Ben Wallace calls for higher defence spending by mid-2020s

Ben Wallace’s position puts him in conflict with the PM and chancellor, who have not committed to higher spending. Photograph: John Sibley/Reuters

Ben Wallace, the UK defence secretary, has publicly called for higher defence spending by the middle of the decade in light of Russia’s war on Ukraine, in a move that sets him at odds with Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak.

The cabinet minister said billions more would be needed to meet Britain’s defence needs, but denied that he was ordered by Downing Street to rewrite a keynote speech to remove a call for a higher military spending target.