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Category: Defence

  • Ben Wallace – 2023 Speech at DSEI Japan

    Ben Wallace – 2023 Speech at DSEI Japan

    The speech made by Ben Wallace, the Secretary of State for Defence, made in Japan on 15 March 2023.

    Thank you for the kind welcome you showed to me and my team from the United Kingdom. We’re all delighted to be here.

    In 1964, Honda Formula One entered into global motorsport, and the rest is history. Six constructors championships, six driver championships, and in turn 223 podiums and 89 race victories. When I was younger I used to race motocross. I had a Suzuki and was always beaten by Kawasaki.

    Britain’s partnership with advanced engineering in Japan is not new. In fact, it goes over many decades. It’s a 60 year partnership with Honda and Formula One. And we know that as we go forward with GCAP, it’ll be an equally long and enduring relationship. GCAP is a strategic partnership to create a sixth generation fighter. I’m excited not only because it’s a great partnership of these three nations, bridging Europe and the Pacific, but also because we’re one of the first to lead the sixth generation development.

    It’s going to fuse the best of all of our technologies. And we’re going to not only be partners but we’re also customers. I think that is important also to remember. We’re going to unlock paths and new technologies, new platforms, export markets and potential new partners, but lock in a strategic partnership of liberal open democracies, who believe in the rule of law and upholding international values across the world that are threatened so strongly today. It’s a global partnership. It’s not a local partnership.

    GCAP isn’t going to be a short love affair. It’s going to be a marriage. AUKUS was another project we announced this week – the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom, developing the next generation of nuclear attack submarines. That’s a 20, 30, 40 year programme. And GCAP will also be of a similar length. So when we as the nations committed to this programme, there’s no going back. The three partners have to keep each other going with forward momentum. There’s no changing our mind at the end of the decade or halfway through because to do so is to let each other down. People don’t like letting teams down and nor should they and industry must also share that overall responsibility. Industry mustn’t look just to itself and its own shareholders. It’s got to look across because as ministers and Chief of Air Staff, our job is to deliver a requirement to defend our nations and that goes above all else. It goes above individual industry self interest, it will go above shareholder interest and that has to be the overruling principle that must guide this.

    So as we progress to the next phases, let’s remember that at the heart of this it’s about defending our democracies and our values. It will not only help deliver a sixth generation fighter, but will also help other industries and complement other developments.

    GCAP from the United Kingdom’s point of view, we will be investing £2 billion up to 2025 and £10 billion over the next 10 years. The overall development programme will be above £25 billion over the next 10 years and they’ll share designs and hopefully get towards development by 2025. And in service to Japan by 2035, a key milestone, a milestone that we must all meet and all deliver for the Japanese. It’s incredibly important that we don’t let this slip.

    The next milestone this year is the agreement of the system’s requirements. And I will add my own air force to make sure that the requirements are common amongst all three air forces and kept consistent. 2025 is the development phase and the flying phase is towards the end of the decade or early 2030s. I think it’s incredibly exciting.

    When you look at the lead industries engaged in this, BAE, Mitsubishi, Leonardo, Rolls Royce, IHI. It’s some of the world leading companies that are going to be contributing to sixth generation capability. I think we should all be incredibly proud we’ve got to this stage, but momentum is important. Keeping our side of the bargain will be very, very important. Unlocking the potential of SMEs to collaborate and recognising that this sixth generation fighter will unlock a whole new hope for global air dominance, global export markets, and lay the foundation for thousands of jobs for all our countries and our taxpayers, who after all, are contributing to make this a reality. Thank you.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2023 Statement at AUKUS Trilateral Press Conference

    Rishi Sunak – 2023 Statement at AUKUS Trilateral Press Conference

    The statement made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, in San Diego on 13 March 2023.

    Sixty years ago, here in San Diego, President Kennedy spoke of: “A higher purpose – the maintenance of freedom, peace and…security”.

    Today, we stand together, united by that same purpose.

    And recognising that to fulfil it we must forge new kinds of relationships to meet new kinds of challenge – just as we have always done.

    In the last 18 months, the challenges we face have only grown.

    Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine…

    China’s growing assertiveness…

    The destabilising behaviour of Iran and North Korea…

    …all threaten to create a world defined by danger, disorder, and division.

    Faced with this new reality, it is more important than ever that we strengthen the resilience of our own countries.

    That’s why the UK is today announcing a significant uplift in our defence budget.

    We’re providing an extra £5bn over the next two years, immediately increasing our defence budget to around 2.25% of GDP.

    This will allow us to replenish our war stocks.

    And modernise our nuclear enterprise, delivering AUKUS and strengthening our deterrent.

    Our highest priority is to continue providing military aid to Ukraine, because their security is our security.

    And we will go further to strengthen our resilience.

    For the first time, the United Kingdom will move away from our baseline commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defence to a new ambition of 2.5%.

    Putting beyond doubt that the United Kingdom is – and will remain – one of the world’s leading defence powers.

    But ultimately, the defence of our values depends, as it always has…

    …on the quality of our relationships with others.

    Those alliances will be strengthened through AUKUS…

    …the most significant multilateral defence partnership in generations.

