Wes Streeting is risking a rift with Sir Keir Starmer and Labour backbenchers after he indicated support for cutting the welfare budget in order to fund an increase in defence spending.
The Health Secretary appeared to break ranks with the Prime Minister after he suggested ministers needed to put more funds into boosting the Armed Forces.
Mr Streeting said that the expenditure “has got to come from somewhere” but was quick to stress it was the role of Chancellor Rachel Reeves to set out spending in future budgets.
“We want to reduce the welfare budget,” the Health Secretary told LBC.
When asked if more money should be found elsewhere for defence, Mr Streeting added: “Yes, and we do need to put money into defence.
“We have been putting more money into defence as a Government, but we will need more. That is the reality of the challenge of the world that we face.”
Mr Streeting’s comments came shortly after former Nato chief Lord George Robertson warned the UK is underprepared for war due to the “ever-expanding welfare budget” and “corrosive complacency”.
Labour has committed to spend 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product on defence by 2027, increasing to three per cent in the next parliament and a Nato-agreed target of 3.5 per cent by 2035.
Responding to the criticism at Prime Minister’s Questions, Sir Keir said: “Let me start by saying I respect Lord Robertson and I thank him again for carrying out the strategic (defence) review.
“My responsibility is to keep the British people safe, and that is a duty I take seriously. That is why I don’t agree with his comments.”
Sir Keir told MPs on Monday that the Government is working to finalise the defence investment plan.
However, the Prime Minister did not want to repeat the mistakes of previous administrations because “we inherited plans that were unfunded and not deliverable”.
