Grant Shapps labelled Sir Keir Starmer’s defence pledges “meaningless” as the Labour leader today shifts his focus to national security as the second full week of the general election campaign gets under way. 

Sir Keir will seek to reaffirm his commitment to a “nuclear deterrent triple lock” as well as his ambition to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP). 

But Mr Shapps, the Defence Secretary, claimed Labour could not be trusted on defence. 

He said: “Twelve members of Starmer’s front bench team, including Angela Rayner and David Lammy voted against Trident. We know Rayner is now making the decisions in Labour, so Starmer’s supposed backing for Trident is meaningless.

“Labour’s refusal to commit to 2.5 per cent defence spending by 2030 shows that they are a danger to our national security. Uncertain times call for a clear plan and bold action to chart a course to a secure future only the Conservatives offer that.”

Labour has said it would increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent when the economic circumstances allow while the Tories have given a cast iron guarantee that they would hit the number by 2030. 

Sir Keir has been attempting to shift perceptions of Labour’s defence stance following the party’s time under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn, a long-standing critic of Nato and Trident.

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