National security can't come at social security expense
Andy Burnham clashes with Kemi Badenoch, confirming the UK will meet the 3.5% NATO defence spending target by 2035 while rejecting welfare cuts.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Andy Burnham insists national security and social security must go hand in hand
- The government reaffirms its commitment to spend 3.5% of GDP on defence by 2035
- Conservatives propose cutting housing benefit to fund defence, drawing sharp rejection
- Welfare spending is forecast to soar to £408.6bn in 2030/31 according to DWP figures
The House of Commons witnessed a heated exchange over defence funding and social welfare as Conservative leader Kemi Burnham pressed Andy Burnham regarding the timeline to allocate 3% of GDP to defence by 2030 and how such expenditures would be financed.
The debate intensified as opposition figures demanded clarity on military investments. In response, Burnham maintained that funding defence would be achieved through the Labour approach—by reforming education, empowering young people, and expanding mental health provisions rather than resorting to direct welfare cuts proposed by rivals.
During the parliamentary session, Burnham reiterated that the administration will fulfill NATO's target of allocating 3.5% of GDP to defence by 2035, with specific timelines for reaching the 3% milestone outlined in the spring spending review. He firmly dismissed a Conservative strategy to partly finance military upgrades by extracting at least £4bn from housing benefit reforms.
"This side of the House will not be forced to choose between the two and we will set out a plan to get to 3.5% by 2035 at the spending review."
Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch accused Burnham of being 'continuity Keir,' recalling former Prime Minister Sir Keir's earlier thwarted attempts to reduce disability benefits in the face of internal party pushback. Department for Work and Pensions data indicates that benefits expenditure has ballooned, projected to reach £408.6bn by the 2030/31 fiscal period.
Balancing escalating defence commitments with mounting domestic welfare costs remains a pivotal fiscal challenge for Westminster. With nearly one million young Britons categorized as NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), policymakers face intense scrutiny over how structural socio-economic reforms will be funded alongside international security obligations.
Furthermore, the administration has tasked former minister Alan Milburn with investigating the approximately one million young people across the UK who remain outside education, employment, or training, with final recommendations anticipated shortly.
Source: BBC Politics
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