Labour Risks Tension with Trump as Defence Spending Hike May Be Delayed
Labour’s commitment to increase defence spending might not happen until after the next election, potentially angering Trump and NATO allies.
Labour, Defence Spending, Donald Trump, NATO, UK, Economy
London: So, it looks like Labour’s big promise to boost defence spending to 2.5% of GDP might be pushed back. They’re saying it could even be after the next election, maybe as late as 2032. That’s a long wait!
Remember when Boris Johnson said they’d hit that target by 2028? And Rishi Sunak was all about 2030 before the last election. Now, it seems like things are changing.
Sir Keir Starmer is still saying they’ll meet that pledge when the economy allows. But insiders are whispering that the upcoming defence review might show that target slipping into the next decade.
This could really tick off Donald Trump, who’s been pushing NATO countries to step up their defence budgets. He’s not shy about wanting European nations to pay more so that American taxpayers aren’t footing the bill for their security.
Trump even suggested changing NATO rules to make members contribute 5% of their GDP to military spending. That’s a hefty ask!
Last night, sources from the Treasury and Defence didn’t deny the 2032 timeline but said nothing’s set in stone yet. Last year, the UK spent about £57 billion on defence, which is around 2.3% of GDP. Experts think they’d need to bump that up to £87 billion to hit the 2.5% target.
Interestingly, it’s been pointed out that the UK now spends more on health-related issues than on defence. Ministers are under pressure to manage that £65 billion health bill, which is more than the military budget.