Andy Burnham faced pressure at Prime Minister's Questions to commit firmly to raising UK defence spending, after reports suggested the Government could drop its pledge to reach 3% of GDP by 2030. Labour's Tan Singh Dhesi, who chairs the Commons Defence Select Committee, told Burnham that "vibes alone" would not be enough given the heightened threat from Russia and reduced US focus on European security, urging him to set out a clear pathway rather than waiting for a future fiscal event. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also pressed Burnham, arguing the "honeymoon is over" and calling for welfare cuts to fund defence instead.

Burnham insisted there was "no problem" with the Government's commitment, pointing to a recent visit to Ukraine and pledging to fully fund the Defence Investment Plan, with a route to meeting the Nato target by 2035 to be set out at next year's spending review. The row follows John Healey's resignation as defence secretary over Keir Starmer's earlier defence plans, before Healey was made Chancellor by Burnham with an expectation of hitting 3% by 2030 and 3.5% by 2035; reports now suggest he may step back from the 2030 goal. Current proposals would raise spending to 2.7% of GDP by 2027/28, with the Treasury insisting further detail will follow at the next spending review.