Starmer tells Rutte UK will publish defence plan before NATO July summit
Starmer said the plan will be published before the NATO summit as he faces pressure after two senior defence resignations.
- On Saturday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte he will publish the government's Defence Investment Plan before the alliance's summit in Ankara on July 7-8.
- This commitment follows the Thursday resignation of Defence Secretary John Healey, who warned the settlement was backloaded, alongside the departure of Armed Forces Minister Al Carns hours later over insufficient funding.
- Healey criticized the settlement for reaching just 2.68% of GDP by 2030, while Starmer reiterated his aim to raise defence spending to 3% of GDP during the next Parliament.
- Rutte welcomed the UK's investment as an "important contribution to the alliance," though Downing Street has not confirmed whether Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis will revise the plan before publication.
- The Ankara summit functions as a hard deadline for rearmament plans, as industry bodies and the Commons Defence Committee warn current funding levels fall short of meeting evolving threats.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Keir Starmer urged to 'get a grip' on defence by Tory frontbencher after 'shambles' double resignation
Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to "get a grip" on Britain's defences following the "shambles" double resignation of John Healey and Al Carns.Speaking to GB News, Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge hit out at the Prime Minister's attempt to "distract" from the chaos within Government.Reacting to Labour's confirmation of the seizure of a Russian oil tanker in the English Channel, Mr Cartlidge told GB News: "We support this action, notwithst…
UK Defence spending under scrutiny as former minister warns "Putin will be watching this carefully"
When he came into office, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer declared that the first duty of a leader is to keep the country safe. His defence secretary, John Healey, resigned this week, telling his boss that he was making the country less safe. It was a stinging letter, claiming Sir Keir was unable to make the financial commitments needed to defend the country against the spectre of a Russian attack. A second defence minister, Al Cairns, also …
Starmer tells NATO chief UK will publish DIP before summit
The Prime Minister has told the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that the United Kingdom will publish its Defence Investment Plan ahead of next month’s alliance summit in Ankara, in a call that comes days after the resignations of his Defence Secretary and Armed Forces Minister over the funding behind that very plan, Downing Street has said. According to a readout of the call, held on Saturday morning, Sir Keir Starmer updated Rutte on plans fo…
Starmer Commits to Defence Investment Plan Ahead of NATO Summit
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to unveil the government's defence investment plan before the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara. The promise follows pressure after Defence Minister John Healey's resignation. Starmer assured heightened defence spending and national security as priorities amid challenging budget decisions.
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