will agree on a high defence spend target of, in total, 5 per cent.' A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: 'This government has announced the largest sustained increase to defence spending since the end of the Cold War – 2.5 per cent by 2027 and 3 per cent in the next parliament when fiscal and economic conditions allow, including an extra £5 billion this financial year. 'The strategic defence review will rightly set the vision for how that uplift will be spent, including new capabilities to put us at the leading edge of innovation in Nato, investment in our people and making defence an engine for growth across the UK – making Britain more secure at home and strong abroad.'
Sky News
5 hours ago
- Business
- Sky News
'No doubt' UK will spend 3% of GDP on defence in next parliament, defence secretary says
There is "no doubt" the UK "will spend 3% of our GDP on defence" in the next parliament, the defence secretary has said. John Healey's comments come ahead of the publication of the government's Strategic Defence Review (SDR) on Monday. This is an assessment of the state of the armed forces, the threats facing the UK, and the military transformation required to meet them. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously set out a "clear ambition" to raise defence spending to 3% in the next parliament "subject to economic and fiscal conditions". Mr Healey has now told The Times newspaper there is a "certain decade of rising defence spending" to come, adding that this commitment "allows us to plan for the long term. It allows us to deal with the pressures." A government source insisted the defence secretary was "expressing an opinion, which is that he has full confidence that the government will be able to deliver on its ambition", rather than making a new commitment. The UK currently spends 2.3% of GDP on defence, with Sir Keir announcing plans to increase that to 2.5% by 2027 in February. This followed mounting pressure from the White House for European nations to do more to take on responsibility for their own security and the defence of Ukraine. The 2.3% to 2.5% increase is being paid for by controversial cuts to the international aid budget, but there are big questions over where the funding for a 3% rise would be found, given the tight state of government finances. While a commitment will help underpin the planning assumptions made in the SDR, there is of course no guarantee a Labour government would still be in power during the next parliament to have to fulfil that pledge. 1:21 A statement from the Ministry of Defence makes it clear that the official government position has not changed in line with the defence secretary's comments. The statement reads: "This government has announced the largest sustained increase to defence spending since the end of the Cold War - 2.5% by 2027 and 3% in the next parliament when fiscal and economic conditions allow, including an extra £5bn this financial year. "The SDR will rightly set the vision for how that uplift will be spent, including new capabilities to put us at the leading edge of innovation in NATO, investment in our people and making defence an engine for growth across the UK - making Britain more secure at home and strong abroad." Sir Keir commissioned the review shortly after taking office in July 2024. It is being led by Lord Robertson, a former Labour defence secretary and NATO secretary general. The Ministry of Defence has already trailed a number of announcements as part of the review, including plans for a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command and a £1bn battlefield system known as the Digital Targeting Web, which we're told will "better connect armed forces weapons systems and allow battlefield decisions for targeting enemy threats to be made and executed faster". On Saturday, the defence secretary announced a £1.5bn investment to tackle damp, mould and make other improvements to poor quality military housing in a bid to improve recruitment and retention. Mr Healey pledged to "turn round what has been a national scandal for decades", with 8,000 military family homes currently unfit for habitation. He said: "The Strategic Defence Review, in the broad, will recognise that the fact that the world is changing, threats are increasing. "In this new era of threat, we need a new era for defence and so the Strategic Defence Review will be the vision and direction for the way that we've got to strengthen our armed forces to make us more secure at home, stronger abroad, but also learn the lessons from Ukraine as well. "So an armed forces that can be more capable of innovation more quickly, stronger to deter the threats that we face and always with people at the heart of our forces… which is why the housing commitments that we make through this strategic defence review are so important for the future."
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'No doubt' UK will spend 3% of GDP on defence in next parliament, defence secretary says
There is "no doubt" the UK "will spend 3% of our GDP on defence" in the next parliament, the defence secretary has said. John Healey's comments come ahead of the publication of the government's Strategic Defence Review (SDR) on Monday. This is an assessment of the state of the armed forces, the threats facing the UK, and the military transformation required to meet them. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has previously set out a "clear ambition" to raise defence spending to 3% in the next parliament "subject to economic and fiscal conditions". Mr Healey has now told The Times newspaper there is a "certain decade of rising defence spending" to come, adding that this commitment "allows us to plan for the long term. It allows us to deal with the pressures." A government source insisted the defence secretary was "expressing an opinion, which is that he has full confidence that the government will be able to deliver on its ambition", rather than making a new commitment. The UK currently spends 2.3% of GDP on defence, with Sir Keir announcing plans to increase that to 2.5% by 2027 in February. This followed mounting pressure from the White House for European nations to do more to take on responsibility for their own security and the defence of Ukraine. The 2.3% to 2.5% increase is being paid for by controversial cuts to the international aid budget, but there are big questions over where the funding for a 3% rise would be found, given the tight state of government finances. While a commitment will help underpin the planning assumptions made in the SDR, there is of course no guarantee a Labour government would still be in power during the next parliament to have to fulfil that pledge. A statement from the Ministry of Defence makes it clear that the official government position has not changed in line with the defence secretary's comments. The statement reads: "This government has announced the largest sustained increase to defence spending since the end of the Cold War - 2.5% by 2027 and 3% in the next parliament when fiscal and economic conditions allow, including an extra £5bn this financial year. "The SDR will rightly set the vision for how that uplift will be spent, including new capabilities to put us at the leading edge of innovation in NATO, investment in our people and making defence an engine for growth across the UK - making Britain more secure at home and strong abroad." Sir Keir commissioned the review shortly after taking office in July 2024. It is being led by Lord Robertson, a former Labour defence secretary and NATO secretary general. The Ministry of Defence has already trailed a number of announcements as part of the review, including plans for a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command and a £1bn battlefield system known as the Digital Targeting Web, which we're told will "better connect armed forces weapons systems and allow battlefield decisions for targeting enemy threats to be made and executed faster". Read more: On Saturday, the defence secretary announced a £1.5bn investment to tackle damp, mould and make other improvements to poor quality military housing in a bid to improve recruitment and retention. Mr Healey pledged to "turn round what has been a national scandal for decades", with 8,000 military family homes currently unfit for habitation. He said: "The Strategic Defence Review, in the broad, will recognise that the fact that the world is changing, threats are increasing. "In this new era of threat, we need a new era for defence and so the Strategic Defence Review will be the vision and direction for the way that we've got to strengthen our armed forces to make us more secure at home, stronger abroad, but also learn the lessons from Ukraine as well. "So an armed forces that can be more capable of innovation more quickly, stronger to deter the threats that we face and always with people at the heart of our forces… which is why the housing commitments that we make through this strategic defence review are so important for the future."
