The Prime Minister also said he hopes that defence spending will increase to 3% in the next assembly, according to the financial situation.
The move will be funded by reducing international aid spending from 2027 to 0.5% to 0.3% of gross national income.
“This government will begin the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War,” Starmer told MPS, adding, “Intergenerational challenges require generational response.”
Additional funding means the UK will spend £13.4 billion on defense from 2027.
The Prime Minister also raised the importance of the UK’s intelligence reporting agency as “an increasingly important part of protecting both the US and our allies,” rising to 2.6% when defense spending is included.
Earlier this month, business secretary Jonathan Reynolds said that the UK’s “contribution to the Intelligence Reporting Agency should be considered part of its contribution to collective western security.”
