Latest news with #Cartlidge
Daily Record
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Record
AI not running UK's nuclear defence, insists Ministry of Defence insists
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has outlined how it utilises artificial intelligence in the UK's nuclear endeavours, following a query by James Cartlidge, Conservative MP for South Suffolk. In a written inquiry, Cartlidge requested details on whether AI contributes to policy-making related to the nation's nuclear capabilities. Cartlidge, who holds the position of Shadow Secretary of State for Defence and was formerly the Minister of State for Defence Procurement under Rishi Sunak's administration, expressed scepticism during a defence committee hearing about the UK armed forces' readiness to integrate AI comprehensively. "Are we yet at the stage where we can say, in every aspect of the Ministry of Defence, we're at the highest level of AI preparedness? No," he reportedly admitted in March 2024. Addressing the MP's subsequent concerns, Defence Minister Luke Pollard assured that "delivery of defence capabilities enabled by artificial intelligence (AI) will be ambitious, safe and responsible." The UK boasts an approximate nuclear stockpile of some 250 warheads, reports the Express. Pollard, who represents Plymouth Sutton and Devonport for the Labour Party, further indicated that assessments continue to "identify, understand, and mitigate against risks of applying AI for sensitive defence affairs." He emphasised that the routine operations of nuclear deterrence adhere to "conducted in accordance with the highest standards and controls." In response to Cartlidge, Pollard provided further assurance that any action regarding the UK's nuclear arsenal would have human approval. "Regardless of any potential application of artificial intelligence in our strategic systems, we will ensure human political control of our nuclear weapons is maintained at all times," he clarified. The Ministry of Defence has pledged to retain human oversight over nuclear weapons, despite the rising developments in AI technology. This is in keeping with their policy to make certain that decisions concerning nuclear force are always subject to direct political command. Pollard declined to provide specifics on integrating AI into the nuclear sphere, arguing that revealing such details "would prejudice the capability, security and effectiveness of the Armed Forces."
Telegraph
30-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Reeves accused of blocking drone production to cut defence costs
Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, has been accused of blocking the production of drones for the British Army to save money. James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, warned that Britain's security and defence was being undermined after discovering that just three reconnaissance drones had been ordered for the military since Labour won the general election last year. After submitting a question in parliament, he was also told that not a single attack drone had been ordered. In contrast, Ukraine produces around 200,000 a month, of which 10,000 are shot down by the Russian military over the front line. Mr Cartlidge said the financial squeeze had meant the Ministry of Defence (MoD) appeared to have ignored a drone strategy which he set out a year ago when he was a defence minister. The strategy proposed that Britain should develop its military drone capability and training while providing a 'significant' number of the devices to Ukraine. Mr Cartlidge said: 'When the war in Ukraine and our experience in the Red Sea shows drones are now critical to achieving mass in modern warfare, Labour's failure to purchase a single attack drone for our own forces is a damning indictment of a Government talking tough on defence but not delivering in reality. 'This proves what I've argued for months – for all Labour's promises to raise defence spending, forced on them by circumstance, the practical reality since the election is that they've chosen to prioritise penny-pinching over actual procurement. 'Instead of ordering capabilities for the British Armed Forces, the Treasury has used an invented 'black hole' to stall rearmament and undermine our defence.' He added: 'Labour must now get on with the job of ramping up production, placing orders with British defence companies, who have had a track record producing cutting edge drones for Ukraine and are champing at the bit to do the same for our own military.' The alleged block on drones comes despite plans by Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP with an ambition to reach 3 per cent in the next parliament. The lack of attack drone orders was revealed after Mr Cartlidge asked the MoD to detail how many military drones had been purchased for strikes, logistics and reconnaissance since July 5 2024. Maria Eagle, a defence minister, replied: 'An order for three aircraft delivering intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance UK capability was placed at the end of January 2025, through an urgent capability requirement project. 'Separately, as previously announced, working on behalf of the International Fund for Ukraine and the international Drone Capability Coalition, the UK has placed contracts for a significant number of drones for use by the armed forces of Ukraine.' The drone strategy, published last February, said the Ukraine war provided 'no clearer example' of how the deployment of low-cost drones was 'increasingly defeating more exquisite capabilities and delivering disproportionate impact on the battlefield.' 'The UK must learn from the Ukrainian experience, amongst other lessons, to position ourselves as a world leader in uncrewed systems,' it said. Backed by investment from its European and US allies, Ukraine's ministry of defence issued contracts for the domestic manufacture of 1.6 million drones, of various types, for about £1.8 billion by October 2024. The aircraft produced has included long-range kamikaze drones, conventional configuration reconnaissance drones and single-wing reconnaissance drones.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Challenge to Clonoe ruling is ‘disgraceful', Sinn Fein says
