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Tories demand Chancellor John Healey quit unless his Budget funds the 3% target he resigned as defence secretary over

Tories demand Chancellor John Healey quit unless his Budget funds the 3% target he resigned as defence secretary over

John Healey stepped down as Sir Keir Starmer's defence secretary in June, having pushed for Britain to commit to spending 3% of GDP on defence by 2030. Now in the Chancellor's role, he has signalled that confirmation of the timeline will be deferred to next year's spending review. Shadow chancellor Andrew Griffith accused him of 'dithering' over 'the country's insurance premium'. According to the OBR, hitting the 3% target would require £17.3 billion in additional spending in 2029-30.

Healey is expected to channel billions through the National Wealth Fund, financed through long-term borrowing.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the Tories 'owe Britain an apology, not another lecture'.

Britain currently spends around 2.6% of GDP on core defence.

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