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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been encouraged by two UK government officials, Anne-Marie Trevelyan and Tom Tugendhat, to considerably increase defense spending from the present level of slightly over 2 percent of GDP to at least 2.5 percent.

This appeal is being made in the midst of mounting worries about Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s recent spring budget, which did not contain more cash for defense, among Conservative MPs and military experts.

The urgency of reacting to what Defence Secretary Grant Shapps has referred to as a “prewar world” is reflected in the ministers’ plea.

Ms Trevelyan, a Foreign Office Minister and former defence minister, alongside Mr Tugendhat, the Security Minister and an experienced soldier, made their case in an online article unexpectedly not approved by Downing Street.

Posted on Ms Trevelyan’s LinkedIn page, the article argues for the UK to lead by enhancing its defence and security budget beyond the current spending, highlighting the initial efforts made by former defence secretary Ben Wallace and former prime minister BMr Sunak

They emphasised that while previous efforts remedied funding shortfalls, growth in defence spending is now critically needed.

The ministers outlined key investment areas, including the UK’s nuclear deterrent, expansion of the Royal Navy, additional weapons and ammunition, and faster development of new fighter jets.

They stressed the investment would not only protect the UK’s future economic security but also promote growth in the nation’s defence industrial base.

The sad truth is that the world is no longer benign,” they said.

“Protecting ourselves requires investment. And effective investment means that our industrial complex must grow and strengthen at much greater pace than at present.

“We cannot turn on the complex platforms and weapons which ensure military advantage overnight. We must start that growth now, invest at pace to support our allies and stay ahead of our adversaries.”

The context of this call includes significant increases in defence budgets by global powers such as China and Russia, with China announcing a 7.2 per cent rise in its defence budget to $230 billion (£179 billion), and Russia dedicating 40 per cent of its expenditure to defence and security.