Liz Truss poised to drop pledge to increase defence spending, No 10 suggests

Vow to hike spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2026 in peril, but promise of 3 per cent – a £100bn budget – by 2030 stands

Liz Truss will drop her pledge to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2026 in her hunt for emergency spending cuts, No 10 has hinted.

The prime minister’s spokesman said a separate target to reach 3 per cent by 2030 still stood – but refused to stand by the interim promise, made on the campaign trail in the summer.

The “shape” of how the budget will hit 3 per cent by the end of the decade would be set out “at future spending reviews”, he said.