The Global Campaign on Military Spending UK said that today’s Strategic Defence Review is a good day for death and destruction and a bad day for peace and security as the government signs a blank cheque for the arms industry. The SDR lacks a fundamental analysis on how to increase peace and security in the world, focussing instead on spending billions more on the UK’s armed forces, despite already having one of the largest military budgets in the world. It continues to prioritise maintaining a military capable of ‘global force projection’, rather than considering how to tackle the roots of conflict.
The SDR was set up in July 2024 and was due to set a roadmap for the UK Government spending and national security priorities. The Review, which has made 62 recommendations, fails to comment on the threat from climate breakdown or the role of international institutions such as the United Nations in building lasting peace and security. It is unclear from the report how the government thinks that markedly increasing its weaponry builds peace.
Russell Whiting, GCOMS-UK Network Coordinator said: “Today’s announcement from the Government is deeply disappointing. In an era of multiple crises including ecological, health and security, we could have had a forward-looking and challenging plan. Instead we have more of the same – throwing endless billions into the military. Ever-increasing military spending, more nuclear weapons and new arms factories will do nothing to build peace in the world or economic security at home. The huge sums named turn into few jobs. This is a good day for death and destruction and a bad day for peace and security. We hope that MPs will join civil society in opposing these plans to create a “Warfare State” in Britain.”
