Keir Starmer Left Red-Faced as Minister Makes Surprise U-Turn on Defence Spending Hike

Labour has come under fire for appearing to backtrack on a key pledge to raise defence spending, just days before a major announcement on military investment. The controversy centres on a promise made by Defence Secretary John Healey to raise defence spending to 3% of GDP—only for that commitment to be described days later as merely an “ambition.”

The shift has sparked accusations of inconsistency and a lack of clarity from the Conservative Party, especially as Labour prepares to unveil plans to build up to 12 new nuclear-powered attack submarines and invest £15 billion in the UK’s warhead programme.

Last week, Healey said there was “no doubt” that a Labour government would reach the 3% spending target during the next parliament. However, during an appearance on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, he appeared to soften that pledge, told Daily Express.

“We have a historic commitment to increasing defence spending to 2.5% in two years’ time,” Healey said. “We haven’t hit that level since Labour was last in power in 2010. And an ambition to meet 3% in the next Parliament.”

The change in tone prompted immediate criticism from the Conservatives, who accused Labour of downgrading its promise just days after making it.

Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge said: “All of Labour’s Strategic Defence Review promises will be taken with a pinch of salt unless they can show there will actually be enough money to pay for them.”

He continued,
“Far from guaranteeing the funding, John Healey has been hung out to dry by Rachel Reeves. As recently as Thursday, Healey promised that defence spending would definitely hit 3%, but today he’s completely backtracked.”

Cartlidge also questioned Labour’s credibility on delivering its defence programme, particularly the planned submarines.

“These submarines are not due to enter service till the late 2030s, so how can we have any confidence Labour will actually deliver them when they can’t even sustain a policy on defence spending for more than 48 hours?” he asked.

Despite the political row, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson maintained that there had been no formal change in policy. However, the timing of the apparent walk-back has cast a shadow over Labour’s upcoming Strategic Defence Review, with critics suggesting that bold pledges require equally firm financial backing.

As Sir Keir Starmer prepares to unveil new defence proposals, the government’s commitment to fun