The Strategic Defence Review is an upcoming review of the United Kingdom's defence policy. It is the first such review carried out by a Labour government since 2003. The review will be led by former NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson, with oversight from Defence Secretary John Healey. It was announced on 16 July 2024 by the newly incumbent Prime Minister Keir Starmer and is set to be published in the first half of 2025.[1]
The previous defence review was part of the Integrated Review commissioned by Boris Johnson's Conservative government in 2021. It was revised a year later by his successors, Prime Ministers Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since then, Russia has continued its war in Ukraine, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have launched attacks in the Red Sea and against Israel resulting in UK military intervention, China has continued to seek territorial expansion, and North Korea has provided substantial material support to Russia's war effort. The armed forces have also experienced high-profile issues with recruitment and experts have argued that defence cuts have left it unequipped to be a "tier one" fighting force.[2] [3]
In its election manifesto, the Labour Party pledged to conduct a defence review within the first year of government and this commenced on 16 July 2024, two weeks after its election victory. The review is to be headed by three external reviewers: Former NATO Secretary General and Defence Secretary Lord Robertson, United States Presidential advisor and foreign policy expert Dr Fiona Hill, and former Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff General Sir Richard Barrons. They will be supported by a review team comprising experts from inside and outside of government, including those in the armed forces, veterans, the defence industry, the general public, academia, parliament and close allies.[1] The review is expected to focus on several key areas, including homeland security, support for Ukraine, modernisation of the armed forces, the nuclear deterrent and the UK's continued leadership in NATO.[4] Lead reviewer, Lord Robertson, stated in a press briefing that the UK and its allies were facing a "deadly quartet" of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea and said that the UK must be prepared to take on all four if necessary. This view was in contrast to the previous defence review which described China as a "systemic challenge" rather than a threat.[5] The previous review's focus on the Pacific region is also expected to be sidelined in favour of security in Europe.[6]
The government has committed to increasing defence spending to 2.5% of GDP once affordable and following the findings of the review.[7]