UK’s military needs to focus spending on domestic defence, not overseas missions – report
Summary
A report from the Transition Security Project says the UK spends a large part of its military budget on overseas missions instead of defending the country itself. The report suggests that new increases in defence spending should focus more on protecting the UK at home rather than maintaining global military bases and commitments.Key Facts
- Nearly a quarter (about 23%) of the UK’s military budget is spent on overseas missions.
- The UK has military bases and operations across five continents, including Cyprus, Kenya, and Oman.
- The planned defence budget is set to almost double from £70 billion in 2026 to £151 billion by 2035.
- The UK’s military is the most focused on overseas activity among European NATO nations by budget share.
- Since 2001, the UK has spent over £51 billion on military interventions in countries like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya.
- Thinktank authors argue current spending supports an outdated policy of global military involvement and call for prioritizing domestic defence instead.
- UK officials want to avoid waste and focus spending on preparing for possible conflicts in Europe rather than increasing arbitrary budget targets.
- Some UK political leaders have shown concern about meeting defence spending goals linked to GDP percentages.
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