Rishi Sunak has pledged to “fortify” Britain against growing threats from Russia and China as he unveiled a £5bn boost to military spending in an update to UK defence and foreign policy.
The extra funding, spread over two years, will be used to replenish ammunition stocks depleted by the war in Ukraine and to modernise the UK’s nuclear submarine programme.
The prime minister said on Sunday he would also set out an “ambition” to increase British defence spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product, from 2 per cent now, as part of a broader push to boost Nato funding. Any increase would not take effect until after a review of UK defence spending in 2025.