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Category: Defence

  • David Lammy – 2025 Article on Defence Spending

    David Lammy – 2025 Article on Defence Spending

    The article written by David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, on 25 February 2025. The article was published in the Guardian newspaper and released as a press release by the Government.

    There are moments in history when everything turns, but the extent of change is not perceived until later when the fog has cleared. These are hinge points that require clear leadership and bold action. In the late 1940s, my Labour predecessor and hero Ernie Bevin, alongside Clement Attlee, saw through the fog when they led Britain into Nato and the UN, and secured the development of Britain’s nuclear deterrent.

    In the 1960s, Harold Wilson saw through the paranoia of the cold war, refusing Lyndon Johnson’s request to send British troops to Vietnam. In the 1990s, Tony Blair understood that unless we stopped the president of Serbia, Slobodan Milošević, there would be no peace in the Balkans.

    Three years into Vladimir Putin’s brutal war, this is again a hinge point for Britain. Keir Starmer’s commitment to dramatically raise defence spending in both this and the next parliament shows his leadership through the fog. Putin’s Russia is a threat not only to Ukraine and its neighbours, but to all of Europe, including the UK.

    Over successive administrations, our closest ally, the US, has turned increasingly towards the Indo-Pacific, and it is understandably calling for Nato’s European members to shoulder more of the burden for our continent’s security. Around the world, the threats are multiplying: from traditional warfare to hybrid threats and cyber-attacks.

    The first duty and foundation of this government’s Plan for Change – GOV.UK is our national security. Seven months ago, the public gave us this responsibility, and we hold it with a profound sense of duty. Under the Conservatives, the foundations of our defence were weakened. The UK has not reached a defence spending level of 2.5% of GDP since Labour was last in government. And it falls to a Labour government to restore those foundations once again. We will deliver the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the cold war because we are the party of defence. So we will hit our 2.5% promise in 2027 and, subject to economic conditions, go further, with defence spending rising to 3% during the next parliament. This is a pledge to safeguard our future – and act as a pillar of security on our continent – in a world plagued by more active conflicts than at any time since the second world war.

    To make this commitment, and stick within our fiscal rules, we have had to make the extremely difficult decision to lower our spending on international development. As the Prime Minister said, we do not pretend any of this is easy.

    This is a hard choice that no government – let alone a Labour government – makes lightly. I am proud of our record on international development. It helps address global challenges from health to migration, contributes to prosperity, and supports the world’s most vulnerable people.

    It grows both our soft power and our geopolitical clout, while improving lives. For all of those reasons, this government remains committed to reverting spending on overseas aid to 0.7% of gross national income when the fiscal conditions allow.

    But we are a government of pragmatists not ideologues – and we have had to balance the compassion of our internationalism with the necessity of our national security.

    As we reduce the overseas aid budget, we will protect the most vital programmes in the world’s worst conflict zones of Ukraine, Gaza and Sudan. But there can be no hiding from the fact that many programmes doing vital work will have to be put on hold. The work of making further tough choices about programmes will proceed at pace over the weeks and months ahead, but our core priorities will remain the same.

    My vision for a reformed Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office fit for this more contested and dangerous world, in which diplomacy is more important than ever, remains paramount. We are working closely with the Treasury to ensure our diplomatic, intelligence and development footprint will align with our priorities. In a tough fiscal environment, all our spending must be laser-focused on delivering the maximum possible impacts for our national security and growth, equipping the FCDO to deliver the government’s plan for change internationally.

    At the height of the cold war, defence spending fluctuated between about 4% and 7% of GDP. At this moment of fiscal and geopolitical flux, not meeting the moment on defence would mean leaving Britain ill-prepared for a more dangerous world, potentially requiring even tougher choices down the line.

    I have written previously about this government’s foreign policy being founded on progressive realism. Being clear about our values, but treating the world as it is, not as we would wish it to be. These are the principles that guide our choices through these dangerous times. We will always do what is necessary to keep the public safe.

  • John Healey – 2025 Speech on Defence Reform

    John Healey – 2025 Speech on Defence Reform

    The speech made by John Healey, the Secretary of State for Defence, at the Institute for Government in London on 18 February 2025.

    Good morning, everyone. Thank you for being here and thank you for hosting us today.

    The Institute for Government, in my book, plays a really important role in Westminster. It helps hold Ministers to account for what we say we’re going to do as part of that bigger mission to securing this country a better government for Britain.

    I must say, when I confirmed this event a few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have expected such interest in MOD reform, and I’m really grateful for the level of this attendance and presence, both in the room and online.

    But I guess the pace of the geopolitical change which you were referring to Hannah, and what we’re seeing right now confirms what I would argue is the need for change within defence too.

    As I said on my first day as Secretary of State in the department, when I came through the doors, I’m a Defence Secretary that’s more interested in getting results and global opportunities than headlines, and I guess I’m delivering on that promise, making a speech on defence reform right in the middle of parliamentary recess.

    However, the headlines, the wider headlines, and the decisions that we make right now over the coming weeks will not only define the outcome of the conflict in Ukraine, but the security of our world for a generation to come, and the nature of government means dealing with these challenges.

    In my view, the test of leadership, of political leadership isn’t just about managing the immediate, it’s also about reforming for the future.

    We’re in a new era of threat that demands a new era for defence and in the middle of everything else, last week, the new Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth in the US and I,  made time to discuss the aims we share on defence reform.

    This government, our new Labour government, was elected on a mandating one word: change.

    We govern on an instruction in one word: deliver.

    And as a new government, we’re delivering for defence.

    Over these first seven months, we stepped up and speeded up support for Ukraine. We’ve increased defence spending this year by nearly £3 billion, and we’ll set the path to spending 2.5% of GDP in the Spring.

    We’ve launched a new Defence Industrial Strategy. We secured a deal to buy back 36,000 military homes to improve conditions for personnel and get better value for the taxpayer.

    We’ve given the men and women of our armed forces the biggest pay increase for more than 20 years. We signed the landmark Trinity House agreement with the Germany.

    We’ve already progressed the Armed Forces Commissioner bill through the House of Commons to give a strong independent voice to improve service life.

    We have in the MOD two major change programmes both launched within the first month of government.

    One, the Strategic Defence Review. Two, our Defence Reform program. Each is essential for the other. The Defence Review will reinforce the imperative for Defence Reform. Defence reform is the foundation for being able to implement the Defence Review and for discharging what is our first duty in government.

    Exactly a year ago, actually, in February, I gave a speech at Policy Exchange on defence reform in which I outlined, and I said then the need to create a strong defence centre capable of leading Britain meeting the increasing threats we face.

    And in a little noticed section of the Labour Party manifesto at the July election, we pledged specific reforms and said strengthening our defences requires stronger leadership, clearer accountability, faster delivery, less waste and better value for money.

    By the end of July, I put in place a new team, new leadership, and weekly meeting meetings with me to drive our defence reform programme.

    And today, I wanted to offer an update on where we’ve got to and where we are going in the months ahead.

    One of the really special things about this job, the special things about this special job are the deeply impressive men and women I meet every day, from the submariners coming home from weeks undersea, to apprentices on Derby’s nuclear reaction production lines, to the NATO HQ team with people in the MOD building that last week pulled together the Ukraine led contact group meeting of 46 nations in the room at one week’s notice.

    Extraordinary people doing extraordinary things within a system that very often doesn’t work in the way that we need it to, for an increasingly dangerous world, work in the way that we need it to, to provide our armed forces with what they need to deter, to fight and to win.

    First, underpinning it all is the absence of clear, consistent accountability, central to the effectiveness of any organisation. Yet I have been in too many meetings when I ask who’s leading this? Who’s responsible for getting this done? And no one is able to give me a single, clear answer.

    Second, while everyone agrees that defence spending needs to increase, it’s not just how much you spend, but it’s how well you spend it. And we’re simply not securing the value for money our armed forces, our economy needs for every defence panel.

    We duplicate even the most central tasks. For example, we have eleven separate finance functions, two and a half thousand people doing the same activity in different places, in different ways. And third defence is mired in process and procedure. We’ve added complexity where simplicity is needed.

    Procurement, we’ve got a situation where we employ eleven checkers for every one decision maker. So, no wonder it takes an average six years for a large programme simply to get onto contract.

    So today, I’m here to declare that investment in defence will be matched by reform.

    First, we’re introducing clear points of accountability at every level within UK defence, starting at the top with four new senior leaders, four leaders who report to me as Defence Secretary and my ministerial team at the central point of accountability to the British people and to the British public.

    The Chief of the Defence Staff, who, for the first time since this role was created, now commands the service chiefs and will be the head of newly established Military Strategic Headquarters, responsible for force design and war planning across our integrated force.

    The Permanent Secretary, our principal accounting officer, who will run a leaner, more agile Department of State with more policy muscle to lead arguments across Whitehall and with allies, we’ll revamp senior roles to elevate those into policymakers with broad portfolios and powerful mandates.

