LONDON — Keir Starmer was forced to defend his record on defense spending as a major plank of his government’s plan for the sector was pushed into the new year. 

Military chiefs and defense industry bosses have for months been anticipating the publication of a defense investment plan (DIP), which will allocate hard cash to support the implementation of the U.K.’s Strategic Defense Review (SDR).

Defense firms have complained that, without clear expectations set out by the government, they are unable to make key business decisions and risk losing skilled workers. 

But the Ministry of Defence is currently locked in a standoff with the Treasury, as military chiefs argue they will not be able to deliver the necessary capabilities within the existing budget. 

The DIP was originally scheduled to land in the fall, but speaking in the House of Commons Monday, U.K. Defence Secretary John Healey suggested the DIP will now be delayed to 2026, as previously suggested to POLITICO. 

Parliament breaks for the Christmas recess this week and will not return until January 5, 2026.

“We’re working flat out until the end of this year to finalize the defence investment plan,” he said.

At the same time, Starmer faced questions from a committee of senior MPs on the U.K. parliament’s liaison committee.

Tan Dhesi, Labour chair of the defense committee, told the PM the continued delay to the DIP “really is taking the biscuit.”

”Anybody and everybody, including the NATO secretary general, is saying that we need to prepare given the increased propensity and intensity of attacks,” Dhesi said.

Starmer responded: “We’re working hard with the defense investment plan, and we will publish as soon as it’s ready.”

The prime minister noted it “involves very significant and important decisions that we need to make sure we get absolutely right.”

He also highlighted what he called “quite a big measure in the budget” in the form of his decision to increase defense spending to 2.6 percent of GDP in 2027.