Britain’s military is in limbo as Sir Keir Starmer tries to overcome resistance from his own ministers to unleash billions in spending for the UK defence industry.
Expectations have been high among military chiefs and contractors that the Government will next week finally launch a multibillion-pound package to fund upgrades to the UK’s weapons capabilities and better equip the country for war.
The long-awaited Defence Investment Plan (DIP), which was originally set to be published last autumn but has been delayed by Cabinet rows about spending, is expected to backed with billions of pounds in Government funding for new contracts with defence companies.
Shorts
Starmer is facing increasing pressure from allies to boost defence funding in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and conflicts in the Gulf, with the UK’s target for defence spending to reach 2.5 per cent of GDP by next April still leaving it lagging behind other European nations.