Moves by the Government to challenge a ruling that SAS soldiers were not justified in killing four IRA members in a 1992 ambush are 'disgraceful', according to Sinn Fein. Last month, coroner Mr Justice Michael Humphreys found that the soldiers did not have an honest belief in the necessity of using lethal force. Four Provisional IRA members – Kevin Barry O'Donnell, 21, Sean O'Farrell, 23, Peter Clancy, 19, and Daniel Vincent, 20 – were shot dead in Clonoe, Co Tyrone, minutes after they had carried out a gun attack on Coalisland RUC station in Co Tyrone in February 1992. In his ruling, Mr Justice Humphreys said no attempt was made by the SAS soldiers to arrest any of the members of the IRA unit, and the operation was not planned and controlled in a way to minimise to the 'greatest extent possible' the need to use lethal force. Clonoe update: I'm delighted to confirm that, after I wrote to the Defence Secretary on 12th February urging him to judicially review the NI Coroner's Clonoe verdict of 'unlawful killing' by British soldiers, the MoD will now be taking action. Very welcome news for our veterans. — James Cartlidge MP 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 (@jcartlidgemp) March 21, 2025 On Friday, Conservative MP James Cartlidge said he had received confirmation from veterans minister Alistair Carns that the Government would challenge the findings. Mr Cartlidge had called on the Government to seek a judicial review into the inquest ruling. In his reply, which the opposition MP shared on X, Mr Carns said the Ministry of Defence has issued a pre-action protocol letter to the coroner which sets out the legal basis for the application for a judicial review. He said: 'I have also agreed to the MoD funding the Specialist Military Unit veterans' judicial review of the findings, this is expected to run adjacent to MoD's application. 'The veterans involved have been, and continue to be, offered welfare and legal support.' The minister added: 'As a veteran, I am deeply proud of the members of the armed forces who, along with police officers and members of the security services, sought to protect communities and peace in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and recognise the difficult choices they faced in extremely challenging operations. 'We owe a great deal to them, and I will continue to champion their cause as we deal with Northern Ireland's legacy.' Mr Cartlidge said he was 'delighted' with the development, adding that it would be welcomed by veterans. However, Sinn Fein described the move as 'deeply concerning' and 'disgraceful'. Cathal Mallaghan, the party's MP for Mid Ulster, said: ''This is yet another cynical attempt by the British Government to deny families truth and justice. 'The coroner came to his findings in this case based on the facts. He rightly sent a file to the Public Prosecution Service to take the matter forward.' Mr Mallaghan said the development highlights concerns over the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), which was set up by the previous UK government as part of its Legacy Act, but has faced opposition from political parties in Northern Ireland and victims' organisations. While the Labour Government is repealing parts of the Act, including the offer of conditional immunity for perpetrators of Troubles killings, it has decided to retain the truth recovery commission. Mr Mallaghan added: 'This case highlights why families have a preference to have inquests and inquiries in their pursuit of justice, as opposed to the ICRIR process, where the British Secretary of State retains a power of veto on what may go into a victim's family report. 'It is essential that our judicial processes are free to carry out their duties independently, free from state interference. 'The British Government must proceed expeditiously to fully 'repeal and replace' the Legacy Act, as it committed to do, including the full reinstatement of all inquests, and all the legacy mechanisms agreed in the Stormont House negotiations, in a human rights-compliant manner.'
The Independent
22-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Government to challenge Clonoe ruling
The Government intends to challenge a ruling that SAS soldiers were not justified in killing four IRA members in a 1992 ambush in Co Tyrone, according to an MP. Last month, coroner Mr Justice Michael Humphreys found that the soldiers did not have an honest belief in the necessity of using lethal force. Four Provisional IRA members – Kevin Barry O'Donnell, 21, Sean O'Farrell, 23, Peter Clancy, 19, and Daniel Vincent, 20 – were shot dead by the soldiers minutes after they had carried out a gun attack on Coalisland RUC station in February 1992. In his ruling, Mr Justice Humphreys said that no attempt was made by the soldiers to arrest any of the members of the IRA unit, and the operation was not planned and controlled in a way to minimise to the 'greatest extent possible' the need to use lethal force. On Saturday, Conservative MP James Cartlidge said he had received confirmation from Veterans Minister Alistair Carns that the Government would challenge the findings. Mr Cartlidge had called on the Government to seek a judicial review into in the inquest ruling. In his reply which the opposition MP shared on X, Mr Carns states that the Ministry of Defence has issued a pre-action protocol letter to the coroner, which sets out the legal basis for the application for a judicial review. He said: 'I have also agreed to the MoD funding the Specialist Military Unit veterans' judicial review of the findings, this is expected to run adjacent to MoD's application. 'The veterans involved have been, and continue to be, offered welfare and legal support.' The minister added: 'As a veteran, I am deeply proud of the members of the armed forces who, along with police officers and members of the security services, sought to protect communities and peace in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and recognise the difficult choices they faced in extremely challenging operations. 'We owe a great deal to them, and I will continue to champion their cause as we deal with Northern Ireland's legacy.' Mr Cartlidge said he was 'delighted' with the development, adding that it would be welcomed by veterans.
