{"id":10867,"date":"2026-01-09T16:27:22","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T16:27:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=10867"},"modified":"2026-01-09T16:27:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T16:27:22","slug":"uk-facing-28bn-defence-spending-gap-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/microvibenews.com\/?p=10867","title":{"rendered":"UK facing \u00a328bn defence spending gap claims"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Paul Seddon<\/span>Political reporter<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The government is refusing to deny reports that plans to make Britain’s armed forces “war ready” will require billions more than it has allocated so far.<\/p>\n

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) believes it will require an extra \u00a328bn over the next four years to meet its forecast costs, according to The Times<\/a> and The Sun<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The department’s investment plan has been delayed, with Sir Keir Starmer reportedly ordering a rewrite of the proposals.<\/p>\n

The plan was initially supposed to have been completed in autumn last year, but could now not emerge until the spring. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The document is due to set out how new equipment and defence infrastructure will be funded over the coming decade, following a wide-ranging review of Britain’s capabilities published in June<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n

The review pledged billions in extra spending for extra ammunition, next-generation fast jets, drones, and new attack submarines, as ministers pledged to move the UK to “war-fighting readiness”.<\/p>\n

According to the reports, the projected \u00a328bn shortfall was made by MoD officials in an internal assessment conducted last year.<\/p>\n

Sir Richard Knighton, the chief of the defence staff, delivered the forecast to Sir Keir, Chancellor Rachel Reeves in the run-up to Christmas at a meeting in Downing Street, it is reported.<\/p>\n

The prime minister’s spokesman said he would not discuss “specific meetings,” but acknowledged that the armed forces were facing additional demands, including a potential deployment to Ukraine<\/a> to police any deal to end its war with Russia.<\/p>\n

Asked several times if he could deny there was a \u00a328bn spending gap, he said he could only reiterate the spending pledges already made by the government.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Spending warnings<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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The MoD’s budget is due to rise by 3.6% in real terms by 2029, under departmental spending plans fixed last year.<\/p>\n

The increase was weighted towards the long-term investment budget, which pays for new military kit, rather then the day-to-day budget that covers things like administration costs and salaries.<\/p>\n

This is not the first time that there have been warnings about the MoD’s ability to fund its spending commitments.<\/p>\n

The investment plan is meant to replace decade-long “equipment plans” released on a rolling yearly basis until 2022, when the department halted publication whilst it assessed the effect of “extraordinary inflation” on its plans.<\/p>\n

An analysis published by the department in December 2023, under the previous government, found that the MoD’s most recent equipment plan was forecast to exceed its budget by \u00a316.9bn.<\/p>\n

A report by MPs published the following year said the biggest cause of that shortfall came from spiralling costs from maintaining the UK’s nuclear weapons system, alongside inflation.<\/p>\n

The delay to the investment plan has also delayed the release of a separate document detailing yet to be specified “productivity savings” within the department worth \u00a36bn between now and 2029. <\/p>\n

An MoD spokesperson said it was working “flat out” to finish the investment plan, adding that Labour had inherited an “underfunded defence programme” from the previous government. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

#facing #28bn #defence #spending #gap #claims<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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