Outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday defended the government’s long-delayed defence spending plan in Parliament, amid scrutiny over funding and rising security concerns in Europe.
The plan aims to make Britain’s armed forces combat-ready as security threats increase, with warnings that Russia could pose a risk to a NATO member by 2030.
However, the commitment to spend an additional €15 billion came under question shortly after its announcement, as accompanying documents indicated that around one-third of the funding is yet to be identified and would need to be secured in a future budget.
Opposition Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch raised concerns over the funding gap in the Parliament.
In response, Prime Minister Starmer defended the proposal, stating that he was proud of the Labour government’s commitment to strengthening defence capabilities and added that any Labour Prime Minister would support the plan.
Photo: File/Outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a speech delivery outside No. 10 Downing Street in London, Britain, on June 22, 2026.
