Starmer said the long-delayed defense investments would improve the armed forces, which are "underfunded and unable to cope with current threats." He emphasized that the investment does not violate the government's fiscal rules and would be financed by halting other projects.
Starmer described the canceled road and energy grid projects as "important but not of urgent vital importance."
The announcement of the plan was repeatedly delayed due to disagreements over funding. Starmer had originally pledged to present the plan before the NATO Ankara summit, scheduled for July 7-8. The delay deepened a political crisis that led to Starmer announcing his resignation last week. Defence Secretary John Healey had resigned in protest over the insufficient resources allocated to defense.
Healey accused Starmer and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves of "failing to provide sufficient resources to defend the country in an increasing threat environment." Within the party, pressure mounted for Starmer to resign to allow former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to take over the leadership.
Starmer, in an assessment to AFP, said the plan is a "game-changing investment" and that he hopes it will be one of the cornerstones of his political legacy.
The Ministry of Defence announced that over four years, more than £5 billion would be allocated to unmanned aerial vehicles and autonomous systems. The investment was noted to strengthen a wide range of capabilities, "from advanced autonomous mine-hunting drones to small tactical quadcopters and low-cost kamikaze drones."
Noting that the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have highlighted the role of drones and combat robots, the Ministry recalled that Ukraine uses about 200,000 drones per month in its war with Russia, and that at the peak of the war against Iran, 700 attack drones were launched per day in the Middle East.
Although Washington demands that its allies increase military spending to 5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2035, Starmer's plan only envisages a rate of 4.2%. The £15 billion package, which is well below the £28 billion previously requested by military leaders, together with other items such as £8 billion for next-generation stealth aircraft and £64 billion for modernization of nuclear deterrence, forms the main burden of the budget.
