UK PM Promises to Boost UK Defence Spending to 2.5% by 2030

Facts

• Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that the UK will increase its defense spending to 2.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030, up from a 2023 rate of 2.07%.¹
• Speaking at a press conference in Poland with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Sunak claimed that the announcement was a "turning point for European security" as well as a "landmark moment" for UK defense.²
• The UK has stated that it will spend a cumulative addition of £75B ($93.4B) on defense over a period of six years, with Sunak saying the investment would place the UK "on a war footing." The 2.5% target was first set by former prime minister Boris Johnson in 2022.³
• NATO claims that 18 allies are expected to meet the organization's 2.0% GDP defense target in 2024, bringing NATO's total average GDP expenditure to an estimated 3.80% and NATO Europe's to 2.0%.⁴
• The news comes as the UK also announced it would send Ukraine a further £500M ($620M) in military aid, including 400 vehicles, 60 boats, 1.6K of munitions, 4M rounds of ammunition, and Storm Shadow missiles.⁵
• The UK claims that the increased spending will help towards "immediate areas of focus" such as increasing domestic munitions production, signing long-term industry contracts, and creating more skilled jobs within the sector.⁶

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²GOV.UK, ³Evening Standard, ⁴NATO, ⁵Associated Press and ⁶Assets.Publishing.Service.GOV.UK.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The Telegraph. Increased defense spending will solidify the UK's presence as a major global military power. European and British security is synonymous, and the UK's army continues to maintain its long history of stepping up when asked. The UK will continue to ensure that its citizens, NATO, and the world remain safe from the threats posed by Russia among many others.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by The Mirror. Increased spending is not a solution if economic mismanagement is the problem. It is likely that increased funds will come directly from further cuts to vital UK sectors such as health, education, and welfare. If the UK wants to improve its military capacity, it must firstly address the structural issues that continue to cripple the country.

Predictions