Next PM may have to reopen defence spending debatepublished at 16:15 BST 23 June
By Ben Chu, policy and analysis correspondent, BBC Verify
The government’s Defence Investment Plan (DIP) was expected to be published earlier this month but the former Defence Secretary, John Healey, resigned in advance saying it “falls well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time”.
In his resignation letter Healey said the plan would have increased UK defence spending from 2.6% of GDP in 2027 to 2.68% by 2030.
This 0.08% of GDP increase would be equivalent to an extra £2.4bn a year in today’s money.
Healey argued the UK should be aiming for 3% of GDP by 2030 which would imply an increase of £12bn a year in today’s money on 2027 levels.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has today recommitted to publish the final DIP by the time of the next Nato summit on 7 July at the latest.
And, despite the appointment of Dan Jarvis as the new defence secretary there has, so far, been no suggestion from No 10 Downing Street that extra cash will be found relative to what was previously planned.
So if that happened the next prime minister – if they took office after 7 July – would have to re-open the military financial settlement if they wanted to increase defence spending beyond what is outlined in the current DIP.
