John Healey has refused to guarantee that the Government will meet its pledge to raise defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030, as criticism mounted over the lack of detail on how the commitment will be funded.
The Chancellor’s Budget commitments are expected to require an additional £11 billion a year. But he has deferred decisions on the funding until next year’s spending review.
Mr Healey described 3 per cent by 2030 as a “target” during his Budget speech, prompting accusations that the Government was buying time rather than setting out a firm plan.
Asked about the pledge during a visit to BAE’s Govan shipyard in Glasgow, he said: “I said we needed a target date of 3 per cent in 2030 on the way to that.
“I’ve confirmed that in the Budget this week, and I’ll set out the detail of that quite rightly when we set our multi-year spending plans next year as a government.”
Mr Healey also said the Government remained committed to a wider Nato pledge to spend 3.5 per cent of GDP on the military by 2035. The route to achieving that ambition, however, will also be set out next year.
Criticism over delayed defence spending plans
The delay has drawn condemnation from former military chiefs, with Admiral Lord West accusing the Chancellor of “betraying” the Armed Forces.
Gen Sir Peter Wall, who served as chief of the general staff from 2010 to 2014, said: “The lack of strategic urgency is shocking and will only embolden our opponents.”
Gen Lord Dannatt, the former head of the Army, accused Labour of pursuing “creative accounting instead of finding real money”.
“Russia is serious, we are not. Deterring aggression by being prepared for war is the best way to keep this country safe. Find the money now, don’t kick the can down the track for another year,” he said.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting defended the Chancellor, saying he trusted Mr Healey to deliver the planned increase.
“I understand why people are more cynical now about politicians and political promises. But what I would say about this Chancellor in particular is [to] judge him by actions and not just words,” he told BBC Radio 4.
“As Defence Secretary, he was investing heavily in our capability. As defence secretary he was willing to resign as a point of principle on that very issue. So, when John Healey says he will fund 3 per cent by 2030, I think we can believe him… we can trust him.”
Mr Streeting said it was right to wait until the spending review before explaining how the money would be found, given the scale of the investment required.
He rejected criticism that the Government was delaying action, arguing that defence spending was already being increased. Labour, he said, was doing more than previous Conservative administrations, which had “hollowed” out the Armed Forces to their smallest size in living memory.
Warnings over Nato commitments
The dispute comes amid renewed concern over Vladimir Putin after the Russian president warned he was “ready” to go to war with Europe, saying such a conflict would have “no winners”.
Stuart Anderson, the Conservatives’ “war readiness” minister, said Nato was actively criticising Britain for failing to deliver on its commitments.
“We are significantly dropping in everybody’s estimation when it comes to our Nato commitments,” he said.
Mr Anderson added: “Every decision that has been made this week takes us further away from being ready for war.
“We are making in-year cuts that are removing our operational capability and will have a long-term knock-on impact on our Armed Forces.
“We should have been in the position of committing to three per cent now, but Labour hasn’t done it. We are going to suffer because of this.”
The Chancellor is understood to be considering ways of increasing defence spending without raising taxes or borrowing. Options include establishing an international defence bank with allies and allowing private companies to provide upfront funding for new equipment.
Mr Streeting said the Budget represented the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War.
