Minister calls on Burnham to show path to 3.5% target on UK defence spending
He has also served as mayor of South Yorkshire, then was security minister before being promoted.Jarvis said he accepted Starmer’s job offer promptly and he did not consider it appropriate to demand more money for defence as a precondition for accepting. “It wasn’t a transactional conversation,” he said.He added that he was keen to stay on under Burnham – he will have spent five weeks in the role on the earliest day that the MP for Makerfield can reach No 10. “It’d be for Andy Burnham to determine,” he said, “and I very much hope I have the opportunity to continue serving”.Explore more on these topicsDefence policyDan JarvisMinistry of DefenceMilitaryLabournewsShareReuse this content
- ▪He has also served as mayor of South Yorkshire, then was security minister before being promoted.Jarvis said he accepted Starmer’s job offer promptly and he did not consider it appropriate to demand more money for defence as a precondition
- ▪“It wasn’t a transactional conversation,” he said.He added that he was keen to stay on under Burnham – he will have spent five weeks in the role on the earliest day that the MP for Makerfield can reach No 10.
- ▪“It’d be for Andy Burnham to determine,” he said, “and I very much hope I have the opportunity to continue serving”.Explore more on these topicsDefence policyDan JarvisMinistry of DefenceMilitaryLabournewsShareReuse this content
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Challenger 3, the British army’s next-generation battle tank, at Tankfest in Bovington, Dorset, last month Photograph: Finnbarr Webster/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenChallenger 3, the British army’s next-generation battle tank, at Tankfest in Bovington, Dorset, last month Photograph: Finnbarr Webster/Getty ImagesDefence policyMinister calls on Burnham to show path to 3.5% target on UK defence spendingDan Jarvis, who wants to stay on as defence secretary, says he is confident PM-in-waiting values national securityDan Sabbagh Defence and security editorSun 5 Jul 2026 19.01 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleThe new defence secretary, Dan Jarvis, has called on Andy Burnham to increase defence spending dramatically from 2030 and “evidence the trajectory” towards a Nato target that…
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