Mark Rutte, NATO’s Secretary General, has said Britain will double its defence spending in ten years under commitments made in the recent Budget, and is now catching up with Germany, according to remarks made on board HMS Prince of Wales in Oslo.
Introduced by Wes Streeting, the Defence Secretary, at the Atlantic Future Forum, Rutte thanked the government for the Budget announcement, saying Britain had committed to reaching 3 per cent of GDP in 2030 on a path to NATO’s 3.5 per cent core defence target by 2035. He said: “It also means that the United Kingdom will double its defense spending in 10 years. This is incredible number.”
He went on: “I always said where Germany is doubling its defense spending in eight years, that they will spend more than the French and the Brits combined. That’s not any longer true, because now the UK is really catching up, and this will also help to develop the warfighting capabilities that NATO needs to keep our people safe.”
Streeting told the audience that Britain is already delivering the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War, and that the Chancellor had said at the Budget that more would come at next year’s spending review.
He said: “but it’s not just about spending more. It is about spending more wisely. Investment is a statement of our commitment, but capability is the demonstration of our credibility.” Streeting, who praised former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s move to become Norway’s finance minister, said: “I’m all in favor, by the way, of people with extensive experience in defense becoming finance ministers. We’ve got a great one in John Healey in the UK, and it’s doing rather well for the Ministry of Defense.”
Healey quit as Defence Secretary over a funding row before becoming Chancellor. Britain’s earlier plan had been to reach 3 per cent in the next Parliament. Rutte said five allies are projected to reach or exceed the full 5 per cent target in 2026.
Don’t hold your breath 😶
“Britain had committed to reaching 3 per cent of GDP in 2030 on a path to NATO’s 3.5 per cent core defence target by 2035”
Core defence budget, nope they have said no such thing, they are included everything with a vaguely Security connection.
So aircraft carriers and the lesbian woman officers society all get funded.
Hi John, you will be pleased to know there is no such thing as the core defence. Most of the vital interest that we actually need to spend money on like military aid to Ukraine, intelligence and nuclear weapons are often sighted on here as not being “core” defence items when the reality is these things are far more important that the combined utility of the other three services combined.
When your an island nation thousands of miles away from your enemy and your enemy has a small navy you don’t engage them with a big army of your own. You do it by supporting Allie’s with an army in the field with intelligence and money while simultaneously providing the rest of your Allie’s with a strategic backstop (nuclear weapons) so they can’t be bullied or coerced by the enemy,
It’s all defence spending which is what NATO recognises is as so.
Afternoon Jim,
My slightly tongue in cheek reply is based on a Government minister being pressed on what the eventual 3% would be paid on, was it core military spending on the armed forces including SIS, or did they also intend to include, armed forces pentions, policing, MI5, border force etc.
He was flustered and immediately defensive, I regard that as ‘suspect’ to say the least. I strongly suspect they will lump it all in together and annonce 3% with much fanfare, when the actual amount on the Armed forces remains about 2.7%!
The only figure that matters is the core figure, the rest is window dressing.
Do I trust any politicians to do the right thing, nope, absolutely none of them….
The UK follows NATOs definition of core spending. It’s the same as all other members use.
I don’t know what you’re moaning about with lesbians, maybe stop following all the news sites that do nothing but sell rage bait to boomers.
Year Germany United Kingdom
1995 1.49% 2.85%
2000 1.34% 2.37%
2005 1.23% 2.42%
2010 1.24% 2.57%
2015 1.12% 2.05%
2020 1.36% 2.16%
2024 1.89% 2.28%
Source: SIPRI military expenditure data, as presented by World Bank and compiled historical series.
Meanwhile in the real world, ship and submarine availability continues to decline . Delusional to claim the RN has turned a corner.