MOD affirms its full support of SDR funding plan after military chiefs pen scathing letter

The Ministry of Defence has denied suggestions of a mutiny over defence spending following a report that Britain's four military chiefs warned in a letter that the review could no longer be delivered without additional funding.

June's Strategic Defence Review (SDR) pledged to increase defence spending to 2.6% of GDP from 2027 and 3% by 2035.

However, according to a report by The Spectator, the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton, and the three heads of the services have agreed to write an "unprecedented" letter to Defence Secretary John Healey, explaining that the SDR pledges are no longer deliverable under the current budget.

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The letter is also set to warn that, unless more funds are forthcoming, there will have to be another round of cuts to personnel and kit. 

The news broke in the aftermath of Wednesday’s Budget, in which Chancellor Rachel Reeves recommitted to the 3% GDP target for defence spending by 2035.

An MOD spokesperson said: "All of defence is firmly behind delivery of our transformative Strategic Defence Review, which set out a deliverable and affordable plan to meet the challenges, threats, and opportunities of the 21st century."

"The plan is backed by the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War – hitting 2.6% of GDP by 2027."

Speaking to BFBS Forces News, Veterans and People Minister Louise Sandher-Jones stressed the importance of discussions over how the government is spending the money.

"Every single member of defence is entirely committed to delivering this defence review, which is a landmark document setting out what we're going to get after – and everybody in defence is working to deliver that," she said.

The Office for Budget Responsibility, which scrutinises Government spending plans, has also warned that a previous commitment for defence spending to reach 3.5% of GDP by 2035 "would cost an additional £32bn in today's money".

No plans to raise such a sum were laid out in the Budget.