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The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Strategic defence review live: Starmer pledges to make UK ‘battle-ready' amid row over forces spending
Sir Keir Starmer has said the UK is moving towards 'war-fighting readiness' as he warned the world is facing the greatest instability it has for years. The prime minister outlined new defence measures — including extra attack submarines, £15 billion on nuclear warheads and thousands of new long-range weapons — to put Britain on war footing, after the government's long-awaited strategic defence review concluded that the nation should be ready for war in Europe or the Atlantic. Speaking in Glasgow, Sir Keir said: 'When we are being directly threatened by states with advanced military forces, the most effective way to deter them is to be ready, and frankly, to show them that we're ready to deliver peace through strength.' He pledged to make the UK 'a battle-ready, armour-clad nation', insisting that 'every part of society, every citizen of this country, has a role to play'. But questions remained about his plans to increase defence spending to the recommended level. The government will increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product from April 2027 with an 'ambition' – but no firm commitment – to increase it to 3% during the next parliament. Growing anger among MPs over lack of briefing The Independent's Political Editor David Maddox reports: Just two hours before the strategic defence review is set to be presented to parliament many MPs are complaining that they have still not seen a copy. While lock in briefings were available for journalists most MPs, including opposition shadow defence ministers, are still in the dark, The Independent has been told. As previously reported Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has been described as "fuming" over leaks to Sunday newspapers. It means the government's big moment has been delayed by not one but two urgent questions. Athena Stavrou2 June 2025 15:04 'Starmer on a warpath': Green Party The Green Party has criticised Starmer's new defence plans, arguing that the government should strive to 'look at the deeper causes of insecurity' around the world. 'Keir Starmer is sounding like he is on a war path with his "battle-ready, armour-clad nation" rhetoric,' Ellie Chowns MP, who holds the defence brief for the Parliamentary Green Party, said. 'Security is not just based on arms expenditure and threats, but on real leadership that uses diplomacy and development too. There must be a real commitment to an international order based on human rights, equality and genuine cooperation. 'To avoid the horrors of war and armed conflict, we need to look at the deeper causes of insecurity, including poverty and climate breakdown.' She added that the Green Party's position is to support 'the restoration of the international aid budget to at least 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI)'. She added: 'We will continue to argue that real patriotism means ending UK-made weapons or components being sold to dictators, human rights abusers or for use against civilians anywhere in the world.' Athena Stavrou2 June 2025 14:55 Will Starmer have to raise taxes to pay for defence? The Independent's Political Editor David Maddox reports: Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), believes that the unspoken truth about the commitment to 3 per cent of GDP on defence is it can only be funded with tax rises. Speaking to Times Radio this morning, he said: 'It looks like the government wants to reinstate the winter fuel payment. It's thinking about the two-child limit for benefits. 'We've got a spending review next week. And if we're really going to spend another £10-15 billion a year on defence, whilst inevitably we're going to spend more and more on health and pensions and so on, you really do have to ask that question, what are the choices that you're going to make? 'And I mean, bluntly, it really does seem to me that the only choice that is available, if we're going to go through all of those things, is some really quite chunky tax increases to pay for it. 'But of course, that's not something the prime minister or the chancellor is willing actually to say." Athena Stavrou2 June 2025 14:44 Chunky tax hikes will be needed to fund defence, warns IFS The Independent's Political Correspondent Archie Mitchell reports: The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned that 'quite chunky' tax hikes will be needed to fund Sir Keir Starmer's planned uplift in defence spending. Paul Johnson, director of the economic think tank, told Times Radio: 'It looks like the government wants to reinstate the winter fuel payment. It's thinking about the two-child limit for benefits. 'We've got a spending review next week. And if we're really going to spend another £10-15 billion a year on defence, whilst inevitably we're going to spend more and more on health and pensions and so on, you really do have to ask that question, what are the choices that you're going to make? 