Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis expressed confidence that Andy Burnham, if elected prime minister, will ensure adequate investment in Britain’s armed forces despite a significant funding gap left unresolved in the current defence plan. Speaking during a visit to missile manufacturer Cambridge Aerospace on Wednesday, Jarvis said he had received assurance that Burnham would secure the necessary defence funding.

Jarvis’s comments come in the wake of the release on Tuesday of the Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which outlined an additional £15 billion in defence spending. However, the Treasury has not yet clarified how nearly one-third of this increase—approximately £4.7 billion—will be financed. This shortfall is expected to be addressed in the next Budget, placing the responsibility on the incoming prime minister to decide how to close the gap, whether through tax rises, increased borrowing, or spending cuts elsewhere.

Defending the delay in finalising some financial commitments, Jarvis described it as “not unreasonable” for such decisions to be made alongside a major fiscal event like the Budget. When pressed on the source of the untapped funds, he stated that it was a matter for the Treasury.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Luke Pollard indicated that Burnham was only informed of the £4.7 billion shortfall following the publication of Treasury figures on Tuesday. Speaking to Sky News, Pollard noted that Downing Street communicated the details to Burnham on the day the Treasury statement was released. However, when questioned further on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme about the timing and circumstances under which Burnham was briefed on the financial specifics, Pollard declined to comment, citing his lack of involvement in those discussions.

The unresolved funding amid heightened defence commitments adds pressure on the next government to reconcile ambitious military spending plans with broader fiscal constraints. As the Budget approaches, stakeholders in the defence sector and political observers will closely monitor how the incoming leadership addresses this £4.7 billion funding challenge.