Units which are in the UK and are not preparing for specific deployment <\/a>were ordered to halt \u201ccollective training\u201d, it is understood.<\/p>\n Training with Challenger 2 tanks<\/a> and Apache gunships are among those being cancelled, according to reports in The Times. <\/p>\n It comes as Andy Burnham<\/a> is under pressure to increase defence spending<\/a> from 2.5 per cent of national income next year. <\/p>\n During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, the chair of the Commons Defence Select Committee, Labour’s Tan Singh Dhesi, stressed the importance of investing in the armed forces and urged Burnham to commit to reaching three per cent spend by 2030.<\/p>\n To cheers among the Commons, he said: \u201cIndeed, defence is definitely one area where vibes alone just isn\u2019t going to be enough.\u201d<\/p>\n Mr Dhesi told The Independent the UK \u201cshould be under no illusion that we face a significantly higher threat level, so rather than be sorry later, we must properly invest in our defence now\u201d.<\/p>\n One military source described the order to cease training as \u201cabsolutely devastating\u201d, adding: \u201cArmies train, that is what they do. Now nothing is going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n The pause is expected to last until the end of the year. <\/p>\n Defence spending became a crucial topic and the nail in the coffin of Sir Keir Starmer<\/a>\u2019s premiership, after he failed to secure adequate funding for the government\u2019s defence investment plan (DIP).<\/p>\n The decision led to the shock resignation of former defence secretary, Sir John Healey, and armed forces minister Al Carns.<\/p>\n News of the order to stop certain units from training lands as Donald Trump suggested he would not back Britain if Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands, in retaliation for the UK\u2019s stance on the Iran war.<\/p>\n \u201cYour country was not there to help me,\u201d he told GB News on Thursday, just days after he said he was reviewing<\/a> the United States\u2019 position on British sovereignty over the islands.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2284897703...jpeg\")
The British Army has been told to stop training personnel who are not going to be immediately deployed (Getty)<\/p>\n![\"Andy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/2292752648...jpeg\")
Andy Burnham is under pressure to increase defence spending (Getty)<\/p>\n