Shadow defence secretary John Healey says that Rishi Sunak's government failed to commit to any new funding for defence in last week's autumn statement.
The comments appear to indicate that the MoD is expecting to draw on reserves held by the Treasury to bolster its budget - otherwise it will shrink in real terms.library, Labour studied a four-year settlement for defence, from 2021, agreed when Boris Johnson was prime minister as part of a sweeping Integrated Review of defence, security and foreign policy.The data put the amount of the defence budget spent on resources - known as resource departmental expenditure limit - at £33.
Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, had said this refresh would be completed by December. But, in his autumn statement, Mr Hunt indicated that it might not be until next year. "The prime minister and I both recognise the need to increase defence spending. But before we make that commitment it is necessary to revise and update the Integrated Review," the chancellor told MPs last Thursday.
"I have asked for that vital work to be completed ahead of the next budget and today confirm we will continue to maintain the defence budget at least 2% of GDP to be consistent with our NATO commitment."By contrast, Liz Truss, his short-lived predecessor, pledged to lift defence spending to 3% of national income by the end of the decade.
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