UK: Defense spending to exceed $1 billion, report says

The United Kingdom is reportedly set to increase its defense spending by over $1 billion. The increase in the budget is expected to be announced by the spring of next year.

The Telegraph reported Saturday that the UK would be increasing its defense spending by over $1.2 billion in order to prevent a real-terms cut in the coming years. Finance minister Jeremy Hunt is expected to announce the increase in the defense budget in the spring. This comes after the report noted military experts estimating that the defense ministry budget for 2024/2025 must rise to £50.1 billion from £48.6 billion to avoid a real-term cut as inflation remains above 10 percent.

Last month, Hunt said during his autumn fiscal report that the government recognized the importance of increasing defense spending and that it would maintain the current budget of at least two percent of the UK’s gross domestic product in line with the countries under the NATO alliance.

“We have one of the largest defense budgets in Europe and in 2020 we announced the biggest increase to defense spending since the Cold War,” a spokesperson for the British government told Reuters.

The spokesperson added that any increase in defense spending would be considered in the next integrated review, the document that details the country’s security, defense, and foreign policy priorities in the spring.

Friday last week, passengers at British airports were informed of delays in their flights when passport control staff staged a walkout on what would be the first day of its strike that is expected to last until the New Year. However, Heathrow and Gatwick airports did not report of any disruptions taking place.

According to the Public and Commercial Services Union, over 1,000 Border Force Staff were expected to go on strike. The walkout by the passport control staff follows the strikes staged by nurses, paramedics, and workers in the rail and postal sectors, all demanding changes in pay and working conditions in what would be the biggest industrial action taken in the UK in decades.

The union said the Border Force Staff were offered a two percent increase in pay. The Border Force Staff apologized for the disruption in travel, adding that they are working with partners in the travel industry to support passengers and goods.