Keir Starmer flies into a storm! Anger as PM rejects calls for an urgent boost to defence spending ahead of crisis Ukraine summit in Paris today – and showdown with Donald Trum_Nhy
Sir Keir Starmer has refused to increase military spending beyond his long-standing target despite urgent warnings the defence of Europe has reached a turning point.
The PM was told that failing to heed calls from top brass, politicians and international leaders to go further and faster was a ‘terrible error’.
But he maintained the goal of Britain eventually spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on its armed forces despite this weekend’s watershed security conference in Munich, where the US warned European Nato members must stop relying on Washington to aid their security.
The Prime Minister, who heads to Paris on Monday for a crisis summit on Donald Trump’s shock plan for peace talks with Vladimir Putin, is also resisting pressure to immediately set out a clear timetable for the 2.5pc goal to be reached, following reports it could be after 2030.
The Paris summit will occur at the same time US and Russian officials meet in Saudi Arabia to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war – without Kyiv or Europe present.
Sir Keir is not expected to make any announcements on defence spending before he visits the Mr Trump at the White House later this month.
Mr Trump has said they should spend as much as 5 per cent while Nato plans to increase its benchmark from 2 per cent to above 3 per cent.
A government source said: ‘Labour stated in its manifesto a commitment to set a path to 2.5 per cent and that remains the policy of the Government.’
Sir Keir Starmer is due to head to Paris for a crisis summit on Donald Trump’s plans for peace talks with Vladimir Putin
Sir Keir is not expected to make any announcements on defence spending before he visits the Mr Trump at the White House later this month
Asked if the announcement of the roadmap will now be sped up, the insider said: ‘We’ll do the Strategic Defence Review then set it out.’
Former Labour security minister and First Sea Lord Admiral West told the Mail that the Government would be making ‘yet another major political error’ as well as ‘betraying the British people’ if it fails to increase defence spending immediately.
He told the Mail: ‘I just think it’s a terrible error. If one looks at the state of the world and the state of our armed forces it’s quite clear we need to increase defence spending.
‘I don’t think it will go down well with Trump or Europe.’
Last night Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge said there was no excuse for the PM not to act after dire warnings at the Munich Security Conference.
Mr Cartlidge said: ‘After all the dither and delay we’ve seen from Labour on defence spending, following Munich there is no excuse.
‘It is critical that we get confirmation of a sustained spending increase as soon as possible, so that we can commence the critical task of rearmament that should have started months ago.’
He said the Munich conference had to be a ‘wake-up call’ that Nato members needed to spend more on defence, and said the UK could find the money in the estimated £9billion being pledged to Mauritius in the Chagos Islands deal.
‘We’re being asked to spend billions to lease back a military base that we own freehold,’ he told GB News.
‘Our view in the Conservative Party as the opposition is, forget the deal and spend every penny of that on our armed forces.’
The ‘roadmap’ to the 2.5 per cent target and the Strategic Defence Review are currently not expected until the spring.
Former Labour security minister and First Sea Lord Admiral West told the Mail that the Government would be making ‘yet another major political error’ if it failed to increase defence spending
Former British Army chief Lord Dannatt (pictured) warned that Sir Keir would be ‘consigned to the bin of history’ if he fails to increase defence spending
A Government source dismissed suggestions Sir Keir was going to overrule his Chancellor and increase defence spending beyond the existing target and added: ‘The policy is still to set a path to 2.5 per cent.’
The spending calls comes after the Mail on Sunday told how the former head of the British Army had warned Sir Keir he will be ‘consigned to the bin of history’ until he significantly increases defence spending.
Lord Dannatt said: ‘Unless Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves can find ways of producing more money, well beyond 2.5 per cent towards 3 per cent or 3.5 per cent for starters on our defence, then this Strategic Defence Review is going to be hollow, it’s going to be a failure and, frankly, it’ll consign Keir Starmer to the bin of history.’
The PM held one-to-one meetings at the Ministry of Defence on Friday with Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin as well as the heads of the Army, RAF and Royal Navy.
The Sunday Times said the service chiefs want spending to reach 2.65 per cent of GDP but Government sources insisted no formal request has been made.
A Cabinet minister was asked by the BBC if the situation was not ‘a bit more urgent’ when he said that the Government would set out the roadmap for defence spending to reach 2.5 per cent of GDP later this year.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds replied: ‘I can say we’ve only ever hit that kind of defence spending under Labour governments. It is an integral thing to what we seek to deliver. We’re very proud of our history.’
Asked if the UK needed to go even further than 2.5 per cent, he pointed out that the current figure of 2.3 per cent does not include spending on the intelligence services. Latest figures show the UK spent £54bn on defence last year and another £4.4bn on the security services.
Mr Reynolds went on: ‘Everyone in the cabinet, everyone in the government, I think most people in this country recognise the pressure we face on defence as we enter this difficult new era and we’re keen to meet that challenge.’
Defence Secretary John Healey believes how the money is spent is also important and will set out details of his reform agenda for the armed forces in a major speech this week.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy indicated during a speech in Munich over the weekend the UK should spend more.
Defence Secretary John Healey (pictured) believes how the money is spent is also important and will set out details of his reform agenda for the armed forces in a speech this week
Foreign Secretary David Lammy indicated at the Munich Security Conference that the UK should spend more on defence
Mr Lammy said he has had ‘deadly serious’ conversation with the Treasury to warn ‘if Ukraine were to fail the costs would be considerably more’.
‘We were spending on average seven per cent of our GDP on defence in the Cold War, and upwards. So don’t think that actually not meeting the challenge now somehow saves us money down the line. We’re absolutely clear about that,’ he said.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: ‘To ensure the UK is prepared to deal with the changing threat, our Budget increased defence spending by £2.9 billion for next year and we are committed to setting a path to 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence.
‘The Strategic Defence Review is wide-ranging, ensuring we look hard at the threats we face and the capabilities we need to meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. As we have consistently said, the Review will be published in the spring.’
