NATO set to force Starmer to hike defence spending to 3.5%

NATO allies will compel Sir Keir Starmer to raise Britain's defence spending as high as 3.5% by 2035, sources claimed yesterday.

- By Charlie Bradley

Defence insiders believe that, although the Prime Minister has committed to paying 2.5%, he will have to sign up to the higher figure at a NATO summit later this month.

A spending increase of this size would cost an estimated £30billion a year and is likely to mean tax increases and cost-cutting in other Government departments.

But a defence source insisted Britain must commit to this target “or else we can no longer call ourselves a leader within NATO”.

On Monday, the UK’s long-awaited strategic defence review said Britain’s armed forces were moving towards “war-fighting readiness” amid the growing threat of Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

Sir Keir agreed to boost defence spending from the current 2.33% of gross domestic product to 2.5% by 2027. The SDR also set a goal of reaching 3% in the next Parliament.

However, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte is pushing for allies to commit to spending 3.5% on hard defence, as well as 1.5% on cyber, intelligence and military-related infrastructure, at a two-day summit at The Hague, starting on June 24.

It would raise broader defence spending to a total of 5%.