Britain’s armed forces must have the ability to confront a “deadly quartet” of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, the surprise pick to lead a major review of the UK’s shrinking defenses has warned.
Lord Robertson, former Labor Party defense secretary and former head of NATO, is being brought back into frontline military politics by Sir Keir Starmer, having led Labour’s last Strategic Defense Review (SDR) , more than a quarter of a century ago.
In another innovative twist, the government announced on Tuesday that two other external experts will work with their counterpart to draw up the new plan for the future shape and size of the armed forces.
They include Fiona Hill, Donald Trump’s former White House foreign policy adviser, who testified against the former president during his impeachment trial.
His appointment could attract criticism from Trump – who could very well be elected back to power later this year -, at the same time that the new prime minister and his top team emphasize the importance of the transatlantic alliance.
Hill, a leading Russia expert who is British but has U.S. citizenship, has previously compared Trump to President Vladimir Putin. He said of her: “She doesn’t know the first thing she’s saying. If she didn’t have an accent, she would be nothing.”
Speaking about the new role, Hill said: “This review could not be more timely, given the current global turmoil and rapid technological changes. I am honored to participate in this important and critical exercise.”
The third external reviewer is General Sir Richard Barrons, a highly regarded four-star general who was once appointed head of the armed forces but left the army in 2016.
Speaking at a press conference to talk about the launch of the government’s new defense review, Lord Robertson said he and his team would aim to provide “fresh thinking” in defining what he called the “threats and challenges” facing the nation. face.
“We are faced with a deadly quartet of nations working increasingly together,” he said.
“We in this country and in the NATO alliance… have to be able to confront this particular quartet, as well as other problems that permeate the world.”
The description of China as “deadly” is much stronger than the more nuanced language used by the previous administration about Beijing.
Lord Robertson did not identify the quartet by name, but the other three countries are thought to be Russia, Iran and North Korea.
Read more on Sky News:
Trump reveals JD Vance as running mate in US elections
Lunar cave ‘could be base’ for future astronauts, scientists say
Man confesses to killing 42 women
John Healey, the current Defense Secretary, said the external team would work with the Ministry of Defense’s “deep expertise” on a review that he promised would be delivered “at an accelerated pace” in the first half of next year. They will also draw on contributions from academics, think tanks and even journalists.
He said the UK needs a “new era for defence”. However, it still faces the same old problems of an army that has been depleted by decades of cost-cutting and with limited financial resources available to carry out the transformation that will be required.
The government has committed to increasing defense spending to 2.5% of national income, up from the current 2.2%, but has not offered any type of timetable.
Healey, speaking candidly alongside Lord Robertson, said that even such an increase in spending would not be a “magic bullet” that would solve all problems.
“Because if we simply use additional funding to alleviate some of the pressures on current programs and plans, we will not be able to address the very serious situation we face and the changes we must make to be better prepared to fight in the future, better able to defend Britain and also better able to deter threats we may face in the future.”
Keep up with the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
Healey also revealed a desire for the defense sector in general to play a much more important role in the government’s plans to boost economic growth.
“In many ways, defense is the untold story of economic growth and the economic engine in Britain,” he said, noting that the average wage is 40% higher than other industrial sectors, while 70% of jobs in the defense industry are outside London and the South East.
“So for a government that wants to boost growth, improve productivity and spread wealth creation, defense is one of the cornerstones of a new industrial strategy.”
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
