See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy DAVID WILCOCK, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 10:49 BST, 28 June 2026 | Updated: 11:04 BST, 28 June 2026
Labour came under renewed fire over defence spending today as it was revealed its plan for the future of the Armed Forces will prioritise drones over destroyers.The Conservatives lashed out at reports that the Treasury is to boost the defence investment plan (DIP) by just £1billion - £1.5billion despite widespread anger at its frugality at a time of heightened war fears.The money, which is not even enough to pay for a single new warship, will top up the £13.5billion DIP package that led defence secretary John Healey to resign earlier this month.At most it is £15billion, little more than half the £28billion experts say is needed. It comes amid reports that funding for up to eight planned Type 83 destroyers and five Type 32 frigates that would join the fleet in the late 2030s have been removed from the plans.Instead autonomous and uncrewed systems like aerial and maritime drones will take priority as the war in Ukraine changes the way battles are fought.It comes after months of embarrassment for the Royal Navy over its readiness to fight, with questions hanging over the readiness of most of the UK's surface fleet.Shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly said the extra cash was a 'drop in the ocean' and called for cash currently spent on benefits to be redirected to defence - a position shared by several Labour grandees.He told Sky News's Sunday With Trevor Phillips: 'We know, because the Chief of the Defence staff has told us, that UK defence is facing something in the region of a £28 billion funding shortfall, £1 billion extra is not enough.'At the same time, prospective incoming prime minister Andy Burnham - said to have seen and approved the plans - was warned he will need to find more money over the course of the current parliament, due to end in 2029. A soldier from 3 Rifles carry a single-rotor helicopter style Ghost drone on an exercise earlier this year Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the former chief of the defence staff, said Andy Burnham will need to find more money over the course of the current parliament, due to end in 2029Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, who served as chief of the defence staff from December 2021 to September last year, told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme DIP must match the commitment to spend more on defence 'because the world is a bit more dangerous and when we step into the 2030s we need to be stronger than we currently are'.Sir Tony also said that the UK finds itself in the 'unprecedented' and 'unusual position' of being second from the bottom in a Nato league table that ranks member states based on how they are meeting the alliance's capability requirements.He added: 'That needs to be resolved, we need to play our part, we need to keep the UK safe, we need to keep our alliance partners safe.'Defence chiefs are 'absolutely right' to make their case for military funding, minister Steve Reed said this morning.Asked whether he thought they were 'whining', the Housing Secretary said 'no' and told Sky News: 'It's absolutely right that the military should be making their case and pushing for the investment that they want to see but I would just remind them, and the country, the biggest increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War. It's not a bad start, but we're not stopping at that.'
