See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy DAVID CHURCHILL Published: 11:43 BST, 28 August 2026 | Updated: 11:53 BST, 28 August 2026
Chancellor John Healey was accused of ‘hypocrisy’ today as it emerged he is set to shelve his own target for spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030.Mr Healey was Defence Secretary under Sir Keir Starmer and resigned in June after the former Prime Minister’s Defence Investment Plan failed to commit to hitting the target by 2030.But now it has emerged he will shelve the target in his first Budget this October as he scrambles to find billions of pounds to fund a series of unfunded announcements Andy Burnham made after entering Downing Street last month.Government insiders said Mr Healey’s first Budget would focus on filling a defence equipment funding gap of nearly £5billion left behind by Sir Keir, amounting to about £1.2billion a year.But much bigger decisions on an uplift in defence spending will be delayed until a Treasury spending review next year, the Financial Times reported.It raises fresh questions about Labour’s commitment to defence and security of the nation, which Mr Burnham has insisted will be a top priority of his Government.The Daily Mail’s Don’t Leave Britain Defenceless campaign has repeatedly highlighted shortages and weaknesses in the Armed Forces and has long been calling for an immediate rise in spending, increasing to at least 3 per cent by 2030. Mr Healey was Defence Secretary under Sir Keir Starmer and resigned in June after the former Prime Minister’s Defence Investment Plan failed to commit to hitting the target by 2030 The Tories’ shadow defence secretary, James Cartlidge, said: 'With Russia ramping up its threats every day, the world has only got more dangerous since Mr Healey resigned two months ago, saying Labour’s current plan for 2.7% on Defence would leave Britain “less safe".‘He urged Starmer to go to 3 per cent by 2030. Given he is now the Chancellor, it is extraordinary that he is backtracking on the very pledge which sealed the fate of the last PM and opened the door of No 10 to Andy Burnham.‘For over a year we have urged the government to go to 3 per cent by 2030, and [Tory leader] Kemi Badenoch repeatedly offered to work with Starmer to deliver it. He refused and paid the price – Burnham needs to do what Starmer could not and make the difficult decisions to fund 3 per cent.‘Russia doesn’t work to Treasury timetables, and we can’t wait for a spending review to keep Britain safe.’Labour peer Lord West, a former First Sea Lord, added: ‘For him to very bravely stand and be resolute about defence and resign, only to then get the job of Chancellor and say “well actually it’s not that important”, it does seem a bit hypocritical.’The Institute for Fiscal Studies think-tank has said raising spending to 3 per cent in 2030 would cost an extra £10 billion a year in today’s terms.Defence spending is currently set to reach 2.7 per cent of GDP by 2030.A government spokesman said: ‘The first duty of government is to keep its citizens safe.‘The prime minister and chancellor are committed to fully funding the Defence Investment Plan.‘At the spending review we will set out a pathway to meet our Nato commitment of 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2035 and will set a target date to hit 3 per cent on that path.’
