UK risks losing key global role unless defence spending rises | UK | News
Britain risks losing its top influence within NATO if it does not step up defense spending, a former senior military commander has warned, as concerns grow among allies about the UK’s rearmament plans.
Admiral Sir Keith Blount, NATO’s former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said the Government must set out a “clear path” to meet the alliance’s spending targets or risk Britain shifting from a leading role to a “following nation”.
His warning comes at a time when political uncertainty over future defense spending plans is deepening; Labor figures including Andy Burnham have reportedly signaled support for increasing military budgets above the £13.5 billion set out in the delayed Defense Investment Plan.
The row between senior figures and Downing Street over Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to continue publishing the plan before he resigned in July has increased tensions.
Sir Keir has previously pledged to increase defense spending to 3 per cent of GDP by the next parliament, but has yet to explain how this target will be achieved.
Admiral Sir Keith, who retired last week after a 40-year naval career, said the current course would leave Britain behind its allies.
Speaking to The Times, he said: “The UK is a nuclear power. The UK still has a bastion of prestige and influence that is clearly visible to the entire alliance.”
“But if the other major countries of the alliance outperform us in meeting capability targets and meeting the promise of defense investment, it is natural that allies, as a purely rational community of nations, would view these countries as deserving of greater influence.”
He warned that Britain’s position within NATO could weaken unless spending was increased, despite its long-standing leadership role within the alliance.
The United Kingdom has held the role of deputy commander of NATO continuously since 1951; this is seen as a significant source of influence alongside the United States, which has historically held the top military post.
But defense sources suggested persistent underinvestment could open the door for other major European powers, including Germany and France, to push for greater leadership roles in the future.
NATO has set a long-term target for its members to spend 3.5 percent of GDP on basic defense and 1.5 percent on broader security-related spending by 2035.
Current plans in the UK predict spending will reach around 2.68 per cent of GDP by 2030; Treasury projections suggest that the 3 percent threshold will not be met until 2034-35.
In contrast, German officials have stated that Berlin could reach NATO’s 5 percent overall target well before 2035 as Chancellor Friedrich Merz seeks to increase the country’s military power.
The UK currently sits at the bottom of the NATO league tables for meeting rearmament commitments and ranks 31st out of 32 members for progress towards capability targets. Only Iceland, which does not have a regular army, falls below this.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, the head of Britain’s armed forces, recently warned that Britain should be prepared to go “toe to toe” with Russia.
The government is expected to publish the Defense Investment Plan ahead of the NATO summit to be held in Ankara on July 7.
