Sir Keir Starmer has pledged that the UK will spend 5 per cent of GDP on national security and defence by 2035.
The announcement comes as he signs a new Nato deal ahead of joining leaders at the defence bloc’s summit in the Hague.
The 5 per cent figure had been demanded by Donald Trump, who has insisted that Europe needs to stop relying on the US for defence spending.
However, Downing Street has continued to say that the original aim of 3 per cent on defence after the next election remains only an “ambition” raising questions over whether can afford the new commitment.
Sir Keir noted that 5 per cent would be the highest proportion of GDP spent on defence by the UK since the end of the Second World War and follows him expressing an ambition to reach 3 per cent on defence in last month’s strategic defence review (SDR).
It also comes as the threats from Vladimir Putin’s Russia continue to grow in Ukraine and beyond while the situation in the Middle East continues to spiral out of control.
As Sir Keir, President Trump and other leaders gather in the Hague there have been reports of Iranian attacks on Qatar as well as Israel following President Trump’s decision to take out the Tehran regime’s potential nuclear weapons capability over the weekend.
Sir Keir said: “We must navigate this era of radical uncertainty with agility, speed and a clear-eyed sense of the national interest to deliver security for working people and keep them safe.
“That’s why I have made the commitment to spend 5 per cent of GDP on national security. This is an opportunity to deepen our commitment to NATO and drive greater investment in the nation’s wider security and resilience.
“After all, economic security is national security, and through this strategy we will bring the whole of society with us, creating jobs, growth and wages for working people – guided by my plan for change.”
The new 5 per cent commitment on national security involves an expected split of 3.5 per cent on core defence and 1.5 per cent on resilience and security, to be agreed at the NATO summit, with a target date of 2035.
However, already Spain, which spends just 1.7 per cent on defence, has negotiated itself a carve out from the agreement.
The pledge to meet the NATO commitment on 5 per cent comes as the government today publishes its National Security Strategy, drawing together all of the security work that has taken place since the general election, with the relentless pursuit of British interests as its founding principle.
Under Nato’s new estimate, the UK expects to reach at least 4.1 per cent of GDP in 2027 if national security costs are added to defence.
All Allies will review the trajectory and the balance of spend between defence and wider national resilience in 2029, when NATO next reviews its capability plans.
The National Security Strategy, with support from academics and other technical experts, reaffirms that the UK must become more competitive and robust in crucial areas like science, education, trade and frontier technology – or risk falling behind.
The government’s Industrial Strategy will also invest £86 billion in research and development to drive growth in technologies that will underpin our future economic and military competitiveness.
