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Fri, 30 Oct 2026

Fri, 30 Oct 2026 Streeting denies 'kicking can down the road' in defence spending row

The government is under pressure to set out a path to greater defence spending, as ministers unveil plans to boost UK firms.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has denied that the government is "kicking the can down the road" on defence spending, despite criticism from MPs and defence analysts. The government faces pressure to hit its target of 3% of GDP on defence by 2030, but so far it has not set out a clear pathway to achieve this goal. Streeting defended the government's current approach, saying that increasing defence spending "does come at a cost to the country" and that waiting for next year's spending review was "the right thing to do". He also announced new investment rules requiring foreign firms awarded defence contracts worth over £50m to invest an equal value back into the UK. The Ministry of Defence will apply these rules on a case-by-case basis from April 2027. Streeting said that this policy would help achieve the target, but some critics argue that it is not enough and that the government needs to make more significant commitments to defence spending. Tan Dhesi, Labour chair of the Commons defence committee, criticized the government for delaying decisions on defence spending until next year's review, warning that without building capabilities now, "we risk leaving ourselves seriously vulnerable in the event of a major conflict". Streeting responded by saying that Dhesi's criticism was "unfair" and "unfounded", but Dhesi stood by his comments. Defence analysts have questioned the government's ability to deliver on its 2030 target and the Nato-wide target of 3.5% by 2035. The new investment rules are seen as an attempt to boost defence spending in a way that is palatable to politicians, rather than committing to significant cuts elsewhere in the budget.