Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has launched a strong attack on the government's recently unveiled defence investment plan, alleging a substantial £5 billion funding gap. During Prime Minister's Questions, Ms Badenoch accused outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of leaving a financial 'mess' for his successor, widely anticipated to be Andy Burnham, the current Energy Secretary.
The long-awaited defence investment plan, announced on Tuesday, earmarks £15 billion to bolster the UK's defences between now and 2030. However, Defence Minister Luke Pollard conceded to the BBC that a significant portion of this funding, amounting to £4.7 billion, would need to be secured by the next Chancellor in the upcoming autumn Budget. This admission prompted Ms Badenoch to question whether Mr Burnham, expected to take over as Prime Minister on 20th July, had agreed to the plan's financial implications.
Sir Keir Starmer dismissed Ms Badenoch's criticisms as 'faux outrage', countering that the Conservative Party had reduced defence spending during their time in government. He affirmed his pride in the Labour government's actions and stated that any Labour Prime Minister would stand by the new defence plan. The plan itself, originally due last autumn, has faced scrutiny over its funding and its scale, with the £15 billion figure being higher than a previously reported £13.5 billion but significantly less than the £28 billion reportedly sought by defence chiefs.
Ms Badenoch further pressed the point, noting that the Treasury had only identified £10.3 billion in savings to date. She asserted that even the limited plan announced by Sir Keir was '£5bn short' and accused him of passing this financial challenge to his successor. She directly asked if the MP for Makerfield (Andy Burnham's constituency) had agreed to fund the shortfall, highlighting the perceived lack of secured funding.
Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis acknowledged that 'conversations' would be necessary with the next Prime Minister regarding armed forces funding. However, he maintained that it was 'not unreasonable' to detail such plans at a 'major fiscal event' like the next Budget. Mr Pollard also confirmed that Mr Burnham's team had been in close dialogue with Downing Street and that Mr Burnham himself was informed of the £4.7 billion funding gap on Tuesday when the Treasury released its statement.
The ongoing debate underscores the financial pressures facing the incoming government and the challenges of balancing defence commitments with other national spending priorities. Mr Burnham has yet to publicly comment on how he intends to address the identified funding gap or whether he would consider further increases to the defence budget. An ally of Mr Burnham reportedly described the funding gaps as 'another spending pressure' he would need to contend with.