Controversy
Status:Open

How Much Will the UK Increase Defense Spending By?

How Much Will the UK Increase Defense Spending By?

Claims

Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak"We will increase defence spending to a new baseline of 2.5% of GDP by 2030."
Grant Shapps
Grant ShappsGovernment proposals "will result in a £75 billion cash boost to our nation’s defences over six years from a flat cash baseline."
Paul Johnson
Paul JohnsonThe government's £75B commitment to defense was "misleading and opaque."
Ben Zaranko
Ben Zaranko"It's only a "£75 billion increase" over 6 years if you assume that spending would otherwise have been frozen in cash terms."
Torsten Bell
Torsten Bell"The degree of fiscal commitments, fictions being built up for after this election is a real problem."
Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson"Numbers used in describing increase in defence spending are impenetrable, misleading & internally inconsistent."
Kevan Jones
Kevan Jones£75B in defense spending "is just an empty promise and a political slogan."
Institute for Government
Institute for Government"Rishi Sunak’s higher defence spending announcement does not add up."
Keir Starmer
Keir Starmer"On defence spending, obviously we want to get to 2.5 per cent as soon as resources allow that to happen."
John Healey
John Healey"We share the ambition to hit 2.5% [of GDP on defense spending]."
Paul Johnson
Paul JohnsonLabour's commitment to raise defence spending to 2.5% when conditions allow is "a literally meaningless commitment."
Full Fact
Full Fact"[T]he increase [in defense spending] by 2030 is expected to be around £20 billion."
Torsten Bell
Torsten Bell"This [a defense spending increase to 2.5% of GDP] is a lot easier to announce than deliver."
Grant Shapps
Grant Shapps"We've ... set out our aspiration to reach 2.5% of GDP on defence and ... we'll continue to strive to reach that as soon as possible".
John Healey
John Healey"[T]here is nothing cast-iron about the figures, the plan or, indeed, the proposals for paying for it."




© 2025 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.17.0

© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 6.17.0