    Third, our new Armaments Director, who will fix procurement and drive growth. I’ll come back to the detail of the National Armaments Director in a moment.

    Fourthly, our Chief of Defence Nuclear, who will continue to lead and deliver the national Nuclear Enterprise within the recently established ring fence and freedoms.

    This new quad will lead a defence which is more concentrated on warfighting, readiness and on deterrence.

    They’ll shift the approach as an organisation, which too often has been obsessed with process, to one focus on outcomes, in which information flows quickly, accountabilities are clear, and results are demanding. This new quad will be up and running from the 31st of March.

    On finance will match our new accountabilities, making hardware that manages money better to secure better value for money, for the taxpayer, better outcomes for the armed forces.

    [Political reference removed]

    Instead of the ten current top line budget holders, there will be four new budget holders, one for each of this new quad. We will introduce three new centrally determined financial budgets, each with ministerial oversight, readiness, operations, investment.

    The new readiness budget will hold the chiefs of the services to account for how they run their day-to-day spending. This will be done by the Chief of Defence Staff through our new Military Strategic Headquarters. The Military Strategic Headquarters will be responsible for the new operations budget, unencumbered by the excess bureaucracy and the lack of clarity that characterises the way the defence is organised now, and ministers will direct those priorities.

    And then finally, our new National Armaments Director will run the single new investment budget, bringing together eight separate procurement budgets across the organisation into one.

    This will help cut waste, reduce duplication, it will help ensure that we are buying better what our front-line forces need. In turn, the Armaments Director will acquire owning capabilities which are affordable within the budgets set by Ministers.

    These budgets, as with the quad, will have Initial Operating Capability from the end next month, 31st March.

    Our new National Armaments Director will fundamentally change how defence works partner with industry, how the defence becomes the engine for driving economic growth.

    So sitting alongside the Permanent Secretary, the Chief of Defence Staff, then executing £20 billion-plus budget to build sustain our national arsenal, because at this time, we must rearm Britain, and I see this as a new FTSE 100 company within the MOD tasked, if you like, with getting the very best capabilities needed into the hands of our frontline forces.

    Delivering on our Defence Industrial Strategy to create more defence jobs, more defence apprenticeships in every region and nation across the UK. Tasked with driving British exports up and wider, tasked with receiving responsibility for the entire end to end acquisition system for the MOD.

    They will save the taxpayer at least £10 billion over the next decade, savings that we would reinvest directly into Britain’s defence. Our interim National Armaments Director will be in post by the end of next month, recruitment for a permanent candidate is already underway.

    In conclusion, the world is changing. Defence is changing. Our reform programme represents the biggest shake up of UK defence for over 50 years.

    Let me say this. This is a government whose commitment to defence is unshakeable. It’s the foundation for our Plan for Change, for the delivery of our government’s missions, we will match sustained investment with serious reform.

    It will mean, growing the economy. It will mean a more muscular defence for a more dangerous world. It will mean, Britain, which is secure, at home, and strong abroad.

  • John Healey – 2025 Speech at the ADS Annual Dinner

    John Healey – 2025 Speech at the ADS Annual Dinner

    The speech made by John Healey, the Secretary of State for Defence, on 28 January 2025.

    Good evening. Let me begin by thanking Kevin and his team at ADS for hosting this splendid event and for their work in promoting an industry that is the foundation for our way of life.

    ADS is going from strength to strength, with a double digit increase in your membership last year.

    You represent a commitment to innovation and excellence that are hallmarks of the British business spirit.

    Yours is an industry which proves that we are still – at heart – a nation of makers and inventors. I know recent times haven’t been easy. And as Defence Secretary, I am grateful to you all.

    This event brings us together from across the UK, across the industry and across the political divide.

    I welcome this because defence policy and procurement commitments reach beyond political cycles.

    I believe I’m the first Defence Secretary who’s spoken at this dinner, and tonight, you have two for the price of one with me as the warmup act for Penny Mourdant’s after dinner speech.

    Penny is someone with a lifelong connection and commitment to our armed forces, who rose to become the first woman ever to hold the role of Defence Secretary.

    I’ve had the privilege of six months in the role, part of a government taking on profound challenges in our economy, our public finances and our national security.

    Yet, as a new government, we’ve already:

    • Stepped up and speeded up support for Ukraine…
    • Increased defence spending by nearly £3 billion…
    • Launched a first of its kind Strategic Defence Review…
    • Given service personnel the largest pay rise in over 20 years… and still dealt with a multi-billion in-year deficit…
    • Signed the landmark Trinity House Agreement with Germany…
    • Secured a huge deal to buy back over 36,000 military homes to improve forces housing and save taxpayers billions…
    • Set new targets to tackle the recruitment crisis…
    • Begun a transformational MOD reform programme…
    • And got the Armed Forces Commissioner Bill through the House of Commons to improve service life.

    The point I want to make is that this is a new government that is delivering for defence.

    Something which I was able to underline last Friday at Rolls Royce, announcing a major new contract over 8 years, which will boost British jobs, business and national security.

    There’s incredible work being done there in Derby, by an incredible team, some of whom are here this evening.

    It’s a big investment, but behind the numbers are 200 apprentices a year who now feel they have a future.

    And suppliers – 92 per cent of which are British based – who now feel like have certainty.

    What really struck me – and it happens every time I visit a defence site – is the deep sense of pride and purpose.

    Defence workers are right to feel that way. Their efforts keep us all safe.

    And as an industry, you also invest huge sums in research and development. One of the great strengths of the defence industry is that you force us to reach for the future.

    Down the years, you’ve been responsible for some of the most significant innovations in history. Designed for times of war but which often produce lasting benefits for wider society well beyond the battlefield.

    As a nation, we’re good – and rightly so – at taking pride in the professionalism of our soldiers, sailors and aviators.

    But we know that that they are only as effective as the industry which equips them.

    We must be better at celebrating the role of the coders, programmers, scientists and engineers who provide our forces with the tools they need to protect us.

    It’s why I want us to not only change the way we work with the defence industry, but also change the way we see the defence industry.

    On the way we work with industry, I hope the last few months serve as a glimpse of type of partnership we want to forge.

    From industry involvement – for the first time ever – in our war gaming, to the creation of the new Defence Industrial Joint Council.

    And on the way we see industry, we know we have much to do.

    Right now, there’s growing security concerns for defence firms at university careers, you attend to offer young people a route to a better life.

    You’re facing harassment and intimidation, forced to cancel events on campus. This is wrong.

    This attitude takes for granted the privileged position we enjoy in Britain – to live in freedom and security… security our defence industry guarantees.

    So, today – alongside the Business and Education Secretaries – I’ve written to Universities UK for assurances about your safety on campuses.

    We’re also seeing defence firms ranked alongside tobacco and gambling in Environmental, Social and Governance audits. And pension funds divest from you.

    I have no doubt the intentions are well-meaning. But they’re fundamentally flawed.

    We don’t stop wars by boycotting our defence industry.

    We stop wars by backing it.

    Let’s not forget that national security is a pre-condition for economic security, investor confidence and social stability.

    I will always be a fierce advocate for you in the Department, to wider government, to the City, to the British public and to whoever needs to hear it.

    My challenge to you – as an industry – is to be louder and confident about your role.

    As my friend – Jonny Reynolds– said to the President’s Reception earlier:

    “You are exceptional in your importance… in helping to safeguard our national security and our way of life.

    “But you are also exceptional in your contribution to our economy. Nearly half a million well paid jobs are directly owed to aerospace, defence, security and space sectors.”

    To meet the challenges of this new era of threats, you’ve seen the direction we want to take with our Defence Industrial Strategy Statement of Intent.

    And let me thank everyone who’s shared their insights so far in submissions to both our industrial strategy, and SDR consultations.

    I know – for some – our Statement of Intent may have been met with a degree of scepticism. You’ve been here before… I get that…

    New government, new ideas.

    But old habits die hard and entrenched interests dig in.

    Previous industrial strategies have produced policies – many of them good – but there wasn’t the plan, the structures and the relentless attention to reform needed to make change happen.

    So, why will this be different?

    First, it has to be different.

    The war in Ukraine confronts us with the deep truth that when a country faces conflict or is forced to fight, its armed forces are only as strong as the industry which stands behind them…

    That innovation and production capacity is a major part of our nation’s – and our alliance’s – deterrence.

    And that industry’s constant purpose is to give the nation’s war fighters the advantage over our adversaries.

    The last Defence Industrial Strategy was published in 2021, a year before Putin shattered the peace in Europe.

    Ours will hardwire in these lessons and so too will the Strategic Defence Review.

    Second, I’m driving deep reform to defence.

    It doesn’t make news headlines, but it’s an essential foundation for implementing both the SDR and Defence Industrial Strategy.

    For industry, it means you’ll be brought in earlier to the conversation on how we should fight…

    We’ll ask you how you can help solve our problems rather than giving you a requirement to deliver.

