Labour’s shadow defence secretary Andy Burnham has been urged to move beyond vague assurances and provide a clear plan to raise UK defence spending amid concerns over national security. The call came as the Conservative government pledged to meet defence expenditure targets by cutting welfare budgets.

At Prime Minister’s Questions, Tan Dhesi, chairman of the Defence Select Committee and a Labour MP, pressed Burnham to commit urgently to increasing defence spending to 3 percent of GDP by 2030, a target estimated to require an additional £10 billion annually. Dhesi emphasized the heightened threat posed by Russian aggression and the need for swift action. “Defence is definitely one area where vibes alone just isn’t going to be enough,” he said.

Burnham, who resigned as defence secretary last year over Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s hesitation to endorse the 3 percent spending goal, said he had made the commitment but clarified it would be set out in more detail in the government’s spring spending review. Downing Street later confirmed the plan is to reach the NATO recommended target of 3.5 percent of GDP by 2035.

Former Labour defence secretary Lord Hutton of Furness echoed concerns over the delay, warning that Russia may act before the UK finalizes its spending plans. “I don’t think President Putin is going to wait until the Treasury conducts its next comprehensive spending review before he decides what his next course of action might be,” Hutton told Times Radio, underscoring the urgency of preparedness.

The Conservative government, meanwhile, announced measures to fund the defence boost by reducing welfare expenditure. Equalities Secretary Kemi Badenoch detailed plans to cut over £5 billion from the welfare budget, including scaling back housing benefit for families in high-cost areas and ending the VAT exemption on vehicles purchased through the Motability scheme, which assists disabled people. The housing benefit cap would be lowered by around 10 percent, trimming the £35 billion annual housing allowance by approximately £4 billion.

Conservative sources argued that it was unfair for benefit recipients to live in expensive regions where even working families face affordability challenges. Additional savings would come from reinstating the two-child benefit cap and reorienting investment away from sectors like green energy.

Labour criticized these proposals, branding them as “dodgy Tory economics” that would hollow out the armed forces without providing genuine new funding. A Labour spokesperson said the Conservatives were recycling existing funds rather than making fresh financial commitments to defence.

The UK faces growing fiscal constraints with borrowing costs at their highest since the 2008 financial crisis and surging gas prices adding to inflationary pressures, complicating prospects for increased defence spending. Dhesi stressed the strategic importance of investment given shifting priorities in US foreign policy that now place less emphasis on European security. “That is why it is imperative that we invest in our armed forces in the here and now rather than be sorry later,” he said.