Starmer accused of delivering 'half-measures' with £15billion defence funding plan...and anger grows as there is STILL no firm date for reaching 3 per cent of GDP

Published: 14:48, 30 June 2026 | Updated: 14:59, 30 June 2026 Sir Keir Starmer was accused of serving ‘half measures’ today after his £15billion Defence Investment Plan failed to deliver desperately needed funds for the Armed Forces. The outgoing Prime Minister was said to have ignored military and spy chiefs who privately petitioned Downing Street to deliver more.  His long-delayed plan also failed to set out a timetable for spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence - saying merely it would happen 'sometime in the next parliament'.  The omission was seized upon by former Defence Secretary John Healey - who quit in protest at the plan earlier this month. Senior sources have accused Sir Keir and Chancellor Rachel Reeves of ‘Treasury tricks’ to make the £15 billion in additional funding announced today appear an increase on what was offered previously to Mr Healey. Sir Keir Starmer will now take finally published Defence Investment Plan (DIP) to next week’s NATO summit in Turkey where he will face the wrath of US President Donald Trump. Under President Trump the US will only commit to defending Europe in response to a Russian attack as long as Britain and other allies increase their spending. Mr Healey resigned earlier this month after Downing Street refused to overrule the Treasury following its final offer to the Ministry of Defence of £13.5 billion in extra cash over the next four years. Just before the report was published, Mr Healey said: 'Britain will still be spending just 2.7% of GDP in 2030, the date when NATO has warned we could face a Russian attack. (4/6) 'European security is at stake. The PM has said today that 3% must be the number 1 priority for the next spending review. We need a target date for 3% and a clear, credible funding plan to meet our NATO commitment for 3.5% on defence by 2035.' Sir Keir Starmer spoke this morning in Berkshire ahead the publication of the long-delayed £15billion defence investment plan, which he said had involved 'hard-edged' decisions Outgoing PM Starmer hugged Chancellor Rachel Reeves as they congratulated each other on the defence investment plan, which still falls short of what the military said was needed  Pictured: The vast £3.5billion HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier was a sorry sight in Portsmouth on Monday beneath a canopy of tents and scaffolding A senior source said the ‘£15 billion’ package presented by Sir Keir earlier today, actually represented ‘£11.5bn in cash and £3.5 billion in buying power’. They added: ‘That was the final straw that Healey rejected calling it ‘Treasury tricks’. However, defence officials insisted this afternoon that there has been a genuine £1.5billion uplift in the investment offer following Healey’s resignation. Across 80 pages, the investment plan set out how a total of £298bn in funding – which includes the £15bn uplift – would be invested across the whole of defence over the next four years. Unveiling the DIP this morning Sir Keir said that money had been taken away from road and energy projects in order to find more money for defence.   He added: ‘This is about taking the necessary choices – the right choices to protect our nation.’ The commitment of £5 billion over four years to spend on drones, as part of the DIP, has also drawn scorn. Former Armed Forces Minister Al Carns is expected to challenge the £5 billion for drones in a House of Commons debate later today. The former Royal Marines officer resigned hours after Mr Healey, having been excluded from the DIP despite his extensive knowledge of the conflict in Ukraine. In his resignation speech Carns described the DIP as ‘unfit for purpose’ and failing to recognise the revolution in warfare that has taken place in Eastern Europe since the Russian invasion in 2022. Drones account for 90 per cent of the fatalities and casualties inflicted by Ukraine – hence Carns’ determination for drones to be prioritised as part of the DIP. Former Conservative Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: ‘This is half measures. The government has ignored senior officers and intelligence chiefs’ warnings. They have chosen to put benefits before bullets.’ As part of an overhaul of the Royal Navy, crewed vessels will be accompanied by uncrewed and autonomous platforms with lessons learned from Ukraine's successful campaign in the Black Sea against the Russian Navy incorporated into training plans.  The £5billion of investment in UK drone capabilities over the next four years is understood to have disappointed former Armed Forces Minister Al Carns who was hoping for a much higher figure. In Ukraine, drones are responsible for 90 per cent of Russian fatalities and casualties. According to Downing Street the additional funding will strengthen military readiness and accelerate drone transformation, boosting future fighter jets and strengthening the UK’s nuclear deterrent. The DIP is also intended to create nearly 60,000 additional UK jobs by 2030. While by 2030 the proportion of UK GDP spent on defence will be higher than any time over the last 30 years, it is still considered too low by senior officers and MPs. Another noticeable failure of the DIP, according to critics, is its failure to set out a timetable for the UK to further increase defence expenditure to meet the threat posed by Russia. According to the DIP the UK will reach 3 per cent of GDP sometime ‘in the next parliament’. Chair of the Defence Committee, Tan Dhesi MP, said: 'Compared with previous plans, it contains significantly less detail on how that investment will be delivered, particularly over the longer term. It is disappointing that we do not have a clear timeline for reaching 3 per cent of GDP, let alone the pathway to 3.5 per cent which the UK has committed to at NATO.'  The DIP will pivot towards autonomy across the Services with uncrewed vessels, aircraft and vehicles being phased in as crewed platforms are phased out. The DIP also includes: £1.5 billion of additional funding on the ‘hybrid Navy’ with state-of-the-art crewed ships networking with uncrewed and undersea craft, £3.2 billion for space capabilities, £2.5 billion for cyber warfare and £790 million in new homeland Integrated Air and Missile Defence systems. A 12 per cent funding increase in the Special Forces budget was also announced though for security reasons no details were provided about what additional equipment or resources units such as the Special Air Service (SAS) will receive. The DIP will also include a £64 billion upgrade to Britain’s nuclear deterrent including Dreadnought submarines, a new sovereign warhead and 12 F-35A jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Those aircraft will join NATO’s nuclear mission. Overall, the UK will spend £298bn on defence over the next four years, or 2.7 per cent of GDP by 2030. By contrast, the UK’s allies are investing much more. Germany expects to reach the NATO target of 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2030. While Poland and Baltic states are spending more than 4 per cent on core defence capabilities, not including security infrastructure projects. Perhaps to suggest Britain was matching the higher spending commitments of its allies Sir Keir used the percentage of 4.2 yesterday – but that figure represents what the UK will invest in defence and wider security measures by 2030. It was unclear from the DIP today what programmes are expected to be cut. Prior to today’s announcement there was speculation the UK could seek to withdraw its commitment to the £8 billion GCAP sixth-generation stealth jet project, or to axe the troubled £6 billion Ajax armoured vehicle, the Challenger 3 tank or the New Medium Helicopter. Instead the Ministry of Defence will continue to support those projects. The new Dreadnought submarines will see four boats replace the current Vanguard class from the 2030s. There will also be a decade-long £26 billion overhaul of naval bases at Faslane, Portsmouth and Devonport dubbed ‘Project Royal Oak’ Today, new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said: ‘I have secured more money and made different choices for defence. We will invest £298 billion over the next four years. ‘That includes an additional £15 billion, of which most is extra day-to-day spending for training and improving availability of ships and aircraft to increase our war-fighting readiness. ‘By choosing to embrace new technology, I am equipping our forces with the autonomous systems which will give them the edge. ‘This extra money and these choices send a clear signal to our allies and our adversaries: Britian is stepping up on security.’ The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. 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