Sunak pledges £5 billion for defence as UK faces ‘more volatile’ world

Rishi Sunak insisted the UK’s armed forces had the funding they needed for a “more volatile world” in the face of the growing challenges posed by China and Russia.

The prime minister promised an extra £5 billion for the military over two years, but failed to meet Tory demands to commit to a goal of spending 3 per cent of the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) on defence.

“The government’s first priority, my priority, is to keep the country safe,” Mr Sunak said during his trip to San Diego, California.

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