Starmer Defends 3.5% Defence Goal, Appoints Dan Jarvis After 2 Resignations
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · Jun 12
Starmer Defends 3.5% Defence Goal, Appoints Dan Jarvis After 2 Resignations
3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Jun 12
Summary
Dan Jarvis took over as defence secretary after Thursday’s double resignation, but the Westminster row over military spending and Starmer’s leadership kept intensifying.
BBC interview remarks from Starmer framed the plan as a set of “hard-edged decisions,” saying he shifted money from every other department to bolster defence.
Al Carns warned the investment plan lacked innovation and said the military could face a difficult test within two to three years, while Kemi Badenoch said the armed forces had lost faith in Starmer.
3.5% of GDP by 2035 remains the disputed benchmark behind the resignations, leaving Starmer under pressure ahead of the Makerfield by-election and after his second cabinet departure in a month.