Chancellor John Healey will not set a date for the UK to hit its 3% of GDP defence spending target in the budget, deferring the roadmap to next year's spending review, according to the Guardian.
Key facts
- Chancellor John Healey will delay setting out when the UK will meet the 3% of GDP defence spending target.
- The decision defers the roadmap until next year's spending review, the Treasury confirmed.
- Healey resigned as defence secretary in June under Keir Starmer's leadership.
- On resigning, he accused the then prime minister of being 'unable' and the Treasury 'unwilling' to commit needed resources.
- Healey has pledged 'fiscal discipline' as chancellor.
The new chancellor, John Healey, will delay setting out when the UK will meet its target of spending 3% of GDP on defence, the Treasury has confirmed, according to the Guardian. The roadmap for increasing the department’s share of GDP will be deferred until next year’s spending review rather than being set out in the budget.
The move means the budget will not include a date for reaching the 3% threshold, pushing the decision into the 2027 review. The Guardian reports that Healey has pledged ‘fiscal discipline’ as chancellor.
The delay is notable given Healey’s own recent history. He resigned as defence secretary in June under Keir Starmer’s leadership, the Guardian reports.
At the time of his resignation, Healey accused the then prime minister of being ‘unable’ and the Treasury ‘unwilling’ to ‘commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country’.
Having now taken charge at the Treasury, Healey is set to oversee the very department he previously criticised as unwilling to fund defence. The decision to defer the target date shifts the timing of any concrete commitment to the next spending review.
The Guardian describes the deferral as ducking the setting of a date for the 3% target, with the roadmap left until 2027.
Why it matters
Defence spending is a major test of government priorities amid pressure to strengthen national security. Deferring a firm date for the 3% of GDP target leaves uncertainty over when and how the UK will fund its armed forces, especially given the chancellor's own past criticism of the Treasury's willingness to commit resources.
Frequently asked questions
What defence spending target is being deferred?
The target of spending 3% of GDP on defence. The chancellor will delay setting out when the UK will meet it, according to the Guardian.
When will the target date be decided?
The roadmap will be deferred until next year's spending review, the Treasury has confirmed.
Why is John Healey's involvement significant?
Healey resigned as defence secretary in June, accusing the then prime minister of being 'unable' and the Treasury 'unwilling' to commit needed defence resources. He is now chancellor overseeing the deferral.