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PM wants delayed defence investment plan published by Nato summit, MPs told
TL;DR
PM Sir Keir Starmer aims to publish the delayed 10-year defence investment plan before the Nato summit on July 7. Unions and defence firms warn that further delays threaten British jobs and national security.
Key points
- Sir Keir Starmer aims to publish the DIP before the Nato summit
- The DIP is a 10-year military spending plan
- Unions warn delays threaten jobs and national security
- The Nato summit is on July 7
- DIP was initially expected in autumn 2025
Sir Keir Starmer is "determined to publish" the long delayed military spending plan before next month's Nato summit, according to the defence secretary.
John Healey outlined the prime minister's latest timetable for the 10-year defence investment plan (DIP), as unions and defence firms warned the continued delays are a "threat" to British jobs, skills and national security.
Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy said defence workers and civil servants are "crying out for certainty", while trade body ADS said some small and medium enterprises are "really struggling".
The DIP was initially expected to be published in autumn 2025. The Nato summit takes place from 7 July.
The DIP will explain how new equipment and defence infrastructure will be funded over the coming decade and follows the wide-ranging Strategic Defence Review (SDR) published on 2 June 2025.
Speaking in the Commons on Monday, Conservative shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge asked if the Treasury has signed off the plan.
Healey did not offer a direct answer, replying: "I can say to him very clearly that the prime minister is determined that we publish the defence investment plan before the Nato summit."
Cartlidge countered: "No wonder the defence investment plan is so late - Labour still haven't worked out how to pay for it."
Liberal Democrat MP Edward Morello said firms are "frustrated by the repeated delays" to the DIP and the Commons was likely to note Healey's announcement "with a degree of scepticism".
The West Dorset MP said: "Companies in my constituency have been telling me that at this rate they will be European or US headquartered by this time next year.
"We risk losing jobs, sovereign capability and billions of pounds of investment."
Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the government has signed "1,200 major defence deals" since the general election in July 2024 and it is "not waiting" for the DIP to secure agreements with "companies large and small".
Ahead of the exchanges in the Commons, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "The government's ongoing failure to produce the DIP is a threat to British jobs and skills, as well as a serious threat to national security now and for generations to come."
Graham said "money must be spent in the UK" when the DIP is finally agreed and "anything else would be a betrayal".
She added: "The government has a duty to ensure that contracts including a new tranche of Typhoon fast jets, the Skynet satellite and the A400M transport plane are signed off and production lines in Britain are rolling as soon as possible."
ADS, a trade association for the UK's aerospace, defence, security, and space industries, urged ministers to get on with the DIP.
Q&A
What is the 10-year defence investment plan (DIP) in the UK?
The DIP outlines funding for new equipment and defence infrastructure over the next decade.
When is the Nato summit scheduled to take place?
The Nato summit is set for July 7.
Why are unions concerned about the delays in the defence investment plan?
Unions warn that continued delays pose a threat to British jobs, skills, and national security.
What was the original publication date for the defence investment plan?
The DIP was initially expected to be published in autumn 2025.