    AUKUS matches our enduring commitment to freedom and democracy…

    …with the most advanced military, scientific, and technological capability.

    Nowhere is that clearer than in the plans we’re unveiling today for the new Aukus submarine…

    …one of the most advanced nuclear-powered subs the world has ever known.

    Those plans could not happen without cutting-edge American technology and expertise…

    …so I pay tribute to you, Mr President, for your leadership.

    And to you, Prime Minister, for your vision of what Aukus can achieve.

    For our part, the UK comes to this with over sixty years’ experience of running our own fleet.

    We’ll provide the world-leading design, and build the first of these new boats…

    …creating thousands of good, well-paid jobs in places like Barrow and Derby.

    And we will share our knowledge and experience with Australian engineers so they can build their own fleet.

    Our partnership is significant not just because we are building these submarines together…

    …they will also be truly interoperable.

    The Royal Navy will operate the same submarines as the Australian Navy.

    We will both share components and parts with the US Navy.

    Our submarine crews will train together, patrol together, and maintain their boats together.

    They will communicate using the same terminology and the same equipment.

    And through AUKUS, we will raise our standards of nuclear non-proliferation.

    This is a powerful partnership.

    For the first time ever, it will mean three fleets of submarines working together across both the Atlantic and Pacific…

    …keeping our oceans free, open, and prosperous for decades to come.

    Joe, Anthony –

    We represent three allies who have stood shoulder to shoulder together for more than a century.

    Three peoples who have shed blood together in defence of our shared values.

    And three democracies that are coming together again…

    …to fulfil that higher purpose of maintaining freedom, peace, and security…

    …now and for generations to come.

  • Johnny Mercer – 2023 Op-ed on the Launch of the Veterans Welfare Review

    Johnny Mercer – 2023 Op-ed on the Launch of the Veterans Welfare Review

    The Op-ed, originally published in the Daily Express, by Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer and republished by the Government as a press release on 2 March 2023.

    Veterans deserve as much support off the battlefield as they had on it. While the vast majority of our military personnel go on to live happy, healthy and successful lives, for those who struggle after leaving service, getting the right help – in employment, housing and health – can be an absolute lifeline.

    It might be an infantry soldier leaving the Army after ten years, and looking for advice on what to do next. Or a sailor who left the Navy two decades ago, and who has been coping fine – until the death of a loved one brings back painful memories from the past. Whatever the circumstances, our veterans need to be able to access support that is human, sensitive and that works for them.

    So today I and the Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families are jointly launching a review into welfare provision for veterans that come under the umbrella of Veterans UK.

    We’re doing this for two reasons.

    First, because we have a moral duty to give our former service personnel the best help we can. They risk their lives for this country. The least we can do is make sure the support they’re given meets the needs of today. Yet for too long veterans services have suffered from under-investment, and been over-reliant on paper records and outdated tech. This is 2023. We live in a digital age – and it’s time our services reflected that. That’s why I have personally pledged to finally deliver the Veterans Digital ID card this year, to make it easier for ex-service personnel to access services across the country.

    The second reason is a by-product of the fact that under this government, veterans’ issues are finally getting the political priority they deserve. In 2019 we launched the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, which drives government support for former service personnel from the heart of government.

    We’ve stepped up in areas such as health, with the creation of Op Courage, the veterans mental health and wellbeing service in England. In the coming weeks we will launch a new chronic pain service, which will create one simple clear path for veterans who have injuries from their time in the military to access care for long-term pain. And this year we will end veteran homelessness through Op Fortitude.

    As our support expands, we have to look carefully again at the efficiency and effectiveness of what we’re currently providing under the banner of Veterans UK. Is accessing help too confusing? Are we doing too much in one area and not enough elsewhere? How can service provision be improved? These are key questions this review will answer.

    That way, we can make good on our promise to make this country the best place in the world to be a veteran.

  • Leo Docherty – 2023 Speech at the UN Conference on Disarmament

    Leo Docherty – 2023 Speech at the UN Conference on Disarmament

    The speech made by Leo Docherty, the Minister for Europe, in Geneva on 27 February 2023.

    Every member state of this Conference has the responsibility to work towards a more peaceful and stable world, through disarmament. For the vast majority represented here, that is indeed our shared objective.

    But all too often, we see some States doing the opposite.

    It is over a year since Russia launched their illegal invasion of Ukraine.

    It is an unprovoked, premeditated and barbaric attack against a sovereign democratic state.

    And an egregious violation of international law and the UN Charter.

    We continue to see mounting evidence of horrific acts committed by Russia’s forces against civilians.

    The UK and our allies will continue to support the Ukrainian government in the face of this assault on their existence.

    Russia’s announcement last week that it has suspended participation in the New START treaty further shows their willingness to undermine strategic stability.

    We continue to urge Russia to immediately return to full compliance of the Treaty and engage constructively with the USA on this matter.

    We will continue to explore every diplomatic avenue to uphold international law, and strengthen our collective disarmament architecture.

    In addition to major nuclear armed states willing to flout international norms of behaviour, we collectively face a range of challenges.

    We face continuing proliferation concerns about the activities of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Iran.

