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 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 January 2025, Donald Trump became President of the United States, having campaigned on a promise to make Europe more responsible for its own defence. In February, the United States entered peace talks with Russia, whilst excluding Ukrainian and European leaders. In response, an emergency summit for European leaders was held in Paris and concluded with an agreement that Europe must do more to defend itself and Ukraine, including through increased defence spending. [4] On 25 February 2025, Starmer announced that the UK would be increasing its defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, raising to 3% by the next parliament, "if economic and fiscal conditions allow". [5]
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. [6] 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. [7]