# UK considers Gordon Brown-style ‘off the books’ borrowing to fund defence

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/uk-considers-gordon-brown-style-off-the-books-borrowing-to-fund-defence/
- Published: 2026-10-30T11:15:04+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-04T05:18:25+00:00
- Original publisher: The Independent (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/healey-budget-defence-spending-borrowing-b3076235.html
- Topics: Culture, Fashion, Government, Politics, UK, World

## Key points

- Ministers are exploring off-the-books borrowing to fund defence.
- The target is 3 per cent of GDP by 2030.
- Detailed funding plans are due at next autumn’s Spending Review.

## Summary

The government is considering private finance initiatives and other borrowing options to help increase defence spending, potentially keeping some loans off the books. The proposals matter because ministers have committed to raising defence spending while facing questions about how to fund it and concerns about the effect of borrowing on public finances.

Defence Secretary John Healey is reportedly examining an international defence bank with allies, private firms funding equipment upfront and defence bonds. The Budget filled a £4.7bn gap in the defence investment plan and set a goal of spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030, on the way to the UK’s 3.5 per cent NATO target by 2035; detailed funding plans are due at next autumn’s Spending Review. Wes Streeting said private sector arrangements would differ from New Labour-era PFI deals and indicated other departments may face spending constraints.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.