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Oct 25, 2026
Right-wing says Healey must fund 3% defence pledge or resign
Conservatives argue that a defence-spending pledge needs an immediate, fully funded timetable, while the government says targeted investment and a longer-term rebuilding programme are the more credible response to military shortfalls.
The row over defence funding has sharpened before the Budget, with Conservatives demanding a clear route to spending 3% of GDP by 2030 and the government presenting investment in British defence businesses as evidence of progress.
The Conservative argument is that the target cannot be deferred without weakening Britain’s preparedness at a time of heightened international risk. Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith said John Healey must either fully fund 3% spending in his Budget or resign, arguing that “you cannot have a strong economy without a strong defence.”1
Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge has made the same case in more prescriptive terms, calling for difficult spending choices — including welfare reductions — to release billions for defence. The party says an additional £10bn a year is needed, while warning that failure to publish a plan would amount to a “dereliction of duty.”1
The government’s approach differs both on timing and funding method. Healey is expected to announce billions for defence through the National Wealth Fund and British Business Bank, using long-term borrowing for investments intended to generate returns. The plans are described as a down payment on the 3% ambition rather than a complete timetable to reach it.2
Cartlidge has nevertheless welcomed potential support for UK defence start-ups and technology firms, saying it could accelerate an “uncrewed, artificial intelligence-driven transformation” of the armed forces.2 That overlap masks the broader dispute: Conservatives want immediate commitments financed by cuts elsewhere, while ministers argue their investment-led model can strengthen capability without adopting the opposition’s fiscal prescription.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has rejected Conservative criticism, saying the previous Conservative governments reduced Army numbers and left a £17bn equipment-plan gap. “They owe Britain an apology, not another lecture,” he said, while arguing Labour had delivered the largest sustained defence-spending increase since the Cold War.1