Kemi tells Keir he must increase defence spending before crunch talks with Trump

THE PRIME Minister has been told there is "no time to dither" and he must announce an immediate increase in defence spending ahead of crisis talks about Ukraine with US President Donald Trump.

- By David Williamson

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has offered Tory support for using cash from the welfare and foreign aid budgets to boost spending on the armed forces.

She warned in a letter to Sir Keir Starmer that "Putin's Russia_poses an existential threat to the entire European order". Mrs Badenoch says spending should increase to 2.5% of GDP as a "bare minimum".

"We should have spent recent months increasing our domestic defence production. Procuring munitions, equipment or weapons takes time.

"There is no time for further delay. I am willing to offer my party's support if you need to make difficult decisions because the first priority of every government must be our national security." Warning "this is no time to dither" and "these decisions cannot be delayed", she says he should consider "whether some of the 0.5% of GDP currently spent on overseas development repurposed" should be to support defence and security.

She said savings made on "restrictions to welfare" could be used to boost defence spending.