Previously, Treasury Secretary Darren Jones suggested there should be a “trade-off” between economic growth and the amount the UK can spend on national security (see post 8.43am).

Do you sometimes have to wait to improve your military skills?

Dame Priti Patel says: “Absolutely not.

“These are the political choices this government has chosen to make.”

“The reality is that even when it comes to defense spending, my party in government has a clear path to secure 2.5% of GDP by 2030,” he adds.

“Today we are reading potential reports that this government may not seek to reach that level until 2034.

“The world is in an unstable place. The landscape is now changing dramatically.”

He warns: “I think we need a stronger West right now, and in particular it is imperative that the West unites around defense spending.

“How do we cooperate in NATO, how much resources do we allocate?”

Dame Priti argues that support for Ukraine has an impact on our own military spending.

“I will encourage this government to engage in constructive dialogue with our American counterparts on this issue,” he says.