Key facts
- A long-delayed UK defence investment plan will be published on Tuesday.
- The plan includes £5bn for drones and autonomous weapons.
- The Treasury and No 10 agreed to a £13.5bn funding increase, less than the £28bn requested.
- The plan has been refocused to incorporate lessons from the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran.
- Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is pushing the plan forward before his departure from Downing Street.
A long-delayed defence investment plan (DIP) is set to be published on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stating it will ensure Britain's future security. The plan includes a significant £5bn investment aimed at increasing the Armed Forces' capabilities in drones and autonomous weapons, reflecting lessons learned from recent conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
This publication follows months of tense negotiations over funding, with the Treasury and No 10 ultimately agreeing to a £13.5bn increase, falling considerably short of the £28bn initially sought by the Ministry of Defence. The funding shortfall led to the resignations of former Defence Secretary John Healey and Armed Forces Minister Al Carns, who deemed the plan insufficient.
Despite these funding disputes and political criticism from the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, Sir Keir Starmer is proceeding with the DIP's release. The plan is intended to outline how new equipment and defence infrastructure will be financed over the next decade. It is also seen as a crucial step ahead of the upcoming Nato leaders summit.
Reports suggest that Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has managed to secure some additional funds and has refocused the DIP to better address modern warfare, particularly the evolving role of uncrewed systems. Andy Burnham, a leading contender to succeed Starmer, has reportedly reviewed and approved the plan, though this has not been officially confirmed.
Political opponents have criticized the plan, with the Conservatives calling it "too little, too late" and the Liberal Democrats stating it "dangerously short-changed" the armed forces. Unions and defence firms had also warned that delays threatened jobs, skills, and national security.