KEIR STARMER IN THE HAGUE FOR NATO SUMMIT – Labour vows no tax hikes to fund 5% defence goal by 2035
The Prime Minister is in The Hague for a two-day NATO summit, where leaders are expected to formally agree to a new defence spending target.
The proposed target would see member countries invest 3.5 percent of their GDP in core defence capabilities, with an additional 1.5 percent allocated to broader areas such as national resilience, cybersecurity, and emergency preparedness.
This gathering is seen as a clear signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that NATO remains united and determined to strengthen its collective defences, despite previous criticism from the U.S. President Donald Trump over member contributions.
President Trump has urged allies to raise their defence spending to 5 percent of GDP, a significant increase from the alliance’s current commitment of 2 percent.
The Prime Minister rejected suggestions that taxes would have to rise to meet the UK’s own pledge of reaching 2.5 percent by 2027 to 2028, saying the increase will instead be funded by cutting overseas development aid.
His visit coincides with the launch of the UK’s new national security strategy, which outlines plans to make the country more resilient to future threats by boosting military investment and broadening the scope of what qualifies as security-related spending.
