General · 12 June 2026

White House calls for higher UK defence spending

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniela Lechuga via Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain)

People could see greater focus on military strength after fresh comments from Washington about Britain's defence needs. On 12 June 2026, the White House said Sir Keir Starmer should raise defence spending further following John Healey's resignation. Elbridge Colby, identified as the under secretary of war, said Britain should assess its challenges seriously and noted a need for additional military strength.

By BriefTea Editorial · 12 June 2026 at 15:44

Reported by The Telegraph · How we write briefs

Get the app

Understand this story

What is defence spending? UK defence spending

More briefs

WorldTrump says America might bomb Iran's underground Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site PoliticsAndy Burnham rules out Scottish independence vote while offering more local powers GeneralObama praises Manchester workers who starved for US anti-slavery fight GeneralEnergy firms get winter loss protection if customers switch to cheaper deals SportsWhy HMRC just got £110m from football tax checks BusinessPound climbs to $1.3329 after strong August UK growth data More top stories → Browse all stories →