'And I mean, bluntly, it really does seem to me that the only choice that is available, if we're going to go through all of those things, is some really quite chunky tax increases to pay for it. 'But of course, that's not something the prime minister or the chancellor is willing actually to say." Athena Stavrou2 June 2025 14:31 Still to come today After Sir Keir Starmer launched the government's new strategic defence measures, ministers will face more questions from fellow MPs. At around 4:15pm, there will be urgent questions in the Commons on the future of the UK's nuclear deterrent. This will be followed by a statement delivered by Defence Secretary John Healey. We will bring you the latest updates here. Athena Stavrou2 June 2025 14:14 Speaker unhappy over pre briefing of defence plan The Independent's Political Editor David Maddox reports: It appears Sir Lindsay Hoyle is annoyed at the government "leaking" it strategic defence review before announcing it to parliament. The Speaker is quite a stickler for this and has clashed with ministers before. This time he has granted an urgent question for 3.30pm regarding the SDR being leaked and announced outside the House of Commons. This of course in itself will delay the SDR being presented to parliament. Athena Stavrou2 June 2025 14:03 PM's refusal to rule out fresh aid cuts 'disappointing' The Independent's Political Correspondent Archie Mitchell reports: Sir Keir Starmer's refusal to rule out fresh cuts to the international aid budget are "disappointing", a network for organisations working in international development and humanitarian assistance has said. Bond reacted to the PM leaving further aid cuts on the table with a warning that development spending and money for defence are "part of the same triangle". Policy and advocacy director Gideon Rabinowitz said: "It is disappointing that the Prime Minister has failed to rule out further cuts to the UK aid budget to fund defence spending. "Defence, diplomacy and development are not competing priorities, they are part of the same triangle. Slashing the development budget while boosting defence breaks this balance and puts long-term global security at risk. 'You don't strengthen our national security by weakening the very tools that prevent global conflict, fight poverty, tackle hunger, and protect us against future pandemics." Athena Stavrou2 June 2025 13:42 Listen: Starmer warns of Russia threat as he launches plan to ready UK for war Athena Stavrou2 June 2025 13:29 How many submarines will the UK have in the future? Two further Astute-class submarines, HMS Agamemnon and HMS Agincourt, are set to enter service in late 2025 and late 2026 respectively. Agamemnon is currently going through trials with the Royal Navy as part of a test and commissioning programme, while Agincourt remains under construction. As part of the joint defence deal between the US, Australia and the UK - known as Aukus - the UK is set to significantly boost its fleet of submarines following the defence review. An added 12 submarines would bring the UK's fleet up to more than 20 in total. This remains far smaller than the US's fleet of 71, and China and Russia's fleets of 66 each. Athena Stavrou2 June 2025 13:13 Speaker unhappy over pre briefing of Starmer's defence plan It appears Sir Lindsay Hoyle is annoyed at the government "leaking" it strategic defence review before announcing it to parliament. The Speaker is quite a stickler for this and has clashed with ministers before. This time he has granted an urgent question for 3.30pm regarding the SDR being leaked and announced outside the House of Commons. 2 June 2025 13:10
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Defence review to say UK must be ready to fight a war in Europe or Atlantic
Britain needs to be ready to fight a war in Europe or the Atlantic, a strategic defence review will conclude, though it is not expected to promise immediate increases in the size of the armed forces to deal with the threat. The 130-page document will call for a move to 'war-fighting readiness' to deter Russian aggression in Europe and increases in stockpiles of arms and support equipment, some of which may only last days in a crisis. Keir Starmer, the prime minister, will launch the review on Monday, saying the exercise 'will ensure the UK rises to the challenge and our armed forces have the equipment they need' in what ministers say is an increasingly unstable world. But it is not expected to contain any additional spending commitments and the defence secretary, John Healey, acknowledged on Sunday that any plans to increase the size of the British army, at its smallest for 300 years, will have to wait until after the election. Speaking to the BBC, Healey said there had been '15 years of a recruitment and retention crisis in our armed forces' as he acknowledged that the size of the army had fallen to a low 70,860 – below the government's current target of 73,000. The minister conceded that Labour had so far failed to turn the situation around, despite talk that Britain is prepared to participate in a peacekeeping deployment in Ukraine. 