Badenoch has criticised Andy Burnham over his position on defence spending, accusing him of pushing the issue into the future rather than backing an earlier increase.
The dispute centres on Burnham’s commitment to reaching the Nato target of spending 3.5% by 2035. However, he has not committed to meeting a 3% level by 2030.
Badenoch said Burnham’s stance amounted to “kicking defence spending into the long grass”, framing the timetable as too distant in relation to the earlier 2030 benchmark.
The comments highlight a political disagreement over the pace at which defence spending should rise. On the basis of the stated position, Burnham supports reaching the higher Nato target by 2035, while Badenoch is challenging his refusal to commit to the 3% level by 2030.
The latest known position is that Burnham has committed to the 3.5% target by 2035, but not to 3% by 2030, with Badenoch publicly criticising that approach.
