Earlier, Darren Jones, the chief secretary to the Treasury, suggested there needs to be a “trade-off” between economic growth and the amount the UK can spend on national security (see 8:43 story).

Do we sometimes have to wait to strengthen our military capabilities?

Dame Priti Patel says: “Absolutely not.

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

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

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

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

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

“How we cooperate within NATO, the amount of resources we devote to it.”

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

“I would encourage this government to engage in constructive dialogue with our American counterparts on this matter,” she said.