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Sir Keir Starmer vows to 'build up hollowed out forces' but won't say when troop numbers will go up
2 June 2025, 14:29 | Updated: 2 June 2025, 14:53
Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to "build up our hollowed out forces" - but won't say when troop numbers will go up.
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The prime minister told LBC he would do more to stop people from leaving the armed forces by improving their pay and housing.
But he wouldn't say say how many people more he'd like to see - or when they would arrive.
He spoke to our Scotland Political Editor, Gina Davidson, in Glasgow this morning as he launched the long-awaited strategic defence review.
The Government has announced:
- The UK will build a dozen nuclear powered submarines
- An extra £6billion for munitions, and six more factories to replenish our stockpiles
- Up to 7,000 long range weapons
- A new cyber unit to ward off attacks
- A civilian home guard to protect our national infrastructure
- More underwater surveillance to protect our undersea cables and energy pipelines
- More cash to improve armed forces accommodation
The Prime Minister told LBC that the "threat level" to the UK has gone up and we're in a "new era" of defence now.
He said: "We're in a new era and we're in a more unstable world. So it's vital that we carry out the recommendations of the review.
"There are a number of limbs to that. The first is obviously personnel, and here we do need to build up our hollowed out forces. I think we do that in two ways.
"One is adding at the top, the other is making sure we don't lose people who leave the services. And that's why what we're doing on homes, what we're doing on pay is really important."
When grilled on whether there would be a target in terms of numbers of forces, he refused to say.
But he insisted he did want to see that number go up "as soon as possible".
Sir Keir said: "We want to get the numbers up as quickly as possible. The report sets out the way that can be done into the next Parliament. It has to start with the steps we've already taken now on homes and on pay.
"I'm really pleased that we've given our service personnel the biggest pay increase for 20 years and that we're investing in the homes that they deserve that will help us.
"Because one of the problems we face at the moment is people leaving. And we have to, as I say, come at this from both ends".
The current target is 73,000 troops - but according to the latest figures, the number of full-time trained soldiers is currently at 70,860, below the target.
Yesterday, the defence secretary told Lewis Goodall that he did want to increase the size of the army - but said it was vital to stop people from leaving first.
John Healey confident UK will hit 3% GDP goal for defence spending
But the Liberal Democrats claim the armed forces have shrunk by 2,000 since Labour came to power last summer.
They said that full-time trained Armed Forces personnel have dropped by 2,181 since July 2024.
The size of the army is now the smallest since the Napoleonic era.
Helen Maguire MP, Liberal Democrat Defence Spokesperson and army veteran, said: “This Government has sat on its hands rather than acting to undo the Conservatives' reckless cuts to our armed forces. “Since their fine words at the election on making the Army fit to fight again, we've seen a drop of over 2,000 armed forces personnel.
"It's time for Labour to walk the walk and make good on their promises.
“We're calling for emergency measures to reverse the shameful Army troop cuts - introduced by the previous Conservative government - so we can restore our armed forces.”
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