Prime Minister Andy Burnham declined to commit to a timetable for reaching the target of spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence, refusing to give a firm date when pressed by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch in the Commons. He said his Chancellor, John Healey, would set out the path to the target at next year's spending review, though Healey's own reluctance to name a date has fuelled concerns he may be softening the pledge that triggered his resignation as defence secretary and helped bring down Sir Keir Starmer's premiership.

Healey has indicated the spending review, expected in spring 2027, will set out how the UK reaches the Nato commitment of 3.5 per cent of GDP by 2035 and will include a target date for hitting 3 per cent along the way. He has warned that a £5 billion funding shortfall will force "difficult decisions" at next month's Budget, while the Office for Budget Responsibility estimates hitting 3 per cent by 2030 would cost an extra £17.3 billion. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting also stopped short of committing to a timetable, and shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge accused Healey of "backtracking" on the pledge that ended Starmer's time in No 10.