Andy Burnham’s government is facing mounting criticism over Britain’s defence spending after ministers began considering delaying a decision on when to increase military expenditure, raising fresh questions over how the government intends to fund its security commitments.
Ministers had been expected to publish a timetable in the spring for raising defence spending to 3 per cent of gross domestic product, alongside a spending review setting out government expenditure through the end of the decade.
But Whitehall officials are now considering postponing the review until autumn next year, according to reports. One source told The Times that the “working assumption” among civil servants was that the review would not take place until October.
The delay would give the government additional time to assess the public finances before committing to a substantial increase in defence spending. Ministers are understood to hope that stronger economic growth could make it easier to finance the move through higher tax revenues or reductions in other areas of public spending.
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The fiscal challenge is considerable. Reaching the NATO target of spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence is expected to require about £10bn in additional annual expenditure, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Kemi Badenoch, Conservative leader, accused Burnham of failing to provide the certainty needed to strengthen Britain’s defences, as her party prepared to unveil plans for a £10bn missile defence system.
The proposed “Britannia Shield” is intended to create an integrated missile defence capability for the UK, reflecting growing concern among Western governments about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure and cities to increasingly sophisticated missile and drone attacks.
Badenoch said the Conservatives were planning for future threats rather than waiting for a crisis.
“I want us to start thinking ahead. Conservatives are thinking about the future. We don’t think that we should just sit back and wait until something happens. We’ve got to make sure we think ahead and protect our country,” she told BBC Breakfast.
She accused the government of failing to explain either its defence priorities or how it would finance them.
“I want our Government to be doing something like this, but they’re not talking about defence at all. They’re not talking about what they’re going to do, where they’re going to get the money from. I’ve just heard that they’ve delayed the spending review yet again. We need to start getting ready now.”
The dispute highlights a widening tension between Britain’s strategic ambitions and its fiscal constraints. A commitment to spend 3 per cent of GDP would represent a significant increase in resources for the armed forces, but would also force difficult choices elsewhere in the government’s budget.
For Burnham, postponing the decision could provide breathing room as the Treasury assesses the economic outlook. Politically, however, the delay risks allowing the Conservatives to portray Labour as putting fiscal caution ahead of national security at a time when European governments are under increasing pressure to strengthen their military capabilities.
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