Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer faced immediate backlash on Tuesday after unveiling the UK's new Defence Investment Plan.
Military experts warned the £15 billion funding boost fails to adequately prepare the nation for potential conflicts.
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The newly published Defence Investment Plan adds £15 billion to the defense budget, prioritizing drones and autonomous weapons.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed the final amount, which increased from an initial £13.5 billion proposal but falls far short of the £28 billion that defense officials previously stated was necessary.
Internal Disputes and Resignations
Internal disputes within Whitehall over the funding level significantly delayed the plan's publication from last year.
These disagreements ultimately resulted in the resignation of former Defence Secretary John Healey, who stepped down in protest before new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis took over.
Co-author of the 2025 Strategic Defence Review, General Sir Richard Barrons, criticized the funding scope.
He noted that while publishing the document represents progress and contains a transformative element, the financial commitment remains inadequate for national security.
“It is still not going to crack the issue,” Barrons said on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
He warned that the UK is falling behind both its global allies and adversaries.
“We’re not keeping up with our allies, we’re certainly not keeping up with our enemies, and we know that the US is no longer going to come and save European security in the face of a Russian threat,” he added.
