Sir Keir Starmer faces a potential clash with Donald Trump at the White House next week after refusing to commit to spending more than 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence.
The Government is yet to say when it will increase defence spending from 2.3 per cent to the target, but Downing Street insisted on Sunday that the commitment remained unchanged.
The Prime Minister has faced pressure from military chiefs, and ex-defence ministers to go further and faster with the spending plans.
And the US President has suggested European NATO members should be paying as much as five per cent, repeatedly chastising allies for not digging deeper to boost security in Europe.
Starmer is due to join European leaders at an emergency meeting on Monday, as they consider how to respond to Trump’s push for an end to the war in Ukraine.
He will then head to Washington at the end of the month, where he is expected to inform the President of the outcome of the discussions.
Government sources indicated there were no plans to change the current strategy of setting out a roadmap to reaching 2.5 per cent in the coming months.
“The policy we stood on at the election was 2.5 per cent, that remains our policy commitment,” a No10 source said.
They dismissed reports suggesting the PM could overrule Chancellor Rachel Reeves by accelerating the rise in defence spending.
A timeframe for hitting the defence spending target is expected to be set out in spring, alongside a “strategic review” which will look at where the money is currently being spent.
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Read MoreIn November, The i Paper revealed the UK would not reach its defence spending target of 2.5 per cent for another decade under Treasury plans to keep costs down by setting the target for 2034.
Ahead of the election, Labour said it would “set out the path to spending 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence” and promised the target would be hit when public finances allow.
But even before that has been set out, Starmer is coming under pressure to go further and spend a greater proportion of GDP on defence.
The Sunday Times reported Starmer had met with the Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and the heads of the armed services, who are calling for spending to increase to a 2.65 per cent.
Former defence secretary Grant Shapps said the UK should reach “three per cent and beyond” on defence spending and criticised some European countries for not paying enough.
“We actually have countries in Europe who enjoy the freedoms that NATO and the construct brings them don’t pay a penny into European defence. So it’s not just that there are countries who still don’t spend two percent. There are countries that don’t spend anything,” he told Times Radio.
Shadow Defence Minister James Cartlidge told The i Paper the Government must set out its spending plans at speed.
“Since the very first debate after the election, in the King’s Speech debate on Defence, I’ve been warning Labour of the urgent need to increase defence spending – most importantly to enable rearmament at the pace and scale required given the threats we face,” he said.
“So if Labour are finally going to set out a plan to hit 2.5 per cent, that is welcome. But they need to make up for all that lost time since July in placing orders for new kit, not least to fire up our defence industrial base.”
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the Chancellor knew “more than most people the pressures on public services across the board, but defence has to be the cornerstone of our national prosperity as well as our security”.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “To ensure the UK is prepared to deal with the changing threat, our Budget increased defence spending by £2.9 billion for next year and we are committed to setting a path to 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence.
“The Strategic Defence Review is wide-ranging, ensuring we look hard at the threats we face and the capabilities we need to meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. As we have consistently said, the Review will be published in the Spring.”
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