Starmer pledges 5% GDP for defence by 2035 as Nato nations set to follow suit

SIR Keir Starmer will today pledge to spend 5% of national income on defence by 2035.

- By Katie Harris Senior Political Correspondent

The Prime Minister is set to make the announcement as he attends a NATO summit in the Netherlands, where the issue is top of the agenda.

Members of the military alliance are expected to agree to the target of 5% of gross domestic product at the two-day meeting in The Hague, amid mounting pressure from president Donald Trump.

Sir Keir said: “We must navigate this era of radical uncertainty with agility, speed and a clear-eyed sense of the national interest to deliver security for working people and keep them safe.

“That’s why I have made the commitment to spend 5% of GDP on national security. This is an opportunity to deepen our commitment to NATO and drive greater investment in the nation’s wider security and resilience.

“After all, economic security is national security, and through this strategy we will bring the whole of society with us, creating jobs, growth and wages for working people, guided by my plan for change.”

The 5% commitment is more than double NATO members’ current target of 2%. It is to be split, with 3.5% on defence and 1.5% on related areas such as infrastructure.

But critics warned that the promise to hit 5% by 2035 does not go far enough. The Tories said the target was “both unfunded and a decade away”.

Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge said: “We welcome NATO allies spending more on defence given the threats we face. In Government, we always met the NATO benchmark.