Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Image: Getty)
Kemi Badenoch has blasted Sir Keir Starmer for being “all mouth and no trousers” on defence. The Tory leader said the Prime Minister's rhetoric is not backed by action as she warned Labor has “no plan for rearming Britain”.
She branded delays in publishing the defense investment plan, which sets out what Britain will spend on its armed forces over the next decade, as a “national scandal”. Speaking ahead of a major speech to the London Defense Conference on Saturday, Mrs Badenoch said: “Keir Starmer talks about wanting to spend 3% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence.
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Kemi Badenoch hit out at the PM over defence (Image: Getty)
“Last year his government published a strategic defense review explaining why we need it.
“But here we are nine months later, and we still haven't seen the accompanying defense investment plan. It was promised last autumn; it's now April. This is a national scandal.
“At a time of war in Europe and war in the Middle East. At a time when those conflicts are affecting every family across Britain. At a time when Britain's place in the world is in flux, our government literally does not have a plan.
“There's no plan for how the government is going to actually buy the equipment, weapons and ammunition. There's no plan for how to enact the SDR. There's no plan for rearming Britain.
“We haven't seen the defense investment plan because they have no idea how they are going to pay for it. Keir Starmer is all mouth and no trousers when it comes to defence.”
Mrs Badenoch reiterated her party's plan to restore the two-child benefit cap and divert billions earmarked for net zero projects to boost defense spending.
She said: “The question is not whether Britain must rearm. It is what trade-offs we must make to get there.
“I have chosen my priority, and that is to keep British families safe. And it will require more tough decisions.”
The Conservative leader added: “But rearming Britain cannot wait until the next Conservative Government.
“So I say to the Prime Minister, let's put our party interests aside. We both agree we have to rearm. Let's find the money. Let's identify the spending cuts.
“No blank checks of support. But I can pledge that if we reach an agreement on a joint plan, Conservatives will support those measures in Parliament on a three-line whip.
“Because we have to rearm in our national interest, and that is more important than politics.”
The Government's 10-year defense investment plan was due last autumn but has been repeatedly delayed.
The Prime Minister has promised to spend 2.5% of GDP on defense by next year and has an “ambition” to hit 3%, but has not set out a timeline.
It comes as the Iran conflict has sparked fresh fears over the UK's readiness for war.
Defense minister Luke Pollard said: “Kemi Badenoch has as much credibility on defense as Liz Truss does on the economy.
“If Badenoch was Prime Minister, Britain would be at war in Iran without a plan – she is completely out of her depth.
“When Badenoch's Tories were last in power, they hollowed out and underfunded our Armed Forces, leaving our brave service men and women exposed. Badenoch should start with an apology for the mess they left behind, instead of taking potshots.
“Pushing kids into poverty is not how we make our defense stronger.
“Prime Minister Keir Starmer is delivering the biggest sustained uplift in defense spending since the end of the Cold War, with every pound of our defense uplift delivered for British workers, British businesses and Britain's national security.”