UK Public Services Brace for Cuts of Up to 11% to Fund Defense
- UK has to spend more on defense; ‘that’s the reality:’ Starmer
- Areas hit by austerity in 2010s face more spending review pain
British troops in Foxhound vehicles arrive after crossing of the Vistula River as part of the NATO Dragon 24 military exercise near Gniew, Poland, on March 4.
Photographer: Sean Gallup/Getty ImagesSome UK government departments are bracing for budget cuts of as much as 11% as Prime Minister Keir Starmer comes under mounting pressure to plow more money into defense.
The Treasury has asked so-called unprotected public services outside of health, education and defense to model two scenarios ahead of a three-year spending review due in June, according to people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity discussing internal planning. Those are “flat cash” — which translates to an inflation-adjusted cut of around 5% — and a spending reduction that in real terms comes to about 11% over the period, they said.