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'The significance of this is huge' | Starmer's defence speech analysed | LBC
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February 25, 2025
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February 25, 2025
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18:20Now PlayingDelivering an address to Parliament on Tuesday, Sir Kier Starmer announced a boost in UK defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027.
This bombshell announcement comes ahead of crucial talks with Donald Trump in Washington later this week.
Sir Kier said Britain should be proud of its support for Ukraine in the wake of Putin's invasion but must do more as tensions rise across Europe.
To pay for this £13.4 billion defence hike, Labour will slash foreign aid, just one of the many "hard choices" Britain will face in the coming years, Starmer said.
"Russia is a menace in our waters, in our airspace and on our streets," he told the Commons.
He added: "We must find courage in our history, courage in who we are as a nation, because courage is what our own era now demands of us.
"So starting today, I can announce this Government will begin the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War.
"We will deliver our commitment to spend 2.5%. of GDP on defence, but we will bring it forward so that we reach that level in 2027, and we will maintain that for the rest of this Parliament.
"And let me spell it out, that means spending £13.4 billion more on defence every year from 2027."
Even this is not far enough, Starmer continued as he pledged to raise spending to 3 per cent of GDP by the next Parliament.
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