Defence plan delays undermine UK credibility, MPs warn

Delays to the government's defence spending blueprint have damaged the UK's standing with its allies, a parliamentary watchdog has warned. The Defence Investment Plan (DIP) – originally due in the autumn – is now not expected until shortly before a Nato summit early next month, prompting the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to accuse ministers of undermining trust. Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the Conservative MP who chairs the committee, said the nation had “now in fact gone years without a credible plan for UK military capability”. He added: “Those responsible may argue there are good reasons for the DIP's continuing absence, but our report makes clear that excuses to the effect of 'taking the time to get the details right' simply do not cut it.” The PAC's report said the hold-up was caused by the Ministry of Defence's failure to decide “which capabilities, infrastructure and people it requires to transform the Armed Forces to be warfighting-ready”. That indecision, the report argued, meant contractors were raising prices because of global instability, making procurement more expensive and “hindering the government's attempt to modernise the Armed Forces”. The delay has also left the MoD unable to equip troops for the modern battlefield, providing a weaker deterrent and undermining its credibility with both allies and the defence sector. Sir Geoffrey said ministers should “simply apologise” instead of defending the delay, and consider the message its absence has sent “to the public, as well as the UK's allies and its adversaries”. The DIP, which will explain how new equipment and infrastructure will be funded over the next decade, follows the Strategic Defence Review published on 2 June 2025. Defence Secretary John Healey told the Commons on Monday that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was “determined to publish” the plan. Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy insisted it “will be absolutely clear” before the Nato summit in July, while speaking on the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg on Sunday. Asked if he would be prepared to give up some of his own budget to increase defence spending, the justice secretary said defence was the “first purpose” of the nation, stressing that “the money will be found” to meet commitments. An MoD spokesman said the DIP would “fix the outdated, overcommitted and underfunded programme we inherited”, adding: “We are working hard to finalise it.” But for Sir Geoffrey, the repeated delays have already done lasting harm. “This is not just a bureaucratic failure,” he said. “It is a failure of leadership that has consequences for our national security.”