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 per cent 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 the plan, taking the full settlement to some £14.5 billion – up from the £13.5 billion offered to Mr Healey but short of the £28 billion officials previously said was needed.
Keir Starmer swill unveil the plan later today(Image: Thomas Krych/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
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