1st Jul 2026 11:48
(Alliance News) - The UK Defence secretary has said he is confident Andy Burnham will give Britain's defence the investment it needs despite leaving the next prime minister a GBP4.7 billion funding gap.
Dan Jarvis told reporters on a visit to missile manufacturer Cambridge Aerospace on Wednesday that he had the "assurance that, as prime minister, Andy Burnham will make sure that we've got the investment coming into defence".
But Jarvis acknowledged there would have to be "conversations" with the man expected to take over from Keir Starmer in less than three weeks, vowing he would "fight hard for defence".
Tuesday's Defence Investment Plan, Dip, saw Jarvis secure a GBP15 billion uplift in defence spending, largely funded by cuts to other departments' capital budgets.
But the Treasury has yet to spell out how it will fund almost a third of the increase, leaving GBP4.7 billion of funding to be set out at the next budget.
That decision leaves Burnham with a potential headache for his first budget as he faces a choice between higher taxes, more borrowing or further spending cuts in order to plug the gap.
Jarvis defended the decision to put off some of the funding decisions until the budget, saying it was "not unreasonable" that "those kind of commitments are made in the context of a major fiscal event".
But asked where the extra money would come from, he said this was up to the Treasury, adding: "My job is about securing more money for defence."
Earlier, Defence minister Luke Pollard suggested Burnham had only found out about the GBP4.7 billion gap when the Treasury figures were published on Tuesday.
Pollard told Sky News: "Downing Street have a close dialogue with Andy's team… I understand they've been keeping him close to the process, and told him yesterday when the Treasury published the statement and the breakdown of the financial costs."
But he later declined to answer questions on when Burnham had been told of the financial details, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was "not involved with those conversations".
The long-delayed plan to fund the armed forces was published on Tuesday, including the GBP15 billion boost to spending.
In a written statement to Parliament, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said only two-thirds of the sum – GBP10.3 billion – had been identified, while the remaining GBP4.7 billion would be "confirmed at Budget 2026, in a fair and balanced way".
Prospective prime minister Burnham was briefed on the Dip before its publication, but it is understood he was not told about the need to find an additional tranche of funding in his first budget.
Jarvis has denied the funding gap was a hand grenade for the Makerfield MP – Starmer's likely successor – and his new chancellor, insisting it was "absolutely the opposite".
He sidestepped repeated questions on whether it had been made clear to Burnham that he was being left with a funding gap.
"Of course we've been talking to Andy Burnham and his team about this plan," the new Defence Secretary told BBC Newsnight, pointing to Starmer's focus on a "smooth transition" of power.
Reeves said the Treasury would focus on finding "efficiencies" and cancelling or delaying "lower priority programmes", while emphasising the government would not cut day-to-day spending to pay for defence.
The plans include billions more for the next generation of stealth jets, the largest ever investment in drone warfare and confirmation that the UK will buy F-35A planes capable of carrying nuclear bombs.
But older equipment, including two Type 23 frigates and older Chinook and Wildcat helicopters, will be retired.
The Dip was originally due to be published last year, but was delayed in part due to bitter Whitehall wrangling over money.
The funding in the Dip comes on top of the GBP270 billion promised for defence from 2025/26 to 2028/29.
By Press Association Reporters
Press Association: News
source: PA
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