'We've still got more people leaving than joining,' he said. 'The first job is to reverse that trend, and then I want to see in the next parliament our ability to start to increase the number [of soldiers],' Healey continued, apparently deferring any increase until after an election due in 2029. There had been speculation that Healey had been seeking to secure a commitment to increase the target size of the army to 76,000, though defence sources said that could have cost up to £2.5bn in pay, accommodation and equipment. Though Russia is heavily embroiled in the war in Ukraine, experts believe that if the Kremlin agreed to a ceasefire, it could allow time for a country with an army of more than 600,000 and a militarised economy to threaten other parts of Nato's eastern flank. The three-strong review team, led by Lord Robertson, a former Nato secretary general, has made 62 recommendations, in response to what the team has concluded is 'a new era of threat' from aggressive states such as Russia and drones, artificial intelligence and other new technologies. On Sunday, Ukraine said that it had attacked 40 Russian bombers at airfields deep inside Russia, using remotely piloted one-way attack drones that were hidden in trucks inside Russia until ready to use. Operation Spider's Web was in preparation for 18 months, with relatively cheap drones targeting strategic Russian aviation. It is also expected to conclude: The UK will commit to building 12 nuclear-powered attack submarines at Barrow in Cumbria and Raynesway, Derby, as part of the three-country Aukus programme with the US and Australia. The first submarines will launch in the late 2030s, replacing seven Astute-class submarines, tasked to operate around the world. A total of £15bn will be invested in modernising the production of nuclear weapons at Aldermaston in Berkshire, supporting more than 9,000 jobs as part of a programme to supply bombs for the Dreadnought submarines that will replace the ageing Vanguard boats that carry the Trident deterrent. That Russia poses an 'immediate and pressing' danger posed by Russia while China is a 'sophisticated and persistent challenge' to British interests. Iran and North Korea will be described as 'regional disruptors' and potentially hostile to the UK, with each of the four showing growing signs of being willing to work together. A new volunteer-led Home Guard be created to help protect airports, communications nodes and other parts of Britain's critical national infrastructure from drone and other surprise attacks, freeing up the time of soldiers and specialist police who guard such locations at present. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Ministers are also considering whether to restore an air-launched nuclear deterrent by buying F-35A aircraft which have been certified to carry the US B61-12 gravity bomb, which has a maximum explosive yield of 50 kilotons, more than three times the size of the 15kT bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. A report in the Sunday Times said the UK was considering buying the F-35A, though any arrangement to deploy B61 nuclear bombs in addition would probably be similar to existing situations in the Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Turkey, where nuclear weapons belonging to the US are stored in bunkers in those countries. Britain is the only big nuclear power that has only one method of delivering a nuclear weapon, from a submarine at sea. But engaging in 'nuclear sharing' with the US would be complex, and would require sensitive negotiations with the Trump administration if it were the path chosen. In Europe, B61 bombs remain US property until there is a deemed to be war. At that point, because non-proliferation rules are then deemed not to apply, 'the host country puts the weapons on their planes and sets off with them,' according to Dave Cullen, a nuclear expert at the Basic thinktank. Healey declined to comment on air-launched nuclear weapons on Sunday, and no announcement is expected on the issue shortly. The minister instead reiterated the value of Trident. 'For over 70 years, our UK nuclear deterrent has been the ultimate guarantee of security in this country. It's what Putin fears most,' he told the BBC. The defence review is not expected to announce any immediate increase in defence budgets, beyond a commitment to lift spending by about £5bn to 2.5% of GDP in 2027 and to 3% in the next parliament. But Starmer and other Nato leaders are expected to discuss and agree fresh spending targets at a summit in The Hague later this month, of about 5% of GDP, of which 3.5% will be on military spending and the rest on cyberdefence and other infrastructure.
