Top union leader demands Burnham commits to 2030 defense spending target

Brighton, England — Britain's powerful union leader Sharon Graham has urged the UK government to commit to spending 3 percent of GDP on defense by 2030. The U.K. has been "running our hand across our mouth in defense for ages," Graham told POLITICO in an interview. The defense industry must be part of a "proper plan for the reindustrialization of Britain," she added.

Many defense workers are making decisions about whether to stay in Britain, according to Graham, whose union represents 1.2 million members. She spoke as military figures put pressure on new Prime Minister Andy Burnham and his Chancellor John Healey to commit to a 3 percent defense spending target by 2030. Healey, who resigned as Keir Starmer’s defense secretary citing slow Treasury action on defense spending, plans to set a date for reaching 3 percent defense spending as part of a spending review next year.

However, he has yet to make the commitment himself. Graham argued that losing skills like fighter jet assembly would be devastating for Britain. "We’ve got to show that the best days are in front of them," she said, emphasizing the importance of jobs, good wages, and investment in Britain. Graham's comments came ahead of a debate at the trade unions' annual conference between left-wing unions and those representing defense workers.

Delegates will vote on a motion from the University and College Union calling for "wages not weapons" and prioritizing investment in public services. Graham stressed that it's a "false choice" to pit workers against each other and that both job creation and investment can be achieved simultaneously. Prospect union general secretary Mike Clancy echoed Graham's sentiments, criticizing unions intent on making the issue controversial at the conference.