    You’ll also see the creation of a new role, the National Armaments Director, soon-to-be one of the most senior roles in UK Defence, sitting alongside the Chief of the Defence Staff and Permanent Secretary.

    Their responsibilities will include:

    • Repairing a broken procurement system…
    • Ensuring our armed forces have what they need to fulfil their duty of protecting our nation…
    • And championing your industry at home and abroad.

    Third, defence is part of our bigger British drive for growth – the government’s number one mission.

    The Chancellor is speaking tomorrow about how we are going to meet this challenge.

    But the message I want to reinforce is that defence is an engine for driving economic growth.

    Fourth, we’ve proved we can do it by supporting Ukraine through Taskforce KINDRED and HIRST.

    From the onset, when it took 287 days after Putin invaded to sign contracts for new NLAWs…

    … to today, when we’ve created industrial bases for new capabilities – virtually from scratch…

    Supplying – at scale – one of the most effective drone systems in Ukraine.

    Restarted artillery barrel manufacturing in the UK to deliver hundreds to the front line.

    Enhancing our own capabilities through Stormer and Starstreak…while Gravehawk, Snapper and Wasp have all been developed with breathtaking speed.

    I don’t just want this to be the government’s new Defence Industrial Strategy, it needs to be a national endeavour… private and public… SMEs and primes… innovators and educators… trade associations and trade unions…

    All creating a defence industry which is better and more integrated…

    One that can keep our armed forces equipped… and innovating at wartime pace, ahead of our adversaries.

    The Shadow Defence Secretary is familiar with the challenges.

    I know he will play his part in holding us to account.

    And I trust he – and his Party – will play their part in backing reforms that strengthen our country’s defence and its defence industry.

    This is new era of threats, demands a new era for defence.

    Change is essential, not optional.

    Our success rests on a new partnership with innovators, investors and industry.

    Our government is determined to meet the challenge, determined to deliver for defence.

    Together, we will make Britain secure at home and strong abroad.

    Thank you – enjoy your evening and I look forward to working with you over the coming years.

  • John Healey – 2024 Speech at the RUSI Land Warfare Conference

    John Healey – 2024 Speech at the RUSI Land Warfare Conference

    The speech made by John Healey, the Secretary of State for Defence, at Church House, Westminster, on 22 July 2024.

    Thank you for inviting me. I have to say this is a really huge pleasure to join you here and a real honour to do so as the new Secretary of State for Defence for this country.

    So, thank you to RUSI for what is a rich programme over the two days but particularly thank you for letting me join you.

    Last week I visited the Permanent Joint Headquarters to get a briefing on some of the current really critical work that has been going on there. And General Charlie Stickland ran me through what he called his ‘three Rs’.

    Now, I know I am quoting a Royal Marine to an Army audience but hang on it is the joint headquarters.

    Reassurance. Reality. Request.

    I’m always keen to learn. And as a politician I’m always keen to pick other people’s good ideas and try and use them for myself so I’m going to take that to structure my argument, not just a speech, for you today. And I’m going to add to this rule of three Rs to add one of my own: responsibility.

    Let me begin where General Charlie did last week, with reassurance.

    And in some ways, this is my most important point to you.

    This new Government stands steadfast behind the British Army. Behind our wider armed forces and behind all those out of uniform who also make such an important contribution to the defence of this country.

    Many roles, One Defence.

    And in the British Army, you’re essential to our national defence, and to our national resilience. We’re proud of you professionalism, we’re proud of your dedication to service, and your work is central to keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad.

    Working alongside the RAF to provide life-saving aid to Gaza, training more than 40,000 Ukrainians. Commemorating the D-Day, those heroes who gave their lives to stop the Nazis overrunning Europe. And building ties now with our allies, through exercises like Steadfast Defender in NATO.

    You will have this new Government’s fullest support to do your job, defending Britain and deterring threats.

    Because we know as a government that is our most important first duty – to keep the country safe and to protect our citizens.

    That’s why, at the recent NATO summit in Washington the Prime Minister and I confirmed this Government’s unshakeable commitment to NATO and the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

    And we confirmed also our total commitment to raising defence spending to 2.5% of GDP.

    It’s why the Prime Minister last week launched the first-of-its-kind Strategic Defence Review.

    And it’s why we announced legislation in our first King’s Speech legislation to create a new independent Armed Forces Commissioner to improve service life.

    Reassurance.

    Let me introduce my extra ‘R’ at this point: Responsibility.

    At that NATO summit, in week one, as a new government, we wanted to demonstrate that we were getting on with the job, to serve the country.

    I was struck by how the other nations there looked at us and noted two particular things.

    The first, that in our British system, there is a decisive change of power after an election – unlike many other countries.

    And second, they looked at us and noted that our British government now has a strong mandate promising stability, again, unlike many other countries who are approaching their own elections or facing uncertainty in their governing coalitions.

    This is an important responsibility for us now as a nation. A responsibility in our relations with allies, and of course it is also an opportunity.

    So, as a government, we do have a mandate for change.

    To restore public service to politics.

    To re-earn public trust in Government.

    And to reduce the politics, the partisan politics in national security.

    Because no political party has the monopoly on defence, or pride in our military.

    We in the Labour Party have deep roots in defending this country. And deep respect for those who serve in uniform.

    The scale of the challenges we face requires a national, unified response.

    That’s why the Prime Minister has been clear that a change of government means no change in our commitment to Ukraine.

    It’s why I’ve already offered the Shadow Defence Secretary access to intelligence briefings and will I do so to other relevant members of Parliament.

    And that’s why the Strategic Defence Review will brief and will welcome contributions from other political parties and from across the defence community.

    Because I want to forge Britain’s defence strategy, not just the defence strategy for this new Labour Government.

    Reassurance, responsibility.

    Moving on to the General’s next R which is reality.

    And as I look around this room, you know better than anyone else, these are really serious times.

    We face rapidly increasing global threats.

    I became Shadow Defence Secretary back in 2020. That was before the fall of Kabul, that was before the crisis in the Middle East, it was before Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    And in the face of this insecure world, the British Army has done and continues to do incredible things.

    And I know during the months and the years that I’ll serve in this post I’ll continue to be inspired by the things you do.

    Vital work. Unique responsibilities. And underpinning it, your historic roots, and traditions.

    I respect that as I do for the other Services.

    The whole country is proud of what you do.

    And as this world becomes more dangerous, we will rely more heavily on your bravery and on your professionalism.

    And the principle of One Defence also becomes increasingly more important.

    The days when we could indulge in inter-service rivalry are over.

    We must be to fit to fight – not fight amongst ourselves.

    So, I really want to see the old rivalries left behind. I really want with you to establish a new era for UK defence.

    Because we know all three services face very serious challenges.

    Hollowed-out forces, procurement waste, low morale. A recruitment and retention crisis.

    And veterans who can’t access the services they deserve.

    And I have to tell you, two weeks into this Government, we now also see that these problems are much worse than we thought.

    But we are getting on with the job, we are getting on with the job with urgency.

    Backing Ukraine, launching our Defence Review, reconnecting with allies.

    We’re doing this with an absolute commitment to improving the service life for those in our Armed Forces.

    With a “NATO first” defence strategy, because Britain is always stronger when we work with others. And of course, facing up to the reality of Putin’s continuing war in Ukraine and his wider aggression.

    So, on my second day in this job, as Jonathan said, I was in Odesa, I spent the afternoon with President Zelenskyy and his team.

    We held our bilateral talks, we celebrated Ukraine’s Navy Day and he and I visited together injured servicemen in a military hospital.

    And again, you in this room know this better than anyone else, the Ukrainians are fighting with huge courage, the military and civilians alike.

    But despite the losses, despite the Ukrainian’s fight, Russia is far from a spent force; and if Putin wins, he will not stop at Ukraine.

    And this war now is at a critical moment.

    So, we are speeding up delivery of aid already pledged by the previous government.

    Stepping up support with a new package of ammunition, anti-armour missiles, de-mining vehicles and artillery guns.

    And we’re confirming £3 billion a year for Ukraine this year and for each of the years ahead, for as long as it takes.

    And finally on Friday, I signed, when President Zelenskyy was in Downing Street, a new Defence Industrial Support Treaty which will be the framework through which we and others can leverage export finance and investment finance to help Ukraine.

    So, the scale of the challenge we face is vast. And that’s why to take this on we need to be at our best.

    And that brings me to the final R which is request.

    We launched our Defence Review last week. I described it earlier as the first of its kind for the UK, because it is externally led, and led by the former Secretary General of NATO George Robertson.

    It will consider the threats that we face, the capabilities that we needed, the state of our armed forces and the resources available to do the job.

    And my ask or request of you today is this. It’s for the Army to play its fullest part in this review. It’s the chance to think afresh, it’s the chance to contribute the ideas needed in that review.

    Because this is a review that will be done with, not to defence.

    It will be done with the Army, not about it.

    It’s a review that our troops want, our public deserves and our country needs.

