Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Defence, addressed the Labour Party conference.
"Conference, it’s an honour to address you again and to serve the
Party on Labour’s frontbench.
Over 20 years, I’ve served for one single purpose: to win a
Labour Government. The first duty of any Government is to defend
the country and keep its citizens safe. It’s also the public’s
first test of any Party aspiring to Government.
That’s why has pledged: ‘Never again will Labour go into an
election not being trusted on national security’. That’s a
pledge, I trust, everyone in our Party – from every part of our
great, diverse Labour Movement – will endorse.
We are a Party with deep roots in defending this country.
Throughout the last century, it’s been working men and women
who’ve served on the frontline. Fighting and sometimes dying for
our country. It was Labour that established NATO and the British
deterrent – commitments that have been unshakeable for every
Labour leadership since the end of the Cold War.
We are a Party with deep pride in forging international law and
security. The Geneva Conventions, Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and Comprehensive Test
Ban Treaty were all signed by Labour Prime Ministers.
We are a Party with deep respect for the serving men and women of
our Armed Forces. Theirs is the ultimate public service. They
embody the qualities British people most admire: courage,
discipline, loyalty, good humour, service. They defend the
country. They’re essential to our resilience at home.
We may yet see this over driving oil tankers. We’ve certainly
seen it as they helped the country through the covid crisis –
building the Nightingale hospitals, driving ambulances,
delivering oxygen, community testing and giving jabs.
Conference, on behalf of this Party, I want us to say a huge
‘thank you’ to them.
We saw again last month why British forces are respected
worldwide, with UK troops and pilots at the heart of the Afghan
airlift. But the crisis has reopened searing memories for many
who served in Afghanistan. Combat Stress say calls to their
helpline doubled last month, yet the Government is spending just
£20 million this year on veterans’ mental health.
So I want to announce today that Labour would boost this by £35
million, with a special fund to support mental health care for
British veterans and the Afghan personnel now with us in the UK.
Conference, we’ve seen from this debate today: global
instabilities and national threats are greater now than for
decades, and growing. Yet Britain is weaker in the world, from a
decade of decline under Tory government.
They have weakened Britain’s influence in the world by breaking
international law, antagonizing our European allies, slashing
development aid and failing to stand up for human rights.
They have weakened the foundations for Britain’s defences by
cutting 45 00 full-time Forces personnel – leaving fewer troops,
fewer planes, fewer ships, bad procurement contracts and a £17
billion black hole in the budget.
They left Britain unable to influence allies on Afghanistan,
questioned over our NATO commitment by US generals and the Prime
Minister quoting Muppets to make his case at the United Nations.
The next decade will shape the rest of the century. Britain needs
new leadership.
With Labour and , the country will get the leadership to forge a new
and powerful role for Britain in the world.
Britain will be democracy’s most reliable ally. Britain will no
longer be half-hearted about essential alliances and treaties, in
the UN, NATO, Five Eyes, International Court of Justice. Britain
will forge a flexible geometry of new alliances where needed for
our national security and international stability.
We will give the highest priority to security in Europe, North
Atlantic and Artic, pursuing new defence cooperation with
European NATO neighbours.
We will lead moves in the UN to negotiate new multilateral arms
controls and rules of conflict for space, cyber and AI.
We will insist on the UK’s say with the US as our most essential
ally, stepping up Britain’s leadership in NATO.
We will make preventing climate conflict a top priority for our
national security strategy and international action
We will freeze Tory cuts to the Army, then review and reverse the
numbers if needed.
We will build up the resilience of British democracy to deal with
continuous new ‘greyzone’ attacks in cyber, disinformation,
terrorism and organised crime.
As the Party of working people and trade unions, we know when
done well: spending on defence can strengthen our UK economy, and
our UK sovereignty and security.
We will make it fundamental that British defence investment is
directed first to British industry. We will design in Britain,
build in Britain, maintain in Britain with a higher bar set for
any decisions to buy from abroad.
Conference, Labour has a proud record in defence of this country,
and our values.
From Estonia to Mali to the Black Sea to somewhere under the
Arctic ice cap – British service men and women are there for us.
I say to them – on behalf of us all – that we, Labour, will
always be there for you."
