UK’s likely next leader Andy Burnham vows to fully fund defence plans

Andy Burnham says the UK must take the defence investment plan ‘very seriously’ despite 4.7bn-pound funding hole.The United Kingdom’s likely next prime minister says he will take responsibility to find funds for a long-anticipated defence plan, days after a 4.7 billion pound ($6.2bn) funding gap came under public scrutiny.Speaking to LBC’s “Tonight with Andrew Marr” on Thursday, Andy Burnham said he “wasn’t in all of the discussions” regarding the defence investment plan, but that he views the plan as “something that the country has to face up to very seriously”.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Burnham pledges devolution and discipline if he becomes UK prime ministerlist 2 of 4UK’s likely next PM Andy Burnham faces defence funding gaplist 3 of 4UK’s Starmer announces 300-billion-pound defence investment planlist 4 of 4An extra 229,000 deaths: Is that the cost of US-UK drugs deal?end of list“What I can say to you tonight is I will take my responsibilities fully to fund the defence investment plan,” he said in comments reported by the UK’s Press Association news agency. “If I am in the position to do so, I will take those responsibilities extremely seriously.”Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a 15 billion pound ($20bn) increase to the defence budget over the next four years – totalling nearly 300 billion pounds – as the UK seeks to modernise its armed forces. The UK is grappling with concerns about its depleted military capabilities amid fears that Russia could attack NATO member states in the coming years. But the source of nearly one-third of the plan’s committed increase is uncertain.Burnham, who is expected to replace Starmer later this month, said the UK needs to “build the resilience”.“We’re in a changing world. The nature of the threat is changing,” he said.Benefit cuts, tax mandateAddressing a key question facing the Labour government, Burnham also told LBC he would not make “crude cuts to benefit levels”.