Sir Keir Starmer announces pledge to hit Nato 5% defence target by 2035 as Iran hits back at US

“We must navigate this era of radical uncertainty with agility, speed and a clear-eyed sense of the national interest to deliver security for working people and keep them safe,” Sir Keir said.

“That’s why I have made the commitment to spend 5 per cent of GDP on national security.”

The Prime Minister said he would hit the target by 2035, however questions will be asked as to how this will be funded.

Earlier in the month, Sir Keir promised core defence spending would reach 3 per cent in the 2030s, but was unable to set out where the money would come from.

It comes as the Government today publishes its National Security Strategy, which calls for the whole of the UK to become more resilient.

It encompasses the security of the UK borders, our energy supplies and our food supply chains.

“Economic security is national security, and through this strategy we will bring the whole of society with us, creating jobs, growth and wages for working people – guided by my Plan for Change,” Sir Keir added.

The report is published as nations scramble to react to the escalating war in the Middle East, after the US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday.

The UK was not involved in the attack and the HMS Prince of Wales, the Fleet Flagship of the Royal Navy, remains on a critical eight-month mission in the Indo-Pacific.

The 284-metre aircraft carrier landed in Singapore yesterday. Meanwhile the RAF has evacuated 63 British nationals from Israel, as its war with Iran rumbles on.

David Lammy told the Commons that an RAF A400 had taken the group of British nationals to Cyprus yesterday, from where they will be taken to the UK, adding that more flights will follow.

He also confirmed that one British national in Israel had been injured during Iranian missile attacks and had been offered consular support.

Downing Street said “around 1,000” people had requested a seat on an evacuation flight – a quarter of the 4,000 who had registered their presence in Israel or Palestine with the Foreign Office.

In his statement to the Commons, Mr Lammy repeated his plea to Iran to return to the negotiating table following America’s strikes on its nuclear programme.

He said: “My message for Tehran was clear, take the off ramp, dial this thing down, and negotiate with the United States seriously and immediately.

“The alternative is an even more destructive and far-reaching conflict, which could have unpredictable consequences.”

However, yesterday afternoon Iran carried out strikes on US airbases in Qatar, with explosions seen in the capital Doha.

The Al Udeid airbase, the largest US military installation in the Middle East, where around 8,000 American personnel are based, is located in the Gulf state according to the US State Department.

The base also hosts British forces. No. 83 Expeditionary Air Group, part of the Royal Air Force, is headquartered at Al Udeid and leads UK air operations in the region.

The Foreign Office advised British nationals in Qatar to “shelter in place” following a US security alert.

Qatar temporarily closed its airspace following the alert, with some services rerouted or diverted mid-air.