Labour's defence confusion deepened today as Wes Streeting backed upping spending to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030 – but admitted the Chancellor will not commit for another year.

The Defence Secretary eventually acknowledged he wanted to reach the goal after repeatedly dodging the BBC's questions on Sunday.

However, he bizarrely argued that John Healey voicing the same ambition at this point would risk panic on international markets.

Instead he said the Chancellor must wait for a Spending Review, which is now not expected to happen until the end of next year.

The exchange, during an appearance on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, could fuel concerns about a lack of urgency in responding to perceived rising threats from Russia. 

The havering was branded 'embarrassing' by the Tories. It comes even though Mr Healey resigned from Keir Starmer's Government just a few months ago because of a failure to set the timetable.

While the UK committed to meeting the 3.5 per cent GDP defence spending target by 2035, the Government is yet to set out a timeline or roadmap for reaching that goal.

Downing Street even embarrassingly walked back comments made by Andy Burnham at PMQs where he seemed to promise 3 per cent by 2035.

The Budget on October 28 is set to explain how the Government will fund a near-£5billion hole in the Defence Investment Plan, but not give further details of the funding trajectory.  

Mr Streeting was asked by stand-in presenter Victoria Derbyshire whether he agreed with Mr Healey's previous view that spending needed to reach 3 per cent of GDP by 2030.

'I do, especially now he's the Chancellor,' he joked.

Pressed whether that meant the Government was going to spend 3 per cent of GDP on defence by 2030, Mr Streeting said: 'The Chancellor will set that out next year in the Spending Review.'

Challenged whether he wanted to hit 3 per cent by 2030, Mr Streeting said: 'I will always push for more defence spending as Defence Secretary.'

He added: 'Let me just explain why we're not going to set out a spending commitment without showing how we would pay for it outside of a spending review...

'If I or the Chancellor were to sit on your programme now and say 3 per cent in 2030, without showing how we were going to pay for it, the markets would price in that risk, the cost of borrowing would go up.

'Without having made a single choice or decision, we would have made our job of spending on defence and other things harder...

'That's why the Chancellor won't say I'm spending 3 per cent by 2030 outside of a Spending Review. Because he's also got to say how he's going to pay for it.'

Pressed again if he personally wanted to see 3 per cent of GDP go on the military by 2030, Mr Streeting said: 'That's the position John Healey set out before, it's my view.'

Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: 'It is frankly embarrassing Labour are still refused to commit to reaching 3 per cent of GDP on defence spending by 2030.

'We face growing threats from Russia, from the Middle East and on our own soil, and we need to be prepared – but Labour are failing to do that.

'The Chancellor absolutely has to set out his plan for 3 per cent in the Budget – anything less would be a dereliction of duty.

'Only the Conservatives have a fully costed plan to hit 3 per cent of GDP on defence spending by 2030.'