Conservative response to UK potentially being forced to sign up to 3.5% defence spending

Tuesday, 3 June 2025 15:01

James Cartlidge MP, Shadow Defence Secretary, said: “This commitment from NATO contrasts with Labour's total failure to set out a plan to spend 3% on defence. “As a result, their defence review has completely unravelled. The submarines and ships it promises are nothing but a fantasy fleet based on fantasy funding. “Rather than competing with Reform to expand welfare spending, Starmer should follow our lead and urgently commit to spending 3%...Request free trial

James Cartlidge MP, Shadow Defence Secretary, said:

“This commitment from NATO contrasts with Labour's total failure to set out a plan to spend 3% on defence.

“As a result, their defence review has completely unravelled. The submarines and ships it promises are nothing but a fantasy fleet based on fantasy funding.

“Rather than competing with Reform to expand welfare spending, Starmer should follow our lead and urgently commit to spending 3% this Parliament.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

UK will be forced by NATO to increase defence spending to 3.5% to keep US on side (Sky News, News story, 3 June 2025, link)

The Defence Secretary and Prime Minister have been unable to guarantee that defence spending would rise to 3 per cent. STUDIO: ‘Do you have a specific guarantee of that from the Chancellor, from the Treasury?' HEALEY: ‘Well, I look at the way the world's changing. I look the way that the Chancellor is fixing the economic foundations of the country. I see increasing growth. I see the Office of Budget Responsibility rising its forecast for growth in this country. You know, I have no doubt that we'll hit that ambition of meeting 3 per cent' (PMO, Press Release, 25 February 2025, link).

The Armed Forces Minister said it was only an ‘ambition' to increase defence spending to 3 per cent. POLLARD: ‘It's exactly the same as when the PM announced it in February earlier this year... we have an ambition to increase it to 3 per cent in the next parliament... thanks to our good handling of the economy... I have no doubt, and I'm confident, we will be getting 3 per cent of defence spending in the next parliament' (LBC, 2 June 2025, archived).

Labour signed the Chagos Surrender deal which will land taxpayers with a £30 billion Chagos Surrender Tax – money that should go to defending our country. The Chagos Surrender Agreement will cost £30 billion over the next 99 years (The Daily Telegraph, 22 May 2025, link).

Former Head of the British Army, General Lord Dannat, said the Government's plans do not stack up. LORD DANNAT: ‘Just moving to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027 does not cut the mustard in any shape or form. And this rather vague commitment to move to 3 per cent by the end of the next Parliament 2034. I mean, it just doesn't stack up. It's a little bit like saying in 1938 to Adolf Hitler, please don't attack us till 1946 because we're not going to be ready. Well frankly, if we'd behaved like that, we wouldn't be speaking English this morning, would we?' (Times Radio, 2 June 2025, archived).