    We are concerned with DPRK’s continued escalation of its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. We condemn these tests which are in clear breach of United Nations Security Council Resolutions.

    We face Assad’s willingness to use chemical weapons.

    And emerging threats posed by new and disruptive technologies.

    To overcome these we must refresh our thinking, and redouble our commitment to build on the foundations of our common disarmament and non-proliferation institutions.

    The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty – or NPT – remains the cornerstone of international nuclear security. And the only pragmatic route to a world without nuclear weapons in our current security environment.

    The UK remains firmly committed to the NPT, and to fulfilling our obligations under all three pillars of the Treaty.

    We remain committed to the long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons.

    And firmly believe the best way to achieve this is through gradual multilateral disarmament, negotiated within the framework of the NPT, including in this Conference.

    Collectively we have the ability to create a safer and more stable world, where countries with nuclear weapons feel able to relinquish them.

    However, the deteriorating security environment means we must remain realistic about what can be achieved in the short term.

    The UK is focused on preparing the ground for what can pragmatically be achieved over the next NPT review cycle and beyond.

    We are working with other States on the verification and irreversibility challenges, which will need to be addressed as part of final disarmament.

    We will continue to play a leading role on transparency, within the limits placed by our non-proliferation obligations and our overarching national security concerns.

    We will continue to develop concrete initiatives on reducing the risk of the use of nuclear weapons.

    And we will continue to press for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

    And the beginning of negotiations, in this Conference, on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty – the logical next step along the road to a world without nuclear weapons.

    Mr President,

    We only have to look to President Putin’s assault against Ukraine…

    and Assad’s on his own people…

    and the lives blighted by the illicit trade in small arms and lights weapons across the world…

    to realise that the use of conventional and chemical weapons remains a present, real and urgent threat.

    The diversion and misuse of conventional weapons – particularly small arms and light weapons – costs hundreds of thousands of lives every year…

    destroys security and sustainable development…

    and fuels conflict, crime and terrorism.

    The effective control of conventional weapons and ammunition should therefore be a goal that unites us all.

    The United Kingdom was proud to sign up to the Political Declaration on Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas in Dublin in November. I warmly commend the Government of Ireland for its leadership in this endeavour. As Putin’s missiles rained down on Ukrainian homes and civilian infrastructure, the Declaration is a powerful commitment to strengthening the protection of civilians in urban warfare under International Humanitarian Law.

    The UK will continue to play a leading role in tackling the scourge of landmines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war, including as a result of the conflict in Ukraine.

    We must also do more work together to counter IEDs, and prevent non-State actors and violent extremists from obtaining the components to make them.

    The United Kingdom condemns Syria’s use of chemical weapons in Douma and in multiple other attacks.

    It is time for the disarmament community to move from severe condemnation to severe consequences, for those that use them.

    The UK will continue to work for a world free from chemical and biological weapons, and we urge all states to play a constructive part in this process.

    As the Biological Weapons Convention nears its 50th year in force, the UK will strive to make the most of the process we all agreed at last year’s Review Conference to bolster our implementation of this Convention. It represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to meet the evolving threats from biological weapons in the 21st century. We must seize it and endow the Convention with the scientific and technical advice it needs, and explore ways in which new technologies can help assure compliance with its obligations.

    Mr President,

    Just as the threats we face in the nuclear, biological, chemical and conventional domains have evolved, so it is in outer space.

    We are pleased to see progress in the Open-Ended Working Group on reducing space threats through norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviours.

    All of our societies and economies rely on a cooperative approach to the use of technologies in space.

    So we encourage all states to engage constructively and work towards a consensus report, that can inform next steps in the UN General Assembly.

    This Conference also has a vital role to play in negotiating agreements on preventing an arms race in outer space, whether legally binding or otherwise.

    To conclude, Mr President.

    The UK is firmly committed to playing a full role in advancing the international disarmament agenda.

    And we are grateful for the cooperation of all partners who approach these thorny issues constructively, and with integrity.

    Let me point out that many of those partners are not members of this Conference, and are being barred from taking up their rightful seats as observers by the Russian delegation. We deplore this obstructionism, and call for all UN Member States to be allowed to participate in the work of this Conference as has long been our practice.

    The challenges facing our collective work are monumental.

    We must take a constructive and open-minded approach to finding new solutions to old problems.

    But we must also stand by the frameworks and agreements that we have so painstakingly built.

    And hold all states accountable to agreed norms and standards, and the commitments they have made.

    Thank you.

  • Rishi Sunak – 2023 Speech at Munich Security Conference

    Rishi Sunak – 2023 Speech at Munich Security Conference

    The speech made by Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, in Munich on 18 February 2023.

    The United Kingdom will always be on the side of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.

    And the security of our European continent will always be our overriding priority.

    Now there’s no greater example of those commitments than our response to the war in Ukraine.

    Just this year we became the first country in the world to provide tanks to Ukraine – and the first to train pilots and marines.

    We gave £2.3 billion last year – and we will match or exceed that in 2023.

    Now other allies can tell a similar story – and our collective efforts are making a difference.

    But with every day that passes, Russian forces inflict yet more pain and suffering.

    Now the only way to change that is for Ukraine to win.

