Everything you need to know about the Conservative Party's defence spending plans

The Conservative Party has pledged to reduce funding for green energy projects to increase defence spending to make sure the UK is prepared for war. 

The leader of the opposition, Kemi Badenoch, revealed that if the Tories gained a majority at the next general election, the party would reallocate £17bn to fund the UK Armed Forces, according to the BBC. 

"We must ensure our Armed Forces are equipped and ready to defend our country, because defence of the realm must be the first priority of any government," Mrs Badenoch said. 

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BFBS Forces News has analysed the Conservative Party's defence spending plans to work out where the money will end up. 

Defence spending 

First, the Conservative Party leader is urging the Government to commit to spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030. 

In the most recent Budget, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the Government would spend 2.6% of GDP on defence by April 2027. 

Sovereign Defence Fund 

The Tories envisage that this fund would finance UK defence start-ups and enable the UK Armed Forces to purchase new technologies, such as drones. 

In terms of the figures, the Sovereign Defence Fund could distribute up to £50bn, according to reports.

Speaking to Times Radio Breakfast with Kate McCann and Stig Abell about the Sovereign Defence Fund, James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, said: "First and foremost, [it] is to massively increase the level of drone tech procurement into the British Armed Forces. 

"At the same time, the other part of it is to ensure that our defence industrial base can manufacture those drones and all that tech at the scale we need and without relying on China. 

"It's about building a resilience into our defence base, and it's about giving the equipment to our Armed Forces that they need to fight war as it is fought today in Ukraine."

The National Defence and Resilience Bank 

The BBC said that the National Wealth Fund (NWF), founded in 2024, would change into the National Defence and Resilience Bank. 

The NWF was initially set up to pump money into projects that support economic growth and help with clean energy. However, its scope was widened in March to include investments in sectors which aid the UK's defence and security. 

According to the plans, £11bn would be redirected to defence, while a small section would be used to fund national resilience, like water and transport. 

The Conservative Party leader said the money would be used to "back our military to accelerate their war readiness". 

Drones and technology 

The Tories plan to shift £6bn from the UK's research and development budget and hand it over to the Ministry of Defence to invest in brand-new technology. 

Mr Cartlidge commented that the money would "deliver the drone revolution our Armed Forces require" and build a "more lethal" military. 

Besides the drone revolution, the party wants to strengthen supply chains, so that Britain is not as reliant on "hostile states", such as China.