Claims
Rishi Sunak"We will increase defence spending to a new baseline of 2.5% of GDP by 2030."
Grant ShappsGovernment proposals "will result in a £75 billion cash boost to our nation’s defences over six years from a flat cash baseline."
Paul JohnsonThe government's £75B commitment to defense was "misleading and opaque."
Ben Zaranko"It's only a "£75 billion increase" over 6 years if you assume that spending would otherwise have been frozen in cash terms."
Torsten Bell"The degree of fiscal commitments, fictions being built up for after this election is a real problem."
Paul Johnson"Numbers used in describing increase in defence spending are impenetrable, misleading & internally inconsistent."
Kevan Jones£75B in defense spending "is just an empty promise and a political slogan."
Institute for Government"Rishi Sunak’s higher defence spending announcement does not add up."
John Healey"We share the ambition to hit 2.5% [of GDP on defense spending]."
Paul JohnsonLabour's commitment to raise defence spending to 2.5% when conditions allow is "a literally meaningless commitment."
Full Fact"[T]he increase [in defense spending] by 2030 is expected to be around £20 billion."
Torsten Bell"This [a defense spending increase to 2.5% of GDP] is a lot easier to announce than deliver."
Grant Shapps"We've ... set out our aspiration to reach 2.5% of GDP on defence and ... we'll continue to strive to reach that as soon as possible".
John Healey"[T]here is nothing cast-iron about the figures, the plan or, indeed, the proposals for paying for it."
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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 7.15.0
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 7.15.0