'Entirely Uncredible': Sky News Presenter Savages Minister Over Defence Spending Pledge

Sky News presenter Wilfred Frost clashed with a cabinet minister over the government’s latest defence spending pledge.

He told defence secretary John Healey that the promise was “entirely uncredible” unless he explained how it would be paid for.

Nato leaders will agree at a summit in The Hague later today that all of its member states will commit to spending 5% on defence and national security by 2035.

That will be made up of 3.5% on core defence spending, with the remainder in other security areas.

It comes after Keir Starmer announced earlier this year that the proportion of gross domestic product (GDP) the UK spends on defence will rise from 2.3% now to 2.5% by 2027.

Frost told Healey: “With all due respect, defence secretary, we’re at 2.3, and you’ve outlined how by this parliament you’ll get to 2.5. It is entirely meaningless to claim by 2035 you’ll get to 3.5, unless you now update what you’re going to do this parliament.

“You’re essentially just saying ‘we’ll leave it to the next government, it’s got nothing to do with us’.”

Healey replied: “On the contrary, I spent last night with all 31 other defence ministers and not a single defence minister will come to this Nato summit with a fully worked out 10-year budget plan.”

But Frost interrupted him to say: “We don’t want 10 years, we want four years, the remainder of this parliament. If you don’t get at least a third of the way towards closing the gap on this pledge that you’re making, then it’s entirely uncredible.

“It’s not just about you, it’s about the chancellor. If she doesn’t outline how she will give you the money this parliament to close that gap, this announcement is entirely uncredible.”

Healey told him: “When we make a commitment, we say how we will meet it. In the next parliament, we will also then set out how we will meet the ambition of 3% on the road to this new benchmark that the Nato leaders will agree this afternoon.”

Frost then hit back: “You’re right, they will make a judgment, and what’s clear today is that despite this big announcement there’s no further spending from recent announcements onwards this parliament.

“You’re leaving all of the hard work to be done next parliament and I think a lot of people will see that that makes this seem highly uncredible.”