    So we need a military strategy for Ukraine to gain a decisive advantage on the battlefield to win the war, and a political strategy to win the peace.

    To win the war, Ukraine needs more artillery, armoured vehicles and air defence.

    So now is the moment to double down on our military support.

    When Putin started this war, he gambled that our resolve would falter.

    Even now, he is betting that we will lose our nerve.

    But we proved him wrong then.

    And we will prove him wrong now.

    Together we’re delivering as much equipment in the next few months as in the whole of 2022.

    And together we must help Ukraine to shield its cities from Russian bombs and Iranian drones.

    And that’s why the UK will be the first country to provide Ukraine with longer-range weapons.

    And it’s why we’re working with our allies to give Ukraine the most advanced air defence systems, and build the air force they need to defend their nation.

    Now of course, the UK stands ready to help any country, provide planes that Ukraine can use today.

    But we must also train Ukrainian pilots to use the most advanced jets, and that’s exactly what Britain is doing…

    So that Ukraine has the capability to defend its security for the long term.

    But to win the peace we also need to rebuild the international order on which our collective security depends.

    First, that means upholding international law.

    The whole world must hold Russia to account.

    We must see justice through the ICC for their sickening war crimes committed, whether in Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol or beyond.

    And Russia must also be held to account for the terrible destruction it has inflicted.

    We are hosting the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London this June.

    And we should consider – together – how to ensure that Russia pays towards that reconstruction.

    Now second, the treaties and agreements of the post-Cold War era have failed Ukraine.

    So we need a new framework for its long-term security.

    From human rights to reckless nuclear threats, from Georgia to Moldova, Russia has committed violation after violation against countries outside the collective security of NATO.

    And the international community’s response has not been strong enough.

    As Jens Stoltenberg has said, “Ukraine will become a member of NATO.”

    But until that happens, we need to do more to bolster Ukraine’s long-term security.

    We must give them the advanced NATO-standard capabilities that they need for the future.

    And we must demonstrate that we’ll remain by their side, willing and able to help them defend their country again and again.

    Ukraine needs and deserves assurances of that support.

    So ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius we will bring together our friends and allies to begin building those long-term assurances.

    And our aim should be to forge a new charter in Vilnius to help protect Ukraine from future Russian aggression.

    Now let me conclude with one final thought.

    What’s at stake in this war is even greater than the security and sovereignty of one nation.

    It’s about the security and sovereignty of every nation.

    Because Russia’s invasion, its abhorrent war crimes and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric are symptomatic of a broader threat to everything we believe in.

    From the skies over North America to the suffering on the streets of Tehran, some would destabilise the order that has preserved peace and stability for 80 years.

    They must not prevail. And we need not be daunted.

    As President Zelenskyy said when he addressed the UK Parliament last week, we are marching towards the most important victory of our lifetime. It will be a victory over the very idea of war.

    And we could have no greater purpose than to prove him right.

  • Alex Chalk – 2023 Speech at the Global Investment Summit in India

    Alex Chalk – 2023 Speech at the Global Investment Summit in India

    The speech made by Alex Chalk, the Minister for Defence Procurement, in Lucknow, India on 13 February 2023.

    Thank you Honourable Chief Minister for that warm introduction. It is an enormous pleasure to be here in Lucknow today for the Global Investment Summit.

    As some of you may know, for me personally this has felt less of a visit and more of homecoming.

    Because it was here in Uttar Pradesh that I spent a formative period of my life as a young graduate, living and working as a teacher in this beautiful state and gaining experience that continues to influence me today. Yesterday I travelled to Bakshi-ka-talab for an emotional reunion with Sushma Singh and her family.

    It was emotional because I formed a strong attachment to this remarkable country and its people. From the holy city of Varanasi, to the wonder of Agra. I knew then that India was destined for an extraordinary future. In the intervening two decades, India has indeed become great. But in truth, it is only just getting started.

    As well as successfully holding the presidency of the G20, India’s growing economy is accelerating past others, and is already bigger than Britain’s. That trend will only continue. We don’t just acknowledge that – we admire it and we celebrate it.

    Because I come here today as a representative of a new kind of British Government. The torch has truly passed to a new generation of British ministers, led by my friend and colleague, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – who has already established an excellent relationship with Modi Jee.

    Because this is a generation of ministers that has studied and come of age in one of the most diverse countries on Earth. A country of pluralism, of tolerance. A country where I can tell you that this minister’s children celebrate Diwali with all the enthusiasm that they show for Christmas.

    And above all, like you, a meritocracy – a country where it doesn’t matter where you’re from, it’s where you’re going that counts. And UP is certainly going places.

    And when it comes to our country, the United Kingdom is more open, more outward-looking, more globalist than ever before. Global Britain is not a slogan – it is a fundamental part of our modern DNA. And it’s absolutely at the heart of why I’m so delighted to be here.

    And so when I come back to Lucknow, and I see the road signs bearing that famous name, my mind does not turn principally to the past, our shared history or my own past. It turns with wonder to the extraordinary present of this mighty metropolis, and it soars on the promise of what tomorrow will surely bring.

