PM announces biggest defense spending hike since Cold War while warning UK faces ‘dangerous new era’ – funded by devastating 40% CUT to international aid
Sir Keir Starmer has declared Britain must be “ready to fight and WIN” against hostile states as he unveils the biggest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War – but critics blast his plan to SLASH foreign aid by 40% to pay for it.
The Prime Minister warned the UK is facing a “dangerous new era” of Russian aggression, daily cyberattacks and “new nuclear risks” as he announced plans to:
- Boost defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027
- Aim for 3% in the next Parliament
- Build SIX new weapons factories worth £1.5 billion
- DEVASTATE the foreign aid budget with a 40% cut
But Starmer REFUSED to explain how Britain would afford his ambitious military targets beyond 2027, with experts warning the true cost could exceed £20 BILLION annually.
‘READY TO FIGHT AND WIN’
In stark language that echoed wartime rhetoric, Starmer declared Britain must restore its “war-fighting readiness” as the central purpose of the armed forces.
We are being directly threatened by states with advanced military forces, so we must be ready to fight and win,” Starmer wrote in The Sun newspaper.
Tyrants like Putin only respond to strength,” he told Parliament, warning that the threat from Moscow had entered a “new era” requiring a “generational response.”
Defense Secretary John Healey went even further, warning of:
- “Growing Russian aggression”
- “Daily cyberattacks”
- “New nuclear risks”
- “Increasing tension” worldwide
“We are in a world that is changing now… and it is a world of growing threats,” Healey told the BBC.
THE NUCLEAR THREAT
In a chilling escalation, reports suggest Britain is in talks with the US to acquire nuclear-capable F-35A Lightning fighter jets – marking what could be the largest expansion of UK nuclear deterrence capabilities in decades.
Senior military officials warned the world is entering a “third nuclear age” where:
- Russia’s aggressive policies
- China’s growing nuclear arsenal
- Instability in Iran and North Korea
- Increasing cyber attacks
…pose “serious threats to global security.”
The F-35A jets Britain is reportedly considering can carry the B61 thermonuclear gravity bomb – part of America’s stockpile of 3,708 nuclear weapons.
THE £17 BILLION GAMBLE
Starmer’s defense splurge will see spending rise from the current 2.3% of GDP to 2.5% by 2027 – an increase of £13.4 BILLION ($17bn) every year.
But the Prime Minister offered NO DETAILS on how Britain would fund further increases to reach his 3% target, which could cost an additional £20 billion annually.
Current defense spending breakdown:
- £64.4 billion for 2024-2025
- £67.7 billion for 2025-26
- One-third on equipment and technology
- One-fifth on personnel costs
The nuclear deterrent alone consumes:
- £110 billion over the next 10 years
- 38% of the entire equipment budget
- 20% of ALL defense spending
FOREIGN AID DEVASTATION
In what aid groups called a “devastating” and “appalling” move, Starmer will slash international development spending from 0.5% to just 0.3% of GDP – a 40% CUT.
That is not an announcement I am happy to make,” Starmer admitted, claiming it was necessary due to “hard choices.”
The cuts will devastate:
- Life-saving health programs in Africa
- Humanitarian aid to war zones
- Support for the world’s poorest
- UK’s global influence
David Miliband, former Foreign Secretary, warned: “The global consequences will be far reaching and devastating for people who need more help not less.
TRUMP’S 5% DEMAND
The announcement comes as President Trump demands NATO members spend a staggering 5% of GDP on defense – more than DOUBLE what most European nations currently spend.
Starmer flew to Washington immediately after the announcement, desperately trying to:
- Convince Trump to maintain Ukraine support
- Secure US “backstop” for European security
- Show Britain is serious about defense
The U.S. is our most important bilateral alliance,” Starmer said. “I want this relationship to go from strength to strength.”
WAR FACTORIES AND WEAPONS
The government unveiled plans for a £1.5 billion weapons manufacturing blitz:
- At least SIX new factories for weapons and explosives
- 7,000 long-range weapons to be manufactured
- Investment in AI for battlefield decision-making
- £1.5 billion extra for military housing
Potential growth sectors identified:
- Artificial Intelligence
- Autonomous systems
- Combat air
- Cyber warfare
- Missiles
- Nuclear submarines
- Quantum technology
- Space warfare
CRITICS BLAST ‘SHORT-SIGHTED’ CUTS
Opposition MPs and aid organizations savaged Starmer’s plan to fund military spending through aid cuts:
Liberal Democrat MP Monica Harding: “Slashing aid for the world’s poorest is short-sighted and a strategic and moral mistake that gives more leverage for Russia and China.
Romilly Greenhill (Bond network): “This is a short-sighted and appalling move. The UK’s aid budget supports basic health services, reproductive rights, life-saving interventions that are going to have to stop and people’s lives will unfortunately be lost.
International Rescue Committee: The cuts will have “far reaching and devastating” consequences for the world’s most vulnerable.
THE REAL COST
Defense analysts warn Starmer’s targets may be impossible to achieve without:
- Massive tax increases
- Unprecedented borrowing
- Further devastating cuts to public services
- Risk to economic stability
The Royal United Services Institute warns the current defense budget is already under “considerable stress” with:
- £7 billion gap in equipment plans
- Variance of up to £29.8 billion
- Nuclear program costs spiraling
- Existing capabilities being scrapped
LABOUR’S DEFENSE CONVERSION
Starmer’s hawkish stance marks a dramatic shift for Labour, traditionally seen as “weak on defense.”
The PM declared his “unshakeable” and “absolute” commitment to nuclear deterrence – going further than Tony Blair, who admitted he only renewed Trident after “some genuine consideration.”
Critics note Starmer is desperately trying to:
- Distance himself from Jeremy Corbyn’s pacifism
- Prove Labour’s defense credentials
- Appease Trump’s demands
- Counter Russian threats
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
With European nations scrambling to respond to Trump’s demands and Putin’s threats, Britain faces:
- Pressure to increase spending beyond 2.5%
- Demands for European “strategic autonomy”
- Need for massive military modernization
- Risk of new arms race
As one defense insider warned: “We’re entering uncharted territory. The question isn’t whether we can afford to spend more on defense – it’s whether we can afford NOT to.”
