Long-delayed defence spending plan to be published on Tuesday, with focus on drone warfare

A long-delayed military spending plan will be published on Tuesday, with Sir Keir Starmer saying it would keep Britain "safe and secure long into the future". The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the defence investment plan (DIP) includes £5bn worth of investment to increase the Armed Forces' use of drones and autonomous weapons. Earlier this month, the Treasury and No 10 agreed a £13.5bn funding increase, well short of the £28bn the MoD wanted - though new Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis has pushed for more in recent weeks. His predecessor John Healey resigned over the funding row. The Conservatives said the plan was "too little, too late", while the Liberal Democrats said it "dangerously short-changed our Armed Forces". Despite his impending departure from Downing Street, Prime Minister Sir Keir is pushing ahead with the DIP. Tense Whitehall negotiations over how to fund it have been ongoing for months, with departments across government asked to make cuts. The row has seen two defence ministers resign over what they said was an inadequate funding increase in the original version of the plan. The DIP will also explain how new equipment and defence infrastructure will be funded over the coming decade. It was initially expected to be published in autumn 2025. Following months of talks over funding, the DIP now arrives shortly before the Nato leaders summit in Turkey on 7 July. …