Spending constrains Labour’s defence review – but no harm in gradualism

The sometimes vague plan could be clearer about what is necessary to maintain security in an unpredictable world

Labour's defence review is full of contradictions. It paints a picture of a more dangerous world, with Britain facing multiple, direct threats" to its security, particularly from nuclear-armed states such as Russia and China, and warns that the west's long-held military advantage is being eroded".

But when it comes to spending taxpayers' money, the exercise is considerably more cautious. The reviewers, a team of three led by the former Nato secretary general George Robertson, accept the spending envelope given to them by the prime minister, Keir Starmer: a gradual lift in defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and a looser promise to increase spending to 3% by the end of the next parliament.