Labour can't be trusted on defence after the party refused to match Rishi Sunak's military spending pledge, the PM claims

Labour cannot be trusted on defence after refusing to match the Tory hike in military spending, Rishi Sunak warned yesterday.

The Prime Minister said ensuring Britain can defend itself was his 'first responsibility' and his pledge to invest tens of billions more pounds was needed 'to keep the country safe'.

Labour has refused to commit to matching his new target of spending at least 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product on defence by 2030. The plan would mean an extra £75billion invested in the military by the end of the decade compared with current levels. At present, Britain is spending around 2.3 per cent of GDP on defence.

Mr Sunak defended earmarking the money for the military rather than schools or hospitals as he hit out at Labour. 'The crucial thing is there's a choice,' he told Sky's Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme.

'This is the country's security. We have made a choice. It's the important and right choice for our country.

'The Labour Party have not matched that pledge and that is a choice for the country.

'If you do think the world is more dangerous and we do have to invest, only one party is going to deliver that. There's an axis of authoritarian states with different values to ours, acting in a way that is more assertive and more co-ordinated - Iran, Russia, North Korea, China - and that is damaging to our country, to our values and our interests.

'So the right thing for me to do, given that security of our people is my first responsibility, is to ensure that we invest to keep the country safe.

'And that's why I've announced the biggest strengthening of our national defence in a generation... we lead by example on the world stage and that's how we will keep everybody safe.'

His announcement last week during a trip to Poland and Germany was a huge victory for the Daily Mail's Don't Leave Britain Defenceless campaign, which called for an immediate hike in spending.

It was backed by former defence ministers including Ben Wallace, Sir Michael Fallon and Sir Gavin Williamson.

But Labour refused to match Mr Sunak's pledge, saying the party would only raise spending to 2.5 per cent 'when circumstances allow'.

This month leader Sir Keir Starmer, in an article for the Daily Mail, claimed his party was now 'utterly committed to our nation's defences'.

It came as plans emerged to equip the Armed Forces with a hypersonic cruise missile designed and built entirely in Britain by 2030.