British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to spend approximately £300 billion ($397 billion) over the next four years to modernize the armed forces.
Starmer, who is expected to step down next month after losing the support of Labour Party lawmakers, said on Tuesday that the overall defense budget will increase by £15 billion ($20 billion) over four years to about £300 billion.
Details of the Plan
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, the plan involves investing more than £5 billion ($6.6 billion) in drones and autonomous systems over the next four years.
“Last year, I took the decision to divert aid spending to defense in the national interest and delivered the largest increase in defense spending since the end of the Cold War,” Starmer said. “It was the right choice because the world has changed. National security is economic security. Today we are increasing defense spending further — providing an additional £15 billion in funding by reprioritizing spending across government.”
Political Turmoil
The plan follows months of debate within Starmer’s government. This month, two defense ministers, including Defence Secretary John Healey, resigned over the spending proposals. Healey said the plans risked making the UK “less secure.”
NATO Summit and Targets
Starmer’s announcement came after US President Donald Trump’s calls for NATO allies to spend more on defense and reduce reliance on Washington. Starmer will take the plan, which envisages spending around £80 billion ($105.7 billion) annually by 2029, to the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8. He wants to convey that the UK is on track to spend 3.5% of its gross domestic product on defense by 2035.
With his likely successor Andy Burnham expected to take over as early as July 20, Starmer acknowledged that new governments could “develop” his plan.
Criticism
Critics of the plan, which was delayed by more than nine months, argued it was too little, too late.
