‘No doubt’ about Healey’s commitment to defence spending, says Streeting

Wes Streeting has said there is “no doubt” about the Chancellor’s commitment to defence investment amid questions about plans to spend more on the military.The Defence Secretary said John Healey would provide funding for the Defence Investment Plan (Dip) at next month’s Budget before setting out a timetable for spending 3% and then 3.5% of GDP on defence at next year’s spending review.He said: “There should be no doubt about the Chancellor’s commitment to investing in our defence.”Defence spending is a key issue for Mr Healey, who resigned as former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer’s defence secretary over what he saw as inadequate funding for the Dip.Chancellor John Healey has said defence will be ‘central’ to the spending review (Matthew Horwood/PA)PA WireIn his resignation letter, he said he was “certain that a headmark date for 3% of GDP on defence in 2030 is what Britain must set” before reaching its Nato commitment of spending 3.5% by 2035.But since becoming Chancellor under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, reports have suggested Mr Healey could back away from reaching his own 3% target by 2030.Plans set out in the Dip will see defence spending rise to 2.7% of GDP by 2027/28, but there are no firm details on how further increases will be achieved beyond that date.The Treasury has consistently said the Government will set out plans for reaching both 3% and 3.5% at the spending review, due to take place next year.Mr Healey himself has said defence will be “central” to the spending review.