PM pushes Nato to ‘step up’ spending on defence
BORIS Johnson will today push for Nato allies to spend more on defence – despite facing a row back home for abandoning a pledge to boost funding.
The Prime Minister wants to raise the minimum amount members devote to their military to above two per cent of national income in the face of Russia’s aggression.
But he has dropped his own manifesto commitment to increase defence spending by 0.5 per cent above inflation.
It has put him on a collision course with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who want a 20 per cent hike to shore up the response to Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Wallace yesterday issued a stark warning that Britain’s military has had to survive on “a diet of smoke and mirrors, hollowedout formations and fantasy savings”.
Government insiders confirmed the manifesto promise for the defence budget to be increased “by at least 0.5 per cent above inflation every year of the new parliament” was shelved after the pandemic.
But Mr Johnson the commitment would be met by 2025. He said en route to the Nato summit in Madrid: “We are confident we will meet that. Last year we were the third biggest defence spender in the world. We’ve another £24billion going in under the current spending review, the biggest since the end of the Cold War. We are running at 2.3 per cent of our GDP going on defence.”
But he indicated he would push for a more ambitious defence spending target among allies. Mr Johnson said they need to “step up” to deal with the greater uncertainty and pressures the West faces. He will tell the summit today that two per cent “was always meant to be a floor, not a ceiling”.
Mr Wallace warned: “Investment needs to continue to grow before it becomes too late to address the resurgent threat.” And Ms Truss told MPs: “The free world did not spend enough post the Cold War and we are now paying the consequences.” Meanwhile, it emerged Turkey has done a U-turn and will support Finland and Sweden’s bid for Nato membership.