THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Defence official warns cuts to fund investment plan would be ‘zero game’ By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments National armaments director Rupert Pearce has cautioned against cuts to Whitehall departments to fund the defence investment plan (Andrew Matthews/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Cuts to Whitehall departments to fund the delayed defence investment plan (Dip) would be a “zero sum game”, a senior Ministry of Defence official has warned. Rupert Pearce, UK national armaments director, told peers the delay in publishing the Dip was “regrettable”, but added reducing spending in areas such as energy or transport investment “could come back to haunt us in defence”. Appearing before the Lords International and Defence Committee, Mr Pearce said: “If you can’t borrow and you won’t tax, it becomes a zero sum game when, for defence to get more money someone else must lose, and that’s a very difficult decision to make politically. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has vowed to get the armed forces th…

Donald Trump expects UK to honour defence spending pledge, says White House By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments The president argued the US has been bankrolling the defence of other countries (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Donald Trump expects Britain and other Nato allies to stick to their defence spending pledges, the White House has said, as controversy rages over future UK military funding. The demand by the US president came as Sir Keir Starmer was due to unveil a long-delayed investment plan for the armed forces, which has been dogged by internal government wrangling and rocked by ministerial resignations. The outgoing Prime Minister insists it will keep Britain “safe and secure long into the future”. Dan Jarvis has ‘refocused’ the defence investment plan since taking charge (Jordan Pettitt/PA) But John Healey recently quit as defence secretary over the military financial settlement on offer, warning it “falls well short of what is required for defence and the cou…

Minister calls on Burnham to show path to 3.5% target on UK defence spending <p>Dan Jarvis, who wants to stay on as defence secretary, says he is confident PM-in-waiting values national security</p><p>The new defence secretary, Dan Jarvis, has called on Andy Burnham to increase defence spending dramatically from 2030 and “evidence the trajectory” towards a Nato target that would mean £25bn a year more for the military by the middle of the next decade.</p><p>The former paratrooper said he was confident that the prime minister-in-waiting valued national security, as he openly lobbied him for cash that would probably have to come from cuts elsewhere.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/06/dan-jarvis-andy-burnham-uk-defence-spending">Continue reading...</a>

Donald Trump expects UK to honour defence spending pledge, says White House By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments The president argued the US has been bankrolling the defence of other countries (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Donald Trump expects Britain and other Nato allies to stick to their defence spending pledges, the White House has said, as controversy rages over future UK military funding. The demand by the US president came as Sir Keir Starmer was due to unveil a long-delayed investment plan for the armed forces, which has been dogged by internal government wrangling and rocked by ministerial resignations. The outgoing Prime Minister insists it will keep Britain “safe and secure long into the future”. Dan Jarvis has ‘refocused’ the defence investment plan since taking charge (Jordan Pettitt/PA) But John Healey recently quit as defence secretary over the military financial settlement on offer, warning it “falls well short of what is required for defence and the cou…

Donald Trump expects UK to honour defence spending pledge, says White House By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments The president argued the US has been bankrolling the defence of other countries (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Donald Trump expects Britain and other Nato allies to stick to their defence spending pledges, the White House has said, as controversy rages over future UK military funding. The demand by the US president came as Sir Keir Starmer was due to unveil a long-delayed investment plan for the armed forces, which has been dogged by internal government wrangling and rocked by ministerial resignations. The outgoing Prime Minister insists it will keep Britain “safe and secure long into the future”. Dan Jarvis has ‘refocused’ the defence investment plan since taking charge (Jordan Pettitt/PA) But John Healey recently quit as defence secretary over the military financial settlement on offer, warning it “falls well short of what is required for defence and the cou…

Defence Secretary has ‘assurance’ Andy Burnham will invest in armed forces By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments 4 Skip to next photo 1 / 1 Show caption 1 / 1 0 Comments This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. The Defence Secretary has said he is confident Andy Burnham will give Britain’s defence the investment it needs despite leaving the next prime minister a £4.7 billion funding gap. Dan Jarvis told reporters on a visit to missile manufacturer Cambridge Aerospace on Wednesday that he had the “assurance that, as prime minister, Andy Burnham will make sure that we’ve got the investment coming into defence”. But Mr Jarvis acknowledged there would have to be “conversations” with the man expected to take over from Sir Keir Starmer in less than three weeks, vowing he would “fight hard for defence”. Tuesday’s Defence Investment Plan (Dip) saw Mr Jarvis secure a £15 billion uplift in defence spending, largely funded by cuts to other departments’ capital budgets. But the Treasury has yet to spell out how it …

UK 'badly exposed' and needs 10 years to rebuild defence, former ... The former head of the armed forces has sent a stark warning to Sir Keir Starmer, claiming the UK needs a decade to rebuild its defence even if the prime minister “shows the leadership” to restart investment now. In a dire assessment about the state of the UK’s military, Jock Stirrup , who was chief of the defence staff during the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown premierships, warned the UK is “badly exposed” and needs “a complete change of mentality” to put it on a war footing. The former air marshal said he completely agreed with the damning assessment by Labour peer Lord Robertson about UK security being in “peril”, as well as the failures of Sir Keir’s government to tackle the crisis. The row has escalated with health secretary and leadership hopeful Wes Streeting breaking ranks and suggesting he backs Lord Robertson’s demands to use welfare savings to fund defence. The move is likely to reopen painful wounds in Labour after Sir Keir abandoned benefits cuts last year because of a major backbench rebellion. open image in gallery Lord Stirrup said the UK needs an ‘innovative and rapidly scalable defence base’ ( PA )…

Minister tears into PM for axing road improvements to fund defence BySOPHIE CHURCH - POLITICAL REPORTER Published:18:11 EDT, 30 June 2026|Updated:18:25 EDT, 30 June 2026 96 Viewcomments Keir Starmerwas on Tuesday facing fury from his own Government for cutting investment into road projects to pay for defence. In a scathing post online, Hamish Falconer said he was 'disappointed' by Sir Keir's decision to mothball two major road upgrades in his constituency to boost defence spending. And the Foreign Office minister said he would be 'seeking an urgent meeting' with the incoming Labour leader to address his concerns in an embarrassment for the ousted PM. This came as Sir Keir finally announced details on Tuesday of the long-awaited defence investment plan (Dip) – which sets out how Britain will rearm. Acknowledging there were 'no easy answers' in boosting defence spending, the Prime Minister revealed that 'some capital projects, for example on roads and energy, which are important but not immediately vital, will no longer go ahead as planned.' ChancellorRachel Reevessaid the Department for Transport 'will provide up to £700 million of savings from roads funding' as part of it…

Donald Trump expects UK to honour defence spending pledge, says White House By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments The president argued the US has been bankrolling the defence of other countries (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Donald Trump expects Britain and other Nato allies to stick to their defence spending pledges, the White House has said, as controversy rages over future UK military funding. The demand by the US president came as Sir Keir Starmer was due to unveil a long-delayed investment plan for the armed forces, which has been dogged by internal government wrangling and rocked by ministerial resignations. The outgoing Prime Minister insists it will keep Britain “safe and secure long into the future”. Dan Jarvis has ‘refocused’ the defence investment plan since taking charge (Jordan Pettitt/PA) But John Healey recently quit as defence secretary over the military financial settlement on offer, warning it “falls well short of what is required for defence and the cou…

Burnham told of £4.7bn defence black hole yesterday, minister suggests By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments 2 Skip to next photo 1 / 1 Show caption 1 / 1 0 Comments This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Andy Burnham only found out about the £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending on the day it was published, a defence minister has suggested. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan (Dip), but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over the funding gap and whether Mr Burnham, who is expected to replace Sir Keir as Prime Minister, was blindsided by the need to plug it in his first budget. Defence minister Luke Pollard, speaking to broadcasters on Wednesday morning, said he believed No 10 told the Makerfield MP yesterday. He told Sky News: “Downing Street have a close dialogue with Andy’s team … I understand they’ve be…

