The United States has warned it could challenge Britain’s position on the Falkland Islands unless Andy Burnham moves to raise UK defence spending.
Officials in Washington are understood to be preparing a fresh push to force Britain to honour Nato’s 5 per cent defence spending commitment, with one source saying that “nothing is being ruled out” in discussions over how to apply pressure.
In 2025, Nato allies agreed to spend 5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2035, a pledge framed as a response to the growing security threat posed by Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
The intervention from the US is expected to intensify scrutiny of the Prime Minister and his Chancellor, John Healey, who has already been accused of “surrender” after it emerged he had put aside his own defence spending timetable.
Mr Healey has been branded a “sell out” and a “hypocrite”, with opponents accusing him of prioritising “welfare over warfare” following reports that he will postpone setting a firm date for lifting defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP.
Critics argue the delay raises renewed doubts about Labour’s commitment to national security and defence, while also risking further strain in relations with Washington, which has long urged European allies to contribute more to collective security.
They point out that Mr Healey resigned as Defence Secretary just two months ago under Sir Keir Starmer, after the former Prime Minister’s military investment plan stopped short of committing to reach 3 per cent of GDP by 2030.
On Thursday, it emerged that the Chancellor will not use his first Budget to formally name 2030 as the deadline for hitting the 3 per cent defence spending target.
He will instead use next year’s spending review to set out the timetable.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to oppose Britain’s claim to the Falklands if Andy Burnham does not increase defence spending
Chancellor John Healey as accused of ‘surrender’ after it emerged he had shelved plans to announce any defence budget increase
But White House insiders have not reacted well to the news – and said US President Donald Trump would ‘continue efforts’ to see Britain increase her defence spending.
One official said: ‘I would expect the UK to receive special attention because it has so much potential.
‘We will therefore continue efforts to incentivise and enable the UK to step up in a major way.’
Asked about the US ‘reviewing’ its position on Britain’s sovereignty of the Falklands, they added: ‘I can say that they [conversations] are candid and nothing is being ruled out as far as options for encouraging the sort of burden-sharing that we seek.’
It is not the first time the US has openly spoken of ‘reviewing’ the UK’s claim to the Falklands Islands.
In April, similar sentiments were shared in a memo exploring ways for the US to punish Nato countries for failing to support the Iran war by refusing or being reluctant to grant Washington access, basing and overflight (ABO) rights for the conflict.
The email included an option to consider reassessing US diplomatic support for longstanding European ‘imperial possessions’, such as the Falkland Islands, which lie close to Argentina.
According to the State Department’s website, the islands are administered by the United Kingdom but are still claimed by Argentina, whose Libertarian President Javier Milei is a Trump ally.
Britain and Argentina fought in 1982 over the islands after Argentina made a failed bid to take them. Some 650 Argentine soldiers and 255 British troops died before Argentina surrendered.
The wrangle over Britain’s defence budget comes as the Kremlin warned this week it could strike British military targets inside and outside Ukraine if Kyiv continues to fire long-range, UK-made cruise missiles into Russia.
The warning was the strongest direct threat yet to Britain over its military backing for Ukraine.
This week, CIA director John Ratcliffe also made a surprise trip to Moscow to warn the Kremlin against launching an attack in Nato territory amid growing fears Russia is looking to escalate its war.
And during a trip to Brussels on Thursday, the Pentagon’s policy chief Elbridge Colby said the US needed to see ‘major efforts to step up’ on defence spending among European allies, including the UK.
Mr Burnham posed for the cameras alongside Ukrainian premier Volodymyr Zelensky this week during a trip to Kyiv, pledging that Nato countries would do ‘everything we can’.
But critics tore into Mr Healey and the PM, who are scrambling for cash after Mr Burnham made a series of unfunded commitments after entering Downing Street last month.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage told Our News Outlet: ‘Britain faces the most serious security threats in a generation, yet the Chancellor cannot even stick to the defence target that only weeks ago he was saying was essential.