    Because we meet here in one of the fastest growing economies in India, a state of over 200m people, a hub of research and development. A state that is restless for its future – just as Britain is.

    We know your ambitions Chief Minister for this state, for growing the economy this decade, for developing the infrastructure, and for establishing a defence corridor – the engine of new India’s growth. That vision is hugely exciting, and I would like our comprehensive strategic partnership to be the engine of each other’s growth.

    Indeed, we stand ready to be at your side, as partners, as we hurry towards that future. And to demonstrate that commitment I am joined today by more than 30 British businesses – firms that are already partnering with Indian counterparts and stand ready to deepen and intensify that relationship. We want to achieve great things together, and today they are signing seven MOUs, committing £165m of investment into UP and generating almost a thousand jobs.

    And when it comes to ties to India business is not beginning from a standing start. Since the turn of the century no G20 country has invested more in India than Britain. For its part, India is Britain’s second-biggest jobs creator.

    And in Defence we see with growing clarity where our relationship can go. On land, on sea, and in the air. And even in space and cyber.

    At sea, the crew of HMS Tamar’visited the Andaman and Nicobar Islands last month and exercised with the Indian Navy. Our flagship, the great carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, sailed to the Indian Ocean in 2021 and took part in our most demanding bilateral exercise to date, Exercise Konkan Shakti, conducted by all three services from both countries.

    In the air, you’ll be aware of our regular joint exercise, Indradhanush, with tactics, techniques and procedures being shared between our aviators.

    And on the ground, where British participation in exercise Ajeya Warrior has strengthened our interoperability and shared skills in tackling terrorism, and boosting counter-insurgency capability.

    And that’s all before you factor in the extensive collaboration at an industrial level.

    Whether it’s our new Defence Industry Joint Working Group – launched last year. Whether it’s our Enhanced Cyber Security Partnership. Or whether it’s the regular bilateral consultations on space technology.

    And I see huge opportunities for our industries to collaborate in electric propulsion technology to power the Indian Navy, and complex weapons systems.

    And to support greater defence and security collaboration the UK has issued an Open General Export Licence to India, reducing bureaucracy and shortening delivery times for defence procurement. This is our first such licence in the Indo-Pacific.

    And tomorrow I look forward to emphasising to Indian defence colleagues that the UK stands ready to commit to something truly special: the largest ever transfer of jet engine technology from Britain to any other nation in our history. Technology that will give India sovereign Make-in-India intellectual capability, that will ensure India joins an exclusive club and becomes just the sixth country in the world to acquire this cutting-edge capability – and will empower India to export future fighters on India’s terms around the world.

    A strong, self-reliant, resilient India, with a sovereign defence industry to match.

    That’s good for India. That’s good for the region. And it’s vital for the world.

    That’s because wherever you are in the world, there is a growing, inescapable feeling that our planet is become more dangerous.

    Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has shown us that the world is more connected and interdependent than ever. Rising costs, food shortages and instability are triggered across the world.

    And I know I don’t need to remind this audience that China’s increasing belligerence poses systematic challenges to the international rules-based order. It threatens to undermine those values that our free nations hold to be inviolable – democracy, good governance, human rights, the rule of law. And the right of any nation to preserve its territorial integrity.

    So accelerating our partnership is not a ‘nice to have’. It is a geopolitical necessity. And we need to get on with it.

    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recognises that, and fired the starting gun on the latest sprint last week when he joined a meeting between India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his British counterpart Tim Barrow.

    Together they framed plans to strengthen cooperation on trade, technology and defence. And I know Alan [Gemmell, HM Trade Commissioner for South Asia] is going to be speaking in a moment about the various agreements we’re set to commit to writing shortly.

    We also have our Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and First Sea Lord all coming here in the coming week to further strengthen our relationship.

    And I’m here in UP, because we see special opportunity in this extraordinary state of UP, and the vision you have set out for development and defence investment.

    Twenty years ago, my pupils taught me:

    Pardesi pardesi jaana nahi

    Foreigner, don’t leave

    Pardesi pardesi jaana nahi

    Foreigner, don’t leave

    Mujhe chhod ke, mujhe chhod ke

    Leaving me behind

    Pardesi pardesi jaana nahi

    Foreigner, don’t leave

    Mujhe chhod ke, mujhe chhod ke

    Leaving me behind

    Pardesi mere yaara vaada nibhana

    My foreigner friend, fulfill your promise

    Mujhe yaad rakhna kahin bhool na jaana

    Remember me and don’t forget me

    Today, the Hindi slogan that comes to mind is:

    UK-UP: sAbka sat, sAbka vikAAAs.

  • Alex Chalk – 2023 Speech at the Steel Cutting of HMS Active

    Alex Chalk – 2023 Speech at the Steel Cutting of HMS Active

    The speech made by Alex Chalk, the Minister for Defence Procurement, at Rosyth Dockyard in Scotland on 24 January 2023.

    It is an enormous pleasure to be here in Rosyth today for my first official visit to a shipyard as a Defence Minister.

    And in doing so to meet some of the staff who will be working on this great vessel but also, as has already happened, to welcome our overseas visitors from Poland, Indonesia, Chile, Denmark, Ukraine, New Zealand, Sweden and the United States.