Defence official warns cuts to fund investment plan would be ‘zero game’ By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments National armaments director Rupert Pearce has cautioned against cuts to Whitehall departments to fund the defence investment plan (Andrew Matthews/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Cuts to Whitehall departments to fund the delayed defence investment plan (Dip) would be a “zero sum game”, a senior Ministry of Defence official has warned. Rupert Pearce, UK national armaments director, told peers the delay in publishing the Dip was “regrettable”, but added reducing spending in areas such as energy or transport investment “could come back to haunt us in defence”. Appearing before the Lords International and Defence Committee, Mr Pearce said: “If you can’t borrow and you won’t tax, it becomes a zero sum game when, for defence to get more money someone else must lose, and that’s a very difficult decision to make politically. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has vowed to get the armed forces th…

Starmer hails ‘game-changing’ investment as delayed defence plan to be unveiled By PA News Published: 23:01, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 01:02, 30 June 2026 Sir Keir Starmer hailed the long-delayed plan for defence spending as a game-changing move that will keep the UK “safe and secure long into the future” as he announced it will be published on Tuesday. The defence investment plan (Dip), originally due last year, had been held back amid wrangling within Government over the amount of money required to finance the military. Former defence secretary John Healey quit in protest over it, as he did not believe the Dip provided enough funding for the UK to transform its armed forces and meet future threats. He also warned that the plan would likely fall short of Britain’s commitments to the Nato alliance, which has tasked all member states with hiking core defence spending to 3.5% of national economic output by 2035. Under the stewardship of new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis, the Dip will now focus on ramping up the UK’s use of drones and autonomous weapons, funded by a £5 billion investment, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced. He is understood to have secured some extra money for t…

UK will have to ‘dial back’ military plans without more funding, says chief of defence <p>Rich Knighton tells Lords committee he is ‘most concerned’ about impact on day-to-day military activities</p><p>Britain will have to “dial back” on military operations and exercises in the next few years if the Ministry of Defence (MoD) does not receive extra funding from Downing Street and the Treasury, the UK’s most senior military officer has said.</p><p>Rich Knighton, the chief of the defence staff, told a Lords committee that he was “most concerned” about the budgets for day-to-day activities – in his first public appearance after the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/11/john-healey-defence-secretary-resignation-letter-what-it-said-meant">resignation of John Healey</a> as defence secretary last week.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/16/uk-dial-back-military-plans-without-funding-says-defence-chief">Continue reading...</a>

Defence Secretary faces questions on £4.7bn funding gap left to Andy Burnham By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole (Jonathan Brady/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending and whether Andy Burnham was blindsided by the need to plug that gap in his first budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan, but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – £10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining £4.7 billion would be “confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way”. Prospective prime minister Mr Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told…

UK’s long-awaited defense plan allocates £5 billion to drones Britain will unveil its long-delayed Defense Investment Plan on Tuesday, prioritizing £5 billion of investment in drones and a focus on autonomous systems, to try to modernize and build up its depleted armed forces at a time of rising threats.The blueprint faced last-minute wrangling after former defense minister John Healey resigned earlier this month with a scathing critique of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s inability to raise the finances needed to keep the country safe from threats.For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.Starmer has since then said he will also quit, with his replacement likely to take office within weeks, making the DIP one of the prime minister’s final policy announcements.Plan focuses on technology for modern warfare His plan will focus on attack drones, autonomous systems and uncrewed ships and submarines, favoring technology over warships, to reflect the reality of modern warfare as seen in Ukraine, according to a

Defence official warns cuts to fund investment plan would be ‘zero game’ By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments National armaments director Rupert Pearce has cautioned against cuts to Whitehall departments to fund the defence investment plan (Andrew Matthews/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Cuts to Whitehall departments to fund the delayed defence investment plan (Dip) would be a “zero sum game”, a senior Ministry of Defence official has warned. Rupert Pearce, UK national armaments director, told peers the delay in publishing the Dip was “regrettable”, but added reducing spending in areas such as energy or transport investment “could come back to haunt us in defence”. Appearing before the Lords International and Defence Committee, Mr Pearce said: “If you can’t borrow and you won’t tax, it becomes a zero sum game when, for defence to get more money someone else must lose, and that’s a very difficult decision to make politically. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has vowed to get the armed forces th…

Defence official warns cuts to fund investment plan would be 'zero game ... News | Politics Defence official warns cuts to fund investment plan would be ‘zero game’ UK national armaments director Rupert Pearce said the delay in publishing the defence investment plan was ‘regrettable’. National armaments director Rupert Pearce has cautioned against cuts to Whitehall departments to fund the defence investment plan (Andrew Matthews/PA) PA Archive Jonathan Bunn 2 minutes ago Cuts to Whitehall departments to fund the delayed defence investment plan (Dip) would be a “zero sum game”, a senior Ministry of Defence official has warned. Rupert Pearce , UK national armaments director, told peers the delay in publishing the Dip was “regrettable”, but added reducing spending in areas such as energy or transport investment “could come back to haunt us in defence”. Appearing before the Lords International and Defence Committee, Mr Pearce said: “If you can’t borrow and you won’t tax, it becomes a zero sum game when, for defence to get more money someone else must lose, and that’s a very difficult decision to make politically. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has vowed to get the armed forces the fundi…

Defence funding plan not enough to protect country, says military expert By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer meets members of the military at Taif Airbase, Saudi Arabia (PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Sir Keir Starmer’s long-delayed plan for military spending will not be enough to prepare the country for war, an expert who helped draw up the Government’s defence review warned. General Sir Richard Barrons, a co-author of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, said the plan being published on Tuesday was “not going to crack the issue” of properly funding the nation’s armed forces. The Prime Minister said the defence investment plan (Dip) would see “game-changing investment” in drones and other modern equipment. The Dip was meant to be published last year but was delayed by Whitehall wrangling over cash which eventually triggered the resignation of defence secretary John Healey. Sir Richard said the fact of its publication counts as progress and there would be a …

Defence funding plan faces fresh scrutiny over where cuts will be made By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer departs 10 Downing Street (Stefan Rousseau/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to boost defence spending by £15 billion is facing fresh scrutiny, after Downing Street was unable to say where exactly the cuts required to pay for it will come from. The Prime Minister unveiled the defence investment plan (Dip) on Tuesday, with a promise to increase defence spending by £15 billion, and modernise the armed forces so they are prepared for drone attacks and the threat of Russia. The Government is yet to spell out how almost a third of the plan will be funded, with a decision on where that £4.7 billion will come from to be made at the Budget in the autumn. That will prove a headache to Sir Keir Starmer’s successor in No 10, likely to be Andy Burnham, who was only briefed about the funding black hole on Tuesday. But the Government has also p…

Keir Starmer forced on back foot at PMQs over ‘weak’ defence plan <p>Prime minister says he will take no lectures from Tories after Kemi Badenoch says investment plan is insufficient</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/jul/01/keir-starmer-andy-burnham-labour-defence-investment-plan-pmqs-kemi-badenoch">UK politics live – latest updates</a></p></li></ul><p>Keir Starmer was forced on the defensive in the Commons over his long-delayed defence investment plan announced this week, which critics argue leaves his successor as prime minister, expected to be Andy Burnham, with an extra £4.7bn to find in his first budget.</p><p>Starmer defended his <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/30/defence-investment-plan-keir-starmer-labour">£298bn defence investment plan</a> (Dip) at prime minister’s questions on Wednesday despite a growing backlash from insiders in Burnham’s team and from ministers and MPs resentful over <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/01/ministers-furious-cuts-road-projects-fund-defence-plan">cuts to key transport infrastructure projects</a> to fund it.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/…

