Budgeting for defence in the UK

The recent growth in international tension has been associated with countries either increasing their military spending or discussing such increases, thus defence budgeting has attracted increased attention. This paper reviews the UK defence budget in an historical context. It sets out the position in mid 2024 when the newly elected Labour Government commissioned a Strategic Defence Review. It summarises the planning process and the government budget constraint; considers the issues involved in measuring the defence budget and making international comparisons; reviews trends in the defence budget and the choices that need to be made between spending on personnel, conventional equipment, and nuclear weapons.