What was claimed
Labour’s Budget did not mention defence.
Our verdict
This is not correct. Defence spending was mentioned multiple times in the Budget document and was also referred to by Ms Reeves during her Budget speech.
Kemi Badenoch wrong to claim Labour’s Budget did not mention defence
6 November 2024
His chancellor’s Budget did not even mention defence.
At Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, the new Leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch MP, criticised the government’s commitment to defence spending, claiming that Labour’s Autumn Budget “did not even mention defence”.
This is not correct. The Budget document mentioned “defence” on multiple occasions and has a section titled “Defence and intelligence” which runs to more than 250 words.
During her Budget speech, the chancellor Rachel Reeves also mentioned defence spending.Ms Reeves said she would “set a path to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence at a future fiscal event”—as Ms Badenoch pointed out at PMQs, Labour has yet to give a timescale for that commitment. And Ms Reeves’ Budget speech also referred to a £2.9 billion increase to the Ministry of Defence budget next year, which she said was to ensure the UK “comfortably exceeds our NATO commitments”.
MPs should correct false or misleading claims made in Parliament as soon as possible.
We’ve contacted Ms Badenoch for comment.
Following PMQs, the Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell MP raised a point of order and invited Ms Badenoch to correct the record. She was informed by the Speaker of the House that, in raising the issue, she had effectively done so for the Leader of the Opposition.
We deserve better than bad information.
After we published this fact check, we contacted Kemi Badenoch to make her aware of this fact check, and to encourage action to ensure accurate communication that rebuilds trust.
It’s not good enough.
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