Jarvis says Labour must 'meet the moment' on defence spending

Britain's new Defence Secretary, Dan Jarvis, has declared the government must "meet the moment" by increasing defense spending to address rising threats. Jarvis, who recently replaced John Healey, emphasized his responsibility to ensure the armed forces receive adequate equipment and funding, despite significant fiscal constraints.

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That is the challenge that we have at a point of constrained fiscal resource, and I will be working with my colleagues across Government to make sure that we're in a position to do that.

"That is the challenge that we have at a point of constrained fiscal resource, and I will be working with my colleagues across Government to make sure that we're in a position to do that," Jarvis told the Sunday Telegraph. His predecessor, John Healey, had accused Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of failing to provide sufficient funds to "defend the country at a time of rising threats."

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defend the country at a time of rising threats

Jarvis, a former army officer, is reviewing the details of the government's defense investment plan, which is slated for publication before the NATO summit next month. He expressed a "very strong weight of responsibility" to ensure military personnel have everything they need. Healey's resignation, triggered by internal disputes over the plan's funding, also led to the departure of armed forces minister Al Carns.

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I feel a very strong weight of responsibility to them to make sure that they've got everything they need to do the difficult job that we ask of them. I am utterly determined to make sure that we do that.

The defense investment plan, outlining how new military equipment and infrastructure will be financed over the next decade, has faced repeated delays since its original autumn deadline. While the government has committed to increasing defense spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035, Healey had argued for reaching 3% by 2030 and criticized the proposed additional funding of £10 billion as insufficient. It is understood that available funds may not change, but Jarvis will have the opportunity to re-evaluate spending priorities.

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proud of our record on funding