Rob Clark
Curia’s Foreign Policy DirectorAs the general election hits its second full campaigning week Labour have gone on the attack over the Conservative government’s record on defence. During a campaign rally for Labour party candidates held on Monday, leader Sir Keir Starmer used the opportunity to promote a dozen of Labour’s new parliamentary candidates with military experience, as an example of how a changed party under Sir Keir is the party of defence.
Attempting to underscore this point, Sir Keir has announced several measures he hopes will make the UK public reconsider his party’s recently tarnished post-Jermey Corbyn reputation when it comes to defence and security.
Such measures include meeting the Conservative’s spending pledge of 2.5 per cent of GDP on defence. Somewhat disappointingly, however, whilst the Prime Minister confirmed that this would be the case from next year, Labour have yet to affix a timeframe for this (relatively modest) increase in spending, stating that it will occur when the economic outlook allows.
Another welcome policy from Labour has been the announcement of a so-called ‘triple lock’ on the UK’s nuclear deterrent, Trident, to include a commitment to construct four new nuclear submarines in Barrow-in-Furness, maintaining Britain’s continuous at-sea deterrent, and the delivery of all future upgrades needed for the submarines to patrol the waters.
At a time of escalating geopolitical tensions, and as Russia routinely use nuclear rhetoric whenever the UK announces measures to help Ukraine and even as China continually proliferate nuclear arms controls, this will be both reassuring to the UK’s allies, and send a strong message to its adversaries.
A Changed Labour?
However, that Sir Keir is having to unveil such measures in part highlights the inherent weakness – perceived and partially real – of a potential Labour government when it comes to matters of defence.
Whilst the Conservatives have presided over a broken and failing recruitment system, and actively pursued a policy of depleting the British Army’s personnel and heavy armour at a time of industrialised land warfare in Europe between an ally, and the government’s own recognised single biggest threat to the UK’s national security – Russia, the legacy of Jeremy Corbyn’s tenure as Labour leader is still relatively fresh in the minds of many undecided voters.
Whilst many will rightly argue that Corbyn is now no longer even in the Labour party, Starmer’s front bench includes 12 Labour politicians – some of them ardent Corbyn supporters, including Starmer himself – who all voted against renewing Trident under Corbyn’s leadership. These include Deputy Labour Leader Angela Rayner and Deputy Foreign Secretary, David Lammy.
Defence Pledge and Concerns for Military Veterans
Perhaps more pressing for military veterans than the recent ideological swings within Labour’s leadership regarding the UK’s nuclear deterrent, are Labour’s proposals for veterans.
Only last year Starmer called to repeal the Northern Ireland Legacy Bill, voted against by Labour; repealing the Legacy Act would see veterans hauled before the courts once again, in tragic images reminiscent of Northern Ireland veteran Dennis Hutchings, who died three days into a hearing in Belfast, in 2021. Mr Hutching’s lawyer said the proceedings contributed to his death, as he contracted Covid-19 in hospital for receiving kidney dialysis. Philip Barden, who acted for Dennis Hutchings, said he would be “alive today” had he not been compelled to go to Northern Ireland to stand trial.
According to the Conservative’s recent Minister for Veteran’s Affairs, Johnny Mercer, himself a former British Army Captain, in addition to reopening legacy Northern Ireland claims against British veterans, Labour will also abolish his office, and will remove the veterans minster from Cabinet.
As a former soldier myself who has had to rely on this office of government since leaving military service, this is a deeply concerning issue that will adversely and needlessly affect tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of British military veterans.
Final Thought
With defence now taking such a prominent position in the campaign, these aforementioned concerns must be addressed by Labour if they are serious about forming a government which takes defence, and the people in which carry it out, seriously. If not, then they risk alienating the near 2 million veterans in this country.
For more of Chamber’s analysis on Foreign and Defence policy, please click here.