Faces 'eye-watering' public sector cuts to fund defense pledges

Facing eye-watering public-sector cuts to fund defense pledges, the UK faces a tight fiscal balancing act. Speaking at the Defence Strategic Communications Conference in London, Robertson said there is 'no money, no surplus money at all' to fund higher defense spending. He warned that the country would need an extra £36 billion a year to reach NATO’s 2035 target of 3.5 percent of GDP, up from 2.4 percent last year. He contrasted defense costs with domestic budgets, noting education spending around £95 billion, the Home Office £20 billion, transport £28 billion, and justice £12 billion, illustrating the scale of taxpayer-funded commitments required if defense spending is to rise.