Defence & foreign policy

Military spending, NATO, the nuclear deterrent and Britain's alliances. Parties are ordered left to right by our placement on the spectrum, and each line is the position in brief.

1. 

   Green

   Zack Polanski

   10.6%

   Cancel Tridenti and begin disarming, while staying in NATOi

   In full ▾Less ▴

   Immediately begin dismantling Britain's nuclear weapons, cancelling Tridenti and banning nuclear-armed ships from UK waters, while continuing to recognise NATOi's role in European security.

   The combination of remaining in NATOi 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

   -8

2. 

   Labour

   Andy Burnham

   26.1%

   Keep NATOi and the nuclear deterrenti; upgrade equipment

   In full ▾Less ▴

   Maintaining the NATOi commitment and the nuclear deterrenti, and upgrading equipment through a defence investment plan.

   Check itAndy Burnham's main policy pledges, Yahoo News

   -3

3. 

   Lib Dems

   Sir Ed Davey

   10.3%

   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.

   -2

4. 

   Conservative

   Kemi Badenoch

   20.3%

   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

   +3

5. 

   Reform

   Nigel Farage

   22.9%

   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

   +6

6. 

   Restore

   Rupert Lowe

   4.4%

   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.

   +7

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.