Tuesday 30 Apr 2024 @ 13:10
Chatham House
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The UK defence budget increase is welcome but defers tough choices

EXPERT COMMENT

The government will need to be clearer on how the spending increase will be funded and where the UK will direct its focus.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has pledged to increase UK defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030, saying this would deliver ‘an additional £75 billion for defence by the end of the decade’.

Increasing the budget is a welcome boost for Britain’s armed forces and a prudent move in an increasingly hazardous geopolitical environment. However, it does not change the fact that even if this spending is fully delivered, hard choices remain for Britain’s military. For the UK to fund its existing ambitions, and respond to growing threats to European security, it may need to set a target closer to 3 per cent.

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Original article link: https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/04/uk-defence-budget-increase-welcome-defers-tough-choices

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