‘John Healey spent years styling himself as a champion of our military, yet the moment he gets his hands on the Treasury keys he betrays them.
Our News Outlet’s Don’t Leave Britain Defenceless campaign has repeatedly highlighted shortages and weaknesses in the Armed Forces and has long been calling for an immediate rise in spending, increasing to at least 3 per cent by 2030
‘The first duty of any government is the defence of the realm. Labour has failed that test yet again.’
The Tories’ shadow defence secretary, James Cartlidge, said: ‘With Russia ramping up its threats every day, the world has only got more dangerous since Mr Healey resigned two months ago.
‘It is extraordinary that he is backtracking on the very pledge which sealed the fate of the last PM and opened the door of No 10 to Andy Burnham.
‘Burnham needs to do what Starmer could not and make the difficult decisions to fund 3 per cent.
‘Russia doesn’t work to Treasury timetables, and we can’t wait for a spending review to keep Britain safe.’
Shadow Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois added: ‘When the CIA Director has just flown to Moscow, supposedly to warn them off attacking NATO, behaviour like this is strategic madness.’
Former head of the Army, General Lord Richard Dannatt, said: ‘It is outrageous. Shelving the 3 per cent target is akin to surrender.’
Labour peer Lord West, a former First Sea Lord, said: ‘I would hope that Healey, having been the Defence Secretary, is sticking by his guns.
‘It would be extraordinary and very weird if he didn’t meet the things he resigned over.
‘For him to very bravely stand and be resolute about defence and resign, only to then get the job of Chancellor and say ‘well actually it’s not that important,’ does seem a bit hypocritical.’
Former Tory Defence Secretary Sir Liam Fox said: ‘Even by the standards of this Labour government, this would be breathtaking hypocrisy.
‘And it’s clear under Labour that Britain is a country that will be more configured for welfare than warfare, even if that threatens our national security.
‘What message does it send to Putin if we’re unwilling to confront our own domestic spending problems, even if that puts our country at greater risk?’
Sir Gavin Williamson, another ex-Defence Secretary, added: ‘It’s absolutely shocking.
‘It’s all well and good for the PM to go off to Kyiv, offering additional support, but you have to back that up with the investment in terms of our defences.
‘Russia has said we’re a target and to have the naivety and the recklessness to actually then not do more to defend ourselves is a dereliction of duty.
‘It’s very disappointing if John’s going to sell out the Armed Forces as the price for him getting the job as Chancellor.’
Government insiders said Mr Healey’s first Budget would focus on filling a defence equipment funding gap of nearly £5billion left behind by Sir Keir, amounting to about £1.2billion a year.
But much bigger decisions on an uplift in defence spending will be delayed until a Treasury spending review next year, with one source claiming that was the ‘appropriate place to set that out’.
Mr Healey resigned as Sir Keir’s Defence Secretary in June after the ex-PM’s Defence Investment Plan only projected spending to reach roughly 2.68 per cent of GDP by 2030.
The 2030 target Mr Healey has previously pushed for was part of a wider Nato commitment to hit 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence spending by 2035.
Most Nato members signed up to the target at a summit in The Hague last June under pressure from US President Donald Trump.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies think-tank has said raising spending to 3 per cent in 2030 would cost an extra £10billion a year in today’s terms.
Boosting spending further to 3.5 per cent of GDP would cost £25billion compared with existing levels.
Our News Outlet’s Don’t Leave Britain Defenceless campaign has repeatedly highlighted shortages and weaknesses in the Armed Forces and has long been calling for an immediate rise in spending, increasing to at least 3 per cent by 2030.
In an interview with Sky News yesterday, Mr Healey said fiscal discipline was the ‘first priority’ for any Chancellor.
A government spokesman added: ‘The first duty of government is to keep its citizens safe.
‘The prime minister and chancellor are committed to fully funding the Defence Investment Plan.
‘At the spending review we will set out a pathway to meet our Nato commitment of 3.5 per cent of GDP on defence by 2035 and will set a target date to hit 3 per cent on that path.’