    And your input in making this a success will be vital.

    Why vital? Well, because Ukraine is showing us how the nature of war is changing more rapidly.

    How the distance between domains is diminishing rapidly. How the imperative to operate as an integrated force is increasing, and as the threats posed to the UK are increasingly interdependent, reinforcing and converging.

    And, as Jack Watling at RUSI who has done so much to organise this conference has argued: We must urgently re-establish credible deterrence to keep these threats in check.

    That means looking at firepower, it means looking at enablement, it means looking at readiness, it means looking at resilience.

    It means looking at the things that don’t present good photo opportunities for a Defence Secretary or a defence minister.

    It means the things that matter in getting results, in being more ready to fight, in being stronger, to be able to fight if we need to fight but deter to avoid that fight in the first place.

    It also means deeper interoperability with our allies.

    And it means industry must also play an integral role alongside the military too.

    And these will be at the heart of the matters that the Defence Review considers.

    It’s fair to say the Army does, and as far as we can see, will always operate as part of a joint forces, fighting not only on the land but from the land

    Boosting combined deterrence and operations.

    We already have Forward Land Forces permanently deployed in eastern Europe to ensure greater security on the Russian border.

    This year we will provide a Land Component for the Allied Reaction Force, providing NATO with a rapid response to crises when needed.

    And from the year beyond, 2026, the United Kingdom will lead NATO’s Special Operations Task Force, and provide a crucial contribution to NATO’s Unconventional Warfare capability.

    And then the greatest opportunity of all, to lead within the alliance is through our offer of a multi-domain Corps as one of SACEUR’s Strategic Reserve Corps.

    Big challenges, big responsibilities, big opportunities for the Army as part of One Defence and a stronger alliance for the future.

    Now this is just our third week in office. We’re a government getting on with the job.

    But my ambition is to see that Defence is not just integral to the future security of Britain but central also to the future success of Britain.

    You, our land forces are essential to that work.

    Together, we can and will make Britain more secure at home and strong abroad.

  • Peter Kyle – 2024 Speech at the Farnborough International Air Show

    Peter Kyle – 2024 Speech at the Farnborough International Air Show

    The speech made by Peter Kyle, the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, at Farnborough International Air Show on 22 July 2024.

    Good morning.

    It’s great to be here.

    Thank you, Paul, for the kind introduction, and thank you all for being here this morning and crowding around, it’s great to see you all.

    This is my first speech as Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology.

    And I would like to start by telling you why I have chosen Farnborough to make my first speech.

    The first reason is one that I have got from meeting so many people who are working, innovating and driving the space sector.

    The second, personal reason – when I was appointed into the Shadow Secretary of State role by Keir Starmer, now the Prime Minister, back in September, I was keen as possible to get up and meet people who are working in the space sector. And something I’ve noticed straight away, whether it was in aviation, aeronautics, or in space, everyone single person I have met is dedicated to the sector in which you are working, that you go way beyond what I have seen in many other sectors. In innovations in other sectors, I think people, they test, they try, they try and find investment, but when it’s [inaudible] they don’t come together after a certain period, they move on and find another approach.

    But the sheer doggedness, the sheer passion, that I have seen in every single company, every single university research lab, and every aspect of space, it is a sector like no other.

    It is a sector who are so incredibly passionate about the sector, about their innovations, about their contribution to it but also passionate about the possibilities that space has. It’s infectious.

    And I have been infected by their enthusiasm and drive.

    The second reason is something that is personal, and quite interesting for me today because so many people have already said to me ‘Is this your first Farnborough?’.

    This is my fourth Farnborough and the other 3 have always been out there, not on the Monday, but the other days of the week where the public are invited and I’ve sat with my dad and my partner at the time. My partner worked for a commercial airliner and my dad was a Royal Navy aircraft mechanic in the 1960s where he worked in [inaudible] fighter jets of the day.

    So my entire upbringing has been with my dad telling stories on the deck; battling in the most extreme circumstances, keeping our aircraft of the day, fighter jets, in the sky, and when they crash landed, picking up the pieces, and trying to repair some of the aircraft of the day in extreme circumstances.

    Coming here with my dad and my partner for 3 Farnborough’s, sitting out there with one yabbering in my ear with every single detail of civil aviation and the other one being able to tell me the things in the sky by the sound of the engine, gives you an insight into the kind of family life and background I had running up to this moment in time.

    But now we are here, and that spirit of innovation I told you about that I detected from people who are driving from the centre, and that was represented by people around me and in my personal life, I think we bring into the mission-led approach, this government.

    None of the 5 missions of this government, that are going to drive the national renewal over a decade, that we have come into power on, can happen if we stick to the tried and tested.

    To find the bold solutions to the problems that have dogged our country for decades, and the solutions we will face in the decades to come, we must do things differently.

    In other words, we need to innovate.

    I am sure that the irony of a minister standing here and talking to you about national missions, for those of you working in the space sector, will not be lost. I promise not to labour the analogy.

    But I do stand here today because there is no better example than the space sector that explains what we are trying to do as a government.

    Opportunity

    Today, the UK’s space sector is growing 4 times faster than the overall UK economy.

    Its workforce is twice as productive as the British average.

    To create opportunities for companies to start, scale and succeed in the UK, to create the good jobs that bring prosperity to communities up and down our country, these sectors need to learn from space and space needs to lead the way.

    Delivery

    If we want to deliver better public services and better lives for the people up and down our country, then the answer is simply the same.

    • Understanding the effects of our changing climate.
    • Providing rural communities with internet access.
    • Keeping our armed forces safe and aircraft in constant contact.

    These are not just opportunities, they are obligations and none of them can be fulfilled without space.

    Security

    The first obligation for any government, of course, is to keep our country safe.

    Today, space-based services like satellite communications and remote sensing are the cornerstones of our national security.

    Without them, the systems that keep Britain safe will grind to a halt.

    Secure financial transactions that rely on timestamps that are accurate to the millisecond.

    Emergency services that depend on precise GPS data to find the people who need their help.

    In an increasingly unstable world, space will matter more than ever.

    And, as orbits become more congested – and contested – we must work with our NATO allies to protect our people.

    Discovery

    So, to anyone who asks – does space matter?

    These are my 3 principles – security, delivery and opportunity – they provide the beginnings of the answer.

    And yet none of them can quite capture what is so unique about space.

    No metric of growth or productivity can distil what is so breath-taking about the images taken by the James Webb telescope.

    Or the pioneering spirit that will propel the Rosalind Franklin rover to Mars.

    And it would be just as hard to measure the sense of pride I feel knowing that it was the contributions of British scientists that made these missions possible.

    To that trio, then, I would add a fourth – discovery.

    New solutions to new problems

    Because the value of human knowledge is never solely defined by its ability to solve our current crises.

    The astronauts on board Apollo 7 could never have predicted the ways that companies like Space Forge in Cardiff could exploit the cold and uncontaminated properties of microgravity to find new cures to Alzheimer’s and cancer, to 3D print organs for transplant patients or manufacture the semiconductors that will power the digital revolution that is unfolding today.

    The century to come will bring new problems.

    And as we search for new solutions, we simply cannot predict the ways that each discovery in space might matter.

    We can only prepare by supporting the scientists and businesses with the boldness and brilliance to make them better.

    Later today [22 July 2023], I’ll be meeting one of those people – I’ve already met Rosemary Coogan, who became our third ever astronaut earlier this year.

    A strategic partnership with business

    Looking ahead, I will be guided by these 4 principles – discovery and delivery, security and opportunity.

    But I cannot chart a course for success in space alone.

    No mission can succeed without a strong team, united around a common goal.

    Working closely with our international partners, including the European Space Agency, I want to forge a strategic partnership with businesses, researchers, and investors.

    A meaningful relationship anchored not in the short-term solutions and shorter funding cycles, but in certainty and stability. Because businesses don’t want a new strategy every 6 months. I’ve heard this repeatedly day in, day out.

    They need a clear signal from a government that isn’t afraid to make hard choices about where to focus our efforts. Because we know that we cannot do everything.

    But that makes it all the more important to invest in those technologies where we really can lead the world. I know that this strategic partnership will take time to build. But that work starts here today.

    National Space Innovation Programme

    So, here in Farnborough, I am announcing £33 million in funding for innovative businesses from the UK Space Agency’s National Space Innovation Programme (NSIP).

    From the smallest start-ups to global giants, the recipients of the fund aren’t just creating cutting edge technologies, they want to use that technology to build a better future for Britain.

    In Cambridge, SuperSharp are designing a heat-detecting telescope to gather the data that we will need to tackle the climate crisis.

    In Hereford, ETL Systems are building ground equipment that links satellites to 5G and 6G mobile networks, transforming connectivity.

    In Harwell, Orbit Fab and Lunasa are working on refuelling and docking technologies that will extend the lifespan of satellites and preserve our space environment for future generations.