    I’m especially honoured to be asked to cut the steel.

    Although in case any future crews are watching this and are slightly concerned, I’m assured that all I have to do is press a button and the machine will do the real work.

    Now this vessel is the second of five Type-31 – or Inspiration-class –frigates for the Royal Navy.

    And ‘inspiration’ is the right word for three straightforward reasons.

    First, there is the inspiration offered by a cutting edge, highly capable vessel.

    Armed with SeaCeptor missiles and a 4D radar system, HMS Active has flexibility woven into its DNA.

    Not only will it be able today to do everything from intercepting illegal activity, gathering intelligence, providing humanitarian relief, but, as a modular and scalable platform, it will have the ability to adapt tomorrow to the ever-evolving threats of the 21st century.

    And that’s important because the great frigates constructed here in this yard will be part of a formidable fleet for years to come.

    And they are deliberately designed to evolve and modernise to respond to a changing world and a changing mission.

    And they will of course be operating alongside advanced destroyers and autonomous minehunters, supported by our new auxiliary ships and all led by the Queen Elizabeth-class carriers.

    Second, today provides inspiration for our industry.

    Not only does the construction of these ships directly support 16 different Scottish suppliers – including eight SMEs – with contracts totalling more than £65 million.

    Not only does it sustain around 2,500 highly skilled roles.

    But this represents lasting investment in Scotland and Britain’s manufacturing future.

    Take those 150 or so technical and digital apprenticeships that Babcock is supporting to ensure we have the niche skills required for decades to come.

    Or the fact that, come the Spring, this yard will be hosting its second Festival of Engineering – which sees graduates deliver fun, interactive activities for local school children in a bid to get them excited about STEM careers which can be so fulfilling for them.

    Or consider the pivotal role this project is playing in the revival of our nation’s great shipbuilding traditions.

    We all know, don’t we, that Scottish dockyards have a proud history of producing some of the world’s finest ships.

    And that in recent years, we’ve seen a renaissance in Scottish shipbuilding industry with the construction of everything from offshore patrol vessels to our flagship aircraft carriers.

    Now, thanks to a £60 million investment programme here in Rosyth, we’ve got world-class facilities to match, including the Venturer Building which I’m looking forward so much to seeing shortly.

    And with the T-31 frigates, we’re going to ensure the made-in-Scotland stamp is a worldwide mark of quality for years to come.

    Such a powerful tribute to so many of the men and women here today.

    And that brings me onto my third point – these frigates will act as an inspiration for our exports.

    I don’t want to steal too much of Minister Bowie’s thunder, but it’s fair to say these ships are garnering global interest before they’ve even taken to the water.

    And that’s because I know our allies appreciate and understand how the unique Arrowhead-140 flexible design can support so many different configurations.

    And it offers the potential for greater collaboration at an operational and industrial level.

    And that’s why Babcock has already signed an export contract with Indonesia and I’m not giving anything away I hope when I say there are other suitors too.

    And I do want to take this opportunity finally to pay tribute to this vessel’s predecessor and namesake.

    A Type-21 frigate which played a vital role in the Falklands War 40 years ago, from escorting supply convoys to San Carlos Water, to providing naval gun support to British forces in the Battle of Mount Tumbledown.

    And I’m particularly delighted that some of those who served with such distinction on board the last HMS Active are here today as the torch is passed to a new vessel.

    But historians among you will know these aren’t the only ships to have borne the name.

    During the Second World War, Active joined the hunt for the Bismarck.

    During the First World War, Active was with the Grand Fleet in the Battle of Jutland.

    And in 1762, Active captured a prize of £100 million worth of Spanish treasure. Happy to confirm that is no longer British foreign policy.

    Indeed, 11 different HMS Actives have written their own chapter in our nation’s great maritime history.

    But today’s warship will be more advanced than any of its predecessors.

    More adaptable, more flexible, more agile and more powerful.

    So, thank you to everyone involved in this important enterprise.

    Congratulations on what you have achieved so far and what you will achieve and deliver in the future.

    With a thriving Scottish shipbuilding sector behind it, the 12th HMS Active reflects the finest traditions of the Royal Navy and will write a new and exciting chapter in our nation’s maritime history.

    Thank you.

  • Johnny Mercer – 2023 Speech to the Veterans Trauma Network Annual Conference

    Johnny Mercer – 2023 Speech to the Veterans Trauma Network Annual Conference

    The speech made by Johnny Mercer, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, at the King’s Fund in London on 11 January 2023.

    The first thing I want to say is thank you.

    If you look at where we were and where we’ve come, we’ve made extraordinary progress for the people we’re trying to help. So thank you for everything you’ve done, and for the way everyones applied themselves to this, and congratulations on the Health Service Journal Award, which I know is an important moment as well.

    I want to reiterate this government’s position on veterans affairs after what was clearly a rather turbulent period last year. I hope that my appointment is an indication of what this Prime Minister wants to achieve in this space. I clearly would not have returned to Government if I did not think the Prime Minister was serious about achieving that combined ambition of making this the best country in the world to be a veteran. I intend to put the turbulence behind us and move on, and maintain my consistency in this role and what I want to see in turning that vision of the UK being the best country in the world to be a veteran, into a reality, an actual reality, for our veterans in communities up and down this country.

