Last week, a major row broke out after Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, one of the authors of Labour’s strategic defence review, said the military could not be properly funded with an “ever-expanding welfare budget”.
Sir Keir had promised to publish his defence investment plan for military spending over the next decade six months ago, but it has still not been released amid wrangling between the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury.
The delay prompted Lord Robertson, a former head of Nato and Labour defence secretary, to accuse Sir Keir of putting the nation in peril.
Amid the row, Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, became the first Cabinet minister to openly back calls to cut the welfare budget to fund defence spending, in an apparent break with Downing Street.
But Sir Keir is unlikely to do this given he suffered a backbench rebellion the last time he tried to slash the benefits bill which led to a government about-turn and significant blow to his authority.
New alliance with academia
Meanwhile, ministers are preparing to launch a new Defence Universities Alliance, under which universities will be asked to publicly commit to support and work with the defence industry.
Applications open on Sunday for institutions to become founding members of the alliance, which officials believe will “fundamentally reshape the relationship between British academia and national defence”.
Ministers say the initiative is part of a broader “whole of society” shift in how the UK approaches defence, saying this will be “one that moves beyond government alone and brings in communities, industry, financial services and academia”.
A Government spokesman said: “We are delivering the largest sustained defence spending increase since the Cold War – 2.6 per cent of GDP from 2027 – with an additional £5bn for defence this financial year alone, and £270bn investment across this parliament, ensuring no return to the hollowed-out Armed Forces of the past.
“The Government keeps the introduction of new debt instruments under constant review, but would need to be satisfied that any new instrument would meet value-for-money criteria, enjoy strong and sustained demand in the long term, and be consistent with wider fiscal objectives.”