Telegraph
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Government will not back review of ruling that could lead to prosecution of SAS unit for IRA deaths
The Government has refused to commit to a judicial review of a ruling that could bring the prosecution of SAS veterans for killing four IRA terrorists. Al Carns, the veterans minister, failed to back calls from former military leaders and the Tories to launch a judicial review into a ruling by a senior coroner. The coroner found members of an SAS unit used unjustified lethal force when they killed four IRA terrorists in an ambush in 1992. Mr Carns's response to a letter from James Cartlidge, the shadow defence secretary, emerged on Wednesday, as Sir Keir Starmer was challenged on the case in the Commons, and urged to do more to protect soldiers and veterans from prosecution. 'Army morale at risk' Mr Cartlidge warned that the Government's refusal to commit to a review of the coroner's ruling would damage Army morale. The IRA men were gunned down in a car park minutes after they attacked a Royal Ulster Constabulary police station in Coalisland, Co Tyrone, firing 30 rounds from a Soviet-made DSHK anti-aircraft machine gun mounted on the back of a stolen lorry. The SAS unit was lying in wait for the terrorists as they fled two miles to the car park of a Roman Catholic church in the village of Clonoe. Last month, Mr Justice Michael Humphreys, the coroner, rejected claims made by two of the soldiers, now in their 50s, that they held the 'honest belief' they needed to use lethal force. Military sources have said the coroner's verdict means they expect the case to be referred to Northern Ireland prosecutors and police for criminal investigation. The previous Tory government introduced a law last year which granted soldiers immunity from prosecution if they cooperated with a new information recovery body. The Government is currently in the process of repealing the legislation, which Sir Keir has said did not 'get the balance right' between the rights of veterans and victims. Mr Cartlidge wrote to the Ministry of Defence after the coroner's decision, urging the Government to seek a judicial review of the ruling, which critics say was legally flawed. In his response to Mr Cartlidge's letter, Mr Carns wrote: 'We owe a great deal of debt to our Armed Forces – the vast majority of those who served in Operation Banner during the Troubles, did so with distinction. 'The Government is committed to ensuring that the legacy of the past is addressed sensitively, efficiently, and lawfully. 'It is important, as we seek to find an agreed way forward, that we recognise the many bereaved families of ex-service personnel who continue to seek answers about the circumstances of their loved ones' death.' Ministers will take time over response Whitehall sources told The Telegraph ministers would take time to carefully consider their response to the coroner's ruling. The veterans involved in the case are being provided with welfare and legal support by the Government. But Mr Cartlidge warned that the response would undermine military morale at a sensitive time. He said: 'At a time when the Government is talking about the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine, it is shocking that they are not going to do the right thing by our veterans by judicially reviewing the Clonoe verdict. 'Given the clear reluctance of the MoD to defend the veterans concerned, the PM should recognise the harm this could do to Army morale and personally intervene.' Earlier, Sir David Davis, a former soldier in the Territorial Army's 21 SAS regiment, challenged Sir Keir on the verdict at PMQs. The former Tory minister told the Commons the judgment 'was based on no evidence whatsoever', and urged the Prime Minister to do more to protect veterans from prosecution. 'Partisan parodies of justice' 'Soldiers who serve our country with honour, heroism and skill are being punished in their declining years for doing nothing but carrying out their patriotic duty in the face of enormous risks,' he said. 'Does he not think that he and his Government have a duty to protect those soldiers from such partisan parodies of justice in their declining years?' Sir Keir replied that he had 'not seen the details' of the Clonoe case, despite it being raised repeatedly with ministers in recent weeks. The Prime Minister added: 'On the broader point, it is right that we should protect those who serve our country, wherever they serve our country.' Last month senior military figures including Lord Dannatt, the former head of the Army, wrote to The Telegraph calling for a judicial review in the Clonoe case. The open letter, which was also signed by Ben Wallace, the former Tory defence secretary, said overturning the verdict was 'vitally important in the interests of natural justice'.