    I congratulate the entire NHS on their commitment to this mission. Locally in my constituency, I pay tribute to Jon Coates, for all his work, and his predecessor, Joe Kyo as well. And I know this is replicated in trusts up and down the nation. The NHS has always been a deep and close friend of veterans, and I pay particular tribute to Kate Davies and the work we’ve done together over the years, for her relentless commitment in this space, and I hope that we can continue to work closely in 2023.

    But I wanted to come along today chiefly to seek your help. I am in the process, at the moment, of building really clear pathways of veterans support across the United Kingdom.

    Of course, Op Courage, the one you’ve heard of, was the pioneer, a single clear defined pathway for veterans to access world-class mental health care. Rooted, commissioned and ordered by the NHS in England. During its first year, it had 19,000 referrals. Which is a massive unmet need and shows you what we can do in this space if we design good programmes where there’s room for everybody, everybody comes together and we deliver it.

    Last month, the Prime Minister launched Op Fortitude, something similar in the space of homelessness, for some of our most vulnerable veterans. This programme initially ran over Christmas last year, ensuring no veteran involuntarily slept rough over the Christmas period. We’re going to launch formally on the 1st of April this year, working with great partners, like Riverside and Stoll, we will end veterans homelessness in this country in 2023.

    It’s an extremely complex issue. It’s not as presented by many actors, but I’m confident by the end of 2023 with the money and the programmes that we’ll put in, there will be no veterans sleeping involuntarily rough in this country.

    It won’t surprise you that I want to do the same with physical health care needs this year.

    The number one challenge for veterans seeking help in this country remains navigating the various options available, and understanding the offers of help they receive.

    Standardising some of the excellent service they receive right across the country and removing the kind of lottery of postcode opportunities. Similarly, it is not right, that after so much money and effort has gone in, by a lot of people in this room, to improving where we were, from those early days of Iraq, or Afghanistan, or indeed, back in the 90s, that those of our most seriously wounded continue to have an opaque view of how their needs will be met in 2, in 5 or in 10 years time. I want to resolve these issues in quick time and launch a clear pathway for physical veterans care across the United Kingdom.

    The Veterans Trauma Network is at the heart of this. With the best of the NHS working in collaboration with wraparound care from our charity sector. I want this single pathway to expand nationwide and ensure that every veteran with physical and complex health care needs can benefit. I want to improve accessibility, increase innovation and have a system that is responsive to new data and evidence in ways that we haven’t seen before.

    Of course, a large part of this work will be increasing awareness. You do so much good work already and for 15 years you’ve pioneered combat medical innovations, ensuring that those with the most severe injuries are much more likely to survive and thrive. It’s about standardising that approach, it’s about formalising your work and crucially bringing government resource and commitment to your programmes, to ensure their enduring nature in the years to come.

    A real service innovation is the multidisciplinary approach you take, addressing not just physical health needs, but the wider health and social needs of the veteran so they can heal, recover and thrive. We need to build stronger collaboration with a wider range of partners in the state sector and charities to keep delivering this. Ensuring veterans receive the very best of British science and technology that healthcare has to offer. That is why the Government launched the Health Innovation Fund on which I will have more to say in the weeks ahead.

    That’s why Op Courage has been so successful.

    That’s why we’ve put so much effort into understanding the veterans picture, through data which we did not have in this country. So we could demonstrate the kind of openness and agility to meet the changing demands of our physically injured, as time progresses, from those who lost limbs, to those who suffer musculoskeletal injuries, or in need of pain management, through to the care needs of the aged veteran.

    The Office for Veterans’ Affairs has and continues to change what it means to be a veteran in the UK today. This Prime Minister has me around his cabinet table because he wants to get it right. There is political and public support, but professionalising veterans care and getting it onto a sustainable footing for the decades ahead like never before, so that we never return again to the days of the past that we know too well.

    But we must all play our role and that’s why I’m here today. I want everyone who has enduring physical health needs from their time in service to experience the benefit of the veterans Trauma Network. I want it to be easy to access on a standardised basis, not based on who you know, or where you live, but on a needs basis across the Nation.

    I want everyone to know about your great work. I want it to be a future focused on an enduring, ambitious footing, with full Government and Prime Ministerial support. And I’m determined we will get there, with Op Fortitude, Op Courage and this growing network – whatever you want to call it – we are building permanent strong foundations and pillars of support for veterans across the United Kingdom.

    Everybody has a role to play in that national duty – not mine or a few of us here – but that national duty towards this country’s armed forces veterans.

    I very much look forward to working with all of you in the months ahead.

  • Dave Doogan – 2022 Speech on Ukraine

    Dave Doogan – 2022 Speech on Ukraine

    The speech made by Dave Doogan, the SNP spokesperson on defence, in the House of Commons on 20 December 2022.

    Dave Doogan (Angus) (SNP)

    More than 17,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed in Ukraine, with increasing hybridisation displacing the failed kinetic offensive by Russia—failed but no less destructive for its want of just purpose. The figure seems destined to grow amid the missile attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine’s harsh winter. The Odesa Oblast energy department advises that fully restoring electricity supplies could take as long as three months, confirming that Russia is deliberately bombing hospitals and other medical facilities to sow and cultivate terror in over 700 such attacks since February.