    Later this week, I’ll be travelling up to Glasgow to meet one of the winners myself.

    Spire Global are developing technology to supply unique weather forecasting data to global weather prediction centres.

    And their success in Scotland embodies the phenomenal potential of our science and tech economy.

    Once the shipbuilding capital of the world, Glasgow now makes more satellites than anywhere in Europe.

    Someday soon, the phrase ‘Clyde Built’ – used in previous generations to describe the incredible ships built on the banks of the Clyde – will be used for small satellites, too.

    Travel fifty miles East through the Central Belt, and you will find a unique combination of world-class universities and innovation centres that are cementing Edinburgh’s reputation as a ‘space data capital.’

    Fly north to the Shetland Islands, as I soon will do, and before long you’ll get to SaxaVord. In Autumn, that space port will host the first ever vertical satellite launch in Europe, putting Britain on the map in an increasingly competitive global market.

    Conclusion

    In all of these places, a better future for Britain is coming into view.

    Here in Farnborough, you can see that future very clearly indeed.

    People with decades of experience in aerospace and oil and gas are using their expertise to build the industries of tomorrow and create prosperity for their communities.

    Talented researchers in world-leading universities are developing technologies to tackle some of our toughest problems.

    Innovative start-ups and spinouts are taking those solutions out of the lab and into our lives.

    I will be a champion for those people. Those researchers. And those businesses too. Because we have an extraordinary opportunity here.

    Together, we can grow our economy and create good jobs for the future for our people.

    We can deliver the public services they deserve.

    And we can protect our country in an increasingly volatile world.

    If change is our mission.

    Then this is right here is where we start.

    Thank you.

  • Keir Starmer – 2024 Remarks at the Farnborough Airshow

    Keir Starmer – 2024 Remarks at the Farnborough Airshow

    The comments made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, at the Farnborough Airshow on 22 July 2024.

    Good morning, everyone.

    It’s really good to see so many of you here. Many people that I’ve met before and had intense discussions with before about the important work that you do, that has informed my thinking and informs the thinking of the Labour government – which is why you see some of those measures reflected in the King’s Speech of last week.

    So I am absolutely delighted to be able to be here again with you, but this time no longer as Leader of the Opposition. This time as Prime Minister – and please take that, in the beginning of week three in government, as a real statement of intent. It’s intended to be, and that is why we’ve got so many senior ministers here during the course of the show.

    Now look, as you all know, better than most – we live in a dangerous, volatile and increasingly insecure world.

    And that makes events like this, and the role that you play…

    Ever more important for the defence and security of our country.

    And as you may have seen, I have spent quite a lot of time at summits in the last week or two…

    At NATO and the European Political Community…

    And on Friday I had the pleasure of meeting the leader of Ukraine, President Zelenskyy, who came into Downing Street.

    And at those meetings, whether it’s NATO, whether it’s the EPC, or whether it’s seeing President Zelenskyy as I did on Friday, it always gives me great comfort,

    To know that Britain is at the cutting edge of defence and aerospace manufacturing…

    So thank you not only for being here today…

    But also for everything that you do for the security of our country.

    Now we are just beginning week three of government.

    The work of change has begun.

    The patient rebuilding of our country has started.

    And we’ve launched our Strategic Defence Review.

    We’ve taken the brakes off Britain with a plan for wealth creation in every community.

    Planning reform – to get Britain building again. Something many of us in the room have discussed with you on many occasions.

    And we’re getting started on a new Industrial Strategy. Again, a concept that came very much from you to us in terms of the sort of way in which you want the partnership between government and your sector to work.

    They are all signals of our intent…

    To deliver high living standards for working people…

    Economic security and national security.

    But of course we know that national renewal is not going to happen overnight.

    We are fixing the very foundation of our country…

    And that is long and patient work.

    But – I can announce another step along that road today…

    Another marker of the future…

    With the launch of a new organisation that we hope will transform, not just how we train our young people and adults…

    But also the relationship between business and the education system.

    A plan to make sure that we are training young people, not just for any business…

    But for the businesses that exist in their community.

    The skills you and they need…

    To take each other forward.

    So I am delighted that today we’re launching Skills England…

    And appointing Richard Pennycook as the interim chair.

    And I’m excited for the work that we can do together.

    I’ve just met this morning some fantastic apprentices.

    Bright, energic, intelligent…

    An absolute credit to Airbus and Rolls Royce.

    Now I’ve met the apprentices in both Airbus and Rolls Royce many times before – almost all of my speeches in the last two or three years have featured examples of the work that they are doing.

    And it was brilliant to meet them here again this morning. Some of them were from a group that I met just a few months ago in Derby. So to review that, one of them was just two weeks into her apprenticeship. And so they were an incredible reminder of the talent that we have going forward.

    And I was allowed to speak to them without anybody else listening in because I wanted to hear directly from them. And ask them, as I always do, what inspired them to do it, what gave them that spark.

    And then towards the end of the time I had with them this morning, I said, “what do you want me to think about? Because this is a government of service, you’re entitled to have your say. What do you want me to think about as the Prime Minister heading a new government?”

    And after a few moments, they were pretty clear in their collective view that they wanted me and the government to think about the value of apprentices, and to make sure that that was valued alongside the other things that so many young people do.

    And that was them to me, and for all of you, I think you’d be very proud that that was their first thought. That was what they wanted me to think about as I go home from here.

    And so they are a reminder of the incredible talent that we do have in this country.

    Young people, with drive, ambition and hopes of a better future.

    But we do have also to be honest…

    All too often young people in our country have been let down.

    Not given access to the right opportunities or training in their community.

    And that has created an overreliance in our economy on higher and higher levels of migration.

    Now – I don’t for a second want to demean any of that…

    I do not criticise business who hire overseas workers…

    And I certainly don’t diminish the contribution that migration makes…

    To our economy, to our public services and of course to our communities.

    Migration is part of our national story – it always has been and always will be.

    And yet – if you stand back…

    As a system, it cannot be right that some people don’t get to feel the pride of making a contribution…

    The dignity of work…

    Just because we can’t find a way of creating a coherent skills system. That can’t be right.

    So – I have to say – we won’t be content just to pull the easy lever of importing skills…

    We are turning the page on that.

    But I want to be clear as well…

    We are going to make sure that there are highly motivated, ambitious, talented young people…

    Who want to work in your business.

    That is our long-term ambition.

    We’re going to fire up the training of more UK workers…

    And match peoples’ aspirations – which I know are there…

    With more opportunity.

    And in doing this we will drive growth.

    Because if there is one thing we know that will drive innovation and accelerate productivity…

    It’s having the skilled workers you need to grow your business.

    So from the get go…

    Skills England will work with the Migration Advisory Committee…

    We will identify current and future skills gaps…

    Put in place plans to address those gaps…

    And reduce our long-term reliance on overseas workers.

    We will also identify the training on which the Growth and Skills Levy can be spent…

    Something that I’ve spent many hours discussing with many people in this room.

    You told me it was not flexible enough, didn’t work well enough for you.

    Well we will change that with the Growth and Skills Levy, giving you more flexibility to spend funds on the training that you think is really necessary.

    And Skills England will also bring together central and local government…

    Training providers and unions…

    Working together in broader partnership with business.

    And this is key.

    I said on the steps of Downing Street, two weeks ago Thursday, that I wanted to govern for the whole country…

    And part of that is making sure we all understand each others’ needs…

    That we move beyond old antagonisms…

    And work for the common cause of national renewal.

    A partnership.

    So today with the launch of Skills England…

    We’re putting that partnership into action…

    Now we listened to you during the campaign and over the last few years…

    We listened to you when we were developing our Plan for Growth…

    And that informs it, some of your fingerprints are on our plan and I hope that they reflect the conversations that we’ve had. And we will carry on listening…

    Because that’s how a partnership works.

    We are making demands. We want growth. We want you to power up that growth.

    But you equally can say to us in order for that to work, this is the framework you need to put into place.

    That is how a partnership works, when both sides understand what their part is, but recognise they’re not the same part – government and business do different things.

    And that’s why we’ll have our new Industrial Strategy…

    On the Strategic Defence Review…

    And on much, much more.

    Together, I do believe we can deliver that growth and security.

    Fix the foundations…

    Put our economy on a stable footing…

    And create a coherent skills system.

    And everyone here has a vital part to play in this mission on growth…

    You already do an incredible amount…

    And I believe that with a government of service on your side…

    We can do even more.

    And in that spirit, it really is a huge honour, so early in this government, to open the Airshow, and to hope that you all have a productive time which I’m sure that you will.

    Use it obviously intensely in the time that we’ve got here together.

    Please keep talking and impressing on us the things that are important to you.

    Thank you so much for allowing me to make these remarks. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for your huge contribution to our country.

    Thank you.

  • Ed Davey – 2024 Speech on NATO and European Political Community Meetings

    Ed Davey – 2024 Speech on NATO and European Political Community Meetings

    The speech made by Ed Davey, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats, in the House of Commons on 22 July 2024.

