US defence under‑secretary Elbridge Colby urged Britain to boost its armed forces “with urgency, scale and determination,” citing a “great need for more British military strength.” His comment followed Defence Secretary John Healey’s resignation letter accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer of blocking a sufficient spend rise. Starmer defended recent reallocations, noting the defence share rise to 2.6% of GDP by 2027.

The Treasury’s latest figures put Britain's defence budget at roughly £60bn for last year. The 2025 Strategic Defence Review lists projects that could demand an extra £68bn over the next decade, including up to twelve nuclear‑powered submarines at £2‑3bn each and a sixth‑generation fighter programme costing at least £10bn. The forthcoming Defence Investment Plan proposes only £13.5bn of new funding, forcing cuts elsewhere.

Resignations of Healey, armed‑forces minister Al Carns and two MoD aides expose the gap between the Strategic Defence Review’s ambitions and the money on tap. Senior officers warn that spreading £60bn across navy, air, army and nuclear programmes leaves each under‑resourced, while the Trident deterrent already consumes a fifth of the budget. New Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis faces pressure to rebalance spending or risk eroding Britain’s great‑power credibility.