Former NATO secretary general to lead UK defence review
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Sir Keir Starmer will today launch a “root and branch” review of the UK’s Armed Forces.
It comes after the prime minister promised to “make sure our hollowed out armed forces are bolstered and respected”.
The review will be led by former NATO general secretary Lord Robertson – who carried out a previous strategic defence review when serving as defence secretary in Tony Blair’s government.
It will look at a range of areas, from recruitment and training through to international partnerships and modernisation.
The Labour peer will be supported by the former European and Russian affairs adviser to President Donald Trump, Dr Fiona Hill, and former deputy chief of defence staff, General Sir Richard Barrons.
It comes amid growing pressure on the new government to outline its roadmap for reaching its spending target of 2.5% of GDP on defence – something Sir Keir has pledged to do but not set out a timetable for.
Speaking ahead of the launch, the prime minister said he would ensure defence spending was “responsibly increased” and that the country “has the capabilities needed to ensure the UK’s resilience for the long-term”.
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Pointing to the war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East, among other threats, he added: “We live in a more dangerous and volatile world.
“My government will forge a new clear-eyed approach to our national defences, equipping us to tackle international threats head-on while keeping the British people safe and secure.
“I promised the British people I would deliver the change needed to take our country forward, and I promised action not words. That’s why one of my first acts since taking office is to launch our strategic defence review.
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Starmer pledges Ukraine support
Work will start immediately on the review and the final report will be “delivered at pace”, Downing Street said, with a plan to publish in the first half of 2025 “in recognition of the urgency of the threats facing the UK”.
The government is inviting submissions until the end of September from a wide range of stakeholders, including both retired and serving members of the Armed Forces, the defence industry, MPs, and close allies and partners, “especially in NATO”.
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Lord Robertson, who was secretary general of the defence alliance between 1999 and 2003 after serving as Labour’s defence secretary in Tony Blair’s government, said it was “an honour to lead a review… to help shape our military for the next century”.
He added: “The world is a more dangerous place and to combat the evolving threat we need a new approach.
“We also will need a new type of review, which delivers quickly but also includes the views and voices of those from all parties, all parts of the defence family and a spectrum of our partners and allies.”