    I thank the Prime Minister for advance sight of the statement. Closer co-operation with our European neighbours is absolutely essential, whether on Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine or on tackling the criminal gangs responsible for the small-boats crisis, and I welcome the new Government’s change in approach. I also welcome their support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Clearly, we need to put an end to the humanitarian devastation there, get the hostages home, and open the door to a two-state solution. Upholding international law is also crucial. To that end, I hope the Government will respect last week’s ruling of the ICJ when they consider it.

    On the NATO summit, 70 years on from the foundation of NATO, the alliance has never been more relevant. We support the NATO summit pledge of long-term security assistance for Ukraine, as well as increased support now to ensure she can resist Russia’s attacks and liberate her territory. I am pleased that, in this new Parliament, this House will continue to stand united behind the brave Ukrainians opposing Russia’s illegal war, just as we have done together in recent years.

    However, I hope Members of this House will not be complacent about the impact that the upcoming US elections could have, not just on the security of the UK and our allies, but on the security of Ukraine. We must hope that the leadership of President Biden continues with his successor—I echo the Prime Minister’s tribute to President Biden—but whatever happens in the US, part of the answer is for the UK and Europe to increase defence spending. The previous Conservative Government have left a legacy of the smallest Army since the age of Napoleon and played fast and loose with public money, making our shared ambition to spend 2.5% of GDP on defence a much more complicated route. We look forward to the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s plan. I hope this Government will start by reversing the planned cuts to the Army of 10,000 troops. That is a vital first step, so will the Prime Minister reassure the House and the country that it will be a priority within the recently launched strategic defence review?

    We also urge the Government to move further and faster in taking steps to seize frozen Russian assets, of which there are £20 billion-worth on our shores and the same amount on the continent. I hope the Prime Minister recognises that we have an opportunity to lead within Europe on this vital issue: if the US cannot, Europe must.

    The Prime Minister

    I thank the right hon. Gentleman for raising those three issues. On the international courts, we respect the independence of the Court and international law—let me be very clear about that. I will not get tempted by questions about the US elections later this year, save to say that it will obviously be for the American people to decide who they want as their President, and as Members would expect, we will work with whoever is the President after they have made their choice. I take the right hon. Gentleman’s point about the low numbers of troops, which will be looked at in the strategic defence review that we are carrying out into threats, capability and resources.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2024 Speech on NATO and European Political Community Meetings

    Rishi Sunak – 2024 Speech on NATO and European Political Community Meetings

    The speech made by Rishi Sunak, the Leader of the Opposition, in the House of Commons on 22 July 2024.

    I thank the Prime Minister for advance sight of his statement and join him in praising President Biden for his long career of public service both at home and abroad. Working together, we took our AUKUS partnership to the next level, supported Israel after the terrible events of 7 October, defended our countries from the Houthi threat and led global efforts to support Ukraine as it resisted Russia’s assault. On a personal level, it was a pleasure to work with him to strengthen the partnership between our two countries, and I wish him well.

    As the Prime Minister indicated, the world is increasingly uncertain—the most dangerous it has been since the end of the cold war. Russia continues its illegal and brutal invasion of Ukraine. Iran continues with its regionally destabilising behaviour. Both Iran and North Korea are supplying Russian forces in Ukraine as we speak, and China is adopting a more aggressive stance in the South China sea and the Taiwan strait. Together, that axis of authoritarian states is increasingly working together to undermine democracies and reshape the world order.

    In those circumstances, our alliances take on ever-greater importance. I commend the Prime Minister on his work with our closest allies at both the NATO summit in Washington and the European Political Community meeting at Blenheim. Across this House we built a strong consensus on foreign policy in the last Parliament, which has stood our country in good stead in this transition. Our allies, particularly Ukraine, know that although our Government have changed, Britain remains an active, involved and reliable partner.

    I am glad that the Prime Minister also shares our view of the value of the EPC community as a forum. I am pleased by and welcome the fact that he used the summit to discuss illegal migration, because it is one of the most pressing problems facing our entire continent. When it comes to illegal migration, we all face the same fundamental question: how to deal with people who come to our countries illegally while respecting our international obligations.

    Of course, it is not feasible or right to return Afghans to the Taliban, Syrians to Assad or Iranians to the ayatollahs, but nor can our country accommodate everyone who would like to leave Afghanistan, Syria or Iran and come here. I was pleased to hear the Prime Minister say that he was a pragmatist and that he would look at what works when it comes to squaring that circle. I urge him, in his conversations with other European leaders, to keep the option of further third-country migration partnerships on the table, as other countries have been discussing.

    I know the Prime Minister is also interested in pursuing a security and defence co-operation pact with the European Union, and here I just urge him to be alert to the trade- offs involved. I hope he can reassure the House that any closer co-operation with the EU will not adversely affect the technological and procurement aspects of our other alliances such as AUKUS. Of course we are a pillar of European security, as our leadership on Ukraine has shown, but we also have alliances and interests that extend beyond the European continent.

    Turning to the NATO summit, it was good to see the alliance reaffirming its commitment to Ukraine, with the UK at the heart of that leadership. I hope the Prime Minister will keep the House updated on how the new unit to co-ordinate our collective support to Ukraine will indeed lead to an increase in vital support. I urge the Prime Minister to continue stressing to our allies that now is the moment to increase, not to pare down, our backing for Ukraine, as the UK has continued to lead in doing.

    In the 75 years of its existence, NATO has established itself as the most successful defensive alliance in history. The best way to strengthen the alliance is for its non-American members to do more, to show that we do not expect the Americans to bear every burden, and I welcome the Prime Minister’s indication that the Chancellor will soon set out a clear path to investing 2.5% of GDP in our armed forces—I hope by 2030. That would both show the Americans that the other members of the alliance are serious about boosting our own capabilities, and show President Putin and our adversaries that we are serious about defending our borders and allies from Russian or any other aggression.

    The Prime Minister also spoke about the situation in the middle east. We all want to see progress towards a two-state solution where Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace, prosperity and security. However, as we make progress towards that goal, our friend and ally Israel must have the right to defend itself against the threat that it is facing—a threat demonstrated by the drone strike on Tel Aviv at the end of last week by the Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels.

    In conclusion, I thank the Prime Minister for coming to update the House today. I can assure him that we on the Opposition Benches will work with him on these questions of foreign policy and national security. We will ask questions, probe and push for answers—that is our duty as the official Opposition—but we will always act in the national interest and work constructively with him to ensure the security of our country.

    The Prime Minister

    I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his welcome comments in relation to President Biden, which I am sure will be well received, and for what he said about the consensus on foreign policy in relation to NATO and the EPC. That is important, and I am glad that we have managed to get that consensus over recent years, because we are in a more volatile world, and the world is looking in to see unity in the United Kingdom, particularly in relation to Ukraine. I have commended the role of the previous Government in relation to Ukraine, and I do so again. I took the deliberate decision when I was Leader of the Opposition not to depart on Ukraine, because I took, and continue to take, the view that the only winner in that circumstance is Putin, who wants to see division. It is very important for Ukraine to see that continued unity across this House.

    We will of course work with others. In relation to the point made by the Prime Minister—[Interruption.] Old habits die hard. On the point made by the Leader of the Opposition about security and co-operation with our EU allies, I do believe that is to our mutual benefit, but I can assure him and the House that it does not cut across, or come at the cost of, other alliances. We are fully committed to AUKUS—as I made clear in opposition, and I take this early opportunity to affirm it in government—because it is an area on which there is an important consistency across the House.

    In relation to the conflict in Gaza, the more that we in this House can be united, the better. It is an issue of great complexity, but the approach that has been shown is the right one, and we take it forward in that spirit.

    Liam Byrne (Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North) (Lab)

    I congratulate the Prime Minister on his flying start on the world stage, and on his determination to build not simply a rules-based order, but a rights-based order rooted in what Churchill called the great charter and we call the European convention on human rights. We want its freedoms and liberties to be enjoyed by the people of Ukraine, but that will take victory over Russia. It will need more than courage; it will need resources. Did he discuss with international colleagues the need not simply to freeze Russian assets, but to seize and put them to work in defeating once and for all the tyranny of President Putin?

    The Prime Minister

    I thank my right hon. Friend for that question on the centrality of the Ukraine issue. Yes, of course, that requires resource and more pressure in relation to sanctions, but it also requires resolve. A key issue coming out of the NATO council in Washington was the real sense, particularly in relation to Ukraine, of a bigger NATO—with more countries than ever at the council—a stronger NATO, and a unity of resolve in standing up to Russian aggression, particularly in Ukraine. Resources and sanctions were central to the agenda there.

  • Keir Starmer – 2024 Statement on NATO and European Political Community Meetings

    Keir Starmer – 2024 Statement on NATO and European Political Community Meetings

    The statement made by Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, on 22 July 2024.