Donald Trump expects UK to honour defence spending pledge, says White House By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments The president argued the US has been bankrolling the defence of other countries (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Donald Trump expects Britain and other Nato allies to stick to their defence spending pledges, the White House has said, as controversy rages over future UK military funding. The demand by the US president came as Sir Keir Starmer was due to unveil a long-delayed investment plan for the armed forces, which has been dogged by internal government wrangling and rocked by ministerial resignations. The outgoing Prime Minister insists it will keep Britain “safe and secure long into the future”. Dan Jarvis has ‘refocused’ the defence investment plan since taking charge (Jordan Pettitt/PA) But John Healey recently quit as defence secretary over the military financial settlement on offer, warning it “falls well short of what is required for defence and the cou…

UK running out of time to boost defense as investment plan stalls ... LONDON — Britain is running out of time to boost its defenses in response to the threat posed by recent Russian actions, the country’s military chief said on Friday, after months of delays to the country’s Defence Investment Plan. “Russia is definitely raising the stakes and risks crossing a line,” Chief of the Defence Staff Richard Knighton told BBC Radio. “We need to spend more on defense and do it faster.” The Defence Investment Plan will lay out the funding for military equipment and services to ensure the armed forces move to a state of “warfighting readiness,” but reports say it has been held up since last year by budget rows within the government. Defence Minister John Healey said on Monday that Prime Minister Keir Starmer was determined to publish it before a July 7 NATO summit. RELATED Money starts flowing for new GCAP fighter, as Britain sorts out finances A source on the program told Defense News the new contract is a “bridge” allowing work to continue until the end of June. By Tom Kington U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called on Starmer and other European leaders to spend more on def…

UK faces hard choices over military spending: analysts Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday named as his new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis, a former officer in the Parachute Regiment once nicknamed the "steely-eyed messenger of death". Here's what we know about the UK government's long-awaited -- but yet to be published -- Defence Investment Plan (DIP) for spending over the next decade and the military's strained resources. - Underfunding - The Ministry of Defence (MoD) budget reportedly faces a pound28 billion shortfall between now and 2030. In his stinging resignation letter, defence secretary John Healey accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the finance ministry of failing to commit the resources needed to "defend the country at this time of rising threats". Despite the need to bolster military readiness in the next two years, Healey said extra support for defence was "backloaded" to arrive towards the end of the decade-long timeline. This means the "growth path to reach spending targets is likely following a 'hockey-stick' trajectory with much of the uplifts falling in the final years of a deadline," Fenella McGerty of the International Institute for Strategic Studie…

Your problem now, Andy: Starmer's long-awaited new defence spending plan leaves it to Burnham to find almost £5bn dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15940787/Starmer-faces-Trump-anger-Nato-summit-week-finally-releases-defence-plan-14-5bn-boost-HALF-military-asked-no-timetable-spending-3-GDP.html

Defence Secretary faces questions on £4.7bn funding gap left to Andy Burnham By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole (Jonathan Brady/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending and whether Andy Burnham was blindsided by the need to plug that gap in his first budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan, but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – £10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining £4.7 billion would be “confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way”. Prospective prime minister Mr Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told…

UK's Starmer unveils £15 bln defence increase in long-delayed ... Watch the latest episode of focusIR Fireside Chats: Why Edinburgh Investment Trust Is Backing Turnaround Stocks for 2026 Growth. Viewhere * Defence investment plan forsees a £15 billion increase * Starmer ​says plan ⁠is fully costed * Plan to prioritise technology ​of modern warfare (Adds Starmer comments in paragraphs 1-9, union comment in paragraph 10, adds details throughout) LONDON, ​June ‌29 (Reuters) - Prime Minister Keir Starmer unveiled on Tuesday his long-delayed Defence Investment Plan, promising an increase of £15 billion in funding ⁠to better equip Britain to fight the wars of the future ⁠in a blueprint he described as his ​legacy. In what is most likely his last major policy announcement, Starmer said after last-minute discussions between the finance ministry and Britain's new defence minister, Dan Jarvis, the plan had been sharpened and went further than a previous document that ​prompted his ‌ally, John Healey, to resign. Starmer will take his plan - which foresees spending of nearly £80 billion a year by 2029 - to Ankara for a NATO meeting on July 7-8, most likely his last foreign engagement wh…

Donald Trump expects UK to honour defence spending pledge, says White House By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments The president argued the US has been bankrolling the defence of other countries (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Donald Trump expects Britain and other Nato allies to stick to their defence spending pledges, the White House has said, as controversy rages over future UK military funding. The demand by the US president came as Sir Keir Starmer was due to unveil a long-delayed investment plan for the armed forces, which has been dogged by internal government wrangling and rocked by ministerial resignations. The outgoing Prime Minister insists it will keep Britain “safe and secure long into the future”. Dan Jarvis has ‘refocused’ the defence investment plan since taking charge (Jordan Pettitt/PA) But John Healey recently quit as defence secretary over the military financial settlement on offer, warning it “falls well short of what is required for defence and the cou…

Starmer hails ‘game-changing’ investment as delayed defence plan to be unveiled By PA News Published: 23:01, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 01:02, 30 June 2026 Sir Keir Starmer hailed the long-delayed plan for defence spending as a game-changing move that will keep the UK “safe and secure long into the future” as he announced it will be published on Tuesday. The defence investment plan (Dip), originally due last year, had been held back amid wrangling within Government over the amount of money required to finance the military. Former defence secretary John Healey quit in protest over it, as he did not believe the Dip provided enough funding for the UK to transform its armed forces and meet future threats. He also warned that the plan would likely fall short of Britain’s commitments to the Nato alliance, which has tasked all member states with hiking core defence spending to 3.5% of national economic output by 2035. Under the stewardship of new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis, the Dip will now focus on ramping up the UK’s use of drones and autonomous weapons, funded by a £5 billion investment, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced. He is understood to have secured some extra money for t…

Defence investment plan criticised as ‘too little, too late’ ahead of launch – UK politics live <p>Defence investment plan, which was originally due in the autumn, criticised by Tories and Lib Dems</p><p>Good morning. After Keir Starmer agreed to stand down next month to let Andy Burnham replace him, he said that he<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/jun/23/burnham-leadership-contest-starmer-jones-streeting-eu-brexit-badenoch-latest-news-updates?page=with%3Ablock-6a3a75618f08ac02caa6b62c#block-6a3a75618f08ac02caa6b62c"> would not make major policy announcements</a> in his final days in office. But there was one exemption; Starmer was committed to publishing the defence investment plan (Dip) before the Nato summit in Turkey next week, and he took the view that, since it was more or less ready, this was an existing policy commitment, not a new one.</p><p>It is certainly a policy that has already consumed vast amounts of goverment time. The government published <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/jun/01/defence-review-to-say-uk-must-be-ready-to-fight-a-war-in-europe-or-atlantic">its strategic defence review (SDR)</a> more than a year ago. The Dip, t…

Despite Trump-pleasing defense boost, Britain’s military ... - POLITICO LONDON — Keir Starmer tore up the script this year to pledge a massive British defense spending hike. So why is the country's military still preparing to make cuts? Just ahead of his crucial first meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in February, the U.K. prime minister announced his government would spend 2.5 percent of GDP on defense by 2027 — and hit 3 percent in the next parliament. In June he went further — joining NATO allies in promising a move to 3.5 percent by 2035. Britain’s bold direction of travel was warmly welcomed by NATO members, including the U.S., which has sent a clear message under Trump that Europe must become more self-sufficient on security. Advertisement Yet inside Whitehall, anxiety is rising about how the U.K. will match lofty rhetoric with reality — and military chiefs are already locked in a fight with the all-powerful Treasury to get cash in the here and now. The recent government-wide budget delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves contained nothing new for national security, while the Ministry of Defence is currently locked in a fraught battle with the Treasury over a landmark i…

