Burnham left with £4.7bn bill for Starmer’s new defence investment plan

The UK's incoming defence strategy is already running into budget trouble. Keir Starmer announced a two hundred ninety-eight billion pound defence investment plan—covering nuclear submarines, fighter jets, and drone programmes—but according to The Guardian, he didn't fully account for how to pay for it. Andy Burnham, who will take over as Chancellor, is now facing a four point seven billion pound funding gap in his first budget. The plan includes forty-seven billion pounds for new nuclear submarines, eight point six billion for a next-generation fighter aircraft being developed with Italy and Japan, and five billion more for drone technology. Burnham's allies say he won't try to renegotiate the commitment, meaning the bill is essentially locked in before he even takes office.

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