Side by side
Military spending, NATO, the nuclear deterrent and Britain's alliances. Parties are ordered left to right by our placement on the spectrum. Each line is the position in brief — open in full for the detail and where it is contested.
- Green
-7 on our scale
Cancel Trident and begin disarming, while staying in NATO
In full ▾Less ▴
Immediately begin dismantling Britain's nuclear weapons, cancelling Trident and banning nuclear-armed ships from UK waters, while continuing to recognise NATO's role in European security.
The combination of remaining in NATO while unilaterally disarming is the most contested element of the platform, since the alliance's strategic concept is explicitly nuclear.
Check itThe Green Party's defence plan — British Brief - Labour
-3 on our scale
Keep NATO and the nuclear deterrent; upgrade equipment
In full ▾Less ▴
Maintaining the NATO commitment and the nuclear deterrent, and upgrading equipment through a defence investment plan.
Check itAndy Burnham's main policy pledges — Yahoo News - Lib Dems
-2 on our scale
No current published position located. This may mean the party has said little on the subject, or that we have not found what it has said — we would rather show the gap than fill it with inference.
- Conservative
+5 on our scale
Defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2030
In full ▾Less ▴
Defence spending raised to 2.5% of GDP by 2030 on what the party called a fully funded path — presented as the largest sustained increase since the Cold War, keeping the UK the largest defence power in Europe.
2024 manifesto commitment; not restated as a costed pledge under the current leadership.
Check itConservative manifesto summary — Local Government Association - Reform
+8 on our scale
Little published beyond withdrawing from institutions
In full ▾Less ▴
Reform has published comparatively little defence policy. What exists is framed around withdrawal from international institutions and conventions rather than force structure or spending commitments.
Analysts characterise this as a foreign policy of withdrawal; the party has not published a defence spending target.
Check itReform UK: a foreign policy of withdrawal — Next Century Foundation - Restore
+9 on our scale
No current published position located. This may mean the party has said little on the subject, or that we have not found what it has said — we would rather show the gap than fill it with inference.
4 of 6 parties have a position we could source on this. A blank row may mean the party has said little, or that we have not found what it has said.
Positions are summarised from each party’s published material. How we place parties.
Compare something else