Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has declined to commit to a Labour Party pledge to allocate 3 percent of the United Kingdom’s GDP to defence spending by 2030, citing uncertainty over how such a target would be financed. Streeting reiterated his position during interviews on the BBC and Sky News, emphasizing the need for fiscal responsibility and warning that promising increased expenditure without a clear funding plan could lead to economic instability and higher borrowing costs.
This stance follows similar reservations expressed by Labour leader Andy Burnham, who has also refrained from guaranteeing that the party would meet the 3 percent threshold by the end of the decade, despite affirmations of prioritizing national security. Both ministers have indicated that detailed decisions on defence funding will be addressed in future spending reviews.
The UK's defence spending target became a subject of debate after John Healey, the current Chancellor of the Exchequer and former Defence Secretary, called for setting a firm date to reach the 3 percent GDP goal. Upon his return to the Treasury, Labour Defence Secretary Streeting described the Armed Forces as having a “firm friend” in Healey. However, since Healey’s appointment, no specific timeline or commitment has been announced to achieve this expenditure level, leading to frustration among defence advocates.
Admiral Lord West, a Labour peer and former Royal Navy head, criticized the party leadership’s approach as relying on “smoke and mirrors,” arguing that while commitments to national security are stated, there is a lack of concrete funding plans to support both capital investment and the recurring costs of military operations. He also dismissed recent government announcements regarding the £8.4 billion allocated for securing the UK’s nuclear deterrent, describing the funding as previously assured and not a new initiative.
Conservative defence spokesman James Cartlidge took issue with Labour’s position, suggesting that Healey’s Treasury role should have facilitated a clear strategy to meet the 3 percent target. He highlighted that the current Defence Investment Plan projects spending to rise only to approximately 2.68 percent of GDP by 2030—the same figure that prompted Healey’s earlier resignation from the Defence Secretary post.
Business leaders in the defence sector have joined calls for greater clarity and commitment. Charles Woodburn, chief executive of BAE Systems, urged the government to establish a definitive roadmap to meet NATO’s recommended spending goal of 3.5 percent of GDP by 2035, noting that no timetable has yet been set to achieve this.
In a separate development, Andy Burnham visited the submarine manufacturing facility in Barrow-in-Furness to highlight the government’s commitment to building the Dreadnought-class submarines, which are intended to replace the aging Vanguard-class nuclear deterrent vessels currently in service. The first of these new submarines, HMS Dreadnought, is scheduled to enter service by the mid-2030s. The Prime Minister underscored the importance of domestic defence manufacturing, citing its role in national security and job creation in local communities.
Nevertheless, some military figures have warned that focusing on existing nuclear programmes should not serve as a distraction from wider defence spending challenges. General Sir Richard Barrons, a co-author of the recent strategic defence review, cautioned that increased and timely investment is essential to maintain the UK's ability to deter threats such as those posed by Russia by 2030, stating that the issue requires urgent attention as the deadline approaches.
Burnham’s visit to Barrow came as he subsequently traveled to cast his vote in the Manchester mayoral election, underscoring the ongoing balancing of domestic and national security priorities within the Labour leadership.