- Andy Burnham, the likely successor to the outgoing prime minister, reportedly discovered a £4.7 billion funding shortfall in Sir Keir Starmer’s defence spending plan on the day it was published.
- The outgoing prime minister unveiled a £15 billion Defence Investment Plan (DIP) over four years, but chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed only £10.3 billion had been identified, with the remaining sum to be confirmed at Budget 2026.
- This means Mr Burnham will be responsible for securing the additional £4.7 billion in his first Budget, despite suggestions he was not fully briefed on the financial details beforehand.
- Defence minister Luke Pollard stated he also only saw the funding breakdown on the day of publication, though he insisted it is 'not unusual' for governments to finalise details at a later budget.
- The funding gap has been criticised by former Tory defence secretary Sir Liam Fox as a 'poisoned chalice' for Mr Burnham, while current Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis denied it was a deliberate challenge.
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