UK defence funding plan faces leadership clash before Nato summit Britain's delayed 10-year defence investment plan is becoming a test of political authority as Keir Starmer tries to approve it before leaving Downing Street. The dispute is widening ahead of the July 7-8 Nato summit in Ankara, with Andy Burnham seeking his own review of the blueprint if he takes over as prime minister in the coming weeks. Burnham wants to review the plan himself rather than simply approve a proposal drafted under Starmer, according to people familiar with his thinking. That raises the prospect that any document published by Starmer could later be revised or reversed if Burnham enters Number 10, which could happen by July 17 if no other Labour MP challenges him for the party leadership. Starmer, who announces on Monday that he will end his six years as Labour leader and two years as prime minister, sees the defence plan as a central part of his legacy, officials say. His appearance at next month's Nato summit is likely to be his final overseas engagement as prime minister, increasing pressure to present a credible public spending framework before the meeting. Reeves approves about £13.5 billion i…

Defence Secretary faces questions on £4.7bn funding gap left to Andy Burnham By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole (Jonathan Brady/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending and whether Andy Burnham was blindsided by the need to plug that gap in his first budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan, but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – £10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining £4.7 billion would be “confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way”. Prospective prime minister Mr Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told…

Minister demands urgent meeting with Andy Burnham as £700m road ... WATCH: Keir Starmer announces £15billion boost to defence GB NEWS ByFelix Reeves, Published: 30/06/2026 Updated: 01/07/2026 Chancellor Rachel Reeves said she would provide further details later this year Ministers have criticised the Government for its plans to slash roads funding by a staggering £700million to fund the long-awaited Defence Investment Plan (DIP). Earlier today, Sir Keir Starmer finally announced the terms of the £15billion funding boost for the armed forces, military readiness and the UK's nuclear deterrent. This included £298billion of investment over the next four years, with £15billion of additional purchasing being included on top of last year's Spending Review. Labour has emphasised that the proportion of GDP spent on defence will now be higher than at any time during the last 30 years by the end of the decade. It will also put the UK on track to meet NATO's defence spending by 2035, in addition to creating nearly 60,000 extra direct and indirect jobs. Despite this, Sir Keir Starmer confirmed that some road and energy projects would not be progressing forward as originally planned …

Starmer hails ‘game-changing’ investment as delayed defence plan to be unveiled By PA News Published: 23:01, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 01:02, 30 June 2026 Sir Keir Starmer hailed the long-delayed plan for defence spending as a game-changing move that will keep the UK “safe and secure long into the future” as he announced it will be published on Tuesday. The defence investment plan (Dip), originally due last year, had been held back amid wrangling within Government over the amount of money required to finance the military. Former defence secretary John Healey quit in protest over it, as he did not believe the Dip provided enough funding for the UK to transform its armed forces and meet future threats. He also warned that the plan would likely fall short of Britain’s commitments to the Nato alliance, which has tasked all member states with hiking core defence spending to 3.5% of national economic output by 2035. Under the stewardship of new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis, the Dip will now focus on ramping up the UK’s use of drones and autonomous weapons, funded by a £5 billion investment, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced. He is understood to have secured some extra money for t…

Defence funding plan not enough to protect country, says military expert By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer meets members of the military at Taif Airbase, Saudi Arabia (PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Sir Keir Starmer’s long-delayed plan for military spending will not be enough to prepare the country for war, an expert who helped draw up the Government’s defence review warned. General Sir Richard Barrons, a co-author of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, said the plan being published on Tuesday was “not going to crack the issue” of properly funding the nation’s armed forces. The Prime Minister said the defence investment plan (Dip) would see “game-changing investment” in drones and other modern equipment. The Dip was meant to be published last year but was delayed by Whitehall wrangling over cash which eventually triggered the resignation of defence secretary John Healey. Sir Richard said the fact of its publication counts as progress and there would be a …

Starmer hails ‘game-changing’ investment as delayed defence plan to be unveiled By PA News Published: 23:01, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 01:02, 30 June 2026 Sir Keir Starmer hailed the long-delayed plan for defence spending as a game-changing move that will keep the UK “safe and secure long into the future” as he announced it will be published on Tuesday. The defence investment plan (Dip), originally due last year, had been held back amid wrangling within Government over the amount of money required to finance the military. Former defence secretary John Healey quit in protest over it, as he did not believe the Dip provided enough funding for the UK to transform its armed forces and meet future threats. He also warned that the plan would likely fall short of Britain’s commitments to the Nato alliance, which has tasked all member states with hiking core defence spending to 3.5% of national economic output by 2035. Under the stewardship of new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis, the Dip will now focus on ramping up the UK’s use of drones and autonomous weapons, funded by a £5 billion investment, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced. He is understood to have secured some extra money for t…

Defence Secretary faces questions on £4.7bn funding gap left to Andy Burnham By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole (Jonathan Brady/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending and whether Andy Burnham was blindsided by the need to plug that gap in his first budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan, but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – £10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining £4.7 billion would be “confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way”. Prospective prime minister Mr Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told…

Burnham left with £4.7bn bill for Starmer’s new defence investment plan <p>Ally of PM-in-waiting says four-year boost for the armed forces is an ‘unexploded bomb’</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/30/britain-has-finally-grasped-the-nettle-on-defence-but-tough-choices-lie-ahead">Britain has finally grasped the nettle on defence, but tough choices lie ahead</a></p></li></ul><p>Andy Burnham will have to find an extra £4.7bn for defence in his first budget, after Keir Starmer <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/30/defence-investment-plan-keir-starmer-labour">announced a £298bn defence investment plan</a> (Dip) without having fully identified how it will be funded.</p><p>Sources close to the Makerfield MP said he would not try to renegotiate the Dip after the outgoing prime minister announced its details at a press conference on Tuesday.</p><p>£47bn on new nuclear submarines, including the Dreadnought replacement for the Trident submarines and the new Aukus attack submarine project, being developed with Australia and the US.</p><p>£13bn on a new nuclear warhead and £1.7bn on nuclear fuels. Another promise to pay £1bn for 12 Lockheed…

Defence Secretary faces questions on £4.7bn funding gap left to Andy Burnham By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole (Jonathan Brady/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending and whether Andy Burnham was blindsided by the need to plug that gap in his first budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan, but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – £10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining £4.7 billion would be “confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way”. Prospective prime minister Mr Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told…

Starmer hails ‘game-changing’ investment as delayed defence plan to be unveiled By PA News Published: 23:01, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 01:02, 30 June 2026 Sir Keir Starmer hailed the long-delayed plan for defence spending as a game-changing move that will keep the UK “safe and secure long into the future” as he announced it will be published on Tuesday. The defence investment plan (Dip), originally due last year, had been held back amid wrangling within Government over the amount of money required to finance the military. Former defence secretary John Healey quit in protest over it, as he did not believe the Dip provided enough funding for the UK to transform its armed forces and meet future threats. He also warned that the plan would likely fall short of Britain’s commitments to the Nato alliance, which has tasked all member states with hiking core defence spending to 3.5% of national economic output by 2035. Under the stewardship of new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis, the Dip will now focus on ramping up the UK’s use of drones and autonomous weapons, funded by a £5 billion investment, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced. He is understood to have secured some extra money for t…

Defence Secretary faces questions on £4.7bn funding gap left to Andy Burnham By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole (Jonathan Brady/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending and whether Andy Burnham was blindsided by the need to plug that gap in his first budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan, but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – £10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining £4.7 billion would be “confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way”. Prospective prime minister Mr Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told…

The MOD's £300bn waste of public money - Declassified UK One of Britain’s two aircraft carriers is currently being repaired. (Photo: MOD) As the UK faces another round of austerity to schools and hospitals from the new chancellor Jeremy Hunt, amid a growing cost of living crisis, tens of billions of pounds of public money are being wasted on unusable and extravagant weapons systems, irrelevant to modern conflict. The government wants to award the armed forces close to £200bn extra by 2030 – the biggest increase in their budget since the start of the Cold War. By then their spending would double to £100bn ayear. Threatening to resign – along with his boss, defence secretary Ben Wallace – if the armed forces did not get these huge increases, defence minister James Heappeysays: “There is no prosperity without security”. The reverse is true; there is no security without prosperity. Influence in today’s world, as one of Britain’s most senior diplomats hassaid, is composed of many things, notably a strong economy. And nuclear weapons are among the least relevant. “If Jeremy Hunt wants to seek ‘efficiency savings’ in government, he does not have far to look” The demands of the arme…

