After she pressed for defence spending to be increased to 2.5% of GDP, Dame Priti added: “Given the threats our nation faces, I would urge the Government and the Foreign Secretary … to review and repurpose some of the 0.5% currently spent on ODA (official development assistance) to further our national defence, safety and security.”.
Mr Hunt, who was chancellor until the election was called in July last year, said the UK raising defence spending to match the US would secure the future of Ukraine and of Nato.
“It would mean that on Thursday, (Foreign Secretary David Lammy) and the Prime Minister could say to President Trump that we were increasing defence spending to 3% of GDP, or even 3.4% of GDP, as the United States itself does.
Former chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said cuts to adult welfare would allow Sir Keir Starmer to commit to increasing defence spending to more than 3% of GDP this week.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said she is “absolutely committed” to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence, and an increase in spending in line with what Labour promised in its manifesto will be done “in the proper way”.
