Ministers call for defence spending of 2.5% of GDP

Ministers call on the government to increase defence spending to 2. 5% of national income. They say the world is no longer benign and there is no time for delay. It follows criticism of this week’s Budget for failing to meet the target.

It is the first time the UK has failed to meet its 2% target in a decade. We cannot turn on the complex platforms and weapons which ensure military advantage overnight. And effective investment means that our industrial complex must grow and strengthen at a much greater pace than at present. We need to invest in the future of our country.

We must invest in our future. We can’t rely on the past. Ministers often lobby the chancellor before budgets, sometimes publicly, but it is unusual for them to speak out afterwards. It is understood that both ministers remain fully supportive of Mr Hunt and government policy to reach 2.

5% of gross domestic product as soon as possible. The gap between the MoD’s budget and the cost of the UK’s desired military capabilities had risen to £16. 9bn on Friday. Defence Secretary Grant Shapps wrote to Mr Hunt in January calling for a commitment to 2.

5% in the Budget. A source close to him said he did not play any part in the LinkedIn article. The piece was not cleared by Downing Street, either, but a No 10 source said that this was normal for social media posts.

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