Andy Burnham has told MPs he remains "committed" to raising UK defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030, appearing to go further than the government's previous careful avoidance of a firm deadline. The exchange came during Prime Minister's Questions after Labour's Tan Singh Dhesi, chairman of the Defence Select Committee, pressed him to set a clear timetable rather than waiting for a future fiscal event, warning that "vibes" were insufficient when national security was at stake. Kemi Badenoch also challenged him to abandon vague assurances and cut welfare spending to fund defence instead.

Current plans under the Defence Investment Plan would lift spending to 2.7 per cent of GDP by 2027-28, with Chancellor John Healey previously indicating that a path to 3 per cent would not be confirmed until next year's spending review rather than at next month's Budget. Healey had earlier resigned as defence secretary partly over the government's refusal to set out a timetable for reaching 3 per cent, and subsequently the NATO target of 3.5 per cent by 2035. Burnham told the Commons he would fully fund the Defence Investment Plan and set out a plan at the spending review to meet the NATO commitment by 2035, insisting there was "no problem" with the government's commitment to defence.