Labour has cautioned that the UK must “actively prepare” for a potential “wartime scenario” on home soil as the new National Security Strategy (NSS) depicts a dawning era of “radical uncertainty.
Responding to “generationally high threats” to Britain’s safety, the Security Strategy sets out the government’s “historic commitment” to allocate 5 per cent of the UK’s GDP to national security by 2035.
This expenditure will be divided by a 3.5 per cent and 1.5 per cent split between “core defence” and “resilience and security” measures, with 4.1 per cent of the total 5 per cent set to be achieved by 2027.
Downing Street has not yet confirmed the source of such funds, however, Sir Keir Starmer has warned of “difficult compromises and trade-offs on resource allocation and prioritisation” to accommodate increased investment in the nation’s armed forces and security infrastructure.
This development comes as proposed welfare cuts are currently being debated within the Labour party.
The National Security Strategy identifies a range of key threats, with ongoing Russian aggression in Europe being the most pressing. Others include the rise of “extremist ideologies” and illegal migration within Britain, growing “strategic competition” between major powers, and broader non-military challenges such as energy insecurity and cyber vulnerabilities.
To combat these issues, a three pronged “strategic framework” is outlined, comprising plans to strengthen security at home, improve strength abroad and increase sovereign capabilities.
As part of strengthening security at home, the Strategy discusses increased efforts to discourage irregular migration and increase resilience against “external shocks” such as a biological attack or natural disaster.
National Exercises are scheduled to be run in order to test the resilience and “whole-of-society preparedness” when confronted with emergencies, with £1 billion allocated to a new network of national biosecurity centres and £520m to diagnostic, therapeutic and vaccine manufacturing facilities.
Looking outwards, the National Security Strategy describes the international arena as an increasingly transactional and volatile space “in which economic and military measures will be more commonly used as means of leverage and bargaining.”
Embracing a “NATO First” approach to UK defence, the Security Strategy aims to strengthen ties with the EU and US by focusing on enhanced military interoperability, technology sharing, and collaborative scientific research.
Ukraine continues to be an issue of concern, with the Strategy pressing for the cooperation of allies to ensure a “durable settlement” to the war.
A number of investments have been earmarked in the Strategy with the intent to build Britain’s “sovereign capabilities” and “strengthen our hand when we transact business with those who have sovereign assets that we seek access to.”
The sovereign nuclear warhead programme will receive a £15 billion investment while £31 billion will be allocated to build a new class of submarines. £86 billion has also been provided for “research and development” in the field of AI and military technology.
Six new munitions and energetics factories and 7,000 long range weapons are scheduled to be built within the UK as the Strategy asserts that funds redirected to defence spending will be recouped by working people through the creation of jobs within the newly “dynamic” sector.
Climate change is also recognised as a national security threat, with £81 million allocated to develop an early warning system in Greenland.
Featured image via kenny1 / Shutterstock.
