Labour sets out goal of restoring UK leadership in Nato

John Healey offers scathing wake-up call to refocus British policy to Europe

Labour leader shadow defence secretary John Healey (left) talks to troops during a visit to Tapa Military Base in Estonia. PA

Britain's opposition Labour Party has promised a root and branch defence and security review of the country's strategic posture should it win power at the next election.

John Healey used a keynote speech at Chatham House to argue that last year's Integrated Review, which emphasised the importance of Indo-Pacific security to the UK and the world, was now out of date, especially in light of events in Ukraine.

Warning of a strategic inertia, he said there must be an effort to reboot UK defence plans, rebuild European defences and reinforce the UK leadership in Nato, with the Ukrainian conflict serving as a reminder that no nation can go it alone.

“Ministers must now rectify the flaws in the Integrated Review, review defence spending, must reform defence procurement, must rethink those army cuts and must reinvigorate UK leadership within Nato,” he said.

“Instead, we are told by defence ministers the invasion of Ukraine has proved the Integrated Review right. The Integrated Review was billed as threats-led. It was trumpeted by Boris Johnson as a tilt to the Indo-Pacific and scarcely mentions Europe outside Nato.

“It confirms Russian threats to Britain are increasing, yet it cuts the army by a further 10,000 troops. It makes no mention of a Taliban takeover in Afghanistan or a Russian invasion of Ukraine.”

Mr Healey said the UK was unprepared for the Russian invasion and remains unwilling to make far-reaching changes to its policy.

“Within days of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, [German] Chancellor [Olaf] Scholz declared it a watershed in the history of our continent. He doubled the budget and gave it an immediate boost of 100 billion euros,” he said.

“There is a void in [our] government vision about what next.

“On day one, we will start work on a defence and security review that builds in lessons from Ukraine.”