Rishi Sunak has said that boosting defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP will not stop him from cutting taxes or spending on public services amid questions over how he plans to fund his pledge.

The prime minister said he would protect budgets for schools and the NHS, but it is thought that deep cuts will be needed in other areas to fund the funnelling of billions of pounds into defence.

At a press conference with the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, on Wednesday Sunak said: “I said £900 tax cut for an average person in the state pension going up by £900. But we have made a choice and I'm not shying away from that choice. All governing is about prioritising and I've decided to prioritise defence because I think that's the right thing to do for our country."

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