    Before I start my statement, I would like to pay a short tribute to President Biden, a man who, during five decades of service, never lost touch with the concerns of working people and always put his country first. A true friend of the Labour movement, his presidency will leave a legacy that extends far beyond America, to freedom and security on this continent—most of all, of course, in our steadfast resolve to stand by the people of Ukraine. He leaves the NATO alliance stronger than it has been for decades.

    With permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to update the House on my recent discussions with leaders around the world, including at the NATO summit and at the meeting of the European Political Community last week at Blenheim Palace, the biggest European summit in the UK since the war.

    Mr Speaker, the House knows the significance of Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill—the man who steered the march of European history towards democracy and the rule of law. It was a shared sacrifice for freedom—the blood bond of 1945. At both summits, we reaffirmed our commitment to that bond of security and freedom, as I am sure we do in this House today. NATO is the guarantor of those values, and that is more important than ever, because, today in Europe, innocent lives are once again being torn apart. Two weeks ago today there was an attack on a children’s hospital in Kyiv—children with cancer the target of Russian brutality.

    Russia’s malign activity is not confined to Ukraine. In the Western Balkans, in Moldova and in Georgia, it is sowing instability. And let us not forget that it has targeted people on our streets and attempted to undermine our democracy. In the first days of this Government, I have taken a message to our friends and allies of enduring and unwavering commitment to the NATO alliance, to Ukraine and to the collective security of our country, our continent and our allies around the world. That message was just as relevant at the EPC last week. May I take this opportunity to thank the Leader of the Opposition, who brought that event to our shores in the first place?

    At these meetings, I took a practical view of how the UK can meet this moment, driven not by ideology but by what is best for our country. That includes resetting our relationship with the European Union, because on these Benches we believe that the UK and the EU, working together as sovereign partners, are a powerful force for good across our continent. That has been my message throughout the many conversations that I have had with leaders in recent days, because countries want to work with Britain—of course they do. They welcome renewed British leadership on security, on illegal migration and on global challenges such as climate change. Our voice belongs in the room, centre stage, fighting for the national interest.

    My conversations have focused on issues on which the British people want action, so I would like to update the House on my discussions in three specific areas. The first is European security. In Washington, I told NATO allies that the generational threat from Russia demands a generational response. That is why my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will set out a clear path to spending 2.5% of our GDP on defence. It is also why I launched a strategic defence review, led by the former NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson, to strengthen our armed forces and keep our nation safe.

    I also took the opportunity at the NATO summit to confirm that we will deliver £3 billion-worth of military aid to Ukraine each year for as long as it takes. And together we confirmed Ukraine’s irreversible path to full NATO membership, because it is clear to me that NATO will be stronger with Ukraine as a member—something I reiterated to President Zelensky in person in Downing Street on Friday.

    Secondly, I want to turn to the middle east, because that region is at a moment of grave danger and fragility. I have spoken to leaders in the region and allies around the world about our collective response. How can we deal with the malign influence of Iran, address its nuclear programme, manage the threat from the Houthis, ease tensions on Israel’s northern border, and work with all partners to uphold regional security?

    Fundamental to that, of course, is the conflict in Gaza. I have spoken to the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. I have been clear that I fully support Israel’s right to security and the desperate need to see the hostages returned. I have also been clear that the situation in Gaza is intolerable, and that the world will not look away as innocent civilians, including women and children, continue to face death, disease and displacement. Mr Speaker, it cannot go on. We need an immediate ceasefire. Hostages out, aid in; a huge scale-up of humanitarian assistance. That is the policy of this Government, and an immediate ceasefire is the only way to achieve it, so we will do all we can in pursuit of these goals. That is why, as one of the first actions taken by this Government, we have restarted British funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency, to deliver that crucial humanitarian support.

    We received the International Court of Justice opinion on Friday and will consider it carefully before responding, but let me say that we have always been opposed to the expansion of illegal settlements and we call on all sides to recommit to stability, peace, normalisation and the two-state solution: a recognised Palestinian state—the right of the Palestinian people—alongside a safe and secure Israel.

    Thirdly, I want to turn to illegal migration. This issue has now become a crisis, and in order to tackle it we must reach out a hand to our European friends. We started that work at the EPC, agreeing new arrangements with Slovenia and Slovakia, deepening co-operation across Europe for our new border security command, and increasing the UK presence at Europol in The Hague, to play our full part in the European Migrant Smuggling Centre. The crisis we face is the fault of gangs—no question—but to stop illegal migration we must also recognise the root causes: conflict, climate change and extreme poverty. So I have announced £84 million of new funding for projects across Africa and the middle east, to provide humanitarian and health support, skills training, and access to education, because the decisions that people take to leave their homes cannot be separated from these wider issues.

    We will work with our partners to stamp out this vile trade wherever it exists and focus on the hard yards of law enforcement with solutions that will actually deliver results. I have seen that in action, tackling counter-terrorism as Director of Public Prosecutions, and we can do the same on illegal migration. But let me be clear: there is no need to withdraw from the European convention on human rights. That is not consistent with the values of that blood bond, so we will not withdraw—not now, not ever.

    The basic fact is that the priorities of the British people do require us to work across borders with our partners, and a Government of service at home requires a Government of strength abroad. That is our role. It has always been our role. Britain belongs on the world stage. I commend this statement to the House.

  • Luke Pollard – 2024 Speech at the Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference

    Luke Pollard – 2024 Speech at the Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference

    The speech made by Luke Pollard, the Minister for the Armed Forces, in London on 18 July 2024.

    Good morning all.

    When I say that I am delighted to speak to you today, it is not just because this is my first speech as a Minister. It is also because you, the people in this room, are the people who are going to be responsible for the biggest transformation of our Air Force and space capabilities that we need, not just in the UK, but across our Alliances as well.

    Because whether you are a member of the armed forces, an international ally, or a partner in industry, you will know that our air, land and sea naval capabilities are all dependant on our ability to work together in space, and in cyber.

    Satellites and cyber communications are intrinsic components of our command and control, our secure comms, our ISR and PNT capabilities, and our missile defence.

    Yet for far too long, the Ministry of Defence and Government strategies have not given enough value to space and cyber that they should have. And neither have they given enough value to those people who work in them either.

    If we are to get Britain’s fighting forces fit to deter our adversaries, and defeat them if necessary, we must be ready for the profound step-changes in warfare that we are seeing in our increasingly fast-evolving, volatile, and contested world.

    We need to be a truly integrated force, equipped for ‘all domain warfare’.

    Multi domain integration is not enough.

    I see MDI as a journey that takes us to a destination. That destination is all domain warfare.

    Where to win we control space, cyber, electronic spectrums, as well as air, land and sea in a single joined up approach.

    And that is the change that we are determined to bring to defence, to support those people in defence who are already working on that.

    I will come back to that concept of All Domain Warfare in a moment, and the role we all have to play in realising it, but I’m first going to focus on the existing work of our air, space and cyber forces, and how the new Labour government’s plans for defence can strengthen that work.

    If we ever needed reminding about the outstanding work that our servicemen and women of our air, space and cyber forces do, then 2024 has given us plenty of examples.

    From protecting UK and NATO airspace 24/7/365, or 366 as it will be in this leap year,

    to operating seamlessly with allies to conduct precision strikes against Houthi sites in Yemen; intercepting Iranian missiles and drones launched against Israel.

    From training Ukrainian F-16 pilots and lighting up the sky for the anniversary of D-Day to thwarting countless cyber attacks; getting crucial humanitarian aid into Gaza, and conducting major exercises with NATO, and our other allies around the world. Showing that NATO is joined-up, capable, and ready.

    And they’ve also kept our comms systems and intelligence secure, and strengthened our alliances that help protect our national interests right round the globe.

    It amounts to an impressive legacy from just 7 months’ work. And I want to thank everyone who has served for their professionalism, and for everything they and you do to protect not just our country but our allies as well.

    But the United Kingdom does not fight alone. We are proud of the NATO alliance. Proud to be the founding member. And my party is proud of the role we played in forging that alliance all those years ago.

    Proud that it continues to grow with our new alliance partners in Sweden and Finland.

    And proud to work seamlessly with so many allies around the world, many of whom are represented here today.

    Now, I’m the son of a Royal Navy submariner, and a very proud Navy brat, and as an MP for my hometown in Plymouth, which is home to Devonport, the largest naval base in Western Europe, my experience of talking to Armed Forces personnel has gone from being a small child smuggled onto a submarine to have a look around, to attending Armed Forces Days up in Plymouth Hoe if you’ve seen them.

    I know that when you speak to our Armed Forces personnel about their achievements, they’re more than likely to say it was just ‘part of the day job’.

    But as I’ve seen since being a kid, being a member of our Armed Forces is more than a day job.

    It takes you away from your home and your loved ones and demands everything from you. It is the ultimate public service. And that’s why, as the Minister for the Armed Forces, I will endeavour to always have your back.

    But I have to level with you first. That does not mean that we will be able to do everything we want to as quickly as we’d like.

