Gavin Grey: UK correspondent on Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expressing 'commitment' to defence spending but not revealing a timeline

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK has a 'cast iron commitment' to spending 2.5 percent of national income on defence - but won't attach a timeline to that promise.

Starmer has travelled to Washington for NATO's annual summit days after he won the general election.

UK correspondent Gavin Grey says there's concern a proposed review could delay these plans.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Devin Gray. Are UK correspondents with us this evening?

Speaker 2 (00:02):
Hey, Kevin, Hi, there have so given?

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Why is Kirstarman not saying when the UK defense budget
will hit two point five percent?

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Yeah, that's what lots of people are asking. So he's
currently at the NATO summit. NATO members pledging to spend
at least two percent of their gross domestic product their
GDP on defense by twenty twenty four, and some twenty
three of the thirty two members in the Alliance are
projected to meet this target this year. The UK already
spends a little over that figure on its defense, but

(00:34):
the Prime Minister Sekre Starma is pledging to commit to
two and a half percent of national income on defense,
but not putting a timeline on it when that will
be delivered. And you know he's saying he's set out
a roadmap. There are multiple threats, so we have to
be ready to defend ourselves. There's a route and branch
review to secure Britain's defenses. But yeah, I mean he

(00:57):
says that he wants to get a strategic review you
done first, and frankly many think that could be right
kicking into the long grass because that could take a
long long time to come, but he says he needs
to review all the different security risks that this country's
faced before he then commits to this two and a
half percent. But it is I think perhaps the first

(01:18):
potential little sticking point within his new premiership. And suffice
to say, meeting all the world leaders, including Joe Biden
his big first international event, Yeah totally.

Speaker 1 (01:29):
Hey. So BYD has decided it's going to start making
some cars and Turkey this is the Chinese electric vehicle maker.
Are they doing this yet around the EU sanctions?

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeah, pretty much, so I think that's exactly why they're
doing it. So a new plant is going to create
up to one hundred and fifty thousand vehicles a year,
five thousand jobs created by the end of twenty twenty six,
in a deal signed at a big event by the President,
Regip tier birder One and the chief executive of BYD.

(01:58):
But this comes as Chinese electric vehicle makers really under
the screw, frankly from the European Union in the US
with these huge new tariffs that we've talked about for
some cars, up to nearly fifty percent tariff. But Turkey
is part of the EU's Customs Union, and that means
that things made in the country and exp exported to

(02:22):
the rest of the Bloc can avoid the additional tariff,
and so that's why this is particularly attractive for the
Chinese car makers. And indeed, of course it's a similar
thing in America where Joe Ryden ramping up caras on
Chinese made electric vehicles, solar panel steels and other goods,
where he's really imposed these spaces, including a one hundred

(02:45):
percent board attacks on electric vehicles. And this is all
because the EU and the US say that the Chinese
government is effectively subsidized in the production of electric cars
with state grants, something incidentally both by and the Chinese
government strenuously deny.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
Yes, okay, what do you have to do when you're
in Denmark in order to be able to get the
free food and the free activities?

Speaker 2 (03:08):
Yeah, I quite like the sound of this. I really
can't see it working, however, but that is a cynical
brit talking to you here. Ever, this is a trial
scheme beginning in just five days time, and that'll see
tourist attractions in Copenhagen, the Danish capital, offer rewards to
tourists for activities like litter picking, traveling by public transport

(03:30):
or biking around the city instead of using a car.
And under the initiatives, once it's been proven you've done
these things, visitors can claim free lunches, coffee, even glasses
of wine. And the Kayak rental scheme supposedly open anyway.
It's called Cope and Pay. It's designed to offset the

(03:50):
environmental burden of tourism, according to the Copenhagen Tourist Board.
And they're really saying, you know, these are little steps,
but they are important steps towards a green transition. They
say it is trust based, meaning attractions are unlikely to
ask for proof that the green activity has been completed.
So in other words, you could say you've done a

(04:11):
bit of litterpicking and get your lunch and actually not
have done it. I think they are, however, expecting to
see your bicycle if you're cycling. But yeah, it sounds
a bit loose to me.

Speaker 1 (04:21):
Yeah it does. Trust models never work, Gavin. They work
in our favor if we just want a free glass
of wine. Appreciate your time, mate. That is Devin gray
Ow UK, corresponding for more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive.

Speaker 2 (04:32):
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