Defence Secretary heads to Nato gathering without investment plan in place

David Lynch and Sophie Wingate, Press Association Political Staff

Britain’s new Defence Secretary said he was meeting his Nato counterparts at “a moment of challenge”, as he arrived in Brussels without a UK defence investment plan (Dip).

Dan Jarvis is meeting other Nato defence ministers at the alliance’s headquarters on Thursday, a day after Nato chief Mark Rutte said he expected all member states to soon present “clear, concrete and credible plans” for raising defence spending to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035.

But Mr Jarvis headed to the Belgian capital without the promise of extra funding to prepare the armed forces for the growing threat of Russia.

His predecessor John Healey resigned a week ago over a dispute at the heart of Government over the Dip, claiming the plan was only due to provide £13.5 billion extra investment in defence, far short of the £28 billion over four years which defence officials said was necessary to transform the UK’s armed forces.

The commitment Nato members are expected to meet by 2035 is split into a 3.5% GDP core defence spending commitment, and a 1.5% GDP commitment to wider resilience spending.

Mr Healey’s resignation letter also suggested the UK was only on course to spend 2.68% of GDP on core defence by 2030 as a result of commitments in the Dip.

The Dip remains unpublished after Mr Healey’s exit, though ministers insist it will be released before the Nato leaders’ summit in Ankara, Turkey, which begins on July 7.

In brief remarks to the press upon his arrival at the Nato gathering on Thursday, Mr Jarvis said it was “a huge honour to be appointed by the Prime Minister last week”.

He added: “It’s very clear to me, as the new Defence Secretary for the United Kingdom, that this is a moment of challenge.

“The international security is incredibly challenging, and that’s why this gathering here today is so particularly important.”

He said Nato allies must continue to support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion and bolster the alliance’s collective deterrence capabilities.

“Of course we want to work very closely with our European allies in terms of our own collective security, both for Europe and for the United Kingdom,” Mr Jarvis added.

In a challenge to Nato members issued on Wednesday, Mr Rutte said: “Ahead of the summit in Ankara, allies will highlight how they’re delivering on commitments made in The Hague last year. Investing 5% of GDP in defence by 2035. That’s what we agreed.

“So, I expect nations to present clear, concrete and credible plans to reach that goal. Ideally, well ahead of the agreed timeline. And many are already showing that they are doing exactly that.”

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday about Mr Rutte’s challenge, defence minister Louise Sandher-Jones said Britain will show Nato its “strong commitment” to defence by emphasising what it had already delivered, which she described as the “biggest increase in defence spending in a very long time”.