Starmer hails ‘game-changing’ investment as delayed defence plan to be unveiled By PA News Published: 23:01, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 01:02, 30 June 2026 Sir Keir Starmer hailed the long-delayed plan for defence spending as a game-changing move that will keep the UK “safe and secure long into the future” as he announced it will be published on Tuesday. The defence investment plan (Dip), originally due last year, had been held back amid wrangling within Government over the amount of money required to finance the military. Former defence secretary John Healey quit in protest over it, as he did not believe the Dip provided enough funding for the UK to transform its armed forces and meet future threats. He also warned that the plan would likely fall short of Britain’s commitments to the Nato alliance, which has tasked all member states with hiking core defence spending to 3.5% of national economic output by 2035. Under the stewardship of new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis, the Dip will now focus on ramping up the UK’s use of drones and autonomous weapons, funded by a £5 billion investment, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced. He is understood to have secured some extra money for t…

Defence official warns cuts to fund investment plan would be 'zero game' UK national armaments director Rupert Pearce said the delay in publishing the defence investment plan was ‘regrettable’. Cuts to Whitehall departments to fund the delayed defence investment plan (Dip) would be a “zero sum game”, a senior Ministry of Defence official has warned. Rupert Pearce, UK national armaments director, told peers the delay in publishing the Dip was “regrettable”, but added reducing spending in areas such as energy or transport investment “could come back to haunt us in defence”. Appearing before the Lords International and Defence Committee, Mr Pearce said: “If you can’t borrow and you won’t tax, it becomes a zero sum game when, for defence to get more money someone else must lose, and that’s a very difficult decision to make politically. “It’s not one I obviously have to make, but also remember that our resources are described as a percentage of growth. “If we kick the legs out of growth investments by other ministries in energy or transport and so on, actually that could come back to haunt us in defence, and we want our economy to be as strong as possible. “I’m a firm believer th…

Defence Secretary faces questions on £4.7bn funding gap left to Andy Burnham By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole (Jonathan Brady/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending and whether Andy Burnham was blindsided by the need to plug that gap in his first budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan, but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – £10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining £4.7 billion would be “confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way”. Prospective prime minister Mr Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told…

Defence Secretary faces questions on £4.7bn funding gap left to Andy Burnham By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole (Jonathan Brady/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending and whether Andy Burnham was blindsided by the need to plug that gap in his first budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan, but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – £10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining £4.7 billion would be “confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way”. Prospective prime minister Mr Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told…

Starmer heads to Nato summit amid questions on defence spending By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Downing Street said the UK was committed to the defence spending target agreed at last year’s Nato summit as Sir Keir Starmer prepared to travel to Turkey for the alliance’s annual meeting (Kin Cheung/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Sir Keir Starmer will travel to Turkey on Tuesday for his final Nato summit amid questions about the UK’s plans to increase defence spending. Downing Street said the Government remains committed to Nato’s spending target, adding Sir Keir would make clear to allies that the UK’s contribution to Nato “will not waver” in the face of “a new era of threat”. Officials pointed to a £15 billion boost to defence spending in last week’s long-delayed defence investment plan (Dip), saying Sir Keir would use the summit to “demonstrate how we are turning these pledges into action”. At home, the Government continues to face questions about whether the Dip is adequately funded …

MOD official warns spending cuts to other government departments ... Concerns have been raised about the impact cuts to other Government departments could have on defence (Picture: MOD) A top Ministry of Defence official has said cutting spending on areas like energy or transport investment "could come back to haunt us in defence". UK National Armaments Director Rupert Pearce told peers on the Lords International Relations and Defence Committee savings to fund the much-delayed Defence Investment Plan (DIP) would be a "zero sum game". New Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has vowed to get the Armed Forces the funding they need after his predecessor John Healey quit alongside his Armed Forces Minister Al Carns last week. CDS warns Armed Forces may have to dial back ops and training because of funding My resignation was regretful but necessary for future of Armed Forces, says Healey The poor man of Nato? UK second to last in alliance league table, defence expert warns Mr Pearce said: "If you can't borrow and you won't tax, it becomes a zero-sum game when, for defence to get more money someone else must lose, and that's a very difficult decision to make politically. "It's not one I obvious…

Defence official warns cuts to fund investment plan would be ‘zero game’ By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments National armaments director Rupert Pearce has cautioned against cuts to Whitehall departments to fund the defence investment plan (Andrew Matthews/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Cuts to Whitehall departments to fund the delayed defence investment plan (Dip) would be a “zero sum game”, a senior Ministry of Defence official has warned. Rupert Pearce, UK national armaments director, told peers the delay in publishing the Dip was “regrettable”, but added reducing spending in areas such as energy or transport investment “could come back to haunt us in defence”. Appearing before the Lords International and Defence Committee, Mr Pearce said: “If you can’t borrow and you won’t tax, it becomes a zero sum game when, for defence to get more money someone else must lose, and that’s a very difficult decision to make politically. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has vowed to get the armed forces th…

Defence official warns cuts to fund investment plan would be ‘zero game’ By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments National armaments director Rupert Pearce has cautioned against cuts to Whitehall departments to fund the defence investment plan (Andrew Matthews/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Cuts to Whitehall departments to fund the delayed defence investment plan (Dip) would be a “zero sum game”, a senior Ministry of Defence official has warned. Rupert Pearce, UK national armaments director, told peers the delay in publishing the Dip was “regrettable”, but added reducing spending in areas such as energy or transport investment “could come back to haunt us in defence”. Appearing before the Lords International and Defence Committee, Mr Pearce said: “If you can’t borrow and you won’t tax, it becomes a zero sum game when, for defence to get more money someone else must lose, and that’s a very difficult decision to make politically. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has vowed to get the armed forces th…

Donald Trump expects UK to honour defence spending pledge, says White House By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments The president argued the US has been bankrolling the defence of other countries (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Donald Trump expects Britain and other Nato allies to stick to their defence spending pledges, the White House has said, as controversy rages over future UK military funding. The demand by the US president came as Sir Keir Starmer was due to unveil a long-delayed investment plan for the armed forces, which has been dogged by internal government wrangling and rocked by ministerial resignations. The outgoing Prime Minister insists it will keep Britain “safe and secure long into the future”. Dan Jarvis has ‘refocused’ the defence investment plan since taking charge (Jordan Pettitt/PA) But John Healey recently quit as defence secretary over the military financial settlement on offer, warning it “falls well short of what is required for defence and the cou…

'Bleeding cash': UK investment plan delay hurting key suppliers ... The UK Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyer, HMS Dragon, arrives at British Forces Gibraltar, en route to Cyprus as part of efforts to bolster Eastern Mediterranean defenses (UK MoD). BELFAST — Senior executives from British industry trade associations warned today that the UK Ministry of Defence’s delay to publication of its 10-year investment plan is wrecking havoc across local supply chains. Some small-to-medium enterprises (SME’s) have been forced to exit the field altogether; while others dangerously burn through cash, wait to receive outstanding MoD payments or rely on financial handouts from prime manufacturers to bail them out of cash flow hardship, the executives told the UK defense committe e. “The problem for the SMEs is they’re desperately trying to hang on to their people and keep their factories … alive,” said Andrew Kinniburgh, director-general at Make UK Defence, which serves over 850 British defense suppliers. “The trouble for them is they’re just bleeding cash. There’s cash out the door every day.” The UK government initially vowed to publish the Defence Investment Plan (DIP) in the fall of 2025, but t…

Defence Secretary faces questions on £4.7bn funding gap left to Andy Burnham By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole (Jonathan Brady/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending and whether Andy Burnham was blindsided by the need to plug that gap in his first budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan, but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – £10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining £4.7 billion would be “confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way”. Prospective prime minister Mr Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told…

