The UK’s Ministry of Defence is a big winner from the ructions over Keir Starmer's leadership, getting extra funding to secure the Strait of Hormuz as part of a significant increase in military spending.
The spending boost is expected to be announced in Wednesday’s King’s Speech, where the government’s legislation for the coming parliament is announced.
The speech, which features 35 bills, will give a boost for Britain’s national security including new powers to proscribe state-sponsored outfits such as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as terrorist organisations.
Even if Mr Starmer’s rearguard action falters and he is pushed out of office, the ministry could still be a major winner.
Defence Secretary John Healey is widely respected in the Labour Party and could potentially be the candidate who unifies the party’s factions. His Armed Forces Minister, the Royal Marine veteran Al Carns, is also among potential candidates despite being new to politics.
In an early indication that the ministry will be granted the funding required for Britain’s ailing armed forces, it was announced that a force to secure the Strait of Hormuz would be backed by £115 million ($156 million) for mine-hunting autonomous vehicles and counter-drone systems.
Speaking after an online meeting with 40 fellow ministers, Mr Healey said that the Hormuz operation would be “strictly defensive” and aim to “reassure commercial shipping and conduct mine-clearing operations after a settled peace agreement”.
In a sign of how warfare is rapidly changing, no warships will be sent into the strait until the drone mine-hunters led by autonomous drone boats made by Kraken, a British company, have cleared it of Iranian mines.
The landing ship RFA Lyme Bay will also be used to launch drones during operations in the strait.
Britain’s contribution to the force will also include Typhoon fighters based in Qatar alongside the Type 45 air defence destroyer HMS Dragon, which is expected to move into the region.
Australia will contribute a E-7A Wedgetail reconnaissance aircraft to help protect the UAE from Iran’s drone and missile attacks.
“The crisis in the Middle East affects all our nations, our people, our companies, our economies, and we must meet this moment,” Mr Healey said. “Iran simply cannot hold the strait and the global economy hostage”.
Mr Healey will have a further spring in his step when the ministry's long-awaited defence investment plan is announced, reportedly next week.
As part of Mr Starmer’s strategy to remain in office he is expected to significantly increase defence spending to achieve the target of 3 per cent of GDP.
The investment plan was meant to have been published last year but has been delayed due to wrangling between the Treasury and the Defence Ministry, but Mr Starmer appears to have decisively intervened.
