Senior No 10 aides to lobby Andy Burnham to invest more than £13.5bn defence spend
Summary
Senior aides at Downing Street plan to ask Andy Burnham, expected to become UK prime minister, to increase defence spending beyond the current £13.5 billion plan. They may also revive the idea of “war bonds” to help pay for higher military costs by borrowing more money.Key Facts
- Downing Street officials want to borrow more for military spending than the current £13.5 billion Defence Investment Plan (Dip).
- Defence aides visited Burnham’s team during a byelection to update them on the UK’s reduced defence capabilities.
- Keir Starmer will announce the Dip before the NATO summit on 7-8 July, even though he will step down soon after.
- Some Labour MPs want Burnham to increase defence spending beyond the current plan.
- Burnham’s team may reopen discussions on the Dip if military concerns are not fully addressed.
- The head of the UK armed forces, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, emphasized the need for strong defence funding to deter threats like Russia.
- The idea of “war bonds” would allow the government to borrow money specifically for defence, with tax benefits for buyers, but the Treasury has resisted this due to borrowing risks.
- Plans for war bonds were proposed but blocked by the Treasury, despite support from senior advisers.
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