Rishi Sunak’s plan to increase Britain’s defence budget will not result in the UK’s Armed Forces growing in size, a former minister has warned. 

James Heappey, who stood down as Armed Forces minister in March this year, welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement of £75 billion in new funding for the Ministry of Defence. 

The commitment will see the defence budget rise to 2.5 per cent of national wealth by the start of 2030, significantly above the Nato target of 2 per cent. 

Mr Heappey, who has been pushing for the UK to spend 3 per cent of GDP on defence in the medium term, said the extra money was “fantastic”. 

But he told Sky News: “Anybody who thinks that 2.5 per cent is going to bring with it a growth in the navy or a growth in the air force or a growth in the army doesn’t really understand just how expensive all this stuff is. 

“And in time I can see the need to have that conversation. But it would be so churlish [to complain now].”

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