Sir Keir Starmer\u2019s defence strategy has suffered a significant international setback after the US Ambassador to NATO branded Britain\u2019s approach to military spending \u201cincomplete\u201d, intensifying pressure on the Prime Minister to produce a credible plan to strengthen the Armed Forces.<\/p>\n
In unusually direct criticism from one of Britain\u2019s closest allies, Matthew Whitaker said the UK was \u201cnot where it needs to be\u201d on defence capability and urged the Government to \u201cdo its homework\u201d by setting out a long-term strategy to increase military spending to five per cent of GDP by 2035.<\/p>\n
The intervention is likely to fuel fresh concerns over Labour\u2019s defence policy after ministers failed to provide a timetable for increasing spending to three per cent of GDP, a target many defence analysts regard as the minimum needed to respond to an increasingly volatile global security environment.<\/p>\n
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Whitaker said: \u201cIncomplete is the grade I would give them right now \u2013 because I think there is great capacity in the UK to spend more on defence, to become more capable.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd where Britain\u2019s history has always been to have a strong and capable and ready defence apparatus, obviously, that\u2019s not where we are today.\u201d<\/p>\n
His comments represent one of the clearest public signals yet that Washington expects the UK to move more quickly in rebuilding its military capabilities following years of shrinking force levels and mounting geopolitical<\/a> threats.<\/p>\n The criticism comes after Labour unveiled its long-awaited Defence Investment Plan but stopped short of explaining how or when defence spending would reach three per cent of GDP.<\/p>\n The Government has also acknowledged that it has yet to identify the savings or additional revenue required to finance an estimated \u00a315 billion annual increase in defence expenditure.<\/p>\n Mr Whitaker suggested that Britain ultimately faces a straightforward economic and political<\/a> choice.<\/p>\n \u201cThe equation is quite simple,\u201d he said. You can either grow your economy<\/a>, which will create more room to spend money on defence, or you are going to have to make the difficult political choices.<\/p>\n His remarks echo growing concern across NATO that European allies must accelerate investment in military capability as Russia continues its war against Ukraine and security threats across the alliance intensify.<\/p>\n While Mr Whitaker reaffirmed that Britain remains a \u201cserious ally\u201d, he made clear that Washington expects detailed plans<\/a> rather than broad commitments.<\/p>\n We\u2019re expecting them to do the things they need to do, long term to do their homework and to come up with a credible plan<\/a> that by 2035 will get them to the five per cent,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe UK is a serious ally. We want them to be more capable and more ready\u2026 But as of today, we\u2019re not quite there.\u201d<\/p>\n The comments are likely to resonate in defence circles after NATO members agreed at last month\u2019s summit in The Hague to work towards spending equivalent to five per cent of GDP on defence and wider security-related investment over the coming decade.<\/p>\n The intervention has handed fresh ammunition to Labour\u2019s political<\/a> opponents.<\/p>\n Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge argued the Government\u2019s defence strategy had \u201ccompletely unravelled\u201d, claiming Britain\u2019s allies<\/a> were now openly questioning Labour\u2019s credibility on national security.<\/p>\n He accused ministers of failing to explain how additional military investment would be funded, arguing that difficult fiscal decisions had been repeatedly postponed.<\/p>\n The criticism also lands at a politically sensitive moment, with Andy Burnham widely expected to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as Labour<\/a> leader later this month. Whoever takes charge will inherit mounting pressure to reassure both financial markets and Britain\u2019s allies that the Government can finance higher defence spending without undermining its broader fiscal commitments.<\/p>\n The dispute highlights the increasingly difficult balancing act facing the Government<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ministers have pledged to maintain strict fiscal discipline while simultaneously increasing investment in defence, infrastructure and public services.<\/p>\n