Integrated Review fails to secure Britain’s national defence for the future, says Labour

Analysis by Labour confirms that the Conservatives have failed to secure Britain’s national defence for the future as threats increase.

While this announcement focuses on the future of the UK’s nuclear programme and replenishing stockpiles for Ukraine, Ministers have failed to address growing questions about critical capabilities which weaken our security and undermine the UK’s NATO obligations.

These include:

• Shrinking Army: The government is pressing ahead with cuts to the size of our armed forces to 73,000 by 2025, at a time when NATO has agreed to increase its high readiness forces to 300,000

• Tanks: The previous Integrated Review cut the number of Challenger 2 tanks by a third. It has since been revealed that just 157 of those remaining are available for operations.

• Ajax armoured vehicles: Ajax armoured vehicles are central to the Army’s future capability as set out in the government’s previous Integrated Review and Defence Command Paper. But they are six years late and procurement problems mean Ministers are yet to tell us when they will be in-service.

• Artillery: The Defence Secretary cannot afford his commitment to fully replace aging artillery launchers, a third of which have been given to Ukraine.

• Fantasy Frigates: Boris Johnson’s Type 32 “fantasy” Frigates, which are set to support investment and jobs in Rosyth, could be scrapped.

• Surveillance planes: Ministers have claimed that the E-7 Wedgetail sentry planes will ‘transform’ the UK’s contribution to NATO. But MOD data reveals that the project may now not be delivered until 2027, a four-year delay creating a six-year surveillance capability gap as threats to our airspace increase.

The Defence Secretary himself said that the Conservatives have “hollowed out and underfunded” our Armed Forces and the NAO recently concluded that the Government “cannot afford” its current defence plans.

When Labour left government in 2010 the UK was spending 2.5% of GDP on defence, a level that’s not been matched in any one of the 13 Tory years since.

Since 2010, the Conservatives have wasted at least £15bn of taxpayers’ money through MoD mismanagement of defence procurement, with £5bn wasted since 2019 alone while the current Defence Secretary has been in post.

Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey said:

“The first duty of any government is to defend the country and keep its citizens safe. But the Conservatives have failed to secure Britain’s national defence for the future.

“The Integrated Review and Budget will not address concerns over critical capabilities which weaken our national defence and undermine the UK’s NATO obligations.

“Labour’s commitment to NATO is unshakeable. We will publish a defence and security review in our first year of government to make sure capabilities match the threats we face.”

Ends

Notes

No new money for day-to-day spending on the Armed Forces

• According to the government’s press release: “£3 billion will be invested across the defence nuclear enterprise” and “The remaining £1.9 billion will replenish and bolster our munitions stockpiles to replace items donated to Ukraine and invest in the resilience of the UK’s munitions infrastructure.”
• When Labour left government in 2010 the UK was spending 2.5% of GDP on defence, a level that’s not been matched in any one of the 13 Tory years since (see table below)

UK defence expenditure that meets the NATO definition

Source:

NATO, Defence Expenditures of NATO Countries (2014-2022), June 2022

MOD, International defence expenditure: 2021

Shrinking the Army

• NATO to boost troops on high alert to over 300,000: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/nato-massively-increase-high-readiness-forces-300000-stoltenberg-2022-06-27/  

Tanks

• James Heappey told the Defence Select Committee on 8 March that only 157 Challenger 2 tanks were fit to be deployed to battle within a month: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ben-wallace-cut-british-army-plan-2023-b9b0thx0l

Ajax

• Ajax’s original in service date was 2017. Ministers are yet to set an in-service date:

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmpubacc/259/report.html

https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2022-11-29/98703

Artillery

• The UK has have given 30 AS-90 artillery guns and six Multiple launch Rocket Systems to Ukraine, one third of the total (89) that MoD says we have. RUSI has said the UK has a “critical shortage of artillery.” The NAO’s report on MOD’s Equipment Plan 2022 – 2032 (p.20) says new Multi- Launch Rocket Systems are only partially funded. 

AS-90 donation: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2023-01-16/debates/41FD78FF-E28C-4887-B1D0-0F53E5F705C1/UkraineUpdate

Total number of AS-90s/MLRS: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1121675/UK_Armed_Forces_Equipment_and_Formations_2022_tables.xlsx (table 5)

NAO Report: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/NAO-Report-The-equipment-plan-2022-to-2032.pdf (p.20)

Fantasy Frigates

• P.20 of the NAO’s report on the MOD’s Equipment Plan 2022 to 2032 confirms that Type 32 Frigates are not included in the equipment plan: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/NAO-Report-The-equipment-plan-2022-to-2032.pdf
• Concerns for Rosyth: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fears-for-scots-shipbuilding-as-prime-minister-prepares-to-scrap-2-5bn-frigate-order-2h7hlswqv

Surveillance planes

• “The E-7A will transform our UK Airborne Early Warning and Control capability and the UK’s contribution to NATO.” Defence Command Paper, p. 57

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/974661/CP411_-Defence_Command_Plan.pdf

• Details on delays and capability gaps reported here: https://inews.co.uk/news/labour-accuses-government-broken-defence-system-expose-uk-chinese-spy-balloons-2148901

“Hollowed out and underfunded”

• At Defence Questions on Monday 30 January 2023, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “I am happy to say that we have hollowed out and underfunded [the Armed Forces].”

https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2023-01-30/debates/12821518-E915-44B2-8DE6-6E684145B3B9/OralAnswersToQuestions#contribution-FEC1D749-B522-4B8E-B4FC-5AC91E98B065

The government cannot afford its current defence plans

• The National Audit Office’s report on the MoD’s Equipment Plan 2022-2032 said: “The 2021 Integrated Review set out the government’s revised assessment of security risks and the capabilities that the Armed Forces need. However, the Department cannot afford to develop all these capabilities, and part-funded or unfunded projects are not fully included in the Plan.”

https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/NAO-Report-The-equipment-plan-2022-to-2032.pdf ,p. 8

Labour’s dossier of waste in the Ministry of Defence:

• https://labour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Dossier-of-Waste-in-the-Ministry-of-Defence-2010-2021.pdf