UK defence plan leaves Burnham facing 4.7 billion pound funding gap Britain's next prime minister is set to inherit an immediate budget challenge as the government's new defence spending plan leaves part of its financing unresolved. If Andy Burnham takes office later this month as widely expected, he will need to find an extra 4.7 billion pounds through spending cuts, tax increases or other fiscal measures. The plan commits an additional 15 billion pounds, but accompanying documents show that roughly a third of that money still has to be identified in a budget later this year. Luke Pollard, the minister for defence procurement, tells Sky News on Wednesday that it is not unusual for governments to announce spending first and complete the detail at the next budget. Burnham is widely expected to become British prime minister later in July, although his position on Starmer's defence plan is not yet known. Starmer says much of the added funding will come from reallocating spending from other government departments. It also prompts concern over cuts to funding previously earmarked for road and energy projects, a sensitive issue for a government elected in 2024 on promises of long-ter…

Donald Trump expects UK to honour defence spending pledge, says White House By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments The president argued the US has been bankrolling the defence of other countries (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Donald Trump expects Britain and other Nato allies to stick to their defence spending pledges, the White House has said, as controversy rages over future UK military funding. The demand by the US president came as Sir Keir Starmer was due to unveil a long-delayed investment plan for the armed forces, which has been dogged by internal government wrangling and rocked by ministerial resignations. The outgoing Prime Minister insists it will keep Britain “safe and secure long into the future”. Dan Jarvis has ‘refocused’ the defence investment plan since taking charge (Jordan Pettitt/PA) But John Healey recently quit as defence secretary over the military financial settlement on offer, warning it “falls well short of what is required for defence and the cou…

Defence funding plan not enough to protect country, says military expert By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer meets members of the military at Taif Airbase, Saudi Arabia (PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Sir Keir Starmer’s long-delayed plan for military spending will not be enough to prepare the country for war, an expert who helped draw up the Government’s defence review warned. General Sir Richard Barrons, a co-author of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, said the plan being published on Tuesday was “not going to crack the issue” of properly funding the nation’s armed forces. The Prime Minister said the defence investment plan (Dip) would see “game-changing investment” in drones and other modern equipment. The Dip was meant to be published last year but was delayed by Whitehall wrangling over cash which eventually triggered the resignation of defence secretary John Healey. Sir Richard said the fact of its publication counts as progress and there would be a …

Keir Starmer could SCRAP Royal Navy's new destroyers despite warnings ... ‘Not good enough!’ Defence expert weighs in as Keir Starmer promises long-awaited investment in Britain’s armed forces GB NEWS ByPeter Stevens, Published: 10/06/2026 Beleaguered destroyers like HMS Dragon could be kept in service for even longer in a fresh set-back for the Armed Forces Sir Keir Starmer could scrap the next generation of Royal Navy destroyers in his long-overdue defence plan. The Prime Minister could delay - or drop - plans to build Type 83 destroyers, which would have replaced the Navy's ageing fleet of Type 45 destroyers between 2035 and 2038. The plans have been put on the backburner amid a bitter funding row between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Treasury over Sir Keir's Defence Investment Plan (DIP). A final decision on the new class of destroyer would be decided ahead of the long-delayed plan's publication - potentially Thursday - but officials are still negotiating what projects the Government will fund. Senior military sources told The Telegraph the new class of warship was likely to be delayed or scrapped to make room for other priorities, including a major expansion …

Defence Secretary faces questions on £4.7bn funding gap left to Andy Burnham By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole (Jonathan Brady/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending and whether Andy Burnham was blindsided by the need to plug that gap in his first budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan, but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – £10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining £4.7 billion would be “confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way”. Prospective prime minister Mr Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told…

Trio of senior defence figures accuse Starmer of underfunding military <p>PM hit by three-pronged attack from ex-defence secretary, former defence minister and chief of defence staff</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/jun/16/andy-burnham-makerfield-labour-reform-keir-starmer-uk-politics-latest-news-updates">UK politics live – latest updates</a></p></li></ul><p>Keir Starmer is leaving British troops underfunded and unable to carry out the operations he expects from them, according to scathing remarks delivered in parliament on Tuesday by three senior defence figures.</p><p>The prime minister came under fire in separate interventions from his former defence secretary John Healey, the former defence minister Al Carns and the country’s current senior military officer, Rich Knighton.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/16/trio-of-senior-defence-figures-accuse-starmer-of-underfunding-military">Continue reading...</a>

Starmer hails ‘game-changing’ investment as delayed defence plan to be unveiled By PA News Published: 23:01, 29 June 2026 | Updated: 01:02, 30 June 2026 Sir Keir Starmer hailed the long-delayed plan for defence spending as a game-changing move that will keep the UK “safe and secure long into the future” as he announced it will be published on Tuesday. The defence investment plan (Dip), originally due last year, had been held back amid wrangling within Government over the amount of money required to finance the military. Former defence secretary John Healey quit in protest over it, as he did not believe the Dip provided enough funding for the UK to transform its armed forces and meet future threats. He also warned that the plan would likely fall short of Britain’s commitments to the Nato alliance, which has tasked all member states with hiking core defence spending to 3.5% of national economic output by 2035. Under the stewardship of new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis, the Dip will now focus on ramping up the UK’s use of drones and autonomous weapons, funded by a £5 billion investment, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced. He is understood to have secured some extra money for t…

Defence official warns cuts to fund investment plan would be ‘zero game’ By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments National armaments director Rupert Pearce has cautioned against cuts to Whitehall departments to fund the defence investment plan (Andrew Matthews/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Cuts to Whitehall departments to fund the delayed defence investment plan (Dip) would be a “zero sum game”, a senior Ministry of Defence official has warned. Rupert Pearce, UK national armaments director, told peers the delay in publishing the Dip was “regrettable”, but added reducing spending in areas such as energy or transport investment “could come back to haunt us in defence”. Appearing before the Lords International and Defence Committee, Mr Pearce said: “If you can’t borrow and you won’t tax, it becomes a zero sum game when, for defence to get more money someone else must lose, and that’s a very difficult decision to make politically. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has vowed to get the armed forces th…

Defence Secretary faces questions on £4.7bn funding gap left to Andy Burnham By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole (Jonathan Brady/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending and whether Andy Burnham was blindsided by the need to plug that gap in his first budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan, but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – £10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining £4.7 billion would be “confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way”. Prospective prime minister Mr Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told…

Donald Trump expects UK to honour defence spending pledge, says White House By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments The president argued the US has been bankrolling the defence of other countries (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Donald Trump expects Britain and other Nato allies to stick to their defence spending pledges, the White House has said, as controversy rages over future UK military funding. The demand by the US president came as Sir Keir Starmer was due to unveil a long-delayed investment plan for the armed forces, which has been dogged by internal government wrangling and rocked by ministerial resignations. The outgoing Prime Minister insists it will keep Britain “safe and secure long into the future”. Dan Jarvis has ‘refocused’ the defence investment plan since taking charge (Jordan Pettitt/PA) But John Healey recently quit as defence secretary over the military financial settlement on offer, warning it “falls well short of what is required for defence and the cou…

Defence funding plan not enough to protect country, says military expert By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer meets members of the military at Taif Airbase, Saudi Arabia (PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Sir Keir Starmer’s long-delayed plan for military spending will not be enough to prepare the country for war, an expert who helped draw up the Government’s defence review warned. General Sir Richard Barrons, a co-author of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, said the plan being published on Tuesday was “not going to crack the issue” of properly funding the nation’s armed forces. The Prime Minister said the defence investment plan (Dip) would see “game-changing investment” in drones and other modern equipment. The Dip was meant to be published last year but was delayed by Whitehall wrangling over cash which eventually triggered the resignation of defence secretary John Healey. Sir Richard said the fact of its publication counts as progress and there would be a …

