6th October, 2026 | News

UK Government Considers Delaying Defence Spending Roadmap Amid NATO Pressure

The UK government is considering delaying the release of a roadmap outlining how Britain plans to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP, The Times has reported, amid growing pressure to meet NATO spending commitments.

The potential delay could push back a key stage in Britain’s plan to meet its commitment to increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has committed the government to achieving the target, but ministers have yet to publish a detailed timeline setting out how the increase will be funded.

Spending Review Could Move to October 2027

Finance Minister John Healey had previously indicated that an initial plan for increasing defence spending to 3% of GDP would be presented during the next spending review, expected in spring 2027.

However, The Times, citing a source, reported that officials were now working on the assumption that the spending review could instead take place in October 2027.

The reported change comes as the government faces increasing pressure to explain how it will finance higher defence spending while responding to a deteriorating security environment.

A finance ministry spokesperson, however, rejected reports that the spending review had been postponed.

“No date has been confirmed for the Spending Review. Claims of a delay are purely rumour and speculation,” the spokesperson said in an email.

Britain Faces Growing Defence Funding Pressure

The debate over defence spending comes amid heightened security concerns in Europe and beyond.

Recent developments have included the US decision to withdraw bombers from an English airbase following a suspected Iranian plot targeting the facility.

British ministers have also faced criticism over delays in decisions on additional defence funding over the past two years.

Healey, who became finance minister in July, previously served as defence minister. He left the defence role after failing to secure funding to raise defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2030, a development that contributed to the downfall of then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

£17.3 Billion Needed for 2030 Target

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) estimates that meeting the interim 2030 defence spending target would require an additional £17.3 billion ($22.9 billion) in government funding.

Healey is also facing a reported £4.7 billion funding shortfall needed to fully finance the existing Defence Investment Plan.

The funding challenge is expected to feature prominently in the government’s upcoming budget, with Healey scheduled to present his first budget on October 28.

The government will ultimately need to balance its defence commitments with other spending priorities as it works towards the longer-term NATO target for 2035.