New defence secretary Dan Jarvis says he has confidence that Andy Burnham, who is described as a prime minister-in-waiting, would support a planned increase in UK defence spending if Burnham becomes prime minister. Several reports cite Jarvis as saying Burnham will back his £15 billion defence spending uplift, linking the figure to a Defence Investment Plan announced during the week. The Evening Standard and BBC Politics both report that Jarvis secured the £15 billion uplift and frames it as part of his wider budget plan.
Jarvis’s comments are also reported alongside discussion of a longer-term spending target. The Guardian reports that Jarvis calls for Burnham to show a clear path to a 3.5% target for defence spending and to provide “evidence the trajectory” toward a NATO-related benchmark. The Guardian adds that meeting this approach would imply significantly higher annual spending by the middle of the next decade.
Other outlets similarly describe Jarvis expressing “assurance” that Burnham will invest in armed forces, while one report says Jarvis believes Burnham would ensure the military is properly resourced.
