Keir Starmer heads for Washington with a goody bag

Talk about timing. When Labour ousted the Conservatives in the 2024 election, Keir Starmer talked about increasing the amount spent on defence. He pledged to raise the current 2.3 per cent of GDP to 2.5 per cent but gave no timeline. Now, with his visit to the Trump White House, he obviously thought he better enter the Oval Office with a goody bag, or perhaps it could be called the goody-two-shoes bag because he felt it necessary to give something, anything, to the new president to keep him happy. A mini boost to the UK's defence budget in 2027 is likely to make Starmer's trip to Washington a little easier. Had Joe Biden still been in office I seriously doubt Starmer would have felt similarly obliged to up defence spending. Joe was too nice. So Starmer can shake Trump's hand and say:"You see, I've done what you asked." Actually Trump wants all Nato members to spend five per fent of GDP, but 2.5 per cent is a start. But he won't be pleased with the delay of two years. But that was for poor Rachel Reeves' sake. As chancellor, she is having enough of a nightmare trying to balance the books and boost the eoonomy. Now she has to find the extra cash for the Ministry of Defence which will mean cutting into the huge social benefits budget. So, Trump will be pleased, but Reeves will be biting her nails and secretly cursing the prime minister.