Andy Burnham, Labour’s shadow chancellor, says he will not cut “social security” to fund increased defence spending, while declining to set out a timetable for when spending will reach 3% of GDP. During his second appearance at PMQs, he responds to questions about how additional defence funding would be delivered.
Across reporting, Burnham is described as linking the 3% figure to earlier statements but not committing to a specific schedule in this latest exchange. One outlet notes that he previously suggested reaching 3% by 2030. In the PMQs context, he is also pressed on whether funding plans would require reductions to welfare spending, and he rejects that premise.
The main difference in outlet coverage is emphasis: some focus on his refusal to provide a clear timeline, while others highlight his earlier indication that 2030 could be the target. Both accounts agree that Burnham maintains that social security should not be cut and that he does not set a fresh, detailed spending timetable during the questioning.