    Russian attacks on energy infrastructure on Sunday 11 December left 1.5 million people without power in Odesa in the middle of winter. Ukraine’s armed forces advised that Russia launched 15 Iranian-made drones in the region of Odesa and neighbouring Mykolaiv, 10 of which, thankfully, were shot down. Determined to engage the world in his conflict, Putin has weaponised not only energy, as we now see all across Europe in these winter temperatures, but the blocking and now consistent frustrating of the meagre ship traffic into and out of Ukraine, limiting food to the global south, impacting grain prices globally and challenging the storage of the 2022 harvest.

    This is hybrid hostile action against a global civilian community, designed to show the strength of the Russian nation but so woefully misguided and miscalculated that it reveals principally the unity of Europe, the steadfast shield of NATO and the indefatigability of the Ukrainian people fighting and suffering with just cause on their side and the world at their backs.

    Perhaps not surprisingly, the UK Government like to reflect on the help, support, training and other interventions given to Ukraine to date—I note the 900 generators detailed in the Secretary of State’s statement and the unity that he rightly refers to across the House. He can continue to rely on Scottish National party support in this one distinct area. Can he assure the House that he will be ever vigilant for cracks of fatigue in the international community as we continue to support Ukraine, and have a strategy to deal with those cracks should they ever—I hope they do not—appear?

    Mr Wallace

    I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. Yes, the international community works collectively, including through the Joint Expeditionary Force. I invited his colleague, the right hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Lochaber (Ian Blackford), the former leader of the SNP, to JEF meetings when they were hosted in Rutland and Edinburgh recently. It is important that Opposition Members get to meet a number of our international colleagues: demonstrating that unity changes things and moves the dial.

    I have made 41 international visits over the last 12 months, mainly around Europe, although some were further afield. Defence diplomacy matters fundamentally; one thing to come from the defence Command Paper was that defence diplomacy is one of the ways to avoid wars, making sure that we are helping countries be resilient in their own defence so that war does not happen. It is a Cinderella part of defence, but incredibly important.

    On the wider area of humanitarian aid, it is important to remember the £220 million aid package. The support is not just about lethal aid; it is about helping the broader community and society. Economic failure in Ukraine would be another plank towards a Putin victory, and therefore we must help, including with a £73 million fiscal support grant and £100 million for energy security and reforms. A further list is growing around the work we have done, with things such as medical assistance from the Department of Health and Social Care, and others, and also with things such as grain. That is just as important as the military fight, helping Ukraine’s resilience through the winter and against the appalling attempts to switch off its energy, and helping to ensure that its economy survives in 2023.

  • Tobias Ellwood – 2022 Speech on Ukraine

    Tobias Ellwood – 2022 Speech on Ukraine

    The speech made by Tobias Ellwood, the Chair of the Defence Committee, in the House of Commons on 20 December 2022.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East) (Con)

    It is fair to say that there has been a bit of domestic turbulence in British politics over the past six months or so, but, as we saw in our Defence Committee visit to Ukraine, the support that Britain provides is so appreciated. That is largely down to the leadership, commitment and consistency from the Defence Secretary. It is important to put that on the record.

    Bearing in mind the huge contribution that Britain has provided in allowing a series of counter-offensives to take place, does my right hon. Friend agree that the threat from Russia remains? Putin is mobilising more of his forces and retooling many of his industries, potentially for a spring offensive. He is increasingly framing this conflict as, to use his own words, “a wider struggle against a hostile west”. Does my right hon. Friend agree that this is therefore not just a Ukraine war, but a European one? The longer it lasts, the more it will damage not just Ukraine but our own security and economy—all the more reason why it is important that we put this fire out.

    Mr Wallace

    My right hon. Friend and I totally agree that it is important that Putin fails in Ukraine, because if he were successful the consequences would be felt right here in the United Kingdom and right across Europe. Yes, it is a battle of European geography, given that Ukraine was invaded illegally, but it is also a battle of European values. From Putin’s point of view, the people of Ukraine seem to have had the cheek of looking towards Europe and wishing to share its values, and he felt that that was one of the reasons to invade.

    Of course, the west is not buying the almost monthly recasting of Putin’s reasons for invading, which have varied over time. At one stage, it was to denazify and get rid of gays, apparently; if that was the case, the gay people of Ukraine are doing a fantastic job of beating that view—more power to their elbows. Then the reason was that NATO was threatening Russia, although of course when Sweden and Finland chose to join NATO that no longer seemed to be the core issue. The latest narrative is that it is the US versus Russia, with all the rest of us between those great powers—I suspect that that is how Putin sees it. That moving narrative is a sign of Russian desperation.

    At heart, my right hon. Friend is absolutely right: Russia as a threat is not going away. It has exposed itself as having no regard for international human rights, for the rule of law, for minorities or for the respect of sovereignty—whether that of a neighbour or further afield. It seems to have no regard for the consequences on its own soldiers, who are being lost in their thousands because of incompetent generalship.