Here are the five key things to know about the DIP.
1. Britain is not on track to meet its NATO commitment
The plan says that the U.K. defense spending will reach 2.7 percent of GDP — up from the earlier 2.6 percent settlement that lead to former Defence Secretary John Healey quitting earlier this month.
In raw numbers, the U.K. will spend £297.7 billion on defense over the next four years, with the investment plan adding £15 billion to the military budget agreed last year — up from £13.5 billion when Healey quit. The government said it will spend £62.6 billion more on defense over the next four years than under earlier projections.
Even that level of spending is difficult for the U.K.’s cash-strapped government, which said that the increased funding will come from tightening non-military spending, asset sales and cutting international aid.
“Some capital projects, for example, on roads and energy, which are important but not immediately vital, will no longer go ahead as planned,” Starmer said.
Last year, NATO allies — under fierce pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump — agreed to spend 3.5 percent of GDP on core defense by 2035. The government notes that funding to reach 3 percent will be set out in next year’s spending review where defense will be “the No. 1 priority.”
