Conservatives: Response to John Healey’s Speech at Labour Party Conference

Shadow Defence Secretary, James Cartlidge MP, said:

“Today Labour once again declined to match our funded commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030.

“With only a vague aspiration to reach 2.5% and still no detail, the risk remains that crucial training programmes, projects and research and development investments are at risk of being cut back. This would damage the armed forces at the worst possible time.

“We will carefully study the army recruitment measures announced by the Government.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• In government, the Conservatives pledged to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent by 2030 – the largest strengthening of our national defence for a generation. We announced the biggest strengthening of our national defence for a generation, increasing defence spending to a new baseline of 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 – which would deliver an additional £75 billion for defence by the end of the decade (PMO, Press Release, 23 April 2024, link; The Conservative and Unionist Party Manifesto 2024, accessed 15 June 2024, link).

• Labour has not matched our commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030, putting our national security at risk. Labour have not matched our commitment to spend 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030 and will instead waste a year conducting a defence review while the world gets more dangerous (Labour Party Manifesto 2024, accessed 15 June 2024, link).

• The Conservative Government published the Integrated Review Refresh in 2023, setting out a plan to promote freedom, democracy, and global security. The Integrated Review Refresh included new commitments on defence spending, as well as measures from economic security to technology supply chains and intelligence expertise, to ensure we are never again vulnerable to the actions of a hostile power (PMO, Press Release, 13 March 2023, link).

• In government, the Conservatives led the world in defending Ukraine, committing £3 billion of military support this year and every year for as long as is necessary. The Conservative Government established a multi-year commitment for support commitment and was one of the leading donors to Ukraine, pledging over £12 billion in overall support since 2022 (MoD, Oral Statement to Parliament, 22 February 2024, link). 

• Conservatives established the AUKUS partnership in government, working with allies tosupport a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific. We launched the landmark AUKUS security partnership in 2021 to develop new technology with the United States and Australia, and to deepen the integration of our Armed Forces to protect peace in the Indo-Pacific (PMO, Policy Paper, 13 March 2023, link).

• Keir Starmer served under Jeremy Corbyn and campaigned to make him prime minister – who wanted to abolish our armed forces, scrap our nuclear deterrent, and withdraw from NATO. Keir Starmer campaigned for Jeremy Corbyn and said he would be a ‘great' Prime Minister, who wished to abolish our army, scrap our nuclear deterrent, and leave NATO (The Daily Mail, 14 September 2015, link; New Statesman, 29 July 2015, link, BBC Breakfast, 26 February 2019,archived).

• The Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary voted against renewing our nuclear deterrent – and Angela Rayner said she has not changed her mind since 2016. David Lammy, Angela Rayner, and six other members of the Cabinet voted against renewing Trident. In June 2024 Angela Rayner also said: ‘I haven't changed my mind' since the vote (Hansard, 18 July 2016, Division 46, link; The Daily Express, 27 February 2022, link; BBC News, 3 June 2024, link).