PM and Burnham at war over defence: Starmer bid to settle military cash blueprint BEFORE No10 changeover
On Tuesday night, a civil war broke out in the Labor Party after Keir Starmer introduced military spending plans – including cuts to defense capacity – before Andy Burnham took over at No 10.
Sir Keir’s mandate to deliver the ten-year Defense Investment Plan (DIP) has angered the Prime Minister’s allies and sparked criticism from a former Civil Service chief.
The outgoing Prime Minister wants to present the DIP ahead of next month’s NATO summit, despite anger over our armed forces’ failure to meet their needs.
Military chiefs have warned that Sir Keir’s planned £10bn increase in defense spending over four years falls well short of requirements as operations deemed critical to national security will need to be ‘dialbacked’.
Sources close to Mr Burnham declined to comment in detail about his views on defense spending, but it is understood he wants to examine the plans and ‘make the decision himself’.
He is thought to have discussed the matter privately with both John Healey, who left the defense ministry earlier this month over the plan’s lack of funding, and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who is among those tipped as a potential successor to Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
An ally of Mr Healey said: ‘We know that this DIP deal is grossly inadequate and that an incoming Prime Minister would still have to meet the same requirements. ‘Therefore it becomes clear that an immature DIP is now a strong argument against its publication.’
Former Cabinet Secretary Lord Case has claimed the outgoing Prime Minister would be ‘wasting his breath’ if he put forward proposals that were later dropped by his successor.
Sir Keir Starmer moves to deliver controversial Defense Investment Plan before leaving office
Andy Burnham, seen as Sir Keir’s possible successor, is said to want to personally decide on defense spending plans
Kevan Jones, chairman of parliament’s intelligence and security committee, also told the Daily Mail it made no sense for Sir Keir to sign such a critical decision just days before leaving office.
The former Labor defense minister said: ‘If it is published in this way it will be at the top of every new prime minister’s agenda because the issue of national security cannot be ignored.
‘There is no point in putting forward a plan now to save the Prime Minister from blushing at the NATO summit if it is to be revisited immediately by his successor.’
On Tuesday night, Dan Jarvis, appointed Defense Secretary by Sir Keir following Mr Healey’s resignation, confirmed the DIP would be published ahead of the NATO meeting in Ankara on 7 July.
In his opening speech at the RUSI Land Warfare Conference in London, Mr Jarvis explained that DIP would ‘deliver significant savings’.
He said he spent his 12 days as defense secretary ‘examining every item of spending to make every pound count’.
The DIP could now be published in the coming days after Mr Jarvis said it was ‘urgent’.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch reminded the Government on Tuesday that the UK spends ‘a third of a pound’ on benefits and just ‘a seventh’ on the armed forces.
