- New prime minister Andy Burnham has not committed to increasing defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030, a target previously advocated by his new chancellor, John Healey.
- John Healey, who resigned as defence secretary in June over insufficient military funding, had pushed for defence spending to rise to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030, up from the planned 2.7 per cent.
- The government is not considering 'defence bonds' – borrowing specifically for the military – as a solution to fund higher defence spending, despite Healey having previously indicated he would consider them.
- New defence secretary Wes Streeting signalled that spending could increase under the new government but also stopped short of committing to the 3 per cent target.
- Mr Streeting affirmed Britain's commitment to international obligations, including spending 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2035, and emphasised reindustrialisation, innovation, and supporting the armed forces.
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