Labour has no option but to match Sunak’s defence pledge, says ex-army chief

Dominic Penna
Lord Richard Dannatt, former head of the British Army
Lord Dannatt says Labour Party will be 'pilloried for cutting defence' following Rishi Sunak's announcement - DAVID ROSE

Labour has “no option” but to change its position and match Rishi Sunak’s pledge to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030, a former head of the British Army has said.

Lord Dannatt said Sir Keir Starmer and John Healey, the shadow defence secretary, will be “pilloried for cutting defence” if they fail to make the same commitment as the Prime Minister.

The Government has promised to achieve the spending target by 2030 but Labour has only said it would aim to hit the number when the economic circumstances allow and refused to name a date.

Mr Sunak unveiled £75 billion in new funding during a visit to Poland on Tuesday as he said he would put Britain’s defence industry “on a war footing” and ramp up weapons production amid rising global threats. The UK currently spends around 2.3 per cent of GDP on defence.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow defence secretary John Healey (centre left) speaking to military personnel
Sir Keir Starmer's party has said it will meet defence spending targets but only when economic circumstances allow, it has yet to say when - STEFAN ROUSSEAU/PA

In an interview on GB News, Lord Dannatt agreed Labour had made “positive noises” on the matching the 2.5 per cent target and said: “They have echoed Jeremy Hunt in the Spring Budget by saying 2.5 per cent when conditions allow.

“But I am afraid, realpolitik is as it is, that actually if they walk back now from a firm British Government of today’s position of increasing to 2.5 per cent, £75 billion extra by 2030, they will be pilloried for cutting defence.

“So I am afraid Keir Starmer and John Healey have got no options. They have got to move up to 2.5 per cent, they have got to match what the present Government is saying.”

Oliver Dowden, the Deputy Prime Minister, on Wednesday accused Labour of having “no plans in a more dangerous world” as Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, claimed its position would cause “delay, disruption and obfuscation”.

Oliver Dowden accused Labour of having 'no plans in a more dangerous world' at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday
Oliver Dowden accused Labour of having 'no plans in a more dangerous world' at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday - UK PARLIAMENT/AFP
Angela Raynor said at Prime Minster's Questions that Labour wanted to match Sunak's pledge but they were not the ones responsible for previous Army cuts
Angela Raynor said at Prime Minster's Questions that Labour wanted to match Sunak's pledge but they were not the ones responsible for previous Army cuts - JESSICA TAYLOR/PA

Filling in for Sir Keir at Prime Minister’s Questions, Angela Rayner, the Labour deputy leader, said: “We all want to see 2.5 per cent. The difference is that we have not cut the Army to its smallest size since Napoleon.”

John Healey, the shadow defence secretary, has confirmed Labour would carry out a strategic defence review in its first year in government to assess the threats they face and the capabilities of the Armed Forces.

But Tory ministers have nonetheless insisted Mr Healey’s refusal to adopt the 2.5 per cent figure showed Labour cannot be trusted to keep Britain safe.

The Prime Minister’s plan includes £10 billion to put defence on a war footing and “hugely ramp up” munitions production as well as a commitment to match this year’s £3 billion of military support for Ukraine annually until at least the end of the decade.

It comes after Adml Sir Tony Radakin, the chief of the defence staff, wrote in The Telegraph that consideration should be given to spending some of the new cash announced by Mr Sunak on advanced technology.

This would include long-range missile battalions for the British Army and fast attack craft for the Navy.

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