Defence Secretary John Healey has announced that plans to increase the size of the British Army will be postponed until after the next general election, likely beyond 2029. Although he had hoped to raise the army’s target size from 73,000 to 76,000 troops, citing new threats outlined in an upcoming strategic review, he acknowledged the challenges of reversing a long-standing recruitment and retention crisis within the armed forces. Currently, the army’s strength is at a historic low, with only 70,860 full-time trained soldiers and more personnel leaving than joining.
Healey criticized previous Conservative governments for consistently missing recruitment targets and admitted that the Labour government has not yet managed to reverse this trend. While the strategic review identifies rising threats from Russia, China, and emerging technologies, it won’t introduce new spending beyond earlier commitments, including increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027. Additional long-term budget discussions will occur at the upcoming NATO summit. Meanwhile, the UK is preparing for a possible commitment to a NATO-led peacekeeping force in Ukraine. Healey also emphasized improvements in pay and service living conditions, allocating £1.5 billion for upgrading military housing.
