Sir Keir Starmer may push back against Trump’s calls for higher UK defence spending due to concerns over public finances and potential cuts
London: So, it looks like Sir Keir Starmer is gearing up to resist some hefty demands from Donald Trump about boosting UK defence spending. The pressure is on, but Starmer’s got his eyes on the state of public finances, which aren’t looking too rosy right now.
Right now, the UK is spending just over 2% of its GDP on defence, and there’s talk of pushing that to 2.5%. But when and how that’ll happen is still a bit of a mystery. Trump’s been pretty vocal, wanting NATO allies to kick in 5% of their GDP, which is a big ask compared to the US’s 3.4%.
With the UK’s finances getting tighter and more cuts on the horizon, there’s a growing feeling that hitting that 2.5% target could mean even more cuts to public services before the next election. And nobody wants that, especially with the next general election coming up by mid-2029.
A senior source mentioned that if they try to hit that target by 2030, it could lead to deeper cuts, which sounds like a recipe for disaster. Meanwhile, a military source pointed out that the Treasury seems to be ignoring the reality, suggesting a more gradual approach to reaching 2.5% in the future.
But not everyone is on the same page. A Ministry of Defence source dismissed the speculation as just chatter, saying nothing is set in stone yet. They’re planning to lay out a timeline in the spring, so we’ll have to wait and see.
Concerns are growing about the state of the UK’s armed forces. A retired admiral recently said they’re “grotesquely underfunded,” and former army head Richard Dannatt echoed that, saying the army isn’t big enough to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine, which Starmer had suggested earlier.
Interestingly, during a recent call, Trump and Starmer didn’t dive into the defence spending topic, but Trump’s been clear he wants NATO members to step up their spending. He’s even hinted at pulling out of the alliance if they don’t.
It’ll be interesting to see how this all plays out, especially with the Treasury being tight-lipped about the situation.
