UK Defence Secretary Presses Burnham on NATO Spending Ahead of Ankara Summit

Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has publicly urged incoming PM Andy Burnham to adopt NATO's 3.5% defence spending target by the mid-2030s—roughly £25bn beyond current budgets. The call precedes NATO's July 7 summit in Ankara, where Jarvis will reassure US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth of British commitment. Burnham has pledged only 2.68% by 2030, a gap that triggered John Healey's resignation as Defence Secretary in June.