Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has denied that the government is not going to meet defence spending targets, or is delaying the defence spending review.
He told GB News: “So I say two things on each of those points. Firstly, the 3.5% of GDP commitment is a NATO commitment for 2035. What John Healey has committed to do is to set out the path to 3.5% including when we will hit 3% in next year’s spending review.
“Now, I saw the same reports you did suggesting the spending review was delayed. I’m not sure how it can have been delayed when the date has never been announced and won’t be announced just yet.”
Asked to confirm that the review had been postponed until the autumn, he said: “I’m not going to characterise John Healey’s choices in that way. You’re going to hear a lot from government ministers on this in the next few weeks ahead of the budget.
“Those are choices for the Chancellor to make, and given I’m asking quite a lot of the Chancellor, I know where my bread’s buttered, and I’m not going to get ahead of him by suggesting when he should hold his spending review.”
He added: “In terms of 2030, the Chancellor will set out the path to 3.5%, including 3.0%. Because that’s got to be a credible path. So that will include when we get to 3% at the spending review. And look, just to be clear with your viewers as to why that is, that when the Chancellor makes spending commitments, he also needs to show where the money is coming from.
“If he makes a pledge, a commitment on 3% without showing where the money comes from, all that happens is the markets price in that risk, borrowing costs go up, and the 1 in 10 pounds that we are already spending of taxpayers’ money on just on servicing debt interest that becomes more expensive and makes the job on defence spending and everything else harder…
“We came in, defence spending was at 2.3% By next year, as you said, it will be 2.7%, so we’re making quite a lot of progress quickly, and then beyond 2027, those are the choices. Absolutely, it’s got to go up higher. But the Chancellor will set out increased defence spending at both the Budget, but also next year’s spending review.
“We’re not going to get to 2.7% and then stop the defence spending increases. We’re going to have a sustained increase in defence spending. You can judge us now by our actions, not just by our words.”
He said the government disapproved of president Trump’s decision on Russian diesel: “We don’t support the US decision on diesel, and as for President Zelensky, I just say two things.
“Firstly, it is for Ukraine to choose their leadership, not for anyone else, and secondly, I’ve had the privilege of meeting President Zelensky. I think Ukraine is fortunate to have had someone of that courage, and integrity, and resolve leading Ukraine through what is an existential fight for their freedom.
“And having been to Kyiv and seen firsthand the toll that Russia is taking on the Ukrainian people, I’m glad that we’ve got a strong leader in President Zelensky to get behind. Our support for President Zelensky is unwavering.”
