There is no doubt that the world is in a more fragile state than it has been for decades, making it no surprise that the government has decided now is the time to meet the NATO 5 per cent spending pledge on defence, up from 2.3 per cent. This marks the largest peacetime investment in defence from the United Kingdom since the Cold War of the 1980s and serves as a harrowing sign of the direction the world finds itself heading. One thing must be made clear – the government is right to make this investment in defence and should have the full backing of every British political party.
On matters of national security, politics must be pushed aside and a cross- party consensus must be formed which embodies a shared interest to not just protect the country, but to keep global tensions at bay. With today’s announcement, the government has taken a necessary and overdue step to meet the threats of an increasingly volatile world.
UK boosts defence spending to 5% amid rising global tensions
Increasing defence spending to five per cent of GDP is not a headline-grab; it is a signal to adversaries and allies alike that Britain is serious about protecting its people, interests and values. This uplift will enable meaningful investment in our armed forces, intelligence services, cyber capabilities and long-range deterrence. For too long, defence has been managed in the margins; today’s announcement changes that. It sends a message that the UK will no longer be caught off-guard by global threats – it will be prepared to meet them.
“In the face of rising global risks, strengthening our defences should be the cause that unites Westminster”
The largest threat to the West, which has become prevalent in the last two weeks after strikes from Israel, is the Iranian regime and their bid to create a nuclear weapon. Intervention from President Trump on three key nuclear sites, which has the support of both the UK government and the Conservatives, will no doubt create a sense of unease from US and UK citizens; however, these strikes to minimise the nuclear threat were completely necessary.
A nuclear weapon in the hands of the Iranian regime will mean another hostile threat to contend with. A threat which, in retrospect, we would have hoped to eradicate whilst we still had the chance, with US intervention being the only way to minimise this threat, with President Trump’s strike being proportionate to the perilous situation at hand. The apparent ceasefire announced by Trump between Israel and Iran will serve as welcome news to the increasingly hostile situation in the Middle East.
Even without the events of the last fortnight, there has been a steady buildup of tension in international relations between many countries across the globe. As one of the closest allies of the biggest global force, being the United States, the United Kingdom needs to be prepared to protect the shared interests of our nations, meaning putting more capital towards being prepared.
Right now, Britain looks frail on the defence front and must anticipate global events to deteriorate and act accordingly. In order to act accordingly, the resources must be facilitated, which this boost in defence spending brings about.
De-escalation in the Middle East, as Starmer has put it, is now the main objective of the UK government; however, the Prime Minister must be cautious not to attempt to downplay efforts to eradicate a legitimate threat for the sake of being politically savvy.
The Prime Minister, your political fortunes are rarely in your hands. Starmer will quickly realise what Prime Ministers in the past have had to contend with; doing the right thing on matters of national security means you have to sacrifice your popularity ratings.
History has shown what happens when the UK is caught flat-footed. In the 1980s, it took the shock of the Falklands invasion to jolt a generation of policymakers into realising the value of readiness. Today, it should not take a direct crisis to remind us of that same lesson. The cost of preparedness may be high, but the cost of regret is always higher.
As close allies, the UK and US must now move forward with both resolve and restraint. Military strength must be matched by diplomatic judgement. Escalation cannot be a default setting, nor can paralysis. A credible defence posture gives our nations leverage, not license. In the weeks ahead, decisions must be made with cool heads and clear objectives.
A call for cross-party unity on defence
But one thing is certain: showing weakness in the face of nuclear ambition or regional aggression is no longer an option. There is growing concern that even after the ceasefire has been announced that Iran intends to continue in their bid to develop a nuclear weapon, creating a situation of prolonged tension in the region that the events of the last two weeks may unfold again.
At a time of rising global instability and asymmetric threats, Britain must stand ready – and stand united. Defence is not a party-political issue, but a national imperative, with Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel showing that unity over the despatch box on Monday as the House was updated on the Middle East. Whatever divides our politics, the duty to protect this country must not be one of them. The government has taken the right step; now, cool heads must prevail whilst simultaneously acting with conviction and readiness when necessary. The ball is in President Trump’s court as to where the conflict goes.
