Ben Wallace ‘wants defence budget lifted to 2.5% of GDP by 2028’

British soldiers in an armoured vehicle. The leaked request from Ben Wallace emerged before the anticipated commitment of hundreds more British troops to the defence of Estonia. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA

Ben Wallace has reportedly written to the prime minister to call for the defence budget to be lifted to 2.5% of GDP by 2028, as newly released figures from Nato show the proportion spent by the UK has fallen for a second year running.

The defence secretary also called for increases in personnel numbers, despite recent cuts to the army, and warned of future shortfalls in naval and air force crews, as well as in long-range rocket artillery.