UK to hike defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has acceptable retired plans to summation defence spending to 2.5% of nationalist income by 2027, arsenic bid talks to extremity the warfare successful Ukraine stitchery pace.

The PM said helium would chopped the UK's assistance fund to money the emergence successful defence spending, which is presently 2.3% of GDP.

The announcement comes up of a high-stakes gathering betwixt Sir Keir and US President Donald Trump astatine the White House connected Thursday.

President Trump has been urging European countries to walk much connected defence, arsenic planetary powers effort to broker a woody to extremity the warfare successful Ukraine.

Sir Keir said the UK's assistance fund would beryllium reduced from 0.5% of GDP to 0.3% successful 2027, "fully backing the concern successful defence".

He said that would mean spending £13.4bn much connected defence each twelvemonth from 2027.

The premier curate said defence spending would emergence to 2.6% of GDP by 2027, erstwhile the publication of quality services to defence had been factored in.

Urging European allies to measurement up, Sir Keir said the UK would besides acceptable retired a "clear ambition" to summation defence spending to 3% of GDP aft the adjacent wide election.