Starmer’s £270bn Defence Figure Ruled Misleading

Former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, the Wales Office and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) used misleading figures when describing how much the UK will spend on defence, the UK Statistics Authority has said.

In March, Sir Keir told MPs that ministers were increasing defence spending by £270bn. Similar claims were repeated by other government bodies in June, including a MoD spokesman and the Wales Office on X, before the authority intervened.

MP Claim In March

Sir Keir made the statement to the House of Commons liaison committee, saying the government had already committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence in 2027 and would reach that level. He said this would mean that, within the current Parliament, the UK would spend £270bn more on defence than it would otherwise have done.

The Wales Office later used comparable wording in June, after an MoD spokesman also described the figure in the same way.

The Wales Office subsequently removed an X post that included the claim.

Authority Says Figure Covers 2025-29

The UK Statistics Authority said the figure was presented incorrectly. It said the £270bn is not an increase in defence spending over the course of the Parliament, nor an additional £270bn, as described.

Instead, the authority said the number represents the proposed overall defence spending across the period from 2025-26 to 2028-29, covering the lifetime of the current Parliament.

In a letter to Conservative shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge, the authority’s interim chair Penny Young said it is “incorrect and misleading” to describe the £270bn as an extra amount over the Parliament or as an increase.

She added that the Wales Office told the authority the wording used “was a mistake” and that it was amended as soon as it was noticed.

Steps Taken To Reduce Repeat Risk

The authority said further steps were taken by the Wales Office and the MoD to reduce the chance of the claim being repeated.

Young said the Wales Office told the authority it reviewed its press office lines on the subject and strengthened its quality assurance process for press lines. She also said the MoD had taken steps to ensure future communications use language that is “precise and consistent” when presenting defence spending figures.

A UK government spokesperson said: “We have previously acknowledged this phrasing and took immediate steps to ensure it was not replicated.”

Downing Street and Sir Keir’s office said they had nothing further to add.

BBC Wales was told the figure originated in the MoD rather than the Wales Office, which at the time was led by the then Welsh secretary Jo Stevens.

Devolution Office Role

The Wales Office is part of the UK government and oversees the devolution settlement, with the department tasked with speaking for Wales within Westminster.

Sir Keir resigned from Downing Street in July, when he was replaced by Andy Burnham.

Conservative Shadow Wales Secretary Mims Davies said the public deserved “honesty and transparency” about the defence budget, adding that Labour ministers and civil servants in the Wales Office should present figures in a way that does not risk misleading people.

Join the discussion?

7 August 2026