NEWS STORY : Government Announces a Review of the UK Armed Forces
STORY
The Government has announced a wide-scale review of the UK armed forces which will be overseen by John Healey, the Defence Secretary, and led by Lord Robertson. The Ministry of Defence said in a statement:
“The Strategic Defence Review will be delivered at pace and report in the first half of 2025, with work starting immediately in recognition of the urgency of the threats facing the UK. It comes as the Defence Secretary John Healey argues that “at the start of a new era for Britain, we need a new era for defence. The Review will strengthen the foundations for this new mission-driven Government.”
With a new era requiring a new type of review, the Strategic Defence Review will be headed by three external Reviewers in a first-of-its-kind for UK defence:
Lord Robertson – Former Defence Secretary and NATO Secretary General (Review lead)
Dr Fiona Hill CMG – Foreign policy expert and former US presidential advisor
General Sir Richard Barrons – Former Commander Joint Forces Command and former Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff
The Reviewers will be supported by a Defence Review Team of senior high level experts from inside and outside Government and will engage widely across the defence community. Submissions will be invited until the end of September from serving and retired members of the Armed Forces, the defence industry, the general public, academics, Parliament, and our closest allies and partners, especially in NATO.”
Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, said in a statement:
“We live in a more dangerous and volatile world. My government will forge a new clear-eyed approach to our national defences, equipping us to tackle international threats head-on while keeping the British people safe and secure. I promised the British people I would deliver the change needed to take our country forward, and I promised action not words. That’s why one of my first acts since taking office is to launch our Strategic Defence Review. We will make sure our hollowed out armed forces are bolstered and respected, that defence spending is responsibly increased, and that our country has the capabilities needed to ensure the UK’s resilience for the long term.”
