Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has confirmed that “real progress” has been made this week on the long-delayed defence investment plan, though internal government work continues to “get it right” in the coming days. The plan, originally due last year, has been held back amid wrangling over funding levels for the armed forces.
Talks with Treasury Advance
In a sign that the blueprint for future-proofing the military could receive a funding boost, Jarvis indicated that discussions with the Treasury had moved forward recently. He told the Press Association: “I’ve been working very hard since I was appointed to satisfy myself that we’ve got the right resource and the right mix of capabilities.” Jarvis added that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is committed to publishing the defence investment plan before the NATO summit, which is scheduled for July 7.
Jarvis’ predecessor, John Healey, resigned earlier this month after the plan was only set to provide £13.5 billion in extra investment, which he described as falling “well short” of what is needed. Reports suggest a further £1 billion has been added to the plan since Healey’s departure.
Balancing Priorities
Jarvis acknowledged the need to balance defence spending with other government priorities. “There will always be a strong case, not least given the circumstances that we’re operating in, to spend more on defence, but people will understand that there has to be a balance that is struck, and I have to work very closely with colleagues in the Treasury,” he said. He emphasised that defence should be the UK’s “number one spending priority” and that the Prime Minister is focused on this.
The Defence Secretary also expressed support for Andy Burnham, the likely successor to Starmer as Prime Minister. Jarvis, who served as mayor of Sheffield City Region while Burnham was Greater Manchester mayor, said: “He was an exceptional mayor of Greater Manchester and I think he will be an excellent prime minister, he understands the importance of national security and making sure that we’ve got the right amount of resource to invest in our armed forces.”
Chancellor’s Assurance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves defended her record on defence spending, stating that the defence investment plan will be published “imminently” and will involve more money. Speaking during a visit to Ukraine, Reeves said: “I’m already the Chancellor that’s overseen the biggest uplift in defence spending since the end of the Cold War, but recognising the scale of the challenge we face today, we need to increase that amount further.” She added that the plan will be “a detailed account of how we’re going to spend that additional money to meet the scale of the challenges we face today, and crucially, the defence investment plan will be about the wars of tomorrow and today, not of the past.”
The move to publish the plan before the NATO summit could potentially cause friction with Burnham, who may want to have the final say on future military funding. However, Jarvis expressed confidence that the process is under way, building on a commitment to historic levels of defence funding.
