Britain ‘needs to go faster’ on defence spending, Starmer says

The Guardian World
by Dan Sabbagh Defence and security editor
February 16, 2026
PM says ‘we need to step up’ but sources clarify that is unlikely to mean spending 3% of GDP before next election Keir Starmer has said Britain “needs to go faster” on defence spending, though any increase to military budgets in this parliament would probably not be as high as the £15bn suggested in an overnight report. At a press conference in south-west London, the prime minister was asked to comment on a BBC report that No 10 wanted to increase the defence budget to 3% of GDP by 2029. Continue reading...
Verticals
worldpolitics
Originally published on The Guardian World on 2/16/2026