The SNP has criticised the UK government's belatedly published
Integrated Review of defence and foreign policy as a document
intended to show the world that "Global Britain is an
untrustworthy and unreliable international partner."
Commenting, MP, the SNP Defence spokesperson, said:
“This was the UK government’s chance to set out the details of
the future defence and security relationship with our closest
allies in Europe. Instead, the Prime Minister has gone on a
confused supermarket sweep of every region in the world with no
clear recognition of the UK’s geographic reality.
“This document is riddled with the inconsistency and incoherence
that has defined this government – and it reeks of the
post-imperial delusion that once saw Brexit described by the
Tories as ‘Empire 2.0’. seems to be doing everything in his power to show the
world that ‘Global Britain’ is an untrustworthy and unreliable
international partner.
“The Integrated Review’s description of Russia as a hostile power
echoes the words of last year’s Russia Report, which made 21
recommendations to the UK government on countering this threat.
The Government’s failure to implement even a single one of them
makes it difficult for our allies to trust they will take action
now.
“Even after COVID-19, both the Tories and Labour remain wedded to
an outdated, Cold War understanding of security that worships
weapons of mass destruction. Nonetheless it beggars belief that –
after slashing the aid budget and freezing pay for Armed Forces
personnel – the Prime Minister has managed to find the cash for
yet more nuclear warheads.”
, the
SNP's Foreign Affairs spokesperson, added:
"The Integrated Review, like the Prime Minister himself, is big
on rhetoric but short on substance. It is riddled with
inconsistencies, contradictions and ambiguities and leaves our
allies no clearer on what ‘Global Britain’ actually means.
“Over the weekend, the UK Government announced its plans to
renege on its 'unequivocal' commitment to nuclear disarmament. On
Monday, the EU began legal action against a UK Government it
accuses of deliberately violating international law. The Prime
Minister’s promises today to uphold and strengthen the
international rules-based system aren’t worth the paper they’re
written on.
“For the Prime Minister to stand up today and champion human
rights before announcing in the same breath that he wants to
forge closer economic ties with China and Saudi Arabia is a stark
illustration of how hollow these commitments are.
“The Prime Minister has slashed aid to the world’s most
vulnerable people and cut funding to human rights measures
globally. If he genuinely believes that these have the support of
Parliament, he must put them to a straight vote in the Commons."
