Britain will outline its strategy for meeting NATO’s defense spending targets when Finance Minister John Healey presents his first budget on Wednesday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Monday.
The budget is expected to set out the government’s wider spending and fiscal plans, alongside a roadmap for fulfilling the country’s military commitments to the alliance.
Speaking to ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Burnham said the government would explain how it plans to reach NATO’s spending goals, including allocating 3.5% of gross domestic product to core defense by 2035.
“We will set out a plan as to what we think is the right way to do that,” Burnham said, adding that Britain would meet its commitments.
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The prime minister identified funding the government’s defense investment plan and establishing a route toward NATO’s spending targets as key priorities. He also stressed that national security must remain central to government policy in what he described as a “challenging world.”
Healey, who serves as defense minister as well as finance minister, is due to present the budget on Wednesday, according to Reuters.