Britain's outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a £15 billion (US$20 billion) plan to modernise the UK's armed forces by 2029 before leaving office later in July.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer speaks during a press conference at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Jun 24, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Axel Schmidt)
01 Jul 2026 12:13AM
LONDON: UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged on Tuesday (Jun 30) to spend an extra £15 billion (US$20 billion) to modernise Britain's depleted armed forces in a long-delayed investment plan that is designed to prepare for the wars of the future and mark his legacy.In what is most likely his last major policy announcement, Starmer said the increased spending over the next four years went further than a previous draft that prompted his ally, John Healey, to resign as defence minister this month. Healey had accused Starmer of failing to secure enough money to keep Britain safe.Starmer's Defence Investment Plan falls short of the £28 billion wanted by defence chiefs and represents a 5 per cent increase in annual defence spending, which will reach £79 billion a year by 2029. He will take it to Ankara for a NATO meeting on July 7 to 8, where he will want to signal that Britain is on the path to meet its commitment to reach defence spending of 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2035.But with his expected successor, Andy Burnham, due to take power as soon as July 20, he acknowledged that new governments could "build" on his blueprint.
