Sir Keir Starmer's long-delayed Defence Investment Plan (Dip) has been published amid growing anger that the government is leaving the country defenceless. Nearly 10 months behind schedule, the plan was held back due to wrangling within the government over the amount of cash needed to fund the military.
Funding Shortfall and Resignations
A long-running dispute around the Cabinet table ended in the resignation of former defence secretary John Healey, who quit in protest at a lack of funding. His replacement, Dan Jarvis, has approved a new plan that will see billions poured into drones, with £5 billion being spent on the technology. However, the Dip allocates only £14.5 billion to the UK's military preparedness, several billion short of the £28 billion officials previously said was needed.
Critics Respond
Critics rounded on the announcement, warning it was “too little, too late.” Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge said the funding did not go far enough. “It is barely more money than John Healey and Al Carns resigned over when they said Britain would be 'less safe',” he told the Daily Express. Mr Cartlidge added that the Dip was not “worth the paper it's written on” as he warned the outgoing Prime Minister was in charge “in name only.”
Political Reactions
Mr Cartlidge repeated his call for the next Prime Minister, widely expected to be Andy Burnham, to “cut welfare and give our armed forces the funding they need to keep Britain safe.” Mr Burnham has left open the possibility that he could revisit the Dip, should he either win a contest or be anointed as Labour leader and the next prime minister. But the Tories warned that “it doesn't matter who is in charge, all Labour MPs want are more benefits, Labour are now the welfare party.”
Government Defense
Speaking ahead of the plans' launch, Sir Keir described it as a “game-changing investment” that would ensure the military had the resources needed to “deter evolving threats and keep the British people safe.” Mr Jarvis, the new Defence Secretary, has spent his two weeks in the job “refocusing” the Dip, Downing Street said, so that it will get the “latest kit” into the hands of the armed forces.