Defence funding plan not enough to protect country, says military expert By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer meets members of the military at Taif Airbase, Saudi Arabia (PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Sir Keir Starmer’s long-delayed plan for military spending will not be enough to prepare the country for war, an expert who helped draw up the Government’s defence review warned. General Sir Richard Barrons, a co-author of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, said the plan being published on Tuesday was “not going to crack the issue” of properly funding the nation’s armed forces. The Prime Minister said the defence investment plan (Dip) would see “game-changing investment” in drones and other modern equipment. The Dip was meant to be published last year but was delayed by Whitehall wrangling over cash which eventually triggered the resignation of defence secretary John Healey. Sir Richard said the fact of its publication counts as progress and there would be a …

Labour succession fight engulfs UK defense spending plan LONDON — Pressure is mounting for outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's long-awaited blueprint for defense funding to be delayed yet again to allow his likely successor Andy Burnham to take control of the process. Starmer is currently pushing to publish the repeatedly-delayed Defence Investment Plan (DIP) before the July 7-8 NATO leaders' summit in Ankara, his final appearance on the world stage before stepping down. Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester, is expected to take over from Starmer the following week. Downing Street has confirmed he will start receiving government briefings from the civil service on a range of issues "as soon as possible" to prepare him to take the reins. Advertisement A member of Burnham's team, granted anonymity like others in this article to discuss internal conversations, said Burnham would seek to take the DIP forward as prime minister on his own terms, rather than being bound by his predecessor. This would likely mean the plan — intended to set out how the U.K.'s key defense capabilities will be funded over the next decade — would be pushed back to September, after parliam…

Britain hopes drones will help it escape its defence-budget bind | World News IF Sir Keir Starmer is hoping that the long-awaited and bitterly contested defence investment plan (DIP) that finally broke cover on June 30th will be seen as a lasting legacy, he is likely to be disappointed. The document, which commits £15bn ($20bn) of new funding to the armed forces over the next four years and sets out spending plans for the next decade, contains much that is sensible and even bold. But at a time when European allies are rapidly rearming and in the face of increased global threats, the goal of allocating 2.7% of GDP to defence by 2029, an increase of just 0.1 percentage points over next year’s level, looks paltry. At NATO’s summit in Ankara next week, Sir Keir’s last hurrah as prime minister, otherwise sympathetic fellow leaders will ask some hard questions about Britain’s path to meeting its pledge of core defence spending reaching 3.5% of GDP by 2035. The new defence secretary, Dan Jarvis—who stepped in afterJohn Healey resignedtwo weeks ago over Sir Keir’s inability “to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country”—says that in the next spending review defence…

Defence Secretary faces questions on £4.7bn funding gap left to Andy Burnham By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole (Jonathan Brady/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending and whether Andy Burnham was blindsided by the need to plug that gap in his first budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan, but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – £10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining £4.7 billion would be “confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way”. Prospective prime minister Mr Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told…

Defence official warns cuts to fund investment plan would be ‘zero game’ By PA News Published: 12:01, 17 June 2026 | Updated: 13:02, 17 June 2026 Cuts to Whitehall departments to fund the delayed defence investment plan (Dip) would be a “zero sum game”, a senior Ministry of Defence official has warned. Rupert Pearce, UK national armaments director, told peers the delay in publishing the Dip was “regrettable”, but added reducing spending in areas such as energy or transport investment “could come back to haunt us in defence”. Appearing before the Lords International and Defence Committee, Mr Pearce said: “If you can’t borrow and you won’t tax, it becomes a zero sum game when, for defence to get more money someone else must lose, and that’s a very difficult decision to make politically. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has vowed to get the armed forces the funding they need (Jordan Pettitt/PA) “It’s not one I obviously have to make, but also remember that our resources are described as a percentage of growth. “If we kick the legs out of growth investments by other ministries in energy or transport and so on, actually that could come back to haunt us in defence, and we want our economy to…

Starmer warns Burnham not to borrow to fund defence as he reveals £15bn plan <p>The prime minister unveiled his long-awaited defence investment plan on Tuesday after months of delays</p><p>Keir Starmer warned his successor not to borrow more to pay for defence as he raided energy, transport and housing projects to pay for a £15bn military spending plan.</p><p>The prime minister revealed his long-awaited defence investment plan (Dip) on Tuesday after an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/12/john-healey-rachel-reeves-keir-starmer-uk-politics">11-month government row</a> that cost him his defence secretary and arguably contributed to his downfall.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/30/defence-investment-plan-keir-starmer-labour">Continue reading...</a>

Net-zero and transport spending to be cut to fund Defence Investment ... Net-zero and transport spending to be cut to fund Defence Investment Plan The UK has committed to reach a defence spending target of three per cent of gross domestic product when economic conditions allow 8 Jun 2026, 10:49 | Updated: 8d ago Share Facebook WhatsApp Email Link Copied Link CheckCircle Want LBC stories before everyone else? Set us as your Preferred Source on Google Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech during London Tech Week at Olympia on June 08, 2026 in London, England. Picture: Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images By Rebecca Henrys The Prime Minister is considering cutting spending on net-zero and transport to fund the long awaited Defence Investment Plan. Listen to this article Loading audio... The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) was expected last year but may not be published until July amid reported wrangling within Government over how to pay for the plans. The UK has committed to reach a defence spending target of three per cent of gross domestic product when economic conditions allow, and 2.6 per cent – which includes spending on the military as well as on security and intelligence – by…

Donald Trump expects UK to honour defence spending pledge, says White House By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments The president argued the US has been bankrolling the defence of other countries (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Donald Trump expects Britain and other Nato allies to stick to their defence spending pledges, the White House has said, as controversy rages over future UK military funding. The demand by the US president came as Sir Keir Starmer was due to unveil a long-delayed investment plan for the armed forces, which has been dogged by internal government wrangling and rocked by ministerial resignations. The outgoing Prime Minister insists it will keep Britain “safe and secure long into the future”. Dan Jarvis has ‘refocused’ the defence investment plan since taking charge (Jordan Pettitt/PA) But John Healey recently quit as defence secretary over the military financial settlement on offer, warning it “falls well short of what is required for defence and the cou…

Donald Trump expects UK to honour defence spending pledge, says White House By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments The president argued the US has been bankrolling the defence of other countries (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Donald Trump expects Britain and other Nato allies to stick to their defence spending pledges, the White House has said, as controversy rages over future UK military funding. The demand by the US president came as Sir Keir Starmer was due to unveil a long-delayed investment plan for the armed forces, which has been dogged by internal government wrangling and rocked by ministerial resignations. The outgoing Prime Minister insists it will keep Britain “safe and secure long into the future”. Dan Jarvis has ‘refocused’ the defence investment plan since taking charge (Jordan Pettitt/PA) But John Healey recently quit as defence secretary over the military financial settlement on offer, warning it “falls well short of what is required for defence and the cou…

Burnham fights to stop Starmer sealing defence plan ByGREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENTandJAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR Published:05:55 EDT, 23 June 2026|Updated:12:21 EDT, 23 June 2026 910 Viewcomments Keir Starmer andAndy Burnhamare clashing over defence as the outgoing Prime Minister desperately tries to finalise spending plans before aNATOsummit. Mr Burnham, who is on track to succeed SirKeiras Labour premier as early as July 17, is said to want to decide himself on the vital multi-billion pound package. ButDowning Streetand ChancellorRachel Reevesare still adamant that the Defence Investment Plan will be resolved in time for a NATO gathering in Turkey on July 7. That will almost certainly be Sir Keir's last face-to-face encounter withDonald Trumpas PM, and turning up effectively empty-handed would be highly embarrassing. The ten-year DIP was originally supposed to be published last autumn, but has been repeatedly delayed amid a furious Whitehall funding row. The DIP will set out how new equipment and defence infrastructure will be funded over the coming decade and follows last June's publication of the wide-ranging strategic defence review. Andy Burnham, w…

