Defence spending rises to 2.5%

UK defence spending will rise to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, the Prime Minister has confirmed.

The rise of o.3% will bring the UK in line with its NATO spending commitments, and positions the UK as a leader in a new European defence posture.

The rise was announced on the 25th of February, shortly before the PM’s trip to Washington.

Keir Starmer has taken a leading role in orchestrating the European response to Trump’s position on Ukraine and the near-collapse of a peace deal last month. The Prime Minister chaired two leaders’ summits since the US and Ukrainian presidents’ February press conference exploded into a row.

This rise comes at the expense of the foreign aid budget, which has long been raided to pay for Asylum support and processing in the UK. This move signals a shakeup of the foreign aid system in the UK, and comes with a confirmation that the Government wants to get foreign aid spending back up to 0.7% of GDP as soon as possible.