Defence Online

This pledge to meet the NATO commitment on 5% came as the Government published its National Security Strategy, drawing together all of the security work that has taken place since the General Election, with the relentless pursuit of British interests as its founding principle.

Marking a step change with the approach of previous governments, the National Security Strategy directly answers to the concerns of working people, aligning national security objectives and plans for economic growth in a way not seen since 1945.

This will increase investment in security, defence and resilience, delivering jobs, wages and growth for the British people to raise living standards and put more money in working people’s pockets.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “We must navigate this era of radical uncertainty with agility, speed and a clear-eyed sense of the national interest to deliver security for working people and keep them safe.

“That’s why I have made the commitment to spend 5% of GDP on national security. This is an opportunity to deepen our commitment to NATO and drive greater investment in the nation’s wider security and resilience.

“After all, economic security is national security, and through this strategy we will bring the whole of society with us, creating jobs, growth and wages for working people – guided by my Plan for Change.”

The UK has long argued that investment in things like energy security and tackling smuggling gangs is vital to national security. That is reflected in the National Security Strategy and the Spending Review and is now expected to be recognised by NATO.

With the new 5% commitment on national security, the UK expects a projected split of 3.5% (core defence) and 1.5% (resilience and security) to be agreed at the NATO summit, with a target date of 2035.

Under NATO’s new estimate, the UK expects to reach at least 4.1% of GDP in 2027. All Allies will review the trajectory and the balance of spend between defence and wider national resilience in 2029, when NATO next reviews its capability plans.

The National Security Strategy, with support from academics and other technical experts, reaffirms that the UK must become more competitive and robust in crucial areas like science, education, trade and frontier technology – or risk falling behind.

The benefits of increased investment in defence will be felt directly in the pockets of working people. This will extend to good, stable work in communities across the country – from doubling the number of apprentices and creating 9,500 jobs Berkshire by investing £15Bn in the sovereign warhead programme, to delivering 200 new jobs in BAE Systems’ new artillery factory in Sheffield or supporting 800 defence jobs across the country to build up to 7,000 long range missiles for the Armed Forces.

The National Security Strategy is also a call to action that our entire society needs to become more resilient, recognising that national security means more than it used to – from the security of our borders to the health of our economy, from supply chains to food prices and from safety on our streets to the online world.

The National Security Strategy brings together:

• Strategic Defence Review
• Strategic Security Review
• AUKUS Review
• Resilience Strategy
• China Audit
• Industrial and Trade Strategies

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