Government could spend £17bn more on defence by 2029

The Government could pour an extra £17.3 billion a year into defence by 2029 as Britain braces for a more dangerous world.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has already pledged to raise spending to 2.5% of GDP by April 2027 — and now wants to push it to 3% in the next Parliament.

At the Munich Security Conference, Starmer warned, “To meet the wider threat, it’s clear that we are going to have to spend more, faster.”

The Office for Budget Responsibility says hitting 3% would cost an extra £17.3bn every single year.

The Treasury is said to be cautious.

But defence chiefs are sounding the alarm.

Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton and his German counterpart issued a stark joint warning in The Guardian and the German paper Die Welt, Russia has “shifted decisively westward.”

Europe needs a “step change” in defence. “Rearmament is not warmongering… Strength deters aggression. Weakness invites it.”

They warned defence can no longer be left to soldiers alone — it requires a “whole-of-society approach.”

Since Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, military leaders say Europe faces uncomfortable truths about its security.

The message: Rearm — or risk regret.

Former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace blasted the Government, “There isn’t any real defence spending increases… You know it, I know it and the Russians know it.

“Stop spinning and treating the public like fools.”

£17 billion more could see higher taxes, more borrowing or there could be cuts elsewhere, Britain faces a stark choice, pay up now — or pay later.