Labour deny Trump is reason for Starmer’s defence spending boost: Politics live

Paul Johnson, the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said on Tuesday that ministers were playing “silly games with numbers” and had provided “totally inconsistent figures” measured against different benchmarks.

The think tank’s associate director, Ben Zaranko, had earlier suggested the increase in spending would amount to around £6 billion, rather than the £13.4 billion the PM had indicated.

Mr Zaranko said: “As a minor note to what is a major announcement, the Prime Minister followed in the steps of the last government by announcing a misleadingly large figure for the ‘extra’ defence spending this announcement entails.

“An extra 0.2 per cent of GDP is around £6 billion, and this is the size of the cut to the aid budget. Yet he trumpeted a £13 billion increase in defence spending.

“It’s hard to be certain without more detail from the Treasury, but this figure only seems to make sense if one thinks the defence budget would otherwise have been frozen in cash terms.”

The Conservatives have also said the figures “don’t seem to be completely right”.

The prime minister outlined plans for Britain to spend 2.5 per cent of its GDP on defence by 2027, up from 2.3 per cent currently, which he said amounted to a £13.4 billion annual uplift.

Read the full breakdown from Archie Mitchell here:

The Prime Minister revealed on Tuesday that he will host European leaders over the weekend to discuss future defence.

“I am hosting a number of countries at the weekend for us to continue to discuss how we go forward together as allies in light of the situation that we face,” he said.

The gathering is likely to feature a similar group who appeared at a recent summit convened in Paris, including leaders from Germany, Spain, Italy, France, the Netherlands and the EU Commission.

Sir Keir spoke with Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday following the French President’s visit to Washington DC.

The two leaders both “reiterated that Ukraine must be at the heart of any negotiations” during the phone call, according to Downing Street.

olicies can drift and diplomacy meander. As great powers try to resolve wars and conflicts, obfuscation and sleight of hand are inevitable and sometimes essential. But when a great power changes sides in the halls of the United Nations, it’s not a play – but a betrayal of their allies.

The conclusion is that, under the presidency of Donald Trump, the US cannot be considered an ally of other Western democracies and must now be treated as a potential foe.

In the world of espionage, he has been seen as a liability since he was last elected president in 2016.

Read the full analysis from our world affairs editor Sam Kiley here:

Defence secretary John Healey has suggested the real-terms increase in defence spending is “something over £6 billion”, after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer suggested it would mean spending £13.4 billion every year.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Mr Healey was asked about criticism of the figures and said “the definition of defence numbers can be done in different ways”.

He explained: “You can take it as a percentage of GDP, you can take it as cash terms.

“What Keir Starmer was talking about yesterday was the increase in hard cash that will be spent on defence in two years’ time compared to what’s being spent today.”

Pushed on whether the £13.4 billion figure would be correct if the assumption was that the Government did not increase the defence budget year on year in line with inflation, Mr Healey said: “Yes, that’s the cash… that’s a cash number.

“If we were increasing it … in real terms, taking in inflation, it would be something over £6 billion. Either way, this is a big boost for defence.”

John Healey said Donald Trump has been “very direct in his challenge” over defence in recent weeks.

Asked whether the increase in defence spending announced on Tuesday is linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s visit to the US president, the Defence Secretary told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “President Trump, over the last two weeks, has been very direct in his challenge.

“He’s reinforced the imperative and the importance of Britain making this commitment and helping other European countries to step up in a similar way.”

Asked whether the decision means it is expected the US president will be more willing to engage with the UK, Mr Healey said: “I’ve never had any doubt that President Trump and the US administration … recognise that the UK is the US’s closest defence and security ally, they’ve challenged us to help lead in Europe.”

He added that Sir Keir will be able to say to his American counterpart: “You are challenging Europe and the UK to step up on European security, on Ukraine, on defence spending, on reinforcing our industrial base. We are, and we will step up further.”

Defence secretary John Healey has insisted pressure from Washington is not the sole reason for the unexpected hike in defence spending, which will be funded by cuts to international aid.

Speaking from Wellington Barracks, Healey was asked if it is fair to say the UK would not be boosting defence spending if it weren’t for Donald Trump.”No, it’s not”, Healey says. “I was with Sir Keir Starmer back in April last year in Barrow when we made the commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of what this country produces.

“That’s a level we’ve not spent in this country for 15 years.”

He added that that this promise was made in Labour’s election manifesto but is being acted upon now as “the world has changed”.

New figures shared on the rise in defence spending by the Government “don’t seem to be completely right”, the shadow defence secretary said.

James Cartlidge told Times Radio: “It’s in the national interest that we increase defence spending, so I do support that in principle.

“Obviously, we’ve got some questions to follow up on some of what was said in terms of the figures because they don’t seem to be completely right in the cold light of day, it’s fair to say.

“But we obviously need to look at that, understand what it means, because there was this £13.4 billion extra – that is the entire aid budget and the aid budget is being cut by, we understand about 40 per cent, so we’re looking at where the difference arises.”

John Healey has said he thinks Donald Trump will welcome the UK’s increase in defence spending.

Sir Keir Starmer will travel to Washington on Wednesday for talks with the US president.

Asked on Sky News whether he thinks Mr Trump will be welcoming the Prime Minister given this announcement, Mr Healey said “I do” and suggested that Mr Trump has indicated as such.

“The new defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, said publicly look, ‘Keir Starmer’s step was a strong step from an enduring partner and the US-UK relationship’.

“They are our closest security ally, we are strong partners on trade, on economic growth, on technology.

“And Keir Starmer will be saying to President Trump, look, we have a special depth to our relationship that goes back decades, not just on security and defence, but that’s at its heart.

“And Keir Starmer will say we want to see that relationship go from strength to strength.”

The defence secretary has admitted that Sir Keir Starmer misled voters when he claimed the increase in defence spending meant a £13.4 billion yearly boost for the armed forces.

“If you did it in real terms, taking in inflation, it would be something over £6 billion,” Mr Healey told BBC Breakfast. “Either way, this is a big boost,” he insisted.

On Tuesday, Institute for Fiscal Studies director Paul Johnson accused Sir Keir of a “misuse of statistics”. Mr Johnson said it was “a major announcement as it is”, adding that it “does not need exaggeration”.

The £13.4 billion figure assumed an unrealistic counterfactual scenario in which defence spending would not have increased in line with inflation or remained at a constant percentage of Britain’s GDP. “Why governments of all ilks insist on over-egging like this is beyond me,” Mr Johnson said.