STORY: Britain to increase defence spending to 2.5 pct of GDP by 2027: PM
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 25, 2025
DATELINE: Feb. 27, 2025
LENGTH: 00:01:17
LOCATION: London
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the announcement
2. SOUNDBITE (English): KEIR STARMER, British Prime Minister
3. various of street views in Britain

STORYLINE:

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday that the country will increase its defence spending to 2.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2027.

Speaking in the House of Commons, lower house of the parliament, ahead of his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington later this week, Starmer made the announcement in an unexpected statement.

SOUNDBITE (English): KEIR STARMER, British Prime Minister
"I can announce this government will begin the biggest sustained increase in defense spending since the end of the Cold War. We will deliver our commitment to spend 2.5 percent of GDP on defense, but we will bring it forward so we reach that level in 2027. That means spending 13.4 billion pounds (about 17 billion U.S. dollars) more on defense every year from 2027."

Britain's current defence spending stands at about 2.3 percent of GDP.
   
The prime minister also said that Britain's defence spending will rise to 3 percent of GDP in the next parliament, subject to economic and fiscal conditions.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Britain's international allies can trust that the British government will "put our collective security first," Starmer said.

To fund the rise in defense spending, Starmer said the government will cut spending on development assistance from 0.5 percent to 0.3 percent of GDP in 2027.

"This is not an announcement I am happy to make," Starmer said, adding that Britain will continue to play a key humanitarian role in Ukraine, Gaza and other regions, as well as in tackling climate change, supporting global health and advancing vaccination efforts.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from London.
(XHTV)