New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has not committed to former defence secretary John Healey's call for defence spending to rise to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030, leaving uncertainty over how quickly funding for the armed forces will increase. Healey resigned as defence secretary in June, arguing the existing defence investment plan left the military underfunded and criticising Sir Keir Starmer for failing to set a clear timetable for meeting Nato spending obligations; he has since been appointed chancellor under Burnham.

Defence spending had been due to reach 2.7 per cent of GDP by 2030, a figure Healey wanted raised to 3 per cent, alongside possible use of "defence bonds" to help fund the increase, though Burnham's government is not understood to be pursuing that option. A Downing Street spokesperson said only that commitments to international partners would be honoured, with more detail to follow, while new defence secretary Wes Streeting suggested spending could rise faster but also stopped short of endorsing the 3 per cent target, instead pointing to Britain's existing pledge of 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2035 and declining to rule out tax rises to help pay for it.