PM races to NATO summit with dramatic 5% GDP commitment as US bombs rain down on Iran
Sir Keir Starmer is set to unveil Britain’s biggest defence spending hike since the Cold War as the world watches in horror while American bombs obliterate Iranian nuclear sites.
The Prime Minister will today promise NATO allies that Britain will pump an eye-watering 5% of GDP into defence and security by 2035 – a dramatic escalation from previous commitments that could cost taxpayers an extra £40 billion annually.
The bombshell announcement comes as the Middle East erupts into chaos, with US B-2 stealth bombers dropping 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs on Iran’s underground nuclear facilities in what President Trump called a “spectacular military success.”
World on Fire as Starmer Heads to The Hague
As Sir Keir prepares to jet off to the Netherlands for the crucial NATO summit, the timing couldn’t be more stark. The world is literally burning around us:
- US forces have just “obliterated” three Iranian nuclear sites including the heavily fortified Fordow facility
- More than 430 Iranians are dead after waves of Israeli strikes
- Russia continues its relentless bombardment of Ukraine
- Oil prices are wobbling as Iran threatens to close the Strait of Hormuz
And what’s Britain’s response? Promise to spend money we don’t have – a decade from now.
The Numbers That Will Make Your Head Spin
According to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the new 5% target represents a “quantum leap” for the alliance. But here’s what it really means for your wallet:
The commitment breaks down into:
- 3.5% on “core defence” (actual weapons and soldiers)
- 1.5% on “resilience and security” (which could mean anything from cyber defence to energy security)
Defence experts at the Royal United Services Institute calculate that hitting the 3.5% core defence target alone would cost us £40 billion MORE per year than keeping spending at 2.5%.
That’s £40,000,000,000. Every. Single. Year.
A Promise Without a Plan
But here’s the kicker – Starmer won’t actually deliver this spending boost anytime soon. The target date? 2035. That’s right, a full decade away, with at least two general elections between now and then.
When pressed about how this massive increase would be funded, Downing Street could only mumble about it being a “projected target” that allies would review in 2029.
Conservative shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge didn’t hold back, slamming the commitment as “both unfunded and a decade away, when the threat we face is immediate.
Trump’s Shadow Looms Large
Let’s be honest about what’s really happening here. This isn’t about careful strategic planning – it’s about one man: Donald Trump.
The US President has been crystal clear that he expects NATO allies to “shoulder more of the burden of European defence.” He’s even suggested nations should spend 5% of GDP – exactly what Starmer is now promising.
Coincidence? Hardly.
Sources close to the negotiations reveal that Britain had been “dragging its feet” on the new funding goal until very recently. Ministry of Defence officials were reportedly “scratching their heads in bemusement” at Sir Keir’s lack of clarity on defence spending.
Then suddenly, with Trump back in the White House and American bombs falling on Iran, everything changed.
The Aid Budget Massacre
Remember when Starmer slashed our international aid budget from 0.5% to 0.3% of national income to fund his previous defence promises? That devastating cut – which the International Development Minister resigned over – is now looking like just the appetiser.
By 2027, that aid cut will save £6.1 billion annually. But to reach 5% defence spending by 2035? We’ll need to find another £34 billion from somewhere.
Where’s that money coming from? Your guess is as good as mine.
Spain Says ‘No Gracias’
Not everyone’s drinking the NATO Kool-Aid. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has already said his country won’t commit to the 5% figure, sticking instead to a measly 2.1% of GDP.
At least someone’s willing to stand up to the madness.
Iran Burns While Politicians Posture
As our politicians play their budget games, the real world is exploding into violence. The US attack on Iran – using those massive MOP bombs that can penetrate 200 feet underground – has crossed what Iran’s foreign minister called “a very big red line.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is vowing “regrettable responses” to the strikes. Iran’s parliament has approved closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil flows.
And what’s Britain doing? Making promises about what we might spend in 2035.
The Ukraine Factor
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will be at The Hague summit too, cap in hand for more support as Russian aggression continues. Sir Keir will urge allies to help secure a “just and lasting peace” – but without the weapons and support Ukraine needs NOW, not in a decade’s time.
A Pattern of Broken Promises
Let’s not forget, this is the same government that promised to hit 2.5% defence spending by 2027 – funded by gutting our aid budget. Then they promised 3% “at some point after the next election.”
Now it’s 5% by 2035.
Anyone else seeing a pattern here?
The Bottom Line
Sir Keir Starmer is making grand promises about defence spending that won’t kick in for a decade, can’t be properly funded, and seem designed primarily to impress Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, the world is literally on fire. US bombs are falling on Iran. Russia continues its assault on Ukraine. The Middle East teeters on the brink of all-out war.
And Britain’s response? A promise to spend money we don’t have, at a date so far in the future it’s meaningless, while our European allies like Spain sensibly refuse to play along.
As one defence insider put it: “We’re writing cheques our grandchildren will have to cash, while today’s threats go unanswered.”
Welcome to Starmer’s Britain – where the only thing bigger than our promises is the gap between rhetoric and reality.
What do you think? Is Starmer right to promise massive defence spending increases, or should we focus on today’s problems? Have your say in the comments.