    Over recent years, the new Defence Secretary, John Healey, and myself, have raised concerns about real term Government cuts, and its inability to fund existing plans.

    I’ve raised concerns about force size and capabilities; about readiness and resilience; about the state of defence facilities and the appalling state of military housing that we ask our Armed Forces personnel and their families to live in; and about the state of retention and recruitment.

    And regardless of how much I would like to be able to address all these challenges overnight, we know it will take time.

    But the work of change has begun across Government and that includes in the Ministry of Defence.

    The Prime Minister has laid out an ambitious, yet deliverable path, towards rebuilding our Armed Forces, built on public service and collaboration and a clear understanding that defence is the first duty of any Government.

    And that started with the Strategic Defence Review, that he announced on Tuesday.

    That review will be overseen by the Defence Secretary and led by former NATO Secretary General, Lord Robertson.

    You don’t need me to tell you that this is going to be a critical review for the Royal Air Force, for UK Space Command, for our partnerships with industry, and for the evolution of our air, space, and cyber capabilities.

    Over the last year, drones and missiles fired by Houthis have terrorised international shipping. Putin has used them to terrorise our friends in Ukraine, and Iran has used them to attack Israel.

    They have pushed the envelopes of what we consider modern warfare.

    That means we have to look again at how we fight. How we strengthen air and missile defence, look at our counter-measures and get that right up the agenda.

    As drones and technology reshape the battlefield, and satellites become increasingly central to warfare, if only in the public understanding of their role. The risk of cyber attacks continue.

    The risks of undermining our institutions, our critical national infrastructure, our democracy continues.

    The breadth of the threats we face, and the need to innovate at an ever-increasing pace, demands a fresh assessment of the state of our armed forces, the capabilities we need, and the resources that we have available.

    So you’ll be hearing more from me and other ministers about a ‘one defence’ approach, with truly integrated Services and capabilities, that we can prosecute all domain warfare.

    It is integral to our ability to deter and integral to our ability to fight and win if we need to.

    Our Strategic Defence Review will be an open and collaborative defence Review. And those who that have heard me speak before will know that I always give out homework.

    And the homework I’m giving out to you is this: Please contribute.

    Whether you are from the forces, industry, academia, or one of our allies: Please add your insights and expertise to that process.

    So that we don’t just bolster the front line – we do everything that underpins it as well.

    From our skills base to our industrial resilience, and of course to our alliances.

    That collaborative approach will mean that the Strategic Defence Review will report in the first half of 2025.

    However, the work to strengthen our deterrence began on day one of getting elected.

    For the international visitors: you go straight from a sports centre where you get announced as an MP at 4am in the morning, slightly bleary-eyed, into a department.

    It’s slightly a whirlwind time. But the work of change needs to start straight away.

    That’s why we have committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP as soon as we can. We have committed to our nuclear ‘triple lock’ – that’s continuing out continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent, with our four new next generation ballistic missile carrying nuclear submarines being built in Barrow, and a commitment to all the future upgrades required to keep Britain and our NATO allies safe with those submarines.

    And although there has been a change in Downing Street, let me reassure you as well that there will be no change in Britain’s steadfast support for our friends in Ukraine.

    Within 48 hours of being appointed, the Defence Secretary was in Odesa to pledge a new shipment of missiles and munitions to support Ukraine’s fight. And he committed to President Zelensky to get crucial UK kit into Ukrainian hands within 100 days.

    At the NATO Summit in Washington, the Prime Minister told President Zelenskyy that he would stick with Ukraine and provide £3 billion in military aid each year for as long as it takes for Ukraine to win.

    Putin’s illegal war has underlined the belief our government has in a ‘NATO first’ defence policy.

    And it has shone a light on shortcomings of our and many of our allies’ stockpiles as well.

    So we will provide leadership by boosting Britain’s industrial capacity and resilience of our supply chains by aligning our defence industrial strategy more closely with our security priorities as well as our economic priorities, which will provide a boost for British jobs, industry, and our regions.

    And we have also committed to look hard at procurement – to cut out waste, improve value for money, and bring greater urgency to our acquisition programmes.

    And we have instigated important organisational reforms to improve military leadership and planning, with a new Military Strategic Headquarters, and a new National Armaments Director.

    Whilst these domestic commitments and reforms are fundamental to strengthening our deterrence and our capabilities, our global alliances and partnerships are equally important to the security of our nation.

    Our commitment to NATO is unshakable.

    We must, and we will fulfil all our obligations as a member and strengthen Britain’s leadership within the alliance.We will also seek to strengthen European security by negotiating a new security pact with the EU – seeking a new bilateral defence agreement with Germany, refreshing the Lancaster House agreement with France, and stronger defence partnerships with our Joint Expeditionary Force partners.

    Further afield, to protect our values and global interests, and drive innovation, we are committing to developing and strengthening the AUKUS partnership to realise its full economic and security potential, and committed to building closer partnerships in the Indo Pacific and our allies in Africa.

    The final and most important piece to have effective defence is our people.

    And again, I must level with you that we are currently not recruiting or retaining enough people in our Armed Forces.This is a challenge not unique to Britain – many of our Allies are facing this as well.

    But if we are to transform our Armed Forces, we need to attract more people, we need to train more people, and we need to retain more people.

    That means offering them a career that makes them want to stay for longer. And for those who have left, want to rejoin.

    The moral component of fighting power remains the key to building an effective and lethal force.

    Which is why, over recent years, John Healey the Defence Secretary, and I have fought to highlight the need to improve conditions for serving personnel, their families, and veterans.

    And that’s why, as a Government, we are determined to renew the contract between the nation and those who serve. You will hear more about that in the months ahead.

    It’s a commitment we made in our manifesto and it’s absolutely vital for our national security.

    If we don’t get this right, we don’t get the people that keeps the country and our allies safe.

    So we will put the Armed Forces Covenant fully into law and appoint an independent Armed Forces Commissioner with a clear brief to improve service life.

    And as our new Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, my colleague, Maria Eagle, has said we will fix our broken procurement system. And she also has a determination to tackle the poor quality of the housing our personnel and their families.

    And our new Minister for Veterans and People, who was until a few months ago a Colonel in the Royal Marines, Alistair Carns, will improve veterans’ access to support for mental health, employment, and housing.

    We will be a joined-up, ‘One Defence’ ministerial team, breaking down silos, and working to deliver a joined-up ‘one defence’ approach to the sector, with serving personnel, officials, innovators and industry, all working more closely.

    Now, the window in my new office overlooks the River Thames. This is a big improvement to the window to my office in Parliament.

    As a relatively new MP elected in 2017, if you’ve got a window in your office, you’re doing well. So to have multiple windows is a quite a treat.

    So to have multiple windows in the MOD I can see the RAF memorial on the banks of the River Thames.

    That memorial to the British and allied pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain,

    that Churchill christened as the “few who gave so much for the many” is something that I take very seriously.

    It’s a reminder of the important role that the Royal Air Force plays. Not just in our national security but our national story as well.

    As I take on the role of the Minister for Armed Forces, those memorials, not just on the Thames but in every community around the country, including the one that I represent in Plymouth, are a lasting reminder that we must have a strong Air Force, but that we must back the people who work in uniform and the civilians who support or Air Force.

    But like in the 1930s, our world is increasingly volatile and dangerous. And like the 1930s, we need to invest in airpower, and give our Royal Air Force not only the best aircraft but the best capabilities and people that we can.

    Just like the 1930’s, when new technology like radar was being pioneered by the RAF, today, some of the same spirit of innovation exists and must be nurtured further in space, cyber and across electronic warfare, giving us a much clearer plan for averting war in Western Europe than existed in the 1930s.

    Our security relies on ‘effective collective deterrence’. And this new Labour government will enhance it: By increasing defence spending; investing in our Armed Forces; investing in our next generation nuclear capability; and reconnecting Britain with our allies and partners.

    We will reform defence to improve decision making, strengthen industrial resilience, improve morale, and deliver better value for money.

    And in partnership with our innovators and industry, we will equip ourselves for all domain warfare, cutting edge capabilities, and greater lethality.

    More integrated and interoperable with our allies, standing with Ukraine, standing up to Putin, and standing up for the values that we all share. Democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

    So whether you are on the front line, or in support. An international ally, or ally in industry. We all have an important part to play.

    And to our international friends, I want you to know that Britain is back.

    In Britain, with Keir Starmer as Prime Minister and John Healey as Defence Secretary, you have a refreshed and revitalised partner in the world stage.

    Reconnecting with friends and building new alliances in service of collective deterrence and security.

    We have our eyes wide open about how difficult these challenges are and how hard the world is. And nothing I’ve outlined today will be quick or easy.

    There are difficult challenges ahead: Hybrid threats and hostile states.

    But we bring serious pragmatic leadership, a clear plan, and a renewed spirit of collaboration, that will make us more secure at home and strong abroad.

    Thank you.