John Healey has promised to hike UK defence spending after Donald Trump said he was reviewing the United States’ position on the British sovereignty over the Falkland islands.
The US president is reportedly willing to British rule of the overseas territory as an incentive to encourage Andy Burnham to increase defence spending.
"I always review every position,” Mr Trump told reporters on Monday, when asked about the islands' sovereignty. “That's just one of many,” he added.
Speaking to The Times shortly after, Mr Healey insisted he was “100 per cent” committed to delivering a defence spending target of 3 per cent of GDP, adding he would set out the plan at the spring review.
It comes as Mr Burnham is set to deliver his first address as prime minister in the House of Commons on Tuesday as Parliament returns from recess this week.
The speech will focus on the cost-of-living crisis as the Labour leader makes a case for bringing more essential services under public control, according to reports in The Guardian.
Mr Burnham has announced a range of policies over the summer that have largely gone uncontested but will now face scrutiny by MPs.