Energy and road projects axed to fund £15bn defence investment plan News | Politics Energy and road projects axed to fund £15bn defence investment plan Sir Keir Starmer said the ‘best way to defend is to deter’. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has published the long-delayed defence investment plan (Stefan Rousseau/PA) PA Wire Press Association Reporters 3 minutes ago Sir Keir Starmer said the UK had to be prepared for war to be able to deter potential enemies as he set out the £15 billion defence investment plan (Dip). The Prime Minister acknowledged some other areas of Government spending would be slashed in order to fund defence, with road and energy projects scrapped to pay for the military. Sir Keir said: “When the world is arming and aggression is rising, the best way to avoid war is to prepare for it. “The best way to defend is to deter, to have the strength to make your adversaries think again before they act. “And that is what we are doing.” Annual defence spending will increase from £54 billion when Labour came to power to £80 billion by 2029, Sir Keir said. The plan reverses the “corrosive hollowing out” of the armed forces, he said in a speech at a drone company in Berk…

UK defence 'spending gap' is 'matter of concern for Nato', says former ... News | Politics UK defence ‘spending gap’ is ‘matter of concern for Nato’, says former chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s warning came amid a row over defence spending that saw John Healey quit as defence secretary. Former Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance should accelerate plans to increase defence spending to prepare for a potential Russian attack by 2030 (Niall Carson/PA) PA Archive Christopher McKeon 6 days ago A UK “spending gap” on defence would be “a matter of concern for Nato”, a former secretary-general of the alliance has said. Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s warning came amid a row over defence spending that saw John Healey quit as defence secretary. Mr Healey resigned on June 11, citing a lack of funding for the long-delayed Defence Investment Plan (Dip) and arguing there was “no path” to reaching the Nato target of spending 3.5% of GDP on core defence by 2035. Speaking to the Press Association on a visit to London, Mr Rasmussen declined to comment on the UK’s internal politics, but said: “A spending gap in the UK is a matter of concern for the rest of Nato. “We have seen how the…

Defence Secretary faces questions on £4.7bn funding gap left to Andy Burnham By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole (Jonathan Brady/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending and whether Andy Burnham was blindsided by the need to plug that gap in his first budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan, but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – £10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining £4.7 billion would be “confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way”. Prospective prime minister Mr Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told…

Tuesday briefing: How the UK’s military spending row exposes Starmer’s defence dilemma <p>In today’s newsletter: An argument about money has also spotlighted questions about Britain’s place in the world and the changing face of warfare</p><p>Good morning. What conflict has raged longer than the hundred years war? The fight between the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury over defence spending.</p><p>I’d love to claim this as my own, but avoid patter theft this early in the day. So I’ll credit my colleague <em><strong>Dan Sabbagh, </strong></em>the Guardian’s defence and security editor, who spoke to me ahead of<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/15/starmer-g7-sanctions-russia-nuclear-energy-support-ukraine"> this week’s G7 meeting</a>, in France, where Keir Starmer arrived yesterday for what could be his final international summit. The prime minister can anticipate candid discussions about international partnerships in conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, both of which may soon demand increased involvement from the British military.</p><p><em><strong>Middle East </strong></em>| Donald Trump <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/15/trump-declares-…

Starmer heads to Nato summit amid questions on defence spending By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Downing Street said the UK was committed to the defence spending target agreed at last year’s Nato summit as Sir Keir Starmer prepared to travel to Turkey for the alliance’s annual meeting (Kin Cheung/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Sir Keir Starmer will travel to Turkey on Tuesday for his final Nato summit amid questions about the UK’s plans to increase defence spending. Downing Street said the Government remains committed to Nato’s spending target, adding Sir Keir would make clear to allies that the UK’s contribution to Nato “will not waver” in the face of “a new era of threat”. Officials pointed to a £15 billion boost to defence spending in last week’s long-delayed defence investment plan (Dip), saying Sir Keir would use the summit to “demonstrate how we are turning these pledges into action”. At home, the Government continues to face questions about whether the Dip is adequately funded …

UK government unveils £15bn hike in defence spending Watch the latest episode of focusIR Fireside Chats: Why Edinburgh Investment Trust Is Backing Turnaround Stocks for 2026 Growth. Viewhere (Sharecast News) - The British government is to ramp up investment in drones and strengthen the country's nuclear deterrent as part of a £15bn hike in defence spending, it was confirmed on Tuesday. Speaking at Malloy Aeronautics, outgoing prime minister Keir Starmer said the long-delayed defence investment plan (DIP) would prioritise the public's security while "transforming our armed forces and giving them the funding and equipment they need to fight and defend our nation". He continued: "The world is a more dangerous and volatile place, so it is only right we are boosting the number of troops on the ground, rebuilding ammunition stockpiles and investing in cutting edge technology to ensure we outpace our adversaries for generations to come." Over £5bn will be spent over the next four years on drone development, with £63bn allotted over the same period to strengthen the UK's nuclear deterrent and to fund the Dreadnought and SSN-AUKUS submarines. The DIP also includes money to build a next…

Defence Secretary faces questions on £4.7bn funding gap left to Andy Burnham By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole (Jonathan Brady/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending and whether Andy Burnham was blindsided by the need to plug that gap in his first budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan, but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – £10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining £4.7 billion would be “confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way”. Prospective prime minister Mr Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told…

Defence Secretary faces questions on £4.7bn funding gap left to Andy Burnham By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole (Jonathan Brady/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending and whether Andy Burnham was blindsided by the need to plug that gap in his first budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan, but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – £10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining £4.7 billion would be “confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way”. Prospective prime minister Mr Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told…

Starmer is leaving Burnham with a massive bill for defence. But why the war fever? <article data-history-node-id="443479" about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/starmer-leaving-burnham-massive-defence-bill-why-war-fever" class="opinion default clearfix"> <h2> <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/starmer-leaving-burnham-massive-defence-bill-why-war-fever" rel="bookmark"> <span class="field field-title">Starmer is leaving Burnham with a massive bill for defence. But why the war fever?</span> </a> </h2> <footer> <div class="author"> Submitted by <span class="field field-uid"><a title="View user profile." href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/users/joe-gill" lang about="https://www.middleeasteye.net/users/joe-gill" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype>Joe Gill</a></span> on <span class="field field-created"><time datetime="2026-07-02T10:28:31+01:00" title="2 July 2026 10:28 BST">Thu, 07/02/2026 - 10:28</time> </span> </div> </footer> <div class="content"> <div class="field field-field-subhead">There is a concerted campaign to prepare the public for …

Defence Secretary faces questions on £4.7bn funding gap left to Andy Burnham By PA News Agency Share 0 Comments Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole (Jonathan Brady/PA) This article is brought to you by our exclusive subscriber partnership with our sister title USA Today, and has been written by our American colleagues. It does not necessarily reflect the view of The Herald. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis is facing questions over a £4.7 billion black hole in the plan to raise defence spending and whether Andy Burnham was blindsided by the need to plug that gap in his first budget. Sir Keir Starmer announced £15 billion of spending over the next four years to support the Defence Investment Plan, but the Treasury put off setting out full details of how it would fund the increase. In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – £10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining £4.7 billion would be “confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way”. Prospective prime minister Mr Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told…

Starmer to take PMQs as he faces backlash over ‘poisoned chalice’ defence investment plan – UK politics live <p>Concerns that plan is not properly funded and will take cash from much-needed road projects</p><p>Good morning. Yesterday Keir Starmer published the defence investment plan (Dip), which was probably the last substantial announcement of his premiership. Today he is facing what will probably be his second last PMQs (he is expected to be at the Nato summit next Wednesday, and he’ll have his swansong on 15 July), and the session is likely to be dominated by complaints about the Dip.</p><p>Broadly, there are three distinct criticisms.</p><p>What I’m complaining about today is that the East Midlands would appear to be the only region that has been told it is sacrificing its road investments programme in order to be able to contribute to the Dip.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/jul/01/keir-starmer-andy-burnham-labour-defence-investment-plan-pmqs-kemi-badenoch">Continue reading...</a>