Stuart Anderson MP has warned that the UK risks losing its relevance on the world stage as Nato allies outspend Britain on defence spending amid the most dangerous global environment since the Cold War.
- 11 Nato Allies spend a higher percentage of GDP on defence than the UK.
- Nato's average defence spending is 2.76%. Britain's averages 2.4%.
- Stuart has consistently called for defence spending to reach 3% of GDP.
Stuart Anderson MP has delivered a stark warning to Ministers that the UK's defence credibility is slipping on the world stage, as 11 Nato allies outspent Britain on defence as a percentage of GDP last year. Speaking in the Hose of Commons on Wednesday 20th May, Stuart highlighted that Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Norway, the US, Denmark, Greece, Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands all funded defence at a higher rate than the UK. In 2021, only two Nato countries spent more than Britain on defence.
In Parliament, Stuart Anderson MP said:
“We face probably the most volatile geopolitical situation in over 80 years, and I do not believe the world is going to go back to how we have seen it within our lifetime…Many believe we are leaving the room – that we are not standing up on the international stage anywhere near as much as we did…. I remember a proud moment in 2022 in the Latvian Parliament when the Defence Minister said to the UK and the US: ‘Hold your head up high. You have led the world in this – you have funded and you have led – and we need to follow.’ But last month in the same cross-party forum, a NATO Defence Minister said, ‘With all due respect, the UK are not leading; they are not even in the room, and they are not funding as they were.’ I could not disagree with him. That was one of my saddest days at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. We need this investment in defence. We need to clearly chart a course so we are funding where we need to be. The NATO average for defence spending is about 2.76% and we are averaging about 2.4%. The argument that we have the largest sustained defence funding since the end of the Cold War is a bit of a mockery, because we are comparing peacetime to the most unstable geopolitical situation of our time. The Defence Select Committee was united six and a half years ago in saying we needed spending of 3%. That was the cross-party position then. We need to get to that position now. We need our ships funded, we need more troops, and we need drone warfare – we have seen what is happening in Iran. We must expand our technological approach to defence. Our military strength has always been the bedrock, and our global soft power has given us authority and a platform to stand up for British values. But on the world stage at the moment, that authority is waning and our platform is shaking. I am pleading with Ministers to win the argument, because I know every single one of them wants more funding for defence. We must do whatever it takes so we can rearm, have the Armed Forces we need, and stand on the world stage with our head held high.”
Stuart Anderson MP delivered a blistering critique of the government’s defence policy during the King’s Speech Debate on Wednesday 20th May 2026. He warned that the UK is no longer seen as a relevant player in NATO with NATO allies – Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Norway, the United States, Denmark, Greece, Finland, Sweden, and the Netherlands – spent a higher proportion of GDP on defence than the UK in 2025. In 2020, only two NATO countries outspent Britain. Stuart argued that the UK’s declining military strength was eroding its global influence. He said Britain’s armed forces had once given the country a platform to project British values and lead on the world stage, but that position was now being lost. He called on the Government to move beyond debates about the last 14, 20 or 30 years and to focus on the immediate threat. Stuart said the UK must chart a course to 3% of GDP on defence as soon as possible, expand the size of the Armed Forces, and accelerate investment in capabilities.
He pointed to the contrast between the UK’s posture and that of allies in Northern and Eastern Europe, who have responded to Russian aggression by rapidly increasing defence budgets. Stuart said the UK risked being left behind diplomatically and militarily if it did not follow suit. Stuart said the Government’s defence policy had become disconnected from reality. While Ministers describe the world as dangerous, their spending plans suggest otherwise. He warned that without a clear and accelerated path to 3%, the UK would struggle to meet its NATO obligations, support Ukraine, and deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific. He urged cross-party support for a rapid increase in defence spending and a new investment plan that could be delivered immediately, not deferred to the end of the decade.
Stuart said the conversation with the public is also changing, with constituents increasingly asking whether the UK can defend itself and rearm in light of global instability and rising fuel prices linked to events in the Middle East.
Stuart is disappointed that the Defence Readiness Bill was not ready to feature in the King's Speech, despite being a key recommendation in Labour's Strategic Defence Review. The Conservatives' Alternative King's Speech included a Sovereign Defence Fund, which would raise defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP by the end of the Parliament. This includes the creation of a Sovereign Defence Fund that would mobilise billions of public and private funding to overhaul the defence industrial base, including taking stakes in UK defence start-ups, investing in dual-use companies, and building resilient supply chains. The Conservative Party is also committed to growing the Regular Army to 80,000 and the Army Reserves to 40,000 - a total increase of 20,000 soldiers.
