UK’s Starmer visits defence contractor ahead of new defence spending plan

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday visited a defence contractor in Wiltshire to announce that the government’s long-delayed Defence Investment Plan will be published before the July 2026 NATO summit. Starmer described the upcoming plan as another step up in military spending, despite ongoing Cabinet debates over budget constraints.

During his tour, he reiterated the goal to boost defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027. However, reports indicate that Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves are considering scaling back an anticipated £18 billion military funding boost over affordability concerns.