Ms Reeves’ comments come as US president Donald Trump pressures European allies in Nato to boost their own share of the cost of defence as the administration brokers a deal with Russia to end the Ukraine war.
Asked if he would have announced a defence spending boost if Donald Trump were not in the White House, Sir Keir admitted that he agrees with the US president’s stance on defence.
Ms Reeves said in the Telegraph that the government will publish a new defence industry strategy in the coming months “to deliver British jobs, skills and innovation”, arguing should be making defence equipment to sell to the world.
In a move to underscore the reasoning behind the controversial budget shift, the chancellor wrote in The Telegraph it was the duty of the government to respond to Russian aggression by increasing defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP in the next to years, before going further following the next election.
The chancellor said Britain had stepped up at “every moment of history” when the world became less secure, referencing Winston Churchill’s stance against Nazi Germany, the post-war Labour government’s involvement in founding Nato, and the previous Conservative government’s support for Ukraine.
