BUDGET DELAY WON'T 'CUT THE MUSTARD' AS RUSSIA THREATEN

Former Army chief attacks the PM for failing to confirm 3% defence spending

- By Martyn Brown Political Editor

SIR Keir Starmer’s plan to boost defence spending is too slow and will not “cut the mustard” amid rising Russian aggression, the ex-head of the British Army warns.

Lord Dannatt said the delay in ramping up military might would have been like asking Adolf Hitler "not to attack the UK until 1946 as we won't be ready".

The damning verdict came as the Prime Minister unveiled a push to get Britain "war-ready" but refused to say when he will increase the defence budget to 3% of GDP.

Sir Keir repeatedly dodged calls to set a deadline, insisting it was still his "ambition" to hit the figure by 2034.

He said: "I am not, as the Prime Minister of a Labour Government, going to make a commitment as to the precise date until I can be sure precisely where the money is coming from."

But Lord Dannatt said yesterday: "On the face of it there is going to be a lot of ambition set out in this Strategic Defence Review, much of it very good, much of it describing what we need to do to face the threats to our security.

"But the big issue is that just moving to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 does not cut the mustard in any shape or form. And this rather vague commitment to move to 3% by the end of the next parliament, 2034, it just doesn't stack up.