The Chancellor, John Healey, will not set a date for defence spending to reach 3% of GDP in Wednesday's Budget, according to the Guardian, PA and the BBC. The Guardian reports that Healey "is expected to wait until next year's spending review to confirm the timetable".
That runs against the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, who said on ITV's Good Morning Britain on 26 October that the Budget would set out a path to 3% by 2030.
The Guardian says Healey is instead expected to confirm more investment in the defence industry as a "downpayment" on the 3% target. The BBC, as relayed by Newscord, says spending 3% of national income on security will come in next year's spending review. PA and Brit Brief report the same.
The reports match what Healey has said before about deferring the timetable to the spending review. His eve-of-Budget video message on 27 October gave no date. It said: "in an uncertain world, we will strengthen national security and our defences, as well as our support for Ukraine".
The Guardian notes that Healey said he was committed to the 3% target when he resigned as defence secretary earlier this year.