Starmer defies critics to publish defence plan before Nato summit

WorldPolitics
23 Jun 2026 • 8:58 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Starmer defies critics to publish defence plan before Nato summit

  • Outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is pressing ahead with plans to publish the controversial Defence Investment Plan (Dip) in the coming weeks.
  • The Dip is expected to be unveiled before the Nato summit in Ankara, which begins on 7 July, a deadline confirmed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy.
  • Sir Keir will still be in office for the publication, as nominations for his successor are not due to open until after the summit.
  • The plan has faced significant opposition, leading to the resignations of former defence secretary John Healey and armed forces minister Al Carns over concerns about its funding.
  • Andy Burnham, currently the frontrunner for the Labour leadership contest, has called for the Dip to be delayed until he is in Downing Street, expressing a desire to review the plan himself